Kiwi student nabs a place in the finals of international competition

The Sony World Photography Awards  is the world’s largest photography competition, so when a photographer from little old New Zealand makes the cut as a finalist, it’s definitely a cause for celebration.

Twenty-six-year-old Matilda Fraser is a student at Elam School of Fine Arts and she has been announced as one of 10 finalists in the Student Focus section of the competition. This section is known to be a great launchpad for students to be able to pave their path into the photographic industry, and it also allows students’ work to be seen on a global platform. Fraser will be flown to London to compete for the Student Focus Photographer of the Year title, which has a prize of €30,000 worth of Sony photography equipment associated with it.  

Her shortlisted image, titled Castle Hill (Kura Tawhiti), was captured during a six-week writer’s residency in Dunedin while she was on a drive to Cass, which is a station near Arthur’s Pass. 

“I am very pleased and excited to be nominated for the Student Focus. As a practitioner who primarily works with film, I am looking forward to the learning curve offered by this opportunity, and am anticipating the final brief already. I am grateful for the chance to visit London, as this will be invaluable to the ongoing development of my work,” Fraser explains.