Times photographer making mark

Bay of Plenty Times photographers have proven once again they are New Zealand's best, with Mark McKeown winning two prestigious awards at the weekend.
At the Sir Terry McLean Sports Journalism Awards held in Auckland, the 31-year-old was awarded the Sparc (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) award for best photography portfolio and the Fairfax best provincial photography award _ beating some of the top sports photographers in New Zealand.
"It was quite humbling really," said Mr McKeown, who thought he had a chance of winning but knew the competition was tough.
"Being up against some of the best sports photographers, I was really flattered to win."
For Mr McKeown awards were a way of letting the industry know that he was serious about sports photography although he still enjoys being an all rounder.
"I hope to continue giving the region great sports photos because this is an area that I love."
Bay Times chief photographer John Borren has also won several awards lately, being named the 2005 Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Association (PANPA) photographer of the year and the APN photographer of the year.