The old adage, ‘every cloud has a silver lining’, seems particularly apt when considering the case of amateur photographer Ronya Galka, who has this week been named runner-up in the prestigious A Taste for Life competition.

Two years ago, the Waltham Forest resident, who was then working in the financial services, became an early victim of the credit crunch and she suddenly discovered she had more free time on her hands, allowing her to explore her hobby of taking pictures.

“I had always had an interest in photography in the way most people do, like taking photos on holiday and at parties, but I didn’t really know anything about cameras or photography as a subject,” the 34-year-old tells me. “Then, I started going through major changes at work, it was the beginning of the credit crunch and my work load decreased. I suddenly found I had a lot more energy and I started popping out at lunch time and snapping away. I was leaving work on time and not having to work ridiculous hours and I found I had a much clearer head.”

As Ronya’s hobby developed into a bona fide passion, she began entering her work into various competitions and her success with A Taste for Life marks her third attempt to be acknowledged by the prestigious photographic agency Magnum Photos, which launched the competition along with Tanqueray Gin.

Speaking about her image, I Don’t Care What The Weatherman Says, which was just one of more than 3,000 entries, Ronya explains: “I do a lot of street photography, I like capturing candid moments and London is a brilliant place for that. So much is happening, there are so many diverse people, events and the streets are full of amazing moments.

“One of those moments happened when I was near Trafalgar Square. I think there was a South African Festival on and it was a really miserable day but still very busy. I was just walking around and out of nowhere these two people appeared just in front of me and had this really brief hug and kiss in the rain, completely unprotected, no umbrellas, not a care in the world. I guess I was in the right place at the right time. I thought it was a beautiful shot of what love means or can mean, you don’t care what is going on around you as long as you are with that other person.”

Ronya’s intimate portrait caught the eye of a stellar panel of experts, including Stuart Franklin, president of Magnum, Jeremy Langmead, editor of Esquire magazine, Alan Sparrow, picture editor of Metro and Nicky Catley, picture editor of The Daily Telegraph, who at first singled her out as one of 20 shortlisted entries in the 25-plus category and then named her one of ten runners-up.

On hearing the news, the German-born marketing manager says: “I was absolutely over the moon, elated and really, really pleased to find out I was named a runner-up. Just to be associated with Magnum means the world to me, and getting my work seen by Stuart Franklin has given me a real boast and will edge me on to do more and to do better.”

Ronya may have lost out on winning the £5,000 prize to Tumbridge Wells-photographer Dan Clinch, who came out on top for his image Treading a Fresh Path, but, as a runner-up, her image will still have the honour of being hung alongside other Magnum photographs as part of a special exhibition at Liberty of London.

A Taste for Life runs from Monday, May 18, to Sunday, May 24 at Liberty of London, Regent Street, London. Details: www.atasteforlife.co.uk