Student snaps up huge honour

Herald Reporter

A RHODES University fine arts student has been named a finalist in this year's Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus competition.

Russell Bruns, 26, is studying towards an MFA in photography.

The competition, involving 230 educational institutions worldwide, is one of the largest international programmes for photography students. It aims to inspire and support future generations of photographers.

It also provides a professional network of contacts and offers a variety of competitions, tutorials and opportunities to help talented emerging photographers turn professional.

Many previous finalists of the competition now work in the industry.

Bruns, of Paarl, secured his place among the 10 finalists with his image – Heewon, Grade 1, Courtrai Primary School, Paarl, South Africa – shot in response to a brief asking for a single image showing "Tomorrow's News".

He said he had decided to return to the place he started his schooling in 1994 to observe all the changes in the last 20 years.

"The school also happens to be situated a few kilometres from Pollsmoor Prison where Nelson Mandela completed his prison sentence. I spent a week with Grade 1s simply observing, not taking any photographs," he said.

"The second week was spent shooting location shots in the school.

"After getting parental consent to collaborate with the children in my images I started constructing various photos which were influenced by what I had observed and my experiences at the school."

Rhodes head of photography Brent Meistre said they were "very excited and proud" to have a the second student in three years as a finalist in the competition. "The awards are a fantastic platform for students to network with other students and photography professionals, and a foot-up into the world of contemporary global photographic practice," he said.

As a finalist, Bruns has won a full-frame camera from Sony which he must use to shoot the second brief of the competition – a series of images under the title "Self-portraits".

Another South African, Tara Mette of the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, is also a finalist. South Africa is the only country with more than one finalist.

The 10 finalists will be flown to London to attend the awards ceremony there on April 30.

The winner walks off with the grand prize of ß35000 (R523 220) worth of Sony photographic equipment for their university.