DOCUMENT

Isabel Nicholls Year 13 student Isabel Nicholls was recently voted the Junior Winner of Wellington Botanic Garden 150th “Fresh Shoots” photo competition for spring. She was also the Junior Nature category winner. Divided into the four seasons, the competition invited photographers of all levels to celebrate the 150th anniversary of theWellington Botanic Garden. Isabel won the Pocket Guide to Landscape andWildlife Photography and a one-day New Zealand Photography Workshop. Her photograph will be also published in the NZ Photographer magazine. We asked Isabel about her artistic process. “I have always been interested in arts. However, I became increasingly interested in photography with the development of my NCEA Level 1 art board. In Year 12, I decided to take photography as a subject for NCEA Level 2, which only grewmy passion. “I began entering my photos in competitions at any opportunity I got, even if I thought they were not good enough to win. I thought that if I kept persisting and improving, maybe one day I would have a chance. “Inspiration for photography can come out of anything. I take my camera with me almost everywhere I go, in case I find the perfect opportunity. Angles and perspective always make for an interesting photograph. There is always going to be failure, but I have learnt to grow frommy experiences and keep persevering even when nothing seems to be going the right way. “At school, I take lots of art subjects, including photography, printmaking, materials technology and art history. I like to spend my free time working on art and design projects, and next year, I plan to go to the design school at Massey University inWellington.” Isabel Nicholls photo competition entry for her winning photo. Isabel Nicholls in action. LEARNING 26 Queen Margaret Calling :: ISSUE 63 :: May 2019