SINGAPORE - Call it beginner's luck. First-time participant Timothy John Low bagged two prizes at the Canon PhotoMarathon Singapore on Saturday (July 28), plus a chance to compete in Japan.

The 17-year-old Nanyang Polytechnic IT student was among about 1,800 shutterbugs who raced from 11am to 8pm for a chance at a total prize booty of $50,000.

Their efforts also went towards a charitable cause.

All proceeds from registration fees, which ranged from $10 to $60, will go to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

The fund supports the needs of schoolgoing children from low-income families. The total sum raised from the event will be revealed at a later date.

In this year's photo contest, which was its 16th edition, photographers hunted for their images based on three themes - solitude, simplicity and glow.

For each theme, they had to return to upload their picture within three hours.

Said Timothy: "I didn't expect to win. In fact, I made the 8pm deadline by 40sec."

He won The Best of Show in the student category and a 2nd prize for the Simplicity themed student category.

Mr Edwin Teoh, head of marketing at Canon Singapore, said that proceeds from the sale of prints taken by Straits Times photojournalists would also go to the fund.

Said general manager of the fund, Ms Tan Bee Heong: "The funds raised will go a long way in providing school pocket money to thousands of needy students whom we support.

"This is also the first time our beneficiaries are invited to be part of a PhotoMarathon. They enjoyed the workshop thoroughly and have been so excited about the competition today."

Singapore's first Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling, who is a Canon ambassador, signed autographs and posed for photos at the event held at Suntec Singapore.