From the very start of university, we were encouraged to apply for photography competitions, you never know where they might lead.

In my first year, I didn’t apply to any, as I was still figuring out which style of photography spoke to me. By the middle of second year, I began submitting to competitions, though I’ll admit I didn’t win or place. Looking back, I also wasn’t very confident in my own work at the time.

It wasn’t until my final year that things shifted. I grew far more confident in my practice, and it showed. That year, I became a finalist at the AOP Student Awards and received both an official selection and an honourable mention from the IPA.

One of the highlights was travelling to London for the very first time to attend the AOP Awards exhibition at the Truman Brewery. I didn’t win, but seeing my work displayed in a London gallery was an incredible feeling. More recently, two of my images were officially selected for the IPA 2025 and received honourable mentions, which gave me an extra boost of confidence and motivation to push my work even further.

Now, two months after graduating, I sometimes worry about finding the time and resources to continue my creative practice alongside my graduate job. The thought of not being able to create as freely is daunting, but it also drives me to think about new ways to sustain and grow my work for the future.

So my advice to anyone reading this is simple: enter those competitions. Even if you don’t win right away, the experience builds confidence, resilience, and sometimes opens doors you never expected. Good luck!