Up and coming Orange photographer, Brooke Crawford, has described studying at TAFE NSW as a ‘truly remarkable and life-changing experience’, as she prepares to show off her year’s work at the annual TAFE NSW Orange creative arts exhibition.

Ms Crawford will graduate in December from the TAFE NSW Certificate IV in Photography and Photo Imaging and is already making the most of increased demand for photographers across the country, with Australian Government statistics revealing there will be more than 9,000 new photography positions become available until 2023.

Ms Crawford said, “I’ve always had a love and passion for photography and thanks to the skills that I have learnt by studying at TAFE NSW, I have now become a sole trader with an ABN and I’m operating my own creative family portrait photography business,” she said.

“Studying at TAFE NSW has definitely been life-changing for me. As a mother, the flexible studying options at TAFE NSW were really helpful, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything about this course.”

TAFE NSW Orange Photography Teacher, Alina Maclean, is not at all surprised by Ms Crawford’s immediate success in the photography industry, describing her as an incredibly talented student.

“The work that Brooke has created right from the beginning of this course has been outstanding. She’s a natural with the camera and her work was at a professional standard very early on,” she said.

“Brooke’s success also highlights that TAFE NSW continues to equip students with the practical skills they need to pursue employment opportunities in a range of unique and growing industry areas.”

This year’s TAFE NSW creative services art exhibition is titled Raw, and will be on display at TAFE NSW Orange, March Street (B Block) from December 2-6. The official opening will be November 28 at 6pm, with Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Director, Sarah Gurich, the guest speaker.

Raw will include works from visual arts and photography students, including Ms Crawford.

“I’m incredibly excited. This is my first exhibition so I want people to come and look at the great work we’ve done throughout the year,” Ms Crawford said.

TAFE NSW Orange Visual Arts Advanced Diploma student, Catherine Coster, will display a range of expressive paintings and printmaking and said, “I am very excited to be part of the group exhibition as it is the culmination of a year's worth of hard work and a chance to share my work with others and celebrate our achievements.”

For information on the range of photography and visual arts  design courses available at TAFE NSW Orange in semester 1, 2020, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.

Media contact: Luke Schuyler, TAFE NSW Media and Communications Business Partner, 0439 536 563.