Talented students taking part in a festive photography project have received an early Christmas present in recognition of their skills. 

A total of 27 Level 3 Visual Communication students from Royal Leamington Spa College visited St Mary's Church to capture photographs of its popular Christmas tree festival. 

This year the festival attracted over 6,800 visitors across 10 days to see more than 60 Christmas trees. 

For a third successive year students from the college were invited for a private viewing of the festival and tasked by the organisers to capture eye-catching and experimental photography of the trees. 

Trees for the festival had been donated by Hintons Nursery, in Warwick, with businesses, community groups and organisations from across the town getting involved to decorate the trees. 

There was also a designated area in the Beauchamp Chapel for trees which had been decorated by children. 

Image by Leila Edwards

This time the second-year students were asked to also design graphics after the event which could be used for future promotion of the festival. 

The outputs from the photography session were judged by tutors Irene Tsiampakou and Jane Murray, with a prize offered for the best photography and graphic design. 

A £100 Amazon voucher was the prize for the winner and was won by Victoria Cerchez, with Luke Cave and Leila Edwards runners up and receiving a £25 voucher each. 

The photographs and graphics will be used by St Mary's Church to help promote next year's event. 

Irene Tsiampakou, Course Leader for Visual Communication at WCG, said: "This has become a festive tradition for second-year students on our course and it is a fantastic test of the skills they have developed during the year. 

Photograph by Victoria Cerchez

"The church is one of the most challenging environments for photography, primarily due to the lighting conditions constantly changing, with one ray of sunlight drastically impacting a photograph. 

"We were incredibly impressed with all the students' work this year, but Victoria's work stood out. She responded perfectly to the brief and added an illustration twist too. 

"We are grateful to continue to work with St Mary's Church and would like to thank the team for trusting our students with this project. The students had a fantastic experience and it allows them to experience what it is like to deliver a photography project for a client. 

"The Christmas tree festival is one of the highlights of the festive season in Warwickshire and the college is proud to play its part in helping to bring it to life through this project."