18-year-old Amy Allum recently took home the top prize at the Beyond the Frame competition by Norwich University of the Arts.
The Horringer-resident submitted her piece for the ‘People’ category, and was delighted to see her work featured in the University’s exhibition.
The competition invites students in Further Education to submit their work to be judged by professional photographers.
Amy created her piece for her final major project on her Fashion Media and Promotion course at West Suffolk College, and was encouraged to submit it for the contest by her tutor, Sophie Lachowycz.
She describes her image – which captures her fellow West Suffolk College students in sportswear – as a take on the Retro Refresh trend: “I decided to blend sportswear and clubwear to highlight the difference between who we are when playing sport, versus who we are when playing in the club.”
Her work was awarded the top prize in the ‘People’ category. Amy said: “I was so surprised and excited when I found out. It was such a great feeling to know that my photo had connected with the judges and stood out amongst so much amazing talent.
“I’ve visited the exhibition before and was amazed by the amount of talent on display, so it was amazing to see my work included in the exhibition this year. It was a really proud moment for me.”
On her time at West Suffolk College, she said: “I had never even picked up a digital camera before joining my course. The support I received was amazing; my tutor was great at providing support, was always happy to help, and really taught me so much.
“There were so many highlights of my time at the College, but the one that stands out in particular is the annual trip to London to visit the London College of Fashion. We got to take part in different workshops and talks, which also really inspired me to apply there.”
Sophie Lachowycz, Art and Design Lecturer and Amy’s tutor said: “’Being chosen as the Winner of the People Category, from over 650 submissions, is an incredible achievement for Amy. During her time at West Suffolk College, she has developed a love for photography and refined her skills to allow her to create award-winning imagery. We integrate live competition briefs as part of the curriculum, and this is a brilliant example of our students succeeding above and beyond due to this.”
Amy’s work was on display at the University alongside fellow West Suffolk College students Summer Cassidy-Barton and Grace Rolfe.
Amy is now taking a gap year, before she plans to attend the London College of Fashion on a Fashion Photography course in September 2027.
