“It could be a landscape with field of barley blowing in the wind; the seashore at Southwold, or a photograph of the bells at Bury St Edmunds Cathedral,” says Karen Finch, Managing Director of The Hearing Care Centre (pictured above). “In fact any picture which depicts the sounds of the county in a powerful way,” she says.

“People with good hearing often don’t realise the impact even mild hearing loss has on the enjoyment of ordinary things around us – we want our competition and the campaign to draw attention to some of the sounds that hard-of-hearing people cannot hear.”

Karen explained: “It can take years for some people to decide to do something about their hearing loss - it’s estimated that there are around 70,000 people in Suffolk who haven’t yet done anything about it – and we want to get the message across that they really are missing out on life and CAN do something about it.”

The Hearing Care Centre is involving photographic societies from across Suffolk in the competition but anyone can take part. There’s a prize of £250 for the best picture and in a special class for entrants who are under 14 there’ll be a prize of £150. The runners up will also get cash prizes and the best pictures will go on display in an exhibition which it is hoped will travel the county.

The judges of 'Hear Suffolk’ will include, Barry Freeman ARPS DPAGB, who is a member of Ipswich & District Photographic Society and a well-known member of the Royal Photographic Society.

Winners will also be invited to attend an exhibition in London, by internationally famous musician and photographer Bryan Adams who has been commissioned by the hearing instrument manufacturer Phonak to be official photographer for ‘Hear the World’, the company’s own hearing awareness campaign.

Adams has photographed famous people who are supporting the Hear the World initiative including Rod Stewart, Placido Domingo, Amy Winehouse and many others.

Karen Finch says: “Because of this photographic connection with Hear the World and because Suffolk is such a beautiful county, we thought it was appropriate to have our own competition. If through this we raise awareness about hearing loss, and even one person does something about that hearing loss as a result, then we will be more than happy.”

To help encourage people to take action, the company is offering free hearing tests throughout ‘Deaf Awareness Week’, which runs between Tuesday 5th May and Friday 8th May 2009.

To enter the competition, send your picture as an A4 print (in colour or black and white) to Photographic Competition, The Hearing Care Centre, 5 High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3JZ.

Make sure write your name, address, contact number and age (junior category only) on a label on the back of the print. If you want your picture returned, please enclose a suitable stamped and self-addressed envelope.

For more information and full terms & conditions visit the Hearing Care Centre's website.

Competition deadline 31st May 2009.