UCOL student surprised by grant | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

UCOL Fine Arts student Simonne Baillie was surprised to be named the winner of the Ronald Woolf Memorial Trust grant for photography.

The Wanganui-born 22-year-old won the $500 grant with an extensive portfolio of "alternative portraiture" images.

The young artist didn't expect such success given he last-minute submission.

"We only found out about the award at the last minute," she said. "I literally put together my portfolio three days before the entry date and sent it by over night courier. I'm very lucky."

Miss Baillie said her work examines the way contemporary media objectifies the female form as abstract aesthetic forms.

"My process mixes traditional darkroom techniques with digital imaging, layering analogue prints on top of each other and scanning the results" she said.

Despite her talent for photography, Miss Baillie said she hasn't yet decided where she will study as she doesn't want to be tied down to one subject.

"It's very difficult to decide which subject to major in," she said. "I really love painting, but I guess it's something that you can do without guidance, whereas photography is very technical and I have a lot to learn."

The Ronald Woolf Memorial Trust was established in 1988 in Wellington in recognition of the contribution to photography by the late Ronald Woolf.

Trust grants are awarded to young photographers (under the age of 30) to further their study of photography. Applicants must show artistic promise and technical skill with an enthusiasm to explore photography creatively.