Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen searches for the picture of motherhood

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Hallmark Cards are calling out to the UK public to get creative with the launch of a nationwide photography competition to capture the ‘picture of motherhood’.

Aimed at bringing photography to the masses, the competition is open to everyone in the UK – from complete novices to budding photographers. Pictures can be captured on anything from mobile phones to the latest high tech digital cameras and can be submitted by people of any age. The only criteria that apply is that the photograph must be your own work and must capture an image that best represents motherhood.

Submissions will be judged in two age categories (up to 17 and 18 plus) and the winners will be announced on Mother’s Day 2010. The winning images will be captured on a Hallmark Mother’s Day card which will be available for the public to purchase through the company’s online personal card service - hallmark.co.uk. Winners will also receive £1,000 worth of photography equipment.

The competition is part of Hallmark’s annual Cards for a Cure Mother’s Day initiative which, by March 2010, will have donated a massive £1million to breast cancer charities to fund vital research into the disease.

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen will form part of the expert judging panel, speaking about the competition, he said: “This is a fantastic initiative aimed at getting the public to create an image which really celebrates motherhood. I’d urge everyone across the UK to get their cameras at the ready, you don’t have to be a professional or have all the latest equipment. And, just think, you could have your photo captured on a Hallmark Card for the nation to buy.”

Hallmark Cards annually contributes £1/4 million to Breast Cancer Campaign and Action Breast Cancer, a programme of the Irish Cancer Society, as part of its Cards for a Cure campaign for Mothers Day. This is the fourth year of the initiative. The money is contributed independent of card and gift sales and is used to fund vital breast cancer research at centres across the UK and Ireland.

People can enter the competition at hallmark.co.uk.