Portraits by second-year BA (Hons) Photography students from UCA are being exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery.
The Photo Portrait Now display is on show until Sunday, September 8 2024 and looks at challenging concepts of place, community, relationships and belonging.
Exhibited portraits delve into life in Britain today, taking inspiration from portraits exhibited in the annual Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize.
UCA portraits will be shown digitally in the exhibition, while a portrait by one of the students, Michael Togher-Prescott, was selected to be highlighted and has been printed for display.
Michael said: “When I shot this portrait it was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. I often have a roll of film in the camera until I see something I like or see little moments that resonate.
“This portrait was taken quite late, just before going to bed, it was a quiet moment, and it felt very intimate. It is not very complicated or heavily researched, but for me, there is no one I’d want to portray more.”
Curator of Photography at the National Portrait Gallery Clare Freestone said: “It’s been a pleasure to work so closely with staff and students from UCA as part of Photo Portrait Now, and I’ve been incredibly impressed by the professionalism shown by all of the participating students over the year.
“Inspiring the next generation of world-class photographers, Photo Portrait Now has provided opportunities for talented groups of young people to exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery, network and connect with industry leaders.”
The display is the culmination of a year-long higher education partnership programme that has brought together gallery curators, leading contemporary photographers and second-year photography students from five universities across England and Wales to foster new creative talent.
UCA Farnham offers a bachelor (Hon) and masters in photography, including a combined course with digital journalism.