"Treasure", a series of photos telling a story about seamen and their treasures was a winning entry submitted by photography assistant Mara Sommer at the 2009 Sony/AIPA Photography Competition.

The competition which aims to encourage photographic excellence and originality asked photography assistants and students to submit a portfolio of photos for judging on a topic of their choice.

Mara was awarded a brand new Sony Alpha 850 D-SLR camera and lens kit valued at $5,500. She is also receiving a year’s worth of mentoring and $1,000 from the AIPA.

Since winning, Mara has continued to advance her career in photography and enjoys it more than ever.

What is it about photography that interests you so much?
I guess my creative motivation is my fantasy. I've always had a vivid fantasy. I was never good at painting and at first I used photography as a way to create a picture like creating a painting.

Today for me photography is so much more. I love the fact that there is always something real in a photo, something that I cannot influence, something that can surprise me. At the same time and especially with the digital possibilities, I am able to bring in my ideas, and create something new without simply reproducing reality.

I am interested in photographing people and I like to stage pictures. I want to tell stories in my pictures, real and fantasy. When taking portraits I like to stage people but try to involve their own stories and characters as well. Fashion photography gives me the opportunity to create fantasy.

What are you doing career-wise at the moment?
I am working a lot on my portfolio to start as a professional photographer. My of my latest work can be found here: www.marasommer.com

What is your ultimate career goal?
My ultimate career goal is to be a professional photographer, who is not only pressing the trigger but is also involved in the creative process of the images. Additionally I want to be booked because of my personal creative style.

How do you get the perfect shot?
The perfect shot for me usually takes a little preparation work. It needs an idea, which will then be transformed into an image. That means choosing a location, props, clothes etc. This gives me the basis.

When taking the picture I look closely at what the person or object is offering me. Usually not everything can be planned and that is good, because then some things will happen naturally and the things which I was able to plan before shooting, create a perfect shot.

How has winning the AIPA competition contributed to your career goals?
The scholarship really supports me in my way as a photographer. I continue working on my portfolio with the gear and money I received and I hope to learn as much as possible from the consulting and mentoring provided from the competition. For me as an emerging photographer the business part of being a photographer is the most difficult and the scholarship is a great help.