Congrats to our 125 UoB Student Photo Competition winners!

Thanks to all you fantastic photographers who submitted over 100 entries to our 125 Student Photo Competition! You’ve helped capture the spirit of student life in 2025 – snapshots that future generations will be able to look back on, just as we’ve looked at photos of UoB students from the early 1900s during this year’s anniversary celebrations. 

After much deliberation, our expert judges, listed below, selected the following three standout shots – here are the winners and the stories behind their photos. 

Winner: Temi Olayemi, 4th year Medical student

Temi, a 4th year Medical student, told us that his photo “represents everything it means to graduate from UoB: the excitement, the joy, and the sense of achievement, all captured in a single moment”. His shot perfectly captures the buzz and energy of his friend’s graduation – te kind of image that for anyone who has graduated instantly takes you back to your own ceremony or reminds you of those fond uni memories. 

When we asked how it felt to win, Temi said, “honestly it feels great. It’s incredible to be able to share these images with others and let them feel and live vicariously through these captured moments”. 

Temi was delighted with his prize of an Instax camera plus limited edition UoB branded merch.

Runner up: Huw O’Shea, 2nd year Medicine Pre-Clinical student 

Hew, a 2nd year Pre-Clinical Medical student, grabbed the runner-up spot with a photo inspired by classic British bands like Oasis and Blur along with Japanese photographers Tatsuo Suzuki and Daido Moriyama. He said his image “just felt raw and real”.  He opened up with how the photo reflects his own experience starting uni and told us: “I struggled with settling in at first, and I think that's something a lot of guys struggle with. Seeing these guys reminded me of bands walking off stage and gave me the sense that whether they realised it or not, they'd be alright”. 

It’s a reminder of how some of the people you meet in those first few days and weeks can unexpectedly turn into best friends in such a short time. 

When asked how it felt to achieve 2nd place in the competition he said, “To be the runner-up feels awesome! It's my first time entering a photography competition after years of thousands of photos on my phone, and finally pushing myself to do it. Hopefully this means I'm now properly a "photographer!” 

Third prize: Sabrina Penn, 1st year History of Art, Curating and Visual Studies student

Finalist Sabrina snapped her photo on her second day in the UK during the Welcome Week. She was out exploring campus with her flatmate she had just gotten to know. She told us that even though Old Joe is the focus, her favourite part is the surrounding Aston Webb buildings — especially the courtyard tucked just beyond the stone walls. 

Sabrina is here on exchange, over 5,000 miles from her sunny home in California. She said the way the yellow light hit the red brick of Aston Webb and Old Joe gave her this unexpected warmth that reminded her of home — and helped ease the nerves of suddenly being in a completely new country. For her, she said “the photo marks the start to a brand-new chapter in my life, short but deeply meaningful”. 

A huge well done to all our winners and thank you to everyone who took part. The photos will be featured in university channels and displayed as part of our 125th anniversary celebrations. 

Judges

Aarron Scott Richards Photography

Professor Ruth Gilligan, Professor in Creative Writing

Charlie Ajaib, UoB Student and member of the Guild Photographic society