Photography student gets opportunity of a lifetime on fashion shoot

In a world far away from three second countdowns and a prolonged shouting of the word cheese, one De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) student was offered a fantastic chance to gain some incredible experience in a fashion shoot showcasing the work of Contour Fashion students.

When 14 students from the world-renowned course had their designs selected to be published in Underlines Magazine, one of the fashion industry’s leading lingerie magazines, and then displayed at the DMU stand during the UK’s leading intimates trade show, MODA, at Birmingham’s NEC, somebody had to provide the photographs.

That somebody was Sean Goldthorpe, a Photography MA student, and the shoot turned out to be the biggest day in his photography career.

Sean said: “I’ve got a friend on the Contour Fashion course that put my name forward for the shoot and the module leader (Gillian Proctor) got in touch saying she wanted me to do it.

“I’ve had a few pictures published before but this is the first glossy magazine I’ve been in and it was over three pages, it was amazing to see my work spread over so much of the magazine.

“I was quite nervous at first as I knew it was going to be a big challenge, there were so many outfits to picture, it was definitely the hardest day I’ve ever worked in photography.”

Given the amount of exposure that his work will receive from the MODA show and Underlines magazine, Sean could be forgiven for getting carried away after his fortunate break, but for now he is remaining grounded.

He said: “I’m just taking it as it comes, obviously I’m doing the MA which I’m having to juggle with doing freelance and commission work to pay for the studies, but that’s part of postgrad study finding that right balance between studying and real-world work but it’s totally worth it.

“This experience will help me in the future, it’s nice to have an actual magazine to show potential clients rather than a printout I’ve done myself.

“It’s also a good reflection on the university, they’re keen to give you a chance to get experience and they nurture their own talent by providing these opportunities for those willing to grasp them.”