THE talents of young photographers were brought sharply into focus.

Bolton Sixth Form College organised a special competition to showcase the work of the next generation of photographers.

More than 100 entries were received from high schools across Bolton and surrounding areas.

Lecturer Michelle Pennington said: "The theme was abstract and the pupils were encourage them to look at things in a different way ­— making mundane subject look interesting.

"I was very impressed with the quality of entries.

"It is the first time we have run this competition because we are saturated with images and we wanted the pupils to look at things differently. We judged it on framing and composition."

First and third prizes were awarded to pupils at Sharples School.

Chief photographer of The Bolton News Gus Sivyer, who helped with the judging said: "The standard of entries was very high and choosing winners was extremely difficult. It was encouraging to see how the theme had been interpreted by different photographers ­— it really captured the pupils' imaginations."