@a_mae.photographyy 

I commonly take a clean approach to my photographic practice, producing work which moves more towards fine art, with illustrative influences. Within my creative practice I do not have one specific style, as I have never wanted to limit myself creatively. I have produced a wide variety of work, but I am always drawn to keeping with a more studio based approach. I always look to create work with a bright and vibrant colour palette. My most recent project looked to incorporate my illustrative practice with my photographic work, working to create a cohesive balance between the two to produce visually interesting and engaging images.

rebeccabelovic.com / @becky.belovic 

Mostly my work consists of pictures of women. However, I decided to revive my portfolio with very simple photos of young men. I wanted to combine my passion in scouting models and I only used street cast models for my project. I cast models who had no or almost no modelling experience, and their age difference extends from 17 to 24 years. I have chosen young models because I want my photographs to represent the freedom of young people, the harshness of their reality, their attitude to life and the rebellion of their personalities through their style. I would call my final work one word - ‘Youth’. Captured in their home by me, with gentle lighting and natural tones, the boy's personal spaces blur into an intimate story of their personalities.

@bleach__photo 

The two themes within my fashion photography work are youth culture and music. I often base my projects on personal experience surrounding a theme and like to take a more intimate, documentary approach to fashion photography. I’ve completed projects based on 00’s garage and grime music, the pirate radio scene, DJ’s and youth culture during a pandemic. I mainly take photographic inspiration from Ewan Spencer and Simon Wheatley whereas my styling inspiration primarily comes from music. This past year experimenting with light and colour has really helped me find my own recognisable style and I look forward to continue developing this within my practice.

emilybloomer.co.uk / @emilybloomerphotograph

My portfolio is underpinned by location based editorials inspired by my rural upbringing in North East England. I photographed a series of editorials that delve into my childhood memories narrating Northern traditions and evoking a feeling of nostalgia. Each editorial tells a personal story through the use of pose, casting and styling. The importance of location choice is evident in each project. The comfort of home is something I learnt to appreciate when moving away for university and telling my childhood stories in the North East has allowed me to share beautiful locations around the North and my family heritage.

@maisielouise.art

I am a fashion photographer and stylist. The common themes of my work are sustainability, femininity, and youth. My portfolio mainly consists of documentary digital photography shot on location. I like to gain styling inspiration from the location whilst also capturing models within the environments they find most comfortable. When starting a new project, colour pallet is typically where I base my initial inspiration, and this is something I carry through all of my work.

I am passionate about the environment and so I aim to make my practice as sustainable as possible. This is something I have a substantial amount of control over as the stylist. I source garments from places such as; the models’ wardrobes, charity shops, and Depop as well as from my own collection of clothes and props. During my degree I collaborated with the fashioned department frequently, the relationships I have built with these young designers are crucial to my career going forward post-degree.

sineadcoll.wixsite.com / @photos_by_sinead_c

I am fascinated by the shift in the fashion image as it’s becoming more inclusive. I want to use my photography to create new ideals of diversity and body positivity in the fashion image. My work links to my feminist outlook as I want to portray women as confident and fierce. In my final project I decided to create imagery that supports body positivity. From using diverse casting and statuesque poses I created a visual language showing empowerment and diversity.

emilycrockford.myportfolio.com / @emilycrockfordphotography / linkedin.com/in/emily-crockford

Typically, I have a very technical and ‘clean’ approach to my photographic practice. During my three years at Leeds Arts University I have experimented with my style and created a range of projects, with my most recent body of work being much more conceptual and documentary in style compared to others. This photo series allowed me to address my personal struggles with mental health and body image, while creating something which I hope everyone can relate to and resonate with in some shape or form. To finish my degree with a self-portrait series is a real full-circle moment - when applying for the course, my portfolio was heavily self-portraiture based. “How Do I Look?” enables me to see how far I have come as a creative and motivates me to push myself even further.

In my final module I wanted to create a unique piece of work which is a perfect representation of what I do as a fashion image maker. I came up with the idea of creating a zine which explore my interest in mixing documentary and fashion photography. I made a zine that explores aspects of sexuality, fashion and faith through my community of friends. Post university I will be continuing to create personal work and hopefully releasing some self-published books and taking part in exhibitions.

faridghimas.com / @faridrenais

Throughout my final year of university I had to remain in my home country of Indonesia for quite some time due to Coronavirus lockdown. During my stay I started to collaborate with many local creatives, and I realised that I was slowly reconnecting with my cultural roots. I then explored this idea further for my final project which led to the exploration of finding clues about my identity and memories of my home that were once detached when I left to live in another country. What I created is birthed from wanting to transform my own version of Indonesian-ness into a visual narrative.

My work is characterised by simplicity and rawness in my depictions of domestic space. I feel like having these mundane elements allows me to reinterpret these notions of home more accurately. Through my casting choices I also try to convey messages about my Indonesian identity and background. I see the people I photograph as a reflection of myself and the people I grew up with.

goblinboi.wixsite.com/goblinboi / @goblin_boi_photo 

In my work I have aimed to explore concepts related to my own experiences by collaborating with other queer people from in and around the Leeds area. Feeling accepted as part of the gay community has always been a struggle to me, as coming from a smaller town meant that my ability to meet and converse with other gay people has always been limited to online interactions. In my work, I have made a concerted effort to really reach out to those in the gay community, using these online tools in a positive and collaborative way, and opening myself up to conversations and understanding with people who two or three years ago, I would have been intimidated by or jealous of. This has been eye opening for me, and allowed me to further not only my work, but also my own development as a person. In my recently completed project, “did you get any?” I opened myself up to conversations through the gay dating app Grindr, and spoke to various different people about their experiences using the app, as a critique and an exploration of not only Grindr itself but also the modern British gay community.

bellagraham.cargo.site / @bellaalicegraham

In my most recent body of work, I explored the topic of introversion through experimental, fine art style, self-portraiture. The way that I chose to approach this topic was by creating small set ups, using a self-timer, and figuring out various ways to hide within my surroundings. This project allowed me to develop a unique style of photography along with a wide variety of photographic techniques, from medium format analogue to digital moving image.

Strong narratives are extremely important to me and my practice. I often use photography as a form of expression and communication, focusing on the subject and creating both fictional and non-fictional perceptions, using carefully considered styling, set design and locations. I love to combine fine art and fashion styles to create conceptual imagery that displays predominant styling along with carefully considered photographic techniques.

In many of my shoots, I enjoy working as a one-person team, styling, directing, shooting and sometimes even modelling. This allows me to slow down the whole creative process and carefully consider each step to create work that feels very personal to me.

megangray.myportfolio.com

Megan Gray is a digital image maker specialising in editorial photography and photographic print. Her work pays homage to her love for cinema and literature, often delving into both the worlds of fantasy and horror. She has a love for the feeling of escapism and likes to create that sense of “otherworldliness” within her storytelling. Her recent projects looked to explore the uncanny, escapism itself and interior emotions through a rose-tinted diary.

photosbyabbiehudson.com / @abbiehudsonphoto

My photographs are informed by my deep connection with emotion. My life experiences up until now paired with my passion for image making have given me a substantial platform to explore the theme of emotion in its many mysterious forms. I often focus on subject matter surrounding self-care and self-love which has helped me to consistently work on deeper themes, one of which is enlightened by my connection with loss. Creating imagery which encompasses emotion allows me to take my deepest inner experiences on a journey through my mind and onto a blank canvas, to which I can tell any story and explore any issue. Throughout this journey so far, I have been able to share my work with a number of magazines and platforms which has allowed me to invite people to take a tour through my personal experiences and catch sight of how I have reconstructed them into imagery.

@chloelhunt 

As a Fashion Photographer, I focus closely on more commercial based work and integrate messages surrounding femininity into these shoots; some of these being topics like sex, body confidence, beauty standards etc. My attitude towards my photography is that I like to shoot in a way that reflects my own personal style, it’s almost as though I like to make my ideas and dreams about myself come to life through my models. I like to believe my photographic abilities are very versatile despite having a preferred hyper-feminine style and aesthetic. I am aiming to be a sustainable practitioner by collaborating only with sustainable brands and sourcing materials and equipment for shoots with their environmental impact in mind as a practitioner hoping to contribute to a more sustainable future in the industry.

@gullygolden

Lauryn-Alexi is a Bristol and Leeds based image maker, whose practice tends to focus on creating work centred around youth, identity and nostalgia, with an emphasis on seeking to blur the lines between editorial and documentary photography. Within her practice she uses photography to explore areas and topics that are important to her. And especially within the year that we have had, she wants her work to speak to the experiences of hers, her family and friends. 

Ashley’s work is based around her own experiences dealing with gender dysphoria and the struggles of the system surrounding transitioning during the pandemic and the general struggles of trans youth. The way she has done this is by creating various self portraits and collages that reflect her experiences with gender dysphoria and how fashion and style have helped her become comfortable in her own skin.

Ashley’s work takes lots of inspirations from 90s and 00s punk culture, she presents her work in a grainy youthful way that means to replicate album covers of the for mentioned eras.

@lucyxjonesphotos

My aesthetic is heavily influenced by the bright colours that I find inspiration in, and I aim to create a colourful and dreamy feel within my work. I also love to incorporate fun visual language through accessories and makeup. My main area of interest is collaborating with fashion brands and I love to work with those who promote sustainable values; it’s really important to me that the garments I photograph represent a more environmentally friendly approach to fashion.

The moods and emotions that different colour palettes can evoke and represent are really important within my photography. I strive to create a positive and fun atmosphere within my work, and the colours and tones therefore play a crucial role in this. As far as the elements of styling are concerned, I really love garments and accessories that are unique and playful. When it comes to choosing models, I aim to cast models who fit with the aesthetic of the brand and their garments. This often means casting girls who have slightly more unique looks, and I also love to shoot with models who represent more diverse and realistic body shapes/sizes.

jordanafilambert.com / @jordanafilambert

Jordan Afi Lambert is a photographer and casting director. In his work he looks at his own identity and communities exploring intersectionality, focusing on blackness, masculinity and queerness.

When capturing his subjects he wants them to feel a sense of empowerment. When people view his work he aims for them to challenge their pre-existing ideas of these misrepresented communities within fashion imagery.

izzymulley.com / @izzymu11ey

I’m interested in exploring themes of femininity and manipulation in my work, often based from personal experiences. I like to use my photography to ask questions and deconstruct the status quo by focusing on representation and inclusivity: whether the focus is mental health, awareness of femme issues, gender and ethnicity. Key elements in my work are colour theory, negative space and the manipulation of the fashion image. I’m drawn to escapism and love to create my own world, using it to deliver a message. I’m really interested in the idea of being able to create your own world within the fashion image and I like to work editorially, as I feel this allows me more space to play with the narrative. Casting has become a really important element in my work as the person I’m capturing is central to the themes I’m trying to portray.

@valerie_obigwilo / linkedin.com/in/valerie-obigwilo

My work is mainly centred around the themes of identity, family, culture, community and love. Being Nigerian, my culture is something that is very important to me and my parents have instilled this within my siblings and I growing up. My parents have always said “remember who you are and where you came from” and even though I have lived in England for 14 years, I don’t consider it as home. I am very much into capturing the essence of the African diaspora community particularly my Nigerian culture. I love capturing people, especially black women and knowing about their experiences. My portfolio is an extension of who I am as a person, from the experiences of my childhood to knowing who I am and who I want to be.

beth-pennal.pixpa.com / @bethfashphoto

I am really interested in digital photography and rarely use other forms of photography; I love documentary and fashion trends in photography. My final project was based on femininity and that anyone can be feminine, it shouldn’t be stereotyped. I have really enjoyed studying at Leeds Arts University! I have made some great friends I will keep in contact with forever and have developed some great photographic skills and created many photos I am super happy with! I am super excited to step into the world of photography as my career.

leahpyephotography.com / @leahpyephotography / linkedin.com/in/leah-pye

I’m interested in the female fashioned body in fashion and how it’s possible to use it in order to challenge the idealised norm of beauty we see in most fashion imagery. I achieve this by forming the female body into something sculptural and creating shapes and awkward poses. I also mirror the postures of the body to create sculptural still life that resemble the female form. The dynamic postures and movement, for me, create a way to connect with the body in a deeper and emotional way, highlighting my female experience. With this work I aim to be able to communicate a more authentic experience of the female fashioned body because it is not usually represented in this way. I strive to create empathy in my images that builds a connection with the viewer, this may be also achieved through the rich colours my work holds as it claims the power of optimism and show the attraction of energy.

shotbymr.com / @shotbymr

Mid-century fashion photography has left such a visual legacy on the photography industry, and it has always been an era I return to for inspiration. Throughout the past year my interest in this period has grown and it has left me wanting to create more and more work informed by the images from that time. I believe my interest in this era stems from a reaction to the extremely fast-paced nature of the industry today, which is forcing creatives to produce work at unsustainable speeds – causing, in some cases, a lack of care for both the viewer and creative team.

Each editorial I’ve shot has pushed my abilities in every manner and has allowed me to experiment with the historical influences – My shoots Vogue Arabia and L’Officiel Ukraine were much more visually inspired whereas, my editorial for Elle Indonesia allowed me to look into the small details of my historical reference images and translate them into a contemporary context.

hermionerussell.com / @hermionerusselll / linkedin.com/in/hermione-russell

My work from this project incorporates numerous editorials coming together to make a fashion facing story about mental strength and resilience. On the flip side, the project unfolds feelings of emptiness and displacement as the nation struggles with the impact of the pandemic on mental wellbeing. Partly influenced by personal experiences and of those of my loved ones, I explore specific themes of longing, weightlessness, boredom and self-expression. Taking these themes and using vibrant colour and peculiar perspectives, I have been able to turn influences of emotions and unrest into fashion imagery that carries a thought-provoking weight.

I have taken forward strengths of my wider portfolio to shape my formal technical decisions and make my body of work cohesive. This includes use of innovative perspective, creating the feeling of close interaction between those in-front and behind the lens. Further, pops of vibrant colour among neutral, natural tones have been a common presence hitherto in my development as a photographer. Bringing this, as well as the favoured use of daylight, has helped for the work created over this project to reflect the style I have developed previously.

zoeyjacqueline.com / @7oeyjacqueline / @zoeyjs777

The word to describe my work and practise would be, unorthodox. I take pride in finding ways to make mundane and overlooked entities beautiful, and I adore the challenge. By using restrictions as one of my methods I am able to push my practise to find new concepts and ways to create work. My key themes would include; beauty in the mundane, Judaism, fine art and unorthodox styling.

My work is also an extension of my Jewish self, documenting my own vision of Judaism and celebrating what being a Jewish woman means to me. I look for imperfections and enjoy presenting the fashion world with ugly and tacky things, making my audience question why they like it. I produce work which I tend to describe as a wrong turn in the right direction.

chloeamandasharpe.myportfolio.com / @chloeamandasharpe 

I enjoy capturing nature in my work so I tend to shoot the majority of my images on location. However, I have been known to bring nature into the studio too, expanding my skill set whilst also staying true to my own voice. I seem to be drawn to contrasting masculinity and femininity in my images, often choosing to shoot men with sharp features alongside the delicacy of flowers.

I strive to be as sustainable as possible in my practice, often sourcing garments from second-hand sites such as eBay before selling them on again when I’m finished. I enjoy casting more unique, diverse models, as I believe that a quirky feature makes for a more interesting image, and celebrates humanity in all of its imperfect glory. Over the past year I have begun experimenting with new techniques, including scanography and using tools that refract light, and I am excited to expand on these skills and see where they take me in the future.

@ellsirzzz

Elle Sirs is a photographer who prioritises concept and creativity over simplified visuals. As a maximalist, Elle is known to have as many elements seen within her work as possible; playing around with different storylines, characters and post production elements to create a realised visual outcome. Inspired by a variety of different visual mediums, including cinema and collage work, Elle never settles on one style of photography, playing with cinematic visuals that depict a variety of taboo situations and topics.

Elle definitely attributes her vast creativity to her mother, father, grandparents, besties and current partner.

@fillmbyfaith

This series of photographs is a personal project that explores masculinity in a heterosexual relationship through my own eyes, using my own partner as the subject. This project not only tested my ability to create a project that is both fashion and documentary but also strengthened my relationship as I considered the traditional roles of each gender in a relationship. As a photographer I am drawn to the use of analogue film in my work as I prefer a raw approach to shooting without the use of excessive post production. I shoot mostly on location and use non-professional models in order to combine fashion image making with documentary photography aesthetics.

After my time at Leeds Arts University I will be going on to the next step of my career by starting my initial teacher training at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Often inspired by past art movements for my work, for my final project I wanted to create a series of photographs that were inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites. I researched the work of Waterhouse, Alma-Tadema and Burnes Jones amongst other influential artists who were greatly interested in the theme of nature. I tried to re-imagine ways in which this aspect could be introduced into the work and decided that printing onto natural materials, working with large open spaces and creating digital cyanotypes would prove effective. Using a collection of designs by Simone Rocha, I was further able to emulate fashion styles of the romantic period through sheer fabrics, ruffled materials, and layering. Shooting through materials and obscuring the camera lens allowed me to further my concept and create an ethereal affect which aligns with my visual aesthetic.

Fashion and photography are two of my passions and doing this degree allowed me to experience the industry and whereabouts I see myself in it. I enjoy creating photos and photo series that have a deeper meaning as I feel strongly about showing what’s real and being creative.

My final project is based on people’s dreams, it was an extremely fun project to do and relate to different people. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at university, the friends I made and am looking forward to stepping foot into the industry on my own.

@cameronjamesthorburn

Throughout my final year at university, I have endeavoured to combine my personal interest in music with the monotonous experiences that came from the national lockdowns, and to reflect this within my photographic practice.

Following a more fine art portraiture approach, my images have been described as gentle and alluring, eliciting intrigue and a distinct reaction from the viewer.

My most recent project, ‘She Looks Like Fun’, is an extension of my earlier isolation images, which explores the influences of music, capturing the mundane through facial expression and activity.

Inspired by the 2018 Arctic Monkeys song of the same title, the series is intended, with an underlying tone of sarcasm, to interpret the lyric “No one’s on the streets, we moved it all online as of March” into what for many, was reality.

@nikola_tomova 

I have always drawn to darker themes that form around mythology, human psychology, history or art. One of my latest projects, “Uprooted”, explores the ideas of Slavic folklore and translates them within the terms of modern fashion narrative. The project consists of four chapters, each exploring the lore of its own protagonist, and deals with themes like death and rebirth, darkness and malevolence, and honouring the tradition.

I take inspiration from both the paintings of Old Masters and contemporary photographers. I enjoy the visual thread that is going through all of my images and ties them together. My photographs reflect my personal style and views on issues in both digital and analogue format. I believe that one should try to master as many of the possible techniques that photography offers and with that in mind, I am still in my experimenting phase.

elliewhitlock.com / @ellie.whitlock

Born in London and raised in the Kent countryside, I explore themes of femininity and intimate surroundings through photography. Drawing influence from Elaine Constantine and Daria Ritch, I combine candid portraiture with staged narratives to create an upbeat portrayal of the subject. I frequently capture my ideas in rustic locations flourished in greenery, decorating the romantic fashions that inspire my work. In the studio, I bring the nature inside – adorning the subjects with materials of the outdoors. Often friends and family are used for casting, fashioning an inimitable bond between the model and the camera as well as placing my audience in the scene.

picsbymegwil.com / @picsbymegwil

Megan Wilson is a fashion photographer originating from the North East of the UK. Focusing mostly on conceptually based images and films, she explores themes such as horror, fantasy and science fiction in her fashion and portraiture based work. Her latest zine, ‘Xinophelia’ was born out of the home area she resided in during some of the UK lockdowns in 2021, this zine breaks through the barriers of sexual fantasy, elements of boredom, and the desire for a creative outlet when being physically restricted to her student house in Leeds

@twolfphoto

I’m a Jewish fashion and portrait photographer whose work is highly staged and playful, and explores conflict and satire beauty. I pride myself in being a traditional Jewish woman however I don’t let writings of the Talmud (Jewish law written by chief rabbis) limit what I can create photographically, if anything I like to work against the outdated and sexist laws to create something that feels thrilling to produce.

Growing up as an orthodox Jew in secular world has allowed me to come to my own conclusions about religious laws, especially ones about women and how they dress, many orthodox laws are sexist and treat the female body as an object to be covered up like holy items, such as the Torah. I am interested in how some of my own cultural traditions seem absurd compared to my modern thinking as a female in fashion. I like to use photography as a way to escape reality, behind the lens and on set is somewhere where I feel truly in control of an aspect in an imperfect world.

sarazwolska.com / @sarazwolskaphoto

My style tends to be dreamy, soft and romantic with my main inspiration coming from paintings and historical art, especially from the Romantic Era. My work is characterised by attention to colours and details so when people look at my work, I want them to feel a brief escape from reality, a reason to stop for a moment. I am a huge believer that a great fashion image is done thanks to the whole team rather than one person. That is why I always try to collaborate with talented people who can help bring my vision to life.