Witt photographers honoured

By Witt Journalism student Brooke Sheehan

 
Snap happy: Witt photography tutor Chris Hill and student Thomas Busby have recently been recognised for their camera skills. Photo / Brooke Sheehan

Witt photography student Thomas Busby has his mum to thank for his success at last month’s Professional Photography Awards in Wellington.
 
“She forced me into photography.  I didn’t really want to do it, but she said she’d buy me a camera if I did,” he says.
 
The 23-year-old earned silver in the student assistant category for his haunting image of the Weld Rd shipwreck.
 
Thomas says he was “stoked” to rank so highly in the competition and was thankful he’d taken his mum up on her offer. 
 
The New Plymouth man, who has previously worked in television, says photography has now become one of his greatest passions.
 
“In television you need lots of people to make a real good product.  I was never happy enough, I always felt like I could do better.  But with photography, I love it because anyone could be the world’s best on their own,” he says.
 
Another big winner at the awards was Witt photography tutor Chris Hill who qualified for his Master Photographer award.
 
The New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography contest covers the disciplines of wedding, portrait, landscape and commercial photography.
 
Chris earned a silver and bronze in landscape; three bronze in commercial and one bronze in the wedding section.  The accumulation of points gained Chris the Masters award, which is the result of four years of tireless work.  
 
“It’s fantastic.   It means that I’ve reached a certain standard in photography – professionally I’ve exceeded to a very high level of work.”
   
Among other Witt student entrants were:  Sophie Sassman, Alisha McGee, Andrew Smith and Petrice McCarthy – each received professional standard awards for their work.
 
Chris says he was thrilled to see them excel at the competition, which is renowned for being “very very hard”.
 
“Students were competing against second and third year degree students so to get professional standards and one exceeding that...  I am just really proud of their achievements,” he says. 
 
BROOKE SHEEHAN is a Witt journalism student.