An Inverness College UHI art student has snapped her way to victory in an international photography competition.
HND student Evija Laivina was one of five student photographers recognised in the Lens Culture Portrait Awards for her study of the “alternative side of female beauty preparations and treatments”.
Her series of quirky images, titled Beauty Warriers was developed during her course at Inverness College UHI, where she has studied since 2014.
Ms Laivina said: “In the past, I experimented with a wide range of art mediums, including painting, drawing and sculpture, before returning to my first love of photography.
“Prior to my time at Inverness College UHI, I was part of an artist community in Latvia where I concentrated on blending humour and surrealism to produce witty and thought-provoking photographs. It was this return to photography that prompted my entry to the Lens Culture Awards.
“To create my portraits, I purchased many bizarre beauty aids from the internet to be used by the models, before preparing different backdrops and setting up a series of studio sessions.”
The awards were judged by a high-powered panel of industry experts, including representatives from Vanity Fair, the National Portrait Gallery and the Wall Street Journal Magazine.
The competition is for professional and student photographers and highlights the best of portrait photography from around the world.
Valerie Beattie, programme and development manager, cultural and creative industries at Inverness College UHI, said: “Evija is a very motivated, hard-working and committed student, and her tutors speak highly of her.
“She is talented in all areas of art and could have chosen any medium to work in, but is now specialising in photography.
“The HND Contemporary Art Practice course supports and promotes this kind of exploration by allowing students to explore their ideas and develop them to a level that refines their critical, practical and theoretical skills.”
