Here are the two images that I have chosen to edit, before using photoshop.
This is an image of my high school, during one of my bike rides. I like this photo, but it’s a little bit too dark, so I want to edit it to appear brighter.
This is a photo of me and my friend, Tom on a small hike in Netherend. I love the photo, but I feel that we should be the focus of the image and not the background as such.
Thanks to the ‘Crop Tool’ on adobe photoshop, I now have an image where me and Tom are the focus of the image, without having to sacrifice the quality of the image at all. This has allowed me to appreciate just how good we look in the image, and also places more focus on how we got onto that rock formation in the first place. You can now clearly see the path we climbed to reach the top. I am quite happy with the brightness and colour of this image, so it was unnecessary to make any changes to this.
For the image of my High School, I utilised the ‘Adjustments’ section and selected ‘Brightness/contrast’.
I then increased the brightness of the image until I was satisfied with it.
And to polish it off, I added an extra +25 to the saturation of the image to further empahsise the beautiful golden colour of the setting sun on the field.
Once this was done, I saved the image as a copy, and this was the result.
Overall, I am much happier with this image. I particularly love the increased emphasis on the golden colour. You can also see a lot more of the grass right in front of the camera, giving me more of the image to look at. Instead of ignoring the dark parts of the image, I can appreciate the full thing. Thanks to photoshop, this image has been turned into a beautiful one, from one that was slightly disappointing.
These are some images of me, mid-jump, in a University library.
This image of me was taken with a slightly higher shutter speed than normal cameras. This has allowed the image to maintain it’s focus and provide a sharper image of me, despite being in the middle a fast paced movement.
These two images of me imitating a football player attacking a ball in the air are quite blurry. This is because they were taken with a lower shutter speed, meaning that the images come out with less focus, and fast movements are blurred. Notice the arms and head movement, they are rapid movements that cause a lack of focus for cameras with a lower shutter speed setting.
Here is another image of me.
This image was taken using the ‘live photo enable’ feature, which has been used to create a long exposure affect.
I simply enabled the live photo feature, shook my head left and right, and this was the result. This long exposure affect has created an image where the head looking towards the camera remains still, and more in focus (because it is stationary). However, the movement of my head shaking left and right has created this long exposure affect because stationary objects remain a sharper image whereas moving elements are blurred.
Another example could be a moving body of water. The river bank would remain a solid and focused object, whereas the running water will be slightly blurry, to imitate movement.
Right in the middle of the Leeds City Centre sits the famous Kirkgate Market. Since the 1820’s, the bustling lanes and countless stalls have attracted customers from all over England.
Even today, being the biggest indoor market in Europe, over 100,000 people visit and shop at the stalls every week, from Butchers to flower shops, there is always something for the customer.
One of the stalls, ‘Brown’s famous sweet shop’ is among the 800 stalls in the market. Opened for business in 2002, Brown’s has continued to sell sweets, chocolates, crisps and drinks, keeping the classic sweet shop feel while also adding a modern twist with more up to date products.
Brown’s famous sweet shop – Steven is pictured inside serving a customer
One of the owners of the store, Steven, gave his thoughts on how his independent business is running in the face of the difficult period of January.
“It varies, it’s a funny time of year because everyone goes on diets which obviously affects business.”
“It depends on what I’ve got in stock, the more variety I have, the busier I tend to be.”
There is also competition with supermarkets and other sweet stalls.
“As long as we beat the supermarkets on price, then everyone’s happy,” he said “but business-wise, there’s no real rhyme or reason, it always varies.”
Leeds Beckett University’s Rugby League team has had an incredible 2024-2025 season, they have played the entire season and remained undefeated throughout. It has been a display of complete dominance from start to finish, defeating some top clubs such as Northumbria University and University of Leeds on the way, beating Northumbria three times in the same season. They finished the season with 10 wins from 10 in the league, gaining 30 points and an impressive 360 points difference.
Only two years ago, Leeds Beckett turned their fortunes around. From a struggling team that struggled to compete with the top teams in their league, into perhaps the best University team in the UK right now, perhaps even in the history of University Rugby League.
This leaves one question, how? How have Leeds Beckett’s Rugby League team turned it around in such a short time? And how exactly has their season panned out?
This season was one of redemption for Leeds Beckett, after losing out to Northumbria University in the BUCS Nationals Championship Grand Final the season before. The Leeds Beckett players had their eyes set on the trophy from the very first game of the season and snatched it with relentlessness.
By December, Leeds Beckett had already won six games from six, beating Northumbria University and bitter rivals, University of Leeds. At this point, it was clear to see that the Leeds Beckett team had become a completely different monster, hungry for the league title, as well as the highly sought after BUCS Championship trophy.
Players
One of the major factors for the success of Leeds Beckett’s season was some of the standout players within the team.
As a team, Leeds Beckett have been an unstoppable unit, playing as one single body. The professionalism of this team has undoubtedly been its key strength for such a successful season. They rarely make any mistakes, while forcing the other teams to make mistakes of their own. The fantastic communication between the players also leads to making the correct choices with the ball.
However, the team would not be such a strong one without some of the key players within. One of the most important players, Fin Balback, plays as a full back for the team and his contributions to the team is invaluable.
Fin Balback – Against University of Leeds in November 2024
Balback has been playing Rugby League his whole life and has played at an impressive level throughout his career. He boasts an impressive record at his boyhood club, Newsome Panthers, where he won multiple trophies, such as the league title and other county cups. He also had a small stint with Leeds Rhinos. He has also been selected on numerous occasions to represent Yorkshire and even England for University Rugby League. Balback now plays for Bradford Bulls and has been for over a year now. His record speaks for itself, at such a young age, he has achieved an incredible portfolio.
Fin Balback is full of praise for some of his teammates, even some players who have come in as first year students.
“I think a lot of the new players have been great. James Evans, winger, hooker, half-back, full-back, wherever we’ve asked him to play he’s really stepped up”.
“I’ve also got to give props to MacKauly Stephenson, our skipper. He’s really stepped up this year and has led the team on and off the field and we just feel like a different team this year with him”.
To say Balback has been instrumental to the Leeds Beckett team would be an understatement. Fin is an incredibly intelligent player, he sees every run, every pass and even anticipates what the other team are planning. Alongside his rugby skills are his communication and his unrelenting passion for the sport.
From Leeds Varsity in April 2025
Balback gave his thoughts on how the season was panning out back in December, and expressed his thoughts on how it started:
“I think it’s gone really well, it all kicked off at the start of the season against Northumbria, who won the entire competition last year and beat us home and away. We kicked off the season well with a good win against them, beating them at home 28-18”.
“Training has been really good, and you can tell because we’re playing really confidently”.
When the opposing team is in possession of the ball, Balback can be seen at the back of the pitch, barking orders at his teammates, keeping them in line, as if he’s commanding an army. Balback’s role in the team uses his many years of experience to keep the team in line with each other, ensuring that the players are in the right position. When Beckett has the ball in possession, Balback is in and amongst the thickest of the action. He is the player who makes it happen, the player making that vital run that could make the difference in the game.
Another role that Balback has in the team is being the designated goal-kicker. Perhaps the role with the most amount of pressure in Rugby League, Balback has been trusted with this role. Goal kickers can change the game completely, that extra two points after each try are potentially even more important than the tries themselves. Balback has incredible accuracy in every goal kick, it’s very rare that he ever misses. Again, this comes from years of practice and experience in goal kicking.
Fin Balback converts the try – March 2025
Coaching staff
At the end of the 2022-23 season, Leeds Beckett lost a lot of their key players due to many third year players graduating and leaving University. This happens to every team, every year at every University, but Leeds Beckett managed to ride the storm and maintain a team with plenty of experienced players, while taking on some new players from up-and-coming college students going into University.
Heading into the 2023/24 season, the team also decided that new coaching staff would be necessary for future success. They decided to appoint Mark Butteril, ex-coach of the Leeds Rhinos development team, an exceptional appointment for the team. Butteril helped to completely change the fortunes of Leeds Beckett, the entire mentality and coaching staff helped to turn them into an unstoppable force.
Mark Butterill watches on as Leeds Beckett close in on another Try – Leeds Varsity April 2025
Mark Butterill’s ideology consists of having a vice grip on the game; he wants his team to be in control. He has drilled his team in every training session not to make mistakes. Some mistakes might include some players being too eager to offload the ball in an attacking situation, leading to losing possession of the ball in an otherwise promising situation. Other mistakes that Butterill has ironed out of his team are the common and naive ones, such as catching, knocking on, being caught offside, head high and dangerous tackles.
Even in games that are incredibly heated, Butterill has taught his players how to maintain a certain level of discipline. A lack of discipline can completely change a game, one rash moment could lead to one of their most important players being either sin-binned or sent off completely.
To see where this team is now, compared to the state they were in only two years ago is incredibly inspiring and just goes to show how much of a difference a good coach can make. They have completely changed their fortunes in the space of these two years, through the adversity they have faced in the past.
Camaraderie
Another key reason for the success of the Leeds Beckett Rugby League team is the Camaraderie and Synergy between their players.
The players in the team don’t just rock up to training twice a week and play on the weekend. They play as if they’re brothers in arms, fighting together with winning being the only thing on their minds.
Leeds Beckett on the attack – Leeds Varsity
Outside of rugby and even University, they are all friends, meeting up and fighting each other’s battles. And during the games, they are not afraid to back eachother up if things get heated.
This type of synergy and camaraderie in the team is incredibly important and is always overshadowed in the context of reasons for the team’s success. They don’t just play because they are told to, they play because they love the sport, and because of the love they feel playing side by side with their brothers.
BUCS Championship final
The BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) National Championship is one of the most prestigious sporting events across all Universities in the United Kingdom. It is held at a variety of venues every year and involves a wide range of sports. Universities from across the UK compete against each other in a series of sporting events.
The stage was set for the BUCS National Grand Final – Loughborough University
For Rugby League, that involves playing a series of knockout games throughout the season, and having the final played at Loughborough University.
The stage was set for a thrilling final at Loughborough, it was Leeds Beckett coming up against Northumbria University, the very same team who beat Beckett to the final only a season before.
Northumbria (Left – in black) and Leeds Beckett (Right – in purple) line up ahead of the Final
This time, Beckett wanted to be the one to come out on top. Fans from both teams turned out in fantastic support, particularly for Leeds Beckett, where a familiar face in ex-Leeds Rhinos legend, Jamie Peacock. Balback also spoke about the preparations that the team had made heading into the final.
“For us, it’s just been building, game in game out,” he said. “We’ve played Northumbria twice this year and we’ve come away with four points, beating them home and away. Last season, we lost to them at home and away and went on to beat us in the final.”
Team talks ahead of the final
Leeds Beckett started off incredibly strong, imposing themselves onto Northumbria very early on. They were the ones who struck first, and then again almost straight after.
However, Northumbria University did not back down without a fight. They hit back at Leeds Beckett, capitalising on Beckett’s rare but costly mistakes throughout the game. The current champions were still in the fight, but their title was under threat by an entirely new and improved Beckett side, who were now an entirely different beast compared to last season.
Fin Balback leads the celebrations as Leeds Beckett make it 10-0
Northumbria had done just enough at half time to unsettle Leeds Beckett.
At half time, Leeds Beckett were leading 22-6, a long way to go for Northumbria to mount a comeback.
Despite this 16 point lead, Northumbria hit back at Beckett. It was all or nothing for the reigning champions. They scored two tries in quick succession and put Beckett under siege for much of the second half. Beckett made many mistakes, but defended like lions to keep hold of their lead.
Eventually, the Northumbria onslaught was lifted and Beckett started to fight back. Once again, we saw why they remained undefeated throughout the season. They remained patient despite being under immense pressure, and scored an incredibly important try to make the score 26-16 to Beckett, which helped to relieve the pressure and keep Northumbria at an arm’s length.
This proved to be just enough for Beckett, Who slowed down and saw out the rest of the game. Their patience and discipline paid off, the game being a true testament to the way they played throughout the season.
Seconds after the full time whistle, confirming Leeds Beckett’s win
The scenes at full time were that of incredible joy and relief. They had done it. Leeds Beckett had just ended a 9 year wait to lift the BUCS Nationals Championship trophy, an incredible story of a team that came from nothing, to winning the highest and most prestigious competition in University Rugby League.
Fin Balback celebrates in front of the camera
What’s next?
So, what’s next for Leeds Beckett University? They have finally won everything there is to win, what can they do now?
The first thing Leeds Beckett needs to do is weather the storm once again. This is because a lot of the important Leeds Beckett players will be leaving at the end of this season, this includes Fin Balback, who is in his third year now and will be leaving the University in a matter of weeks.
They also must keep Mark Butteril as their head coach, with him still at the club, Leeds Beckett can most definitely reform this summer and head into the next one with their main objective in mind: Retaining the league title, and more importantly, retaining the BUCS National Championship trophy.
Time will tell, will Leeds Beckett succeed in defending what’s theirs? Or will they struggle next season? For now, it’s purely speculation.
Photographic Journalism 
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