Behind the lens at Vogue Codes Summit 2026

For three Photography students from Billy Blue College of Design, Vogue Codes Summit 2026 was a chance to find out.

Billy Blue was proud to return to Vogue Codes Summit this year as an event sponsor, continuing our long-standing partnership with Vogue Australia. The collaboration connects students with opportunities that take their learning beyond campus, from scholarships and mentoring to networking and major industry events.

At this year's Summit, Billy Blue provided a professional portrait activation that put more than 200 attendees in front of the lens, and three of our photography students behind the lens in a fast-moving, client-facing environment.

Turning photography study into professional experience

Guided by Photography Course Coordinator Daniel Coelho and lecturer Peter Collie, three Diploma of Photography and Photo Imaging students, including Christopher Clear, Anna Wilkowska and Moira Keane, helped deliver the activation throughout the event.

Attendees were photographed by the team before each portrait was presented within a custom Vogue Codes frame.

For the students, however, the experience began well before the first portrait was taken.

Setting up a professional activation meant testing lighting, positioning equipment, establishing workflows and troubleshooting the practical challenges that come with working outside a classroom or studio exercise.

For Moira, who was taking part in her first live industry activation, the experience brought together many of the skills she had developed throughout her course.

The Vogue Codes experience was fantastic from start to finish. It gave me the opportunity to take everything we had learned in class and apply it in a real-world setting. 

Working through the setup process also gave Moira a greater understanding of everything that needs to happen behind the scenes to make a professional photography experience appear seamless.

She gained further experience with lighting and Capture One software, while seeing first-hand the importance of file management, communication, collaboration and attention to detail.

These are the skills that can be difficult to replicate in a classroom alone. When hundreds of guests are moving through an event, the pressure is real, the deadlines are immediate and the photographer needs to deliver.

Confidence on both sides of the camera

Technical ability was only part of the brief. For Moira, one of the biggest lessons came from observing how people responded when they stepped in front of the camera.

She noticed that even confident and accomplished attendees could become uncertain when it was time to have their portrait taken. It reinforced the photographer's role in creating trust and helping a subject feel comfortable.

A great photograph isn't just about lighting, composition or technical skill. 

For her, the activation demonstrated the power photography can have to capture confidence, personality and individuality.

That client-facing experience also helped build her own professional confidence.

Being trusted to contribute to a real event gave me confidence in my technical abilities and communication skills. 

It is a critical part of becoming an industry-ready photographer. Knowing how to light a portrait matters. Knowing how to work with the person standing in that light matters just as much.

Christopher Clear at Billy Blue's activation stand

From nerves to professional pride

Christopher Clear also described Vogue Codes Summit as an important step towards his future career.

It was his first time working with the marketing team at a partner event, and the scale of the collaboration between the event, marketing and photography teams immediately stood out.

The experience was such an asset to my future career, knowing I can reference this chance to work with such a blue-chip brand such as Vogue. 

Christopher also developed technical skills in the lead-up to the event that extended beyond the usual teaching program and reflected the realities of professional photography after graduation.

Christopher recalled that the participating students were nervous when the event began, but encouragement from the marketing and photography teams quickly helped turn that uncertainty into excitement and pride.

One of his highlights was working alongside Daniel and Peter outside the classroom, experiencing how their expertise translated to the demands of a live professional environment.

His advice to other students is simple: take the opportunity.

You will gain expertise, make contacts and learn skills beyond the classroom. 

Billy Blue joins the Vogue Codes conversation

Billy Blue's contribution to Vogue Codes Summit 2026 also extended beyond the photography activation.

Dr Rachel Lamarche-Beauchesne, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Marketing and Enterprise, joined the event's Designed to disappear: the fashion waste emergency panel, contributing her academic and industry perspective to a discussion examining one of fashion's most urgent challenges.

Dr Rachel Lamarche-Beauchesne at Vogue Codes Summit panel

It reflects the wider value of the Billy Blue and Vogue Australia partnership: creating spaces where students, academics and industry can participate in the conversations shaping the future of design, fashion, technology and creative practice.

Winners of the Vogue Australia Design Scholarship were also given access to the event, just one of their many opportunities to hear from industry leaders and build professional networks.

Bringing Vogue Codes to Billy Blue

And the conversation is continuing. On 17 September 2026, Vogue Codes Con comes to Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University Australia's Surry Hills campus.

Designed for future and current university students, the event will bring together women and industry leaders from technology, fashion and business to explore emerging careers and what is coming next in innovation.

For our photography students, Vogue Codes Summit has already shown what can happen when study meets industry in real time. They gained technical experience, professional connections and the confidence that comes from knowing they can deliver when the pressure is on.