Salar de Uyuni ©Thamyres Matarozzi courtesy Sony World Photography Awards 2012

London College of Communication (LCC) photography student Thamyres Matarozzi is one of ten finalists from across six continents shortlisted for the 2012 Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus competition, the world’s most high profile student photography award. Her image entitled Salar de Uyuni is based on the philosophy of the haiku poem – depicting a ‘fleeting moment’, or ‘the decisive moment’.

“The photograph shows a salt desert in the south of Bolivia”, she says. “The desert was flooded due to a heavy rain storm which happened a few days earlier.  This is a rare phenomenon as a desert has a very dry climate.  The rain in such places only happens once every few years.  It was a very special and unique spectacle.  Once the salt was dry the translucent mirror that surrounded us was gone.  However, thanks to photography we can share and be amazed by such beauty again and again.”

Thamyres, 25, came to London from Brazil with a BA in Cinema to study on the ABC Diploma in Photography at LCC. She says: “I’m delighted to be shortlisted. I’ve always been passionate about images. Being able to freeze a moment is quite something.”

She now has just a month to complete the second challenge, to produce a series of images on the theme of ‘Your world in colour’.  Meanwhile her work will be exhibited as part of World Photo, London at Somerset House. The overall winner will be announced at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony at London’s Park Lane Hilton Hotel on 26 April 2012, and will receive 45,000 Euros worth of Sony digital imaging equipment for their institution.

Read more about Thamyres and her shortlisted image in the Guardian and The Telegraph.

Today’s Guerilla Gardening is run by Joyce Ward, an FdA Interior Design student. After filling up empty used coffee cups with soil collected from outside the College, Joyce puts in seeds of potatoes, vegetables and flowers and left alone to blossom in the containers outside.

Edori Fertig is one of the Skip Sisters, referring to their pleasure in searching the skips of South London for raw materials. Originally from the USA, educated in illustration and printmaking, Fertig came over to the UK to finish a fine arts course. Now led mostly by colours, her leitmotiv is ‘collecting memories and materials from the past and turning them into something new’. Today she collected big sheets of used paper from the College’s print room and turned them into colourful jewellery paddles.

Food for Good is an initiative of three Graphic and Media Design students and founded in 2010. Martina, one of the founders says: “While working in a restaurant during my study I saw a lot of food wasted after closing time. I immediately thought that could be handled in a better way”. Teamed up with Chiara and Anna they understood the problem of restaurants and supermarkets not wanting to throw away left-over food but at the same time also not willing to pay for the transport to bring it to charities. Chiara adds: “We pick up the food from the restaurants after 10pm, put it in our van and immediately bring it to charities. At the moment we deliver 50 – 80 kilos of food per day of which most of it is bread”. At the moment they collect unsold food from a bakery, a restaurant and a supermarket and transport it to two charities.

A Free Zine Factory was set up by four BA Graphic and Media Design and FdA Design for Graphic Communication students to create a handcrafted magazine. One of the students explains: “We collected paper from mainly the library that was used on one side only. Students can contribute by drawing or writing their thoughts down on the unused side of the paper.” The individual pieces are put together to create a story. A fanzine is created by scanning the seperate pieces.

Sarah Bagner

Sarah Bagner from Supermarket Sarah studied Graphic Design in Brighton and has developed a fun spin on consumerism. She likes to turn plain and boring materials into something new and beautiful. Her work is now displayed in Selfridges and is regularly featured in various media from Style Bubble to the BBC news. On Green Week’s third day she teamed up with Tiziana Callari and created a quilt made out of discarded plastic bags. Tiziana says: “I like the concept of a second life and turn stuff that is thrown away into something new”. Website: www.supermarketsarah.com

Barbara Salvadori

FdA Design for Graphic Communication and BA Graphic and Media Design students worked together on their Human Sketchbook Bookmaking Machine workshop. Using scrap paper found around the College like old posters, off-cuts from the printing department, even old envelopes, the team create everything from handy sketchbooks of varying sizes to beautiful paper art sculptures. Students could then screen pint their own card covers to add to their chosen book. The workshop is designed to highlight the creative ways in which to use scrap material.

5th BFI Future Film Branding by Samuel Mensah-Bonsu: Photograph taken at Brick Lane

Artwork by London College of Communication (LCC) graphic design student Samuel Mensah-Bonsu has been selected to publicise the British Film Institute’s (BFI’s) 5th Future Film Festival taking place from 18 –19 February 2012 at BFI Southbank.

Displayed both digitally and in print, the photographic designs are the result of a student project led by LCC BA Graphic and Media Design tutor Sian Cook and BFI designer Piccia Neri. Eight students from the College’s BA Graphic & Media Design course were invited to develop a new brand and identity for the festival before pitching their ideas to the BFI marketing team.

Samuel, a second year on LCC’s BA Graphic & Media Design course, says: “My inspiration for the idea came from old Sci-Fi movies from the 1950s & 60s where characters would get disintegrated or be teleported somewhere and be left as just a pile of clothes.  I wanted to make a concept that reflected that never-ending magical effect that film has. Working at the BFI was a massive honour. It’s given me an insight of the real creative world and how important it is to make a good idea stay good from beginning to end.”

5th BFI Future Film Branding by Samuel Mensah-Bonsu: Photograph taken at Taken at Admiralty Arch (Trafalgar Sq.)

All eight students will exhibit their designs and work-in-progress in the BFI Project Space Gallery throughout the festival. Students exhibiting are: Daniel Montgomery, Anisha Swali, Margarida Barbosa Fernandes, Samuel Mensah-Bonsu, Pedro Coitinho, Caitlyn Hernandez, Blaise Daldin and Lauren Messervy.

Aimed at 15 – 25 year olds, the BFI Future Film Festival is a weekend of film workshops, industry Q&As, screenings and a chance to network. Tickets are £5 for a one day pass for 15-18 year olds and £10 for a one day pass for 19-25 year olds.

Stay up to date with Samuel’s work on Twitter and take a look at his Tumblr

Holly Attrill, a third year on the BA Creative Advertising Strategy course at London College of Communication, has gained great success in global student advertising competitions the One Club (winning Silver), Steve Henry and Young Glory (winning a Bronze). Students are requested to post their briefs and come up with ideas for ad campaigns. The brief can be conceptual, print, TV, ambient as long as it is a creative solution to the problem. Attrill is now working on new submissions for One Club and YCN.

Attrill says: “When working on these briefs, the course taught me to look at things from a wider perspective. We are incredibly fortunate to have multiple industry figures in the College to talk to us and give workshop ideas for briefs. This is also great for networking because that is crucial within the advertising business. The course really helps you think creatively and explore ideas in great depth; my complete method of thinking has been developed over the last three years.”

For anyone starting a creative course like Advertising, Holly’s advice would be to make the most of being in London. “There is so much inspirational material to be found even within a square mile of Elephant and Castle. Secondly always ask questions and talk to everyone, you can only gain from starting a conversation.”

Holly’s expanding portfolio can be found at cargocollective.com/hollyattrill