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 a subject that interests me and supports my future career aspirations. The project was important to me because I want to build my confidence and be more prepared for my chosen career path. Additionally, it reflects real-life events that can take place.
I am incorporating darkroom photograms and fingerprints alongside police identification recreations. I used soft light, sombre colours, and downbeat expressions. My motivations stemmed from my interest in different shows on TV, as well as real-life events that have a good build-up and storyline.
While working on this project, I was inspired by Arthur Fellig, also known as ‘Weegee’, because his images were raw, high-contrast, and in black and white. He also often arrived at the scene while the action was still 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 and expressing a range of emotions within my final piece.
Alexia Aston
My Final Major Project (FMP) focuses on endangered animals. Although many of these species are heavily protected globally thanks to the work of conservation foundations and organisations, they still face significant threats.
Research shows that endangered species often act as vital indicators of environmental health; when their populations decline, it signals underlying issues such as habitat destruction, pollution, or climate change. If these issues remain unaddressed, they threaten the stability of entire ecosystems and countless other species.
Through my photography, I aim to tell the stories of the endangered animals remaining in our world, highlighting how they are often mistreated or hunted for their fur and other materials due to misinformation, despite their crucial environmental importance. My intention is to celebrate the diversity of the animal kingdom and explore the role zoos play in supporting conservation, protecting vulnerable 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 that engaging with wildlife and nature is increasingly important for mental health—both for myself and others—as it encourages people to spend time outdoors and connect with the natural world.
Ultimately, through this project, I aim to showcase my photography skills while encouraging my 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 people’s biggest fears and phobias. I created this because I enjoy exploring horror aspects within artistic images. It was important for me to undertake this project because I wanted my audience to explore the different phobias that people harbour within themselves.
My motivations came from the film ‘Escape Room’; it shows characters facing their individual fears, which they must overcome to escape. I was inspired by Kelly Jean because her work is eerie and unsettling, yet highly creative and artistic. I hope people who view my work also feel uneasy and creeped out.
Overall, I enjoyed making this project because I had total creative freedom and got to delve into the deeper meanings of people’s phobias to 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 Final Major Project, “Music is my Identity”, 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 commercial value. I am developing my location-based image-making within a lifestyle and social family portrait context.
My aim is to utilise light, expression, and location to reflect and complement the models, giving them confidence and creating a saleable look and feel. This work relates to my developing practice as a professional photographer, specialising in weddings, portraits, and events.
I strove to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere with a ‘go with the flow’ attitude for both 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, themed around weddings and natural portraits, which reflects the style I strive to achieve in the future.
One of the main challenges I encountered on my journey was working with natural lighting, which I overcame by introducing a flash. My intended audience consists of those interested in landscapes, weddings, portraits, and pet photography, which perfectly coincides with my future ambitions.
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 reveals who we truly are—it triggers our ‘fight or flight’ response. With The Unknown, I wanted to evoke an overwhelming sense of discomfort, paranoia, and fear, immersing the viewer in a collection of negative emotions.
I have loved horror since childhood; my favourite film was Jeepers Creepers. Its blend of suspense, demonology, and terrifying creature design, alongside excellent character development, deeply inspired me and helped shape my artistic vision today.
Driven by this passion, I learnt Photoshop during my Level 3 Photography course at Dudley College. Despite having no prior experience, I now specialise in the software, using it to bring the dark creations of my imagination to life.
John Santerineross and Joshua Hoffine were my main inspirations, particularly in how they use Photoshop to explore themes of horror. I incorporated Santerineross’s unsettling use of demonology and the paranormal, while integrating Hoffine’s incredible editing techniques into my workflow.
Shooting entirely at home meant I had to improvise. Aside from creating the missing posters, I repurposed old photos of people for my final pieces. Transitioning from my usual use of natural light to an indoor, makeshift rig was initially a challenge. However, having to adapt to this restricted lighting actually worked in my favour, naturally enhancing the eerie atmosphere.
Ultimately, I hope The Unknown successfully expresses the creepier, more unsettling aspects of our world.
Charlie Wilkinson
My FMP was primarily centred around movement, and the context is left open to the interpretation of the viewer. However, I deliberately shot the images in darker, grittier settings to help evoke a darker mood for the audience. My original idea for this project was to capture documentary-style images and use editing to help shape a story or concept.
I utilised a few different techniques and skills throughout this project. For instance, I used a slow shutter speed combined with a tripod to keep the overall image sharp, ensuring only the moving subjects (the cars) were blurred.
During the editing process, I experimented with contrasting ideas, such as rendering the cars in black and white while keeping the background in colour, and vice versa. To achieve this, I used Photoshop to separate the background from the subject, which allowed me to selectively apply filters and blend the layers.
Ultimately, this project aimed to help me develop my technical skills, particularly when it comes to working through trial and error. Continuously adjusting the camera settings helped immensely with this, allowing me to learn intuitively what my exposure should be as I worked.
