Super snapper Sammie Kerford is zooming in on a bright future after two of her latest photos received excellent exposure.

The South Cheshire College student tasted success in a national competition which she entered on-line after watching a documentary on the TV programme Eden about David Attenborough.

Sammie submitted a picture of an orang-utan as her chosen image for the competition called 'One Amazing World', which she took during a visit to Chester Zoo, and scooped £1000 worth of vouchers for popular camera store Jessops as first prize.

Then, just weeks later, she captured a photo of the Eiffel Tower during a college photography trip to Paris which is now being published in the Schmap Paris Guide in February to advertise visits to the French capital.

Sammie, 19, has a real passion for photography and carries her high-tech Nikon camera with her everywhere just in case a good photo opportunity arises.

The BTEC National Diploma Photography student has taken photos up and down the UK and abroad in Turkey and Bulgaria for college projects and personal enjoyment.

The former Verdin High School pupil is hoping to set up her own studio at home in Winsford and is planning to use the Jessops vouchers to buy essential items of kit such as studio lights and back-drops.

Sammie said: "I was watching a documentary about the David Attenborough which directed me to a competition on the uktv.com/Eden website which had nothing to do with photography.

"I logged on to the website to enter and noticed there were a number of other competitions one of which involved photography and asked for people to submit some of their favourite nature photos.

"I'd taken shots of various animals, including the orang-utan, during a visit to Chester Zoo in my spare time which I did to practice my photography skills outside the college environment.

"I entered the photo and didn't think anything of it until I received a phone call saying I'd won the top prize. I couldn't believe it."

Sammie added: "My second shot was of the Eiffel Tower when our photography group spent three days in Paris in the run-up to Christmas.

"I have an account on the Flickr photo website and I uploaded some of my photos from the trip onto the site.

"Next thing I knew my photo had been shortlisted for the Schmap guide. Although I won't receive any payment for my photo it will gain a very wide exposure which is read by visitors around the world."

Sammie started her time at South Cheshire College by studying a programme of AS Levels in Psychology, English Literature and Photography but after a year she opted to switch to the full-time BTEC National Diploma in Photography.

She said: "I didn't do too well in some of my AS Levels but photography was by far my best subject and something I was passionate about so I opted to do the full time vocational course.

"I've enjoyed developing a wide range of photography skills and I would say the biggest improvement I've made is with portrait shots which I wasn't very good at when I started the course.

"I've also built up my confidence and can cope a lot better with having to organise big groups of people to take group photographs."