Fashion, grit and grain: Annabelle Tombs Shortlisted for AOP Student Awards 2025

<p><em>The Journey</em> blends technical risk with emotional intensity, capturing model <strong>Samira Shardow </strong>crouched low and meeting the camera’s gaze in a moment that feels both intimate and defiant.</p>

<p>“Myself and <strong>Caitlin Holly Piper</strong> [a graduating BA (Hons) Fashion Design student from Arts University Plymouth], the designer and stylist for this shoot, have worked together throughout our years here at the uni. For the past two years I’ve collaborated with fashion design students to bring their visions to life. That’s where my journey as a fashion photographer and creative director started. Caitlin’s graduate collection <em>Cordis</em> is inspired by female friendship, strength and the anatomical heart, and her love of layers and pink runs through every look.”</p>

<p dir="ltr">Despite Annabelle’s confidence in the studio, the session was beset by technical challenges: “The camera wasn’t focusing and the lights weren’t firing, everything seemed to go wrong. I started to panic because I didn’t want to disappoint Caitlin. In the end I switched to the modelling lights on the Broncolors and pushed the ISO. I knew the shots would be grainy, but the texture actually added something special.”</p> <p>After a few careful tweaks in <strong>Lightroom</strong> and cleanup in <strong>Photoshop</strong>, the rich palette, layered fabrics and unexpected grain combined to create the portrait now recognised by the AOP judges.</p>

<p>Annabelle’s practice is rooted in collaboration with students from <strong>BA (Hons) Fashion Design</strong>, producing visually ambitious work that challenges conventional fashion narratives. Her recent series <strong>‘Fashion Obscure: Part 2’</strong> continues to explore identity, tension and storytelling through colour, texture and pose.</p>

<p>“I’m so grateful for this opportunity. It wouldn’t be possible without Caitlin and Samira, and the university. I’ll really miss having access to the equipment here in a few days! It’s an amazing way to finish my degree, and it feels like only the beginning.”</p>

<p>Beyond the studio, Annabelle has excelled as a <strong>Student Ambassador</strong>, organising graduation shoots, mentoring peers and creating social-media content. Graduating from a course that blends technical excellence with entrepreneurial thinking, she leaves with a powerful portfolio and national recognition secured.</p>

<p>Annabelle follows a trail blazed by fellow graduates such as <strong>Matt Marshall</strong>, who won <em>Best in Show</em> at the 2024 AOP Student Awards. Read more about last year’s achievements <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/best-in-show-at-aop-student-awards-2024">here</a>.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Clearing is now open</strong> at Arts University Plymouth. Whether you’re a future fashion photographer, visual storyteller, or creative director in the making, this is your moment.</p> <p dir="ltr">&#x1f4de; Call us on <strong>+44 (0)1752 203402</strong><br /> &#x1f310; Apply online at<a href="http://aup.ac.uk/clearing"> <strong>aup.ac.uk/clearing</strong></a></p> <p dir="ltr">Find your place at a university where every person is making something and where your story, like Annabelle’s, can shape the creative industries of tomorrow.<br /></p>