Olympic commission for UCA Rochester photography students

Photography students from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) have been commissioned by the Discovery Channel to capture London during the Olympics. 

The cable network enlisted the help of five BA (Hons) Photography (Contemporary Practice) students from UCA Rochester to provide an alternative view of the world's biggest sporting event in an online project called 17 Days of Summer.

While the media is reporting on the sporting achievements during the Olympics, the students are focusing on London - away from the venues - and how the city, its people and millions of visitors are interacting with this historic global event.

Their work is updated daily on the Discovery Channel UK and USA websites.

Second-year Photography student, Ollie Gapper who is 19 and from Rochester, said: "Working professionally on such a major event has been great fun. The job is demanding with very tight deadlines but it has really helped me get a taste for working in a professional environment which will be really important for when I leave university and begin work."

Sonja Earl, 35, from Herne Bay, said: "This immense opportunity could be career changing for all of us, as long as we embrace the potential of this project, I think we can all continue to achieve great things for the future."

Jonathan Simms, Senior Lecturer in BA (Hons) Photography, said: "We are delighted to have our students working with such a prestigious client as Discovery. The editorial commission has demanded students respond both creatively and professionally to the brief - a challenge that they have risen to with great success.

"At a time where work experience is everything, UCA students are getting an opportunity to shoot a global event which I'm sure will prove invaluable to them when they look for their first job."

You can view the students' photos at www.discoveryuk.com.