News - Caught in the Storm
University College Falmouth press release
This desperate scene of a young couple at Porthleven in Cornwall on Tuesday being swept towards the sea by storm-force winds was captured by Tom Skinner, a first-year student on the BA(Hons) Press Photography course at University College Falmouth in Cornwall.
Several students from this new course were out earlier this week documenting the atrocious weather conditions in the county but, during an edit of the pictures late on Tuesday night, it was this image that caught the attention of Course Leader, Mal Stone. He called one of the region's main newspapers, the Western Morning News, and they led with the picture on the front page of Wednesday's edition. The photograph has since been picked up by the internationally renowned Rex Features picture agency and syndicated worldwide.
This is the first year of BA(Hons) Press Photography at Falmouth but the course and its students have already caught the attention of both publishers and industry professionals. Magnum, the celebrated photographers' agency, has already selected the course for its educational partnership programme, and even though they haven't yet completed their first year, many of the student photographers have already seen their work printed in local and regional magazines and new commissions are coming in all the time.
According to Mal Stone, it's that attitude towards professionalism that sets the course and its students apart. "We want to make sure that students on this course get something special; a head-start in a challenging industry, with the very best resources, contacts and experience at their fingertips. That, and actually getting out there and shooting great pictures, is the best way of preparing them for the future."
And in case you wondered, the couple in the photo managed to catch hold of some railings at the very last minute and were brought to safety by local coastguards.
University College Falmouth's Photography courses are located in a brand new two-storey Photography Centre that has been designed following consultation with the industry. It includes hugely expanded digital and photographic facilities as well as specialist resources such as an electronic picture desk, all of which cements the College's position as one of the top providers of photographic education in the UK.
University College Falmouth is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education. The CUC is funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall County Council.
To find out more about BA(Hons) Press Photography at University College Falmouth or to contact or commission any of its photographers, email mal.stone@falmouth.ac.uk.