Four students from the Bay of Plenty have been named among the award winners at the Stills Nationwide Youth Photography Competition 2023.

“More than 1550 entries from school students nationwide were received this year which marks a significant milestone for Stills on the third edition of the competition,” says Rockquest promotions event manager Georgia Parker.

The photo competition has two main sections, senior and junior, each one with different categories.

Senior is a section open to students in years 9-13, which includes categories such as life in motion, connection, places, special objects and altered.

Isabella Fausett from John Paul College in Rotorua was named a national top 10 finalist in the Special Objects category, and Frankie Melhuish from Mount Maunganui College in the Altered category. 

Isabella Fausett's photo.

Each year, the school encourage all photography students to participate in the Stills photography competition, says Mount Maunganui College photography Teacher Laura Turner.

“They get great exposure from it, significantly improving their confidence when they place. 

“I am proud of all my students who entered and were delighted to see Frankie Melhuish's place as a national finalist for her cinema piece.”

The junior section is open to students in years 1 – 8.

Leila Tesselaar's photo.

This year Leila Tesselaar and Lucas Thomsen, from Papamoa College, were both named among the national top 10 finalists in categories like landscapes, animals, nature, and whanau/family.

Lucas also brought home the Nature's Marvel Award.

Lucas Thomsen's photo.

The judges had a difficult task selecting the winners as there were many great pictures to choose from, says Stills producer Kelsey Moller.

"We have been so impressed with the quality of the photographs entered this year. The four students who won awards in the Bay of Plenty should be proud of their achievements.

“We are fortunate to be able to work with thousands of creative students throughout the country in the different programmes we run at RQP.”

The Bay of Plenty region is a real standout region for the arts in general, not just for young photographers, but also in music, dance, and theatre, adds Kelsey.

“It's clear there is a very supportive local community, and that encouragement has a big impact."

The competition has inspired student photographers from Years 1 to 13 to express their creativity and skill, with a prize pool this year presented by FUJIFILM NZ valued at over $25k, says Georgia.

For more information about Stills 2023 and to view the winning entries visit www.stills.nz