The CMC Student Photography Competition 2026 brought serious creative energy to campus this year, as students responded to the theme “Turning Inwards.”
1st Place – Hiba Ayaz A breathtaking mirrored landscape that quite literally reflects the theme. Sky and water meet in perfect symmetry, creating a visual meditation on stillness and clarity. Calm, expansive, and quietly powerful.
2nd Place – Raziye Basaran A solitary figure seated within sweeping Cambridge Central Mosque architecture – intimate yet grand. Framed through shadow and structure, the image feels cinematic, contemplative, and deeply rooted in devotion.
3rd Place – Summayah Wali An open Qur’an bathed in warm golden lights. Soft, glowing, and full of atmosphere, the composition beautifully evokes spiritual preparation and inner renewal ahead of Ramadan.
Shaʿban is often described as a month of quiet preparation before Ramadan – but our students proved that “quiet” doesn’t mean dull. The brief invited them to explore what it means to turn inwards – spiritually, emotionally, mentally – and the response was thoughtful, atmospheric, and beautifully composed. From vast landscapes to intimate devotional moments, the submissions captured stillness, solitude, intention, and renewal in strikingly different ways.
And it doesn’t stop there. We were equally moved by the submissions from Saimah Khan, Ashaari Azman, Shanara Matin, Aliyah Ismail, Farida Elkafrawy, and Halima Yousef – each bringing their own lens, mood, and artistic instinct to the theme.
The CMC student art scene is clearly alive and thriving – thoughtful, reflective, and unafraid to experiment with light, framing, and storytelling.
Huge well done to everyone who took part. May Allah (SWT) place barakah in your talents and continue to inspire you to create work that uplifts, reflects, and resonates.
Same time next year?
Full gallery of submissions below
