From Beyond the Frame to BA Photography

Paula Averkamp was selected as Denisa Ilie’s Judges Choice winner in the 2018 Beyond the Frame competition. Now in her second year of BA (Hons) Photography, find out how Paula’s practice has progressed. 

What drove you to study BA (Hons) Photography at NUA?

I was very certain that I wanted to study photography at NUA. I got to visit a couple of the BA Degree Shows which gave me a great impression of the university.

I loved all the buildings and the close proximity to the city. I was also really impressed by the industry engagement and how much focus and support is put on succeeding after graduation.

How do you feel your course has helped your practice grow so far?

My course has really helped me identify the influences behind my work which is something I have never engaged with before. I struggled a lot with finding meaning within my photography, however, over the last two years I’ve learned to identify my style by noticing and challenging patterns within my images.

The course pushes me to constantly create new work and it regularly introduces a range of different techniques and theories which helps me expand on my ideas in ways I previously would have never thought about.

You were selected as Judge’s Choice by Denisa Ilie in the 2018 Beyond the Frame competition- how did this experience impact you?

I never thought I would get selected for the competition but being recognised by a professional photographer was very encouraging.

Seeing my images exhibited within the university reassured me that this was something I wanted to experience more often.

Would you encourage other young photographers to enter the competition in future, and why?

I would encourage every young photographer to enter the competition; it is an amazing way to gain exposure and to think about your work in a different context.

You have nothing to lose; you either get selected or you don’t and I think most of the time you’d be surprised at what you can achieve.

What do you hope to do when you finish your course?

My plans after I finish my course are still very much open. I will probably move back to my home country Germany and start working on my own freelance business.

In the future, I would love to establish my own agency or network of creatives and create a brand which collaboratively works for clients.

What would be your dream photography client/project?

I would love to shoot for sustainable and secondhand fashion brands to stick to my ethos of refusing fast fashion. The fashion industry is a massive polluter on the environment and I am interested in creating more sustainable editorials to promote the idea of regulating consumerism of clothing.

I have also become more interested in moving image and can see myself working on film sets of short films or music videos. These are all ideas I am currently already experimenting with but hopefully will be able to expand on in the future.

Discover more of Paula’s work on her website and Instagram. 

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