ARTSFEST PHOTOGRAPHY YR2
GALLERY 2026
ISSEY ADDENBROOKE | ALEXIA ASTON | EBONY BELNAVIS | RUBY CARTWRIGHT | HENRY DREWERY | NATASHA EDWARDS | POPPY HANEY | TRINITY-MAI POWELL | KAYSIE RUSSELL | WERONIKA SZYMALA | LYDIA WHORTON-WILLIAMS | CHARLIE WILKINSON
Issey Addenbrooke
My project ‘crime scene’ explores the genre of forensic photography. I created this because it’s something that interests me and for future career aspirations. It was important to me because I want to build my confidence and be more prepared for my future career. Also, it shows real life events that can take place.
I am incorporating dark room photograms and fingerprints with police identification recreations. I used soft light, sombre colours and downbeat expressions. My motivations were my interest in different shows on tv, real life events that have a good build up and storyline.
I was inspired by Arthur Fellig also known as ‘Weegee’, because his images were raw, high contrast, black and white, he also arrived at the scene while action was taking place. I hope people who view my work feel more aware of their surroundings.
Overall, I enjoyed making this project because I love being creative in different ways, expressing different emotions within my final piece.
Alexia Aston
My Final Major Project (FMP) focuses on endangered animals. Endangered animals are heavily protected in our world due to the work of conservation foundations and organisations. Research shows that endangered species can also act as indicators of environmental health. When their populations decline, it can signal underlying issues such as habitat destruction, pollution, or climate change. If these issues are not addressed, they can threaten the stability of entire ecosystems and many other species.
Through my photography, I aim to tell the story of the endangered animals that remain in our world and highlight how they are mistreated due to misinformation. Many are killed for their fur or other materials, despite their importance to the environment. My intention is to celebrate the diversity of the animal kingdom and to explore the role that zoos play in supporting conservation, protecting endangered species, and educating the public.
To capture these photographs, I relied on a telephoto zoom lens and saturated colour, alongside patience and environmental awareness. I believe engaging with wildlife and nature is increasingly important for mental health, both for myself and for others, as it encourages people to spend time outdoors and connect with the natural world. Through this project, I aim to showcase my photography skills while also encouraging the audience to emotionally engage with the subject matter and develop a deeper understanding of endangered animals.
Ebony Belnavis
My images focus on the beauty industry. I have combined event photography and studio portraiture to explore the creativity, skill, and professionalism involved in makeup artistry. I worked with professional makeup artist and social media influencer Demi Flukes of Pandora’s Prom.
Through this project, I wanted to show that makeup is more than just beauty—it is a form of art and self-expression. By photographing Demi both while she worked and in our photography studio, I was able to capture the process behind each look, as well as the final results. This allowed me to highlight the detail and creativity that go into her work.
I want my work to celebrate the beauty industry and show how makeup can boost confidence and help people express their individuality. I hope my images help viewers appreciate the talent and dedication behind professional makeup artistry.
Ruby Cartwright
As a young photographer, being able to photograph many different people every day has been an amazing way of capturing different personalities. However, it has also given me a whole different perspective when it comes to noticing the walls some of my models put up when they’re given freedom in front of the camera.
This sparked my interest in this project. My work explores the identity and representation of young people. I have combined found projected graphic images with personal portraiture, using keywords and phrases to add meaning and poignancy. My intention is to spark debate around mental health, self-image, AI, and social media, and how these are affecting my generation.
I wanted my work to clearly display the common theme of young people being forced to fit into society by behaving, acting, and/or looking a certain way, which then results in those same young people not being able to explore their freedom of identity out of fear and pressure. I also wanted to clearly display the growth of those hidden identities when expressed with confidence, using positive reminders and quotes that reinforce the act of being your true self.
Henry Drewery
The aim of my project is to raise awareness of the damage humans cause to nature’s beauty. I wanted to show that people’s bad habits can turn the gorgeous sights of flowers and plants into a complete eyesore.
To replicate the awful things that people do, I had to recreate them myself; however, I made sure to do the right thing and clean the flowers up afterwards so that no lasting harm was done.
I think my images convey this perfectly, as they show how actions that people consider ‘normal’ can ruin nature. I wanted to make these images look as real as possible, highlighting the negative aspects that are surrounded by beauty.
Natasha Edwards
My project “fear forest” is about showing peoples biggest fears and phobias. I created this because I enjoy exploring horror aspects within artistic images. It was important to me that I do this project because I wanted my audience to explore the different phobias that people have within themselves.
My motivations came from the movie “Escape Room”, it shows their individual fears that they must overcome and escape through. I was inspired by Kelly Jean because her work is eerie and unsettling but creative and artistic. I hope people that view my work feel uneasy and creeped out also.
Overall, I enjoyed making this project because I had total creative freedom and got to indulge into the deeper meaning of people’s phobias and find out more about them.
Poppy Haney
The fashion industry faces critical issues driven by environmental impact and exploitative labour concerns. However, my work focuses on how the fashion industry can positively support young people’s health and well-being.
I have explored how clothing, style, or a look can create self-esteem and confidence. My models look strong and self-aware, addressing the camera with style and flair.
When I started my Final Major Project, I chose to do fashion as I wanted to celebrate people’s styles in different ways and to present them in magazines. These photos also show an expression of people’s hidden personalities through their style, and how they express themselves through clothing.
I have found while doing all these fashion photoshoots that you are able to see people feel more comfortable when they’re wearing something that expresses who they are.
Trinity-Mai Powell
My name is Trinity and this is my Final Major Project, “Music is my Identity”. This project is about showing how music can shape who we are. Music is something that almost everyone connects with. It can bring back memories, change our mood, help us through difficult times, and express emotions that we sometimes cannot put into words. For me, music is a huge part of everyday life, and I wanted to create a project that shows how deeply it can influence a person’s identity.
Through creative portraits, I use items such as headphones, cassette tapes, vinyl records, and musical symbols to represent the connection between music and the individual. Each photograph is designed to tell a story and show how music can reflect someone’s personality, emotions, and experiences.
Over the past two years at college, I have photographed many different subjects, including people for studio portraits and pets. I have documented the everyday in my street photography, covered sports events, and even photographed my first wedding. These experiences have helped me improve my technical skills and develop my own creative style.
Photography allows me to connect with people and express how I feel through images. My aim is to create meaningful photographs that tell stories and celebrate individuality. Through “Music is my Identity”, I hope people will relate to my work and think about how music has helped shape their own identity.
Kaysie Russell
The intention is for my work to have a commercial value. I am developing my location, image making in a lifestyle, social family portrait context.
My aim is to utilise light, expression and location to reflect and complement the models, giving them a confidence and creating a saleable look and feel.
This work relates to my own developing practice as a professional photographer; specialising in weddings, portraits and events.
I strived to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere with a ‘go with the flow’ attitude for myself and my clients and I feel this shows in the photos I take.
Nellie photography on social media is an inspiration to me. Her photographs are bright and colourful in content; and are themed around weddings and natural portraits, which is what I strive to become in the future.
There are a few issues I have encountered on my journey, which would be using natural lighting I overcame this by using a flash.
My intended audience are those interested in landscapes, weddings, portrait and pet photography; which coincides with my future ambition.
Weronika Szymala
My project, Hair Identity, is about showcasing the importance of everyone’s hair in various ways. I created this because I wanted to show that no matter what hair type you have, everyone possesses beauty in their own unique way. It was important to me to explore how the very thing that insulates our heads has come to hold such high significance in terms of our self-esteem, confidence, and culture.
The main motivation for this project was my deep interest in different hair types. Ever since I was young, I have enjoyed learning about different hairstyles and their impact on various cultures, as well as practising them on different people.
I was inspired by the photographer Clair Harrison; not only does she focus on hair, but she also highlights the beauty of her models in other ways, such as through their make-up, posing, and posture. I hope people who view my work feel more confident and unafraid of what others might say about them.
Overall, I have really enjoyed working on this project. Not only did I get to photograph a variety of people, but I am now also able to show my viewers the importance of hair identity and educate them about the diverse backgrounds people come from.
Lydia Whorton-Williams
Fear. It shows the truth of who we really are. “Fight or flight” is the saying. With The Unknown, I wanted to evoke an overwhelming sense of discomfort, fear, and even paranoia or slight confusion—just an overall collection of negative feelings.
I have always loved horror since I was a child; my favourite childhood film was Jeepers Creepers. It had suspense and featured demonology, which carries a great sense of terror, emphasised by how the creature looks, the way he kills people, and why he does it. It simply had a great storyline, giving each character their own issues and excellent development. This film, along with others, has inspired me and helped shape who I am today.
Due to this passion of mine, I learnt how to use Photoshop during my Level 3 Photography course here at Dudley College. I had never previously used it, which was a minor setback initially; however, I now specialise in it. It allows me to bring all of my creations to life using just my mind, passion, and skill.
John Santerineross and Joshua Hoffine were two of my main inspirations due to their incredible Photoshop skills and how they use the software to express themes of horror and creepiness. With John, I was inspired by the overarching creepiness in his use of demonology and the paranormal; I opted to incorporate this into my own pieces, just as he does. Regarding Joshua’s work, I was inspired by his amazing editing techniques, which I also integrated into my own project.
I had to improvise for much of this project because I shot all the photos at home. Aside from the missing posters, I used old photos I had of people to achieve my final pieces. I did not have a professional lighting setup, which was quite different from my usual method of working outside with natural light. However, because most of these shots were taken indoors using a makeshift rig, I had to adapt to the restricted lighting. In the end, this limitation actually worked in my favour.
I hope The Unknown successfully expresses the creepier and less comfortable aspects of this world.
Charlie Wilkinson
My FMP was mainly based around movement, and the context is left down to the interpretation of the viewer. However, I mainly took the images in darker, grittier settings to help evoke darker thoughts for the viewer. My original ideas for this project were to make documentary-style images and use editing to help shape a story or an idea.
I used a few different techniques and skills in this project, such as a slow shutter speed and a tripod to stop the entire image from being blurry, ensuring only the subject (the cars) was blurred.
For editing, I experimented with mixed ideas, such as having the cars in black and white and the background in colour, and vice versa. To do this, I used Photoshop to separate the background from the subject, allowing me to add filters and blend the layers.
This project aims to help me gain more technical skills, especially when it comes to working through trial and error. Constantly changing the settings on the camera helped with this, allowing me to learn as I go what my settings should be.
