Student Spotlight: Angeline Bromham

Angeline Bromham was born with an instamatic camera in her hand and from as early as she could remember, she was going to take photographs. Her parents on the other hand were not quite as keen; they wanted what a lot of parents wanted, something more steady for their daughter. So, at 14 years old, Angeline eloped with her camera and ran off to a photography course. Her romantic escapade was, however, short lived, as the realization soon hit her, she was still only a child, and the intimidating characters of the big city were a little too much for her innocence. Angeline came home with her tail between her legs and put her camera away. For a while anyway. 

Image credit: Photograph for Pretty Little Posers Magazine by Angeline Bromham.

That gentle nudge 

It was Angeline’s best friend of 50 years who would turn out to be the spark that Angeline didn’t even know she needed. She was such a good friend that she too could hear that frustrated photographer’s voice inside Angeline’s head. She knew Angeline had unfinished business and so she gifted her the camera she had been lusting after and enrolled her in the British Academy of Photography (BAPH). Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge from a friend to show you the door. Angeline opened that door, and she has never looked back. 

Angeline describes herself as a shy person, and perhaps in some ways she is, but as a photographer, she is fierce! The assignments in the Diploma course have taken Angeline out of her comfort zone and plunged her into situations that she previously believed she would never in a million years, find herself.

Image credit: Photograph by Angeline Bromham.

One of her assignments involved creating both a studio portrait and an environmental shot. She had an image in her mind, a welder in an industrial setting with all the steel and grime that comes with it. She researched her subject and decided she would create a pop-up studio on site, killing two birds with one stone. Appointments were made and plans were set. Having travelled for almost 2 hours, she finally arrived. But the warehouse was a modern, bright, pristine space with almost clinical cleanliness. This was assignment 6 and by now, she knew that quitting was not an option. She just had to get the shot. Not to be deterred, Angeline used her photographer’s eye and explored her options. She played around with the space, the angles, and the light and in the end, not only did she end up with the grimy, dramatic shot she wanted, but she had also sourced a model. 

Image credits: Photographs submitted by Angeline Bromham for Prestige and Pretty Little Poser magazines. 

The published photographer

Angeline had submitted work to various magazines and as with all media, heard nothing for the longest time. Then suddenly in March 2023, ‘Prestige’ magazine wanted to publish her welder image. It was a male model issue, and her burly welder was perfect. At the same time, ‘Pretty Little Poser’ magazine asked to publish her newborn and maternity images plus ‘Brand Model Magazine’ were knocking on her door offering to publish her toddler images. It was an avalanche of offers and like everything in life, it’s either nothing at all or all at once.

Image credit: Photograph by Angeline Bromham.

Another magazine was also interested in publishing her images but when they pushed and pushed for her to sign over her IP, something felt wrong. Bolstered by the success of her work and the new-found confidence as a photographer. She turned them down and held on to ownership of her photographs. It was the confidence in her ability and the self-belief that she is indeed a professional photographer that gave her the strength to defend her work and confront the publication.

Angeline has not yet graduated but she is already a published photographer and has been commissioned for commercial work including a golf course and a wedding in Mexico. 

Image credit: Photograph by Angeline Bromham.

When she arrived in BAPH Angeline was worried that she was too old or not confident enough or perhaps she should have done it all earlier, but today, she is a bold and successful photographer. Having survived cancer and taken the leap to follow her dreams, Angeline is acutely aware of new beginnings and the unpredictability of life.  

Angeline is due to complete her course in September 2023. She has listened to her inner calling and embraced the life of a photographer. There is no question she has a long and successful career ahead of her. In fact, she is already rocking the world of photography!