Sarah’s bid to be a soap star

Photography student Sarah Jackson with her image of a cracked soap

A STUDENT is hoping for maximum exposure from a national photography competition.

Sarah Jackson (18) from Bridgewater Street, Oldham, who is in her first year studying photography at Cumbria University, was encouraged to enter the contest, run by the Association of Photographers.

She says her quirky images of cracked soaps are a metaphorical representation of the ageing process.

And the series of six prints have clearly impressed judges who have put her into the final, having whittled down the entries from 461 to 35.

If she wins, Sarah will take part in a mentoring programme with a top photographer, work experience at AOP and win £250 of Fujifilm products.

She said: “It would mean everything to me to win this competition — it would be a massive boost to my career in the early stages.

“I had wanted to use photos of my grandmother who has alzheimers but I decided they were a bit too personal so I looked for an alternative to represent the ageing process.

“My uncle Dave, who takes pictures at Oldham Rugby Club, first took me out with a camera and taught me a bit — he’s inspired me to study it in college and now at degree level. After my degree I’d love to work as a freelancer or do an internship for a big company.”

The winner will be announced on March 23 and the finalists’ images will be on display from March 21 until March 31 at the AOP Gallery in Shoreditch, London.