PHOTOGRAPHERS are being challenged to capture happiness in one photo as part of a competition launched in Bromsgrove to celebrate the International Day of Happiness.

To mark the day on March 20, Barnett Waddingham, based on Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, is calling on photographers to help them explore what make the UK happy.

Photographers are asked to capture happiness in one photo, be it of a person, an object, an activity, or something else, with the winner scooping a £500 prize (or an iPad for under-18s).

Damian Stancombe, from consultancy provider Barnett Waddingham, said: "To me everyone has their own idea of what happiness means to them and what makes us happy.

“We want to show that even though we are all unique there are trends in perceptions based on age and affluence.”

The company will use the photos as part of a new study to measure the current state of happiness and explore the impact of age, location and lifestyle.

The end goal is for companies to understand what makes their workforce happy in order to improve business performance.

Mr Stancombe added: “We hope the results will help companies develop ways to ensure their employees are happy at work, in turn allowing businesses to flourish.”

Entrants must submit a photo and a statement about why it encapsulates ‘happiness’ to picturehappiness.co.uk before June 30 at 5pm.