Personal Statement

Personal Statement

I remember my grandfather giving me my first camera when I was six years old; from this moment I have been captivated by still and moving images. I made my first documentary film aged 10 when I visited Burkina Faso, West Africa, portraying the everyday lives of children and celebrating their culture, life and education. I strongly believe in the social impact of images and films. I showed my short film and images in assembly at my middle school, inspiring my school to raise funds to support the work. Four years later, one of my teachers visited Burkina Faso and continues to support improving the lives of the children to this day. In 2019, I returned to Burkina and carried on documenting the villagers' lives. Creating and presenting this film led me to being awarded The Berkshire Masonic Charity award.

I have been fortunate to have a variety of opportunities to develop my photography skills. During the 2020 lockdown, I was approached by a local charity to interview children of key workers in order to tell their stories and their experiences. The interviews were then published in the charity's newsletter.  In 2021, I was asked by the Head of Drama at The Windsor Boys' School to take photographs of the Sixth Form play Hamp. My still images were used in the programme and were put on display during the show. One of the cast photographs is currently used as the image on the Drama department's Twitter page. I was later approached by the Head of Drama at Windsor Girls' School to create publicity for their upcoming production of Annie JR. This included taking headshots of each cast member, creating content for social media and publishing the official programme. In 2021 and 2022, I exhibited my photographs at the Windsor Contemporary Art Fair which was held at the Royal Windsor Racecourse.

In addition to planned photography shoots and documentary films, I enjoy the opportunistic nature of storytelling through photography and so always carry my camera. Whilst walking through my hometown of Windsor, I noticed the community fridge and local food bank and took photos ensuring that people were not identifiable. This highlighted the social issue of food poverty, even in wealthier areas. I also enjoy the spontaneous nature of photography where I will just ask my friends if they are free for an impromptu photoshoot including meeting in the woods and wrapping them in bubble wrap. 

I am currently studying Photography, Music and Drama at A Level, giving me the opportunity to explore storytelling in a range of creative and artistic ways. I have recently been studying Marthe Sobezak, a self-commissioned French photographer. I've been influenced by her experimentation through a mixture of projection art, lighting and intense subjects. I feel passionate about photography and documentary film making and would love the opportunity to further develop my skills.

Throughout my time at Windsor Girls' School I have been involved in a wide range of activities. I was able to develop my communication skills through participating in the Language Leaders programme. This involved planning and teaching a lesson to First School students in the target language. I have been a committed member of the Windsor Upper Schools' Music Department. This has allowed me to improve my confidence through performing in numerous productions. Following on from this, I had the opportunity to develop my leadership skills, directing a Year 9 show, with minimal support from school staff. Other highlights of my Music department experience include taking the initiative to create and perform as a band with my friends.