Veteran photographer, Dave Dixon, was celebrating last night after winning the coveted ‘Election Snap’ award for the most memorable picture taken during the recent General Election.
Dixon’s acclaimed photograph of David Cameron was taken under extreme conditions at a rabid press melee outside Tory Central Office. 'It wasn’t easy' said Dixon who has been photographing political figures for nearly thirty years. 'A lot of people think we just yell the politician’s name to get their attention and snap away, but I can tell you it takes skill, experience and a tremendous amount of elbowing to capture a shot as detailed as mine.'
Dixon’s editor at the Daily Telegraph was full of praise for the shot which made the front page of the newspaper on the morning Mr Cameron became Prime Minister. 'Dave provided us with yet another fantastic spread,” he said. “His photograph captured the whole tip of David Cameron’s left ear, which is worthy enough, but what makes the image really stand out is the way it is so beautifully lit by the reflection from the right side of William Hague’s pate. It is nothing short of masterful.'
A veteran of the Thatcher years, Dixon recalled his first award for a shot of the Iron Lady’s car being driven away from Downing Street in 1990 toward the end of her premiership. 'That was one of those moments when everyone chases after a car firing shots into a darkened window,' he said proudly, 'I struck lucky and managed to get the definitive image of the day. OK, it was a bit blurry, but it was very clearly Thatcher’s chauffeur.'
Dixon is proud of his achievements over the years and is very dismissive of the paparazzi that simply follow celebrities for the tabloid press. 'What I provide is real action photojournalism, not posed shots of wannabes.” he said scornfully. “At least when I capture a flash of Harriet Harman’s underwear, you know the shot’s not a set up.'
The Election Snap trophy was last awarded in 2005 when the winning shot of John Prescott’s cascading chins was likened to a blancmange fountain. The picture was later used by Angel Delight in a successful advertising campaign.