The second Photo Frome Festival has launched and this year it is bigger, across more venues and with an even more compelling portfolio of photos.

Today it was also prize giving day, a chance to celebrate younger students of photography, including many from Frome College, who did not disappoint.

Beguiling and emotive, the theme this year is 'Decolonising Environments' with imagery from many of the most terrible disasters across the globe including heart-breaking photos following the deadly Australian bush fires.

Totally immersive, the views at Rook Lane Chapel in Frome

Today (June 24) the festival officially started with prizes for student photographers. Frome College's Maddie Mann, was a winner, while the overall prize went to University of Westminster student Amin Yousefi with his work 'Eyes Dazzle as they Search for the Truth'. His piece, a challenging set of photo of archival material from the Iranian Revolution in 1979 takes the existing material at the time, showing the crowds watching events unfold, and recreates those images, pulling them into closer focus using a magnifying loupe.

Find out more about events all around town HERE

Mind your head too...the waders have hoisted higher after an early collision with a taller than average visitor

advertisement

All events and talks and details of this exhibition HERE In all there shows across 15 venues- including a huge outdoor exhibition at the Frome Library - featuring more than 150 photographers and over 500 photographs, as well as workshops, many free for families, and portfolio reviews for all levels of photographers.

Another of the winners with Photo|Frome chair and lead curator of the exhibition Mick Yates

Next Sunday, at the Independent there will be a special event recording Faces of Frome, from 10am until 3pm a pop-up studio by the library involving Frome College photography students. Have your photo taken for free and whether you agree or not to have it displayed as part of next year's festival, you will be sent a digital copy.