Portraits in the meadow at the Oxford School of Drama (Part I)

I was offered a place in multiple programs in some of the best acting schools in London.

I ended up picking the Oxford School of Drama. A conservatoire located 10 miles North of Oxford, amidst acres and acres of farmland.

There was something special about the energy of the school and its people that drew me to it.

Besides being an incredibly nourishing and enriching year of learning, it was also a playground that fueled my passion for photographing people and provided a lush setting in which to do so.

One of my favourite things to do was to take people out to the meadow and shoot. Whether it was character portraits for school productions or just natural, candid or posed portraits.

The meadow just outside of the school was an ever-changing backdrop that went from being a sparse expanse in the winters to bursting with wildflowers in spring and summer and then bare and harvested in autumn. A perfect and dynamic canvas for portraiture.

Outdoor portraiture is something I have always been drawn to and OSD gave the perfect environment for this.

This is just part one of a small sampling of all those beautiful people - actors, tutors, friends who took the time and let us have a moment together.

Being a drama school, it was routine to find people in a costume of some sort hanging around, rehearsing etc (More of that in Part II)

Ankur Sabharwal is an Oxford based actor and photographer. All the images featured have been taken by him.