Marina Tsaregorodtseva, final-year Photography BA Honours student at Westminster, was recently shortlisted for the Open Competition at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 in the Creative category.
The Sony World Photography Awards is led by the World Photography Organisation (WPO), a leading global platform dedicated to the development and advancement of photographic culture. The Awards, established in 2007, are one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious photography competitions, celebrating the work of leading and emerging practitioners and attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually to its exhibitions worldwide.
The Awards hold two competitions, the Professional competition and the Open competition. This year, Marina was shortlisted among ten other participants hailing from across the world in the Creative category of the Open competition.
The shortlisted photograph is part of Marina’s project, Tethered, which she started last spring for the Photography in Context book-making module and continued developing through the autumn. Tethered explores themes of connection. In her still-life compositions, Marina takes everyday objects and reimagine them as symbols that reflect personal thoughts and emotions. She shot this project at home, using plants from a nearby park and working entirely with natural light.
The overall winner of the Open competition has the opportunity to win $5,000, while the overall and category winners can win a range of top Sony digital imaging equipment and inclusion in the exhibition. Both winners as well as those shortlisted can also benefit from global press exposure, enhancing their opportunities for collaboration and sharing their work. The exhibition will take place in London between 17 April to 5 May, allowing attendees to view over 300 photographs by more than 60 photographers across the West and East wings of Somerset House.
About this achievement, Marina said: “The University has provided strong support throughout my studies, equipping me with both research and practical skills, including the ability to work in various lighting conditions. Modules like Professional Futures, which focus on professional development, have been invaluable in teaching essential skills such as writing about my work and identifying opportunities to put my photography out there.
“I aim to inspire others to create, no matter their resources. You don’t need expensive equipment or a professional studio - limitations can be a source of creativity, pushing you to find solutions you might not have considered otherwise. As the proverb goes, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’.”
Gavin Jack, Senior Academic in Photography across BA and MA levels, added: “Marina's talent and sensitivity as an artist have been abundantly clear to us all since she began studying with us and she has flourished during her time here. We are so delighted for Marina on being shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards. This is richly deserved and I'm sure will be a great catalyst for her in her future career beyond graduation. Huge congratulations!”
The Professional Futures module on the Photography BA Honours course of the University of Westminster directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Learn more about the Photography BA Honours course at Westminster.
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