Student Spotlight: Natasha Boshkovski

When Natasha Boshkovski first enrolled at Whitecliffe, she was hesitant to commit to degree level studies. Yes, she had lifelong aspirations of becoming a photographer – but she was also a busy mum juggling a busy job as an early childhood teacher.

Luckily Whitecliffe’s Certificate in Arts and Design proved to be the perfect way to test the waters. Not only did Natasha love it so much she stayed on to complete her Bachelor of Fine Arts: Photo Media, but now she’s working towards her Master’s.

“Whitecliffe classes are amazing. All the students are very creative and you get lots of one-on-one support from lecturers, not just visually in studio, but also contextually. They don’t just support you in your education, but they support you in all aspects,” says Natasha, who immigrated to New Zealand from Macedonia in 2008.

“If you want to forge a career as a photographer, talent alone is not enough. At Whitecliffe they help you to understand why you are making the work you make and they help you find your unique voice. You are also required to regularly present your work which pushes you to keep developing and growing as an artist.”

With her sights set on becoming a successful photographer in fashion and film, Natasha is now well on her way to achieving her goal. Alongside her Master’s degree studies, she works part-time as a marketing Content Creator and Photographer for Whitecliffe and also freelances as a Production Assistant for content production house The Collective Force.

“I completed an internship there as part of my Bachelor’s degree which was fantastic. The Collective Force team are super-professional and they taught me a lot. I’ve continued to work for them on an ad hoc basis ever since.”

Natasha is also starting to show her work outside of Whitecliffe and was recently part of a Women’s Work exhibition celebrating International Women’s Day. So far though her favourite show has to be the portraits she created to cap off her Bachelor of Fine Arts: Photo Media studies last year.

“I took portraits of several well-known photographers, seizing the opportunity to bring them out from behind the camera and place them in front of the lens. Using a 4x5 large format film camera, there was only one roll of film – so only one chance to get the right shot, with no instant preview of the final outcome.

“I felt pretty proud of that show. I even got a message from renowned photographer Yvonne Todd saying how impressed she was with it. I am a huge fan of her work so that was a real vote of confidence. In fact, it played a significant part in my decision to stay on at Whitecliffe for my Master’s degree!”

For a snapshot of Natasha’s work check out @natashaboshkovski on Instagram.