STUDENTS won high praise and even an unexpected offer from an art collector to buy their work at an exhibition this week.

The eight pupils on New College’s BTEC level three extended diploma in photography put on a show of their work over the last year at the post-modern gallery in Theatre Square.

An opening event for the exhibition, entitled Expression, saw a large gathering of family, friends and invited members of the public after the students themselves raised the £200 needed for the space to host the event.

Several bake sales helped them surpass that figure and reach a total of £400, with the remaining money used for promotional posters, hiring a music trio We Three Strings, and to buy food and drink to receive the invited guests.

Clare Griffiths, associate lecturer in photography, said she was delighted how her students had done and said the show went down very well with those who attended.

She said: “It was a very well received event and very civilised.

“The students all battled through this year and have come up with some amazing work.

“The exhibition was very diverse – some explored architecture, others experimented with darkroom techniques and we had some lovely food photography.

“All the students are aged between 17 and 20 and have had to deal with things life throws at them outside of education, so they have done very well and we are proud of them all, as were their parents.

“One of the girls, Niambi Ross, even had an offer from someone to buy her photos of London. They were William Klein-inspired photos, all black-and-white and blurred.

“All the girls, including Arabella Bidgood, Abbie Learoyd-Smoth, Charli Loso, Charmain Hagon, Jazz Toepser and Hannah Shaw started the course as not the most excited but it has been great to see them find their way and create some amazing photos.”

The exhibition runs until Sunday, and is open every day between 11am and 6pm.