PHOTOGRAPHER Maddie Attenborough is hanging up her camera and closing the shutters on her business in Alresford.

The well-known businesswoman has lived in Alresford since 1989. She has been a professional photographer for over 30 years, cutting her teeth as a freelance photographer for the Hampshire Chronicle and Daily Echo newspapers.

In 1997 Maddie opened a large studio in Winchester, opposite the theatre Royal, specialising in portrait photography where she focused on families, pets, business people, website portraits, medical litigation, make-overs and passports. She also specialised in the restoration of old or damaged photographs and is still fascinated with the process.

It was in late 2011 that she had to say a sad goodbye to her loyal and hardworking staff because after nearly 15 years in Jewry Street the lease on the property had come to an end which also meant retirement was threatening. However she found by chance a small shop in East Street in Alresford which she converted into a fully working studio.

Her more famous customers included journalists Martin Bashir and Jon Sopel, impressionist Faith Brown, DJ Simon Dee, Body Shop founder Anita Roddick and even Bob Champion with his Grand National winner Aldaniti.

An Associate member of professional bodies the Master Photographers’ Association and the British Institute of Professional Photographers, Maddie was chosen to appear on BBC 2’s Trade Secrets programme, giving hints and tips to amateur photographers. Maddie won the Winchester BID Member of the Year Award in 2010.

“I have many years’ worth of negatives tucked away in the basement, plus a database of digital images and some large display photographs,” says Maddie. “If you have been a past customer and would like to acquire these, please get in touch before the end of the year when they will sadly have to be destroyed.”

Relishing more time in retirement, Maddie has joined Winchester U3A and is continuing her creativity by learning to paint with the Alresford Art Society and her studio window is currently being used as a temporary gallery for local artists.

Maddie can be contacted at maddie@maddieattenborough.co.uk.