A portrait of a little girl on her Dad's shoulders has won the BIG Smiles Little Moments billboard competition which set out to capture a winning image taken within Auckland's CBD. "Santa's Coming" by Kristen Froude will now go on public display on a billboard on Fanshawe St.

The giant image will be officially unveiled on 1 June as part of the launch weekend of Auckland Festival of Photography, New Zealand's biggest visual arts festival, and will remain on show for the month of June.A portrait of a little girl on her Dad's shoulders has won the BIG Smiles Little Moments billboard competition which set out to capture a winning image taken within Auckland's CBD. "Santa's Coming" by Kristen Froude will now go on public display on a billboard on Fanshawe St.

The giant image will be officially unveiled on 1 June as part of the launch weekend of Auckland Festival of Photography, New Zealand's biggest visual arts festival, and will remain on show for the month of June.The billboard is sponsored and judged by Heart of the City and Metro Magazine.

Kristin Froude, a Kingsland resident, says the winning image was part of a series of shots she took of her friend's daughter waiting on her Dad's shoulders to view the Santa Parade on Queen Street in November 2007.

"We were early for the Santa Parade to ensure a good view so I had some time to shoot some photos of her. This particular one I liked because it was such a natural smile and conveyed her excitement of being at the Santa Parade."

She had to replay the phone message two or three times, before it really sunk in what she had won "I was so excited I got on the phone and rang all my close friends and family."

Froude says "it is such a huge achievement, my parents are over the moon and are planning to share a bottle of wine below the billboard to celebrate my success."

Froude now plans to continue her part-time photography course while working full-time. The win has supported her goal of becoming a professional photographer.

This year's Auckland Festival of Photography runs from 30 May to 22 June and will feature fifty six exhibitions throughout the Auckland region.

28/05/08