Source: Graduate Photography Online 2026 - BA Selections

Each year as part of Graduate Photography Online we ask a number of professionals from the world of photography to review all the BA work submitted and choose their favourites. We hope this makes an interesting introduction to the project as a whole.

It is always a privilege to look through photographers’ work, especially the final projects of BA graduates who are just beginning their photography careers. The ambition and creativity of the 2026 cohort was immediately apparent – reassuring to see given swirling conversations around the threat of AI on the future of photography. Going into the daunting task of spotlighting just six projects, I kept an open mind and eye and found myself drawn to work that was both visually compelling and that resonated with me on an emotional level. From projects with a personal focus, to those that were more outward-looking, confronting various contemporary issues, the breadth of subject matter was impressive and frequently thought-provoking, uplifting and inspiring. I wish all those graduating from photography and related courses all the very best this summer and beyond.

Selected Photographers:

Selector's Comment: Scout’s project immediately caught my eye because of the accomplished and sensitive use of natural light and colour. There is a quiet poetry to the project with found scenes – often of plants – carefully juxtaposed with apparently constructed images, for example, of a piece of granite suspended from a branch, serving as a reminder of the quarry’s past. Themes woven through the images seem to include renewal or healing and nature as a force for good and creativity, and I closed the project wanting to see and know more about this intriguing community and place.

Selector's Comment: I loved Mikey’s use of light and colour, which are deftly deployed throughout. English folklore is not an area I know much if anything about, and Mikey’s uplifting collection of nature scenes and beautifully lit environmental portraits served as a welcome introduction. As Mikey explains in his accompanying statement, it was his intention to present an alternative narrative around national pride, heritage and identity, one that is not dogged by hate-filled ideologies. He does this well through his considered studies of the English landscape and joyful portraits.

Selector's Comment: Laura approaches her chosen subject matter – the comings and goings of domestic life in rural Ireland – skilfully and with a quiet confidence, composing each image exactly and purposefully; nothing is included in the frame that does not need to be there. I couldn’t help but feel as though I was in the couple’s house with her, such is the sense of intimacy she manages to convey. Laura’s work has a quiet intensity that resonated long after I had clicked elsewhere, and I found her rendering of themes such as what it means to belong somewhere, family heritage and the passing of time refreshing.

Selector's Comment: I loved Marina’s vibrant images, which immediately drew me in with their generous lashings of colour and joie de vivre. But this is more than a colourful collection of photos. A deeply personal body of work about her Chilean roots and what it means to grow up between cultures, Marina’s project touches on wider themes such as political tensions in the wake of Pinochet’s dictatorship and the resilience of Indigenous Mapuche communities. Her skilful handling of private histories and feelings with public experience and mood makes this work.

Selector's Comment: I did not set out to choose projects with nature themes, but somehow that is exactly what has happened! Alexander’s project about Twickenham Beekeepers Association is a good example of what is possible when you bring together excellent environmental portraits and carefully framed details. Not only are the images well-executed, but they also work hard to tell a story of a community whose commitment to, and love of beekeeping is plain to see. I love projects that offer a window onto a world I would not otherwise have known about, and Alexander’s is a wonderful example of this.

Selector's Comment: The struggles and pressures of working in the farming sector are the subject of Daniel’s final project. With a light touch, the work offers personal insights into the often-misunderstood world of farming, namely the daily toil and as Daniel puts it in his statement, ‘all-consuming nature’ of this type of work. I was impressed by Daniel’s use of light and framing, each image akin to a still from a film, and together the images take the viewer on an almost cinematic journey.