Developing a passion (From Swindon Advertiser)

Developing a passion

10:58am Wednesday 30th May 2012 in Leisure news By Emma Dunn

TATTOOS, dressing up and military personnel are just some of the topics that inspired an exhibition in the town centre.

Nine first year photography degree students at New College have snapped up a spot in the Post Modern Gallery in Theatre Square, which started on Monday and will be open to the public until Saturday.

Each student has chosen their own subject to explore through portraiture as part of the people portraiture module.

Course leader Santo Basone said: “This year’s exhibition is a great opportunity for the public to experience some of the most innovative portraiture from the first year foundation degree course.”

Each student is exhibiting four to six large-scale photographs plus a printed book of a larger selection of portraits.

During the module the students looked at traditional and contemporary portrait photography, comparing history photography with portraits produced in the current digital age.

They were encouraged to develop their own individual style in a particular area of portraiture such as fashion, documentary and art photography.

Several students explored how photographs can be used to depict identity through showing people and their clothing or possessions or looking at themselves in mirrors.

In an outdoor fashion shoot, one of the students aimed to show how people express eccentricity through their clothing.

Another student photographed people in their workplaces with the aim of showing how personal and meaningful those places can be.

All nine of them demonstrated their interests and individual styles through their choice of subjects, sitters and the way they chose to take the pictures.

Lee Heaven, whose work is on display in the exhibition, said: “It made me look at people more closely and try different colours and lighting techniques.

“It’s also given me a greater appreciation of people in general.”

For more information visit www.newcollege.ac.uk.