She is more accustomed to posing in front of the camera.

Former mayor of Southampton Liz Mizon has been the star attraction at cheque presentations, lunches and awards ceremonies across Hampshire.

But now Liz has shown off her own skills as a snapper after picking up a photography award.

Liz, 66, was announced as the overall winner of Age Concern Southampton’s photographic competition after beating strong opposition from around 70 other entries.

The Daily Echo-backed scheme called on residents from across Hampshire to capture their older friends and relatives in sporting action as part of a London 2012-themed competition, titled ‘Sporting Life.’ And Liz, who served as the city’s mayor from 2009-10, scooped the viewers’ choice prize for her image, which shows her friend Geoff Wilkinson flipping over a gate during a group walk.

She said: “I was absolutely thrilled to win, but it was a bit of a shock.

“The picture was just one of those things, it was a spontaneous thing that happened and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to capture the image.”

Liz, who was the 787th mayor of Southampton, said she was given a new camera for Christmas and had been taking pictures of her walking group to go towards making a 2013 calendar. And she hopes her prize, a day out with a Daily Echo photographer, will help her improve her skills further.