National photography magazines have recognized the talents of Louisiana Tech student photographers, as two have had their works published this summer.

Sarah A. Burns, a senior from Haughton, and Andy Bloxham, a graduate student from West Monroe, took the initiative and submitted the work on their own, said Frank Hamrick, an assistant professor of photography, who taught both Burns and Bloxham.

‘They are students we have pushed, and they took on that challenge and really succeeded,’ Hamrick said.

Burns received fourth place in the black and white category of Photographer’s Forum’s summer issue. The photograph published is from her senior portfolio, which explores death.

‘The image Sarah had published was part of a series in her senior level exhibition displayed at the Enterprise Center in May,’ Hamrick said. ‘A lot of her family members died recently over the past few years, and she was inspired by having lost so many people around her.’

Andy Bloxham’s photographs, featured in Creative Quarterly Magazine, were inspired by dreams he experienced while wearing a nicotine patch to help him quit smoking.

Bloxham has six photographs published in the current issue of Creative Quarterly Magazine. Bloxham’s photographs are based on dreams he experienced when he was giving up cigarettes and wearing a nicotine patch on his arm. Bloxham would forget to take the patch off when he went to sleep – which is not recommended – and would write down the dreams and try to recreate them in his work.

‘He made a series of photographs loosely based on those dreams,’ Hamrick said. ‘Both he and Sarah are students who we have seen a real jump in the quality of their work. Andy took a giant leap from his first year (as a graduate student) and learned techniques and tools of photography. The power of his images really took off. Sarah is the same way. She’s taken her images to another level.’

Hamrick said he is proud of both students and hopes that their publication success will encourage other art students to submit their work.

Written by Judith Roberts