College photography students praised for capturing Mayor's official portrait
Students from Royal Leamington Spa College have been praised by the Mayor of Warwick for their photography skills after they captured his official portrait.
Councillor Oliver Jacques, the Mayor of Warwick, came into post earlier this year and visual communication students were on hand to shoot the official photography for his term in office.
It is the second successive year that students from Royal Leamington Spa College, which is part of college group WCG, have been invited to support on the mayoral portraits and a team of five Level 3 Visual Communication students were involved in the project.
The crew comprised of Lily Mae Dalleau-White, George Gulliver, Erin Bailey, Andreea Vremea and Luke Sargent, who were supported by Jane Murray, photography lead at Royal Leamington Spa College.
Lily Mae was the main photographer on the shoot and snapped the final image with the backdrop of Warwick Castle.
The photo can now be seen on the Warwick Town Council website and across various other publications featuring the Mayor of Warwick.
Students took on the planning of the project from start to finish, including selecting locations, carrying out test shoots at the sites and rigging lighting to ensure a professional quality portrait.
They then liaised with the Mayor to select his final image and make any changes required during editing.
Since 1664, the Mayor of Warwick has been the First Citizen of Warwick and represents the town, with the Mayoral insignia including the mace, robes, and chains of office, and connects the present day with history, acting as a symbol of continuity.
Councillor Oliver Jacques was first elected in 2019 as a Warwick District and a Warwick Town Councillor.
He said: “The students were very professional in the way they went about things and worked well as a team.
“We tried different settings on the day, indoors and out, and discussed different ideas on. They explained what they needed from me as their subject and I was happy to oblige, and just keep smiling!
“Student Lily Mae Dalleau-White took my portraits. She was calm and composed throughout giving clear suggestions for adjustments in terms of lighting, positioning and posture. There were many takes but it was all done with patience and in good humour.”
Lily Mae, 19 from Stratford-upon-Avon, said the project has given her and her course-mates invaluable professional experience, which will help as they seek to develop careers in the sector.
“It was great to be involved in this project and work with the team to create a professional portrait for the Mayor of Warwick,” she said.
“This was really good experience for all of us, as we were able to communicate directly with the client, get feedback and ensure the final product perfectly fitted the bill.
“I’m really grateful for getting opportunities like this through the college. By working on project like this, it makes me confident in my abilities that I’m capable of doing this job.
“Professional experience is so important in this sector and this project provided that for all of us.”
Irene Tsiampakou, Course Leader for Visual Communication, said: “We also seek to provide opportunities for our students to experience delivering projects in a real setting.
“The students worked on this alongside their final project for their course and did a fantastic job. It was run in a professional style, with a main photographer, secondary photographer behind the scenes, stylist and technical crew.
“We are proud to have been able to support the Mayor of Warwick on this project.”
To find out more about visual communication courses at Royal Leamington Spa College visit wcg.ac.uk/artanddesign
