A group of five of our students have joined together to raise awareness of overconsumption and its effects on the environment through experimental film photography with funding won from their Sustainable Futures project.
As part of their Sustainable Futures project, photography students Jazz Furber, Nigella Israel, Katie Limon, Ollie Wood and Dorian Powers have put their skills together to produce a selection of stunning photographs to visually represent the detrimental impact consumerism is having on our surroundings.
Jazz said:
“We were able to create images that display the beauty of nature vs local rubbish and fly tipping, to make a point of what man-made consumerism is doing to nature and the ecosystem.”
Beginning their project in February 2025, the group of students pitched compelling visual ideas to use billboards, social media and photography to challenge human behaviour – winning some fantastic funding and the go ahead to begin producing the project in May 2025.
Jazz explained:
“The name ‘Overconsouption’ comes from the process our images underwent - shooting all our images on film cameras using expired film. We then ‘souped’ these images, making use of chemicals that disturb the pigments in said film, creating unusual colours and shapes within the images.
“This represents the pollution and destruction caused by an often overlooked challenge in today’s world - overconsuming.”
Film soup is an experimental technique in analogue photography where a roll of film is soaked in a chemical or liquid for a number of hours or even days. The films are then left to dry before being developed. The end results can vary widely and can be very unpredictable and exciting - often creating vibrant colour shifts, textures and surreal effects.
Overconsouption is a striking collection of photographs, many featuring double exposures, created by five students who experimented with film soaked in washing powder and river water. This process reflects the issue of water pollution, embedding it directly into the medium. The resulting images burst with vivid colours and psychedelic textures, intertwining scenes of nature, discarded litter, and manmade debris left to contaminate both urban and natural landscapes.
In October, the students’ photographs were proudly displayed on the big screen outside Nottingham’s Victoria Centre. Jazz concluded:
“We’re hoping to inform people of these consequences and encourage them to think about how they, personally, can change their routine to become more sustainable. As a collective, we’ve enjoyed watching our hard work and outside interests become a solid foundation for a cause we all believe in. It’s been extremely gratifying even after challenges along the way, and we’re proud to share this with the local community.”
In February 2026, the students will be collaborating with the annual Nottingham Light Night event to help raise awareness around this topic of overconsumption.
