A CHEPSTOW entrepreneur was highly commended in a photographic competition.

Clare Adams, 28, of Ruffetts Close, was praised by the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers in the Mario Acerboni award competition.

Mrs Adams said: “It is so good that as a photographer it is recognised that I have a talent.

“I would like to go on and win gold, which is my next mission.”

Mrs Adams, who has a firstclass degree in fine art, is currently studying for a Master’s in fine art photography and owns her own business, submitted a wedding montage into the competition.

“It tells the story of the wedding,” Mrs Adams said.

“I like to think part of what I do is tell a story.”

Mrs Adams’ artistic career started to blossom when she was a teenager, when she would exhibit her artwork at Chepstow’s Art on the Railings festival.

“I’ve always been into art,” Mrs Adams said.

“My dad was into art, I think he had quite a big influence on me.”

After moving to London in 2007, having pursued a career in making corporate films, Mrs Adams set up her own wedding filming business, called LoveSeen, following compliments from friends’ weddings she had shot.

“It was part-time, something I could develop in the future, which I did,” Mrs Adams said.

In 2012 Mrs Adams moved back to Wales, after having her daughter, Cadenee, now three, and gave the business her “full attention”.

“I felt moving here was a fresh slate,” she said.

Mrs Adams changed the direction of the business from filming weddings to strictly photographing them, in a “natural” and “artistic” way.

“I hope that will help me stand out in my own way,”

she said.

“There is a lot of competition, everyone has their own unique selling-point.”

Now able to call herself an “award-winning photographer”, Mrs Adams said she hopes to take an image “worthy” of receiving a gold Mario Acerboni Award.