Edinburgh College’s photography students have scooped top awards in two national industry competitions that reward the UK’s best young talent.
Three BA Professional Photography students were honoured by the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) and the Association of Professional Photographers (AOP) in each organisation’s student awards.
Greg Abramowicz kicked off the new term with the BIPP Student of the Year Award, with fellow student Kinga Kocimska taking home the BIPP College Portfolio Award. Eleni Laparidou, who graduates from the BA this September, won the AOP Student Awards Product Shots: Sense category.
The work submitted by the students was all the product of projects they did last year at Edinburgh College.
Greg won the BIPP Student of the Year Award for a portfolio of images he produced during an advertising project. He worked with professional athletes and local rugby clubs to convey the spirit of sport.
Greg said: “I am very honoured to receive the award. It is a great reward after an intense academic year. The win gave me confidence that I’m able to produce high-quality images and I’m hoping this is just the beginning of a productive future.”
Eleni won the AOP Product Shots Award for a project set by the deafblind charity Sense, which briefed students to photograph products from a typical Sense store. The aim was for the viewer to be surprised when they learned that the props came from a charity shop.
Eleni, whose work often includes Greek myth and costume design, approached the brief by organising a fashion shoot with props from three different charity shops. The awards party at The Print Space gallery in London gave Eleni the opportunity to exhibit her work to professionals at the heart of the industry.
BA Photographer Kinga Kocimska won the BIPP College Portfolio Award for her conceptual still-life images, which explore the complexities of everyday objects as seen by sufferers of dementia. The project was inspired by personal contact with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
Kinga said: “I am grateful to all the lecturers who taught me in the last four years for sharing their knowledge and experience – this was of great help in developing the skills and thinking I can now use to produce creative imagery with commercial potential.
“Receiving the award has been a great confidence booster and extra encouragement to continue working hard and develop fresh ideas.”
Photography lecturer Jon Lee said: “What a great result for our students, I am over the moon. This year our students have again demonstrated that they are at the top of their professional field when it comes to photography.”
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