In the lead up to our 2025 MA Shows, we’re celebrating the creativity and talent of our graduating masters students by sharing their stories and showcasing their incredible work. We spoke with Photography MA student Ellé Hill about the course, their influences and advice to their younger self.
Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences
My work The Temple of Living Pillars explores how woodland spaces are represented in narrative contexts, how we relate to them as humans, and how the photographic medium can draw attention to specific ways of seeing.
I have particularly used literary portrayals of woodlands and inspiration such as J.G.Ballard’s The Crystal World and Charles Baudelaire’s Correspondences along with a multitude of gothic portrayals of forests. In combination of perspective and rich image surfaces, the viewer is invited to explore imaginative possibilities and associations of the woods. I am also heavily influences by Rober Macfarlane’s writing of how we relate to the natural world- I am trying to visually portray his ideas on the Underland. We typically narrativize what we cannot see, and the Underland lends itself to this perfectly.
By shooting on large format film, I am thinking about how the photographic process relates to the woodland beyond just a way of picturing it. For example, thinking about how light allows both trees and my negatives to exist, how water is essential in the process of plants growing as well as in the darkroom process, and how time operates in the forest and my images differently to typical human perception of linear time.
What made you choose your course?
I felt like I wanted a new challenge and a space to develop my photographic practice, so decided to undertake the MA in Photography. I completed my BA in the same subject at the university in 2020, so I knew how the MA would be structured, that the modules would be engaging and challenging along with supporting who I want to develop into as a photographic artist.
Can you tell us about your favourite part of your studies and how it helped the development of you and your practice.
My favourite part of my studies so far is being able to develop my skills working with analogue methods. The facilities and staff are really helpful with developing ideas and techniques to realise a body of work. I am also excited about the Books and Publications module we’ve just started, which will allow me to realise my work in a different form other than as a portfolio or exhibition.
Can you tell us about any staff who particularly inspired you?
Our course leader Fergus Heron always has such encouraging and engaging discussions with us about our work, which allows ideas to be explored to their full potential. It’s inspiring to see how he balances his own photographic practice with research and how they both inform each other. It’s good for us to see how he and other staff on the course put their work out into exhibitions and publications, which inspires us to be able to achieve the same.
Can you tell us your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I intend to either go back to working in higher education specialising in photography or to work in the art photography industry. I would like to be able to develop my own photographic practice further alongside this, to be able to make more work and exploring how we relate to different environments.
