Falmouth alumni selected for the South West Graduate Photography Prize

Lola Cockerell - Fashion Photography BA(Hons)

The project I submitted to the prize was titled Anthropocene. The project explores humanity's disconnection from nature. Through experimenting with 3D scans, AI, and Photoshop, I was able to distort and blur the lines between reality and digital worlds. The aim was to jolt viewers out of an autopilot state, encouraging them to stop, slow down, and critically question what they are being exposed to.

The work addresses themes such as AI, extinction, climate change, humanity, and technology.

Ollie Heath - Marine & Natural History Photograph BA(Hons)

The project I’m presenting is called Owlman. It explores and uncovers the folklore of the Owlman, using photography as the medium. The Owlman is said to be local to Falmouth, believed by some to have lived in the church at Mawnan, though it hasn't been ‘seen’ in decades. The project wasn’t about proving its existence; I simply became fascinated by this quirky tale. After hours of researching, reading, and pretending to look for it, the Owlman began to feel real. I even found myself drawing comparisons with religion, viewing it similarly to how others might perceive God.

As an atheist and someone deeply sceptical of all things spiritual, this was the first time I could grasp why someone might believe in a deity. Some might even say I was in a one-person cult for the Owlman!

Nature is always a core theme in what I photograph. I love shooting film, mostly black and white and printing in the darkroom. The darkroom is where I have my fondest memories from Uni. Shoutout to Kate Bell for being the best technician!

Kate Bannister - Marine & Natural History Photograph BA(Hons)

I have always loved nature and found photography was an excellent way of recording what I was seeing. At first I just used it as a way to freeze the moments that I was seeing. As I took more photographs, my images became more of a response to nature rather than a pure documentation.

My project, Drawn to the Light, is about moths. It is composed of two sets of images which each depict moths in different ways. The first is a set of portraits of moths which encourages audience to examine the fine details of a moth's faces. The other images are an artist impression of how moths interact with a landscape at night. These images are made using a torch light to create light trails across the images.

Viviana Almas - Photography BA(Hons)

I will be showcasing photographs from my graduate project, Three Associations (Cornwall), 2024. This project focuses on utilising found objects and site-specific locations, capturing staged scenes in a performative way. Later, I return the photographs to a physical format by creating photographic etchings.

The project is an ongoing photo series where I engage with site-specific locations and respond to their history and present representation. In doing so, I incorporate found objects into the photographs, later requisitioning their presentation and bringing all objects together in a unified display.

My time on the Photography degree taught me to "experiment, experiment, experiment". I was always trying new things, visiting different faculties, getting to know their lecturers, and exploring various mediums in my practice, all of which helped me discover my visual voice. Falmouth University is an incredible place to study if you know what you want to achieve and have the drive to experiment and explore new ideas. Staff members and departments are very welcoming, encouraging students to try things they haven’t done before.

The exhibition also features work from four graduates from other universities and runs from Thursday 7 until Monday 11 Nov 2024 at the Photo Book Café.

Find out more about courses available at Falmouth's Institute of Photography.