Hampton SHS student wins junior runner-up prize in mEYE World Photography Competition

A LOCKRIDGE resident has eclipsed her expectations of a school photography project to claim a junior runner-up prize from the mEYE World Photography Competition.

The competition was organised by the Macular Disease Foundation Australia to mark World Diabetes Day.

Hampton Senior High School student Geena Gill (16) was a winner selected from more than 2400 photographs based on the theme ‘See My World’.

Geena’s photograph demonstrated the way in which people show their inner world through art.

Geena said her project was based on a good friend of hers.

“My subject herself became the artwork, externalising the beauty of her imagination through body painting,” she said.

“Her eye is meant to capture the audience’s attention and say, ‘this is how I see myself, this is me showing my soul to the world’.”

The Year 10 student said she took a few lessons to finish the project and this term was the first time she studied photography.

However, she said she only treated photography as a hobby.

“I like the class but I just started it last term and it is really fun,” she said.

“I was going to (study photography next year) but the timetabling did not work out…I want to do medicine so I chose a lot of science (subjects) and it clashed.”

Hampton SHS media teacher Matt Langfield said Geena was a “high-flying student” who achieved success in anything she put her mind to.

“It is great that she has a creative side and a scientific side and it is a little bit sad that in future, she is going to put all that into the sciences,” he said.

“But on the other hand, I am a fan of science and good doctors too and I am sure she is going to be a great doctor one day.”

Mr Langfield said other students admired Geena’s work that featured on a wall outside a classroom.

“We have seen a lot of growth in the students in terms of output and the school is putting up the photos on the wall and showing a lot of pride in their photos this semester,” he said.