Kelvin Gilbert won a silver award in the creative portrait section for this Renaissance-inspired image at the NZ Institute of Photography awards this year.

A Palmerston North photographer has attained the rank of grand master four years after graduating and has been turning heads here and overseas with his surreal take on the world.

Kelvin Gilbert started Origin Eight with his partner Amy Fowler, also a photographer, designer and UCOL graduate, in June.

They operate from Palmerston North's boutique George St working in photography, video, websites and communications.

WARWICK SMITH/STUFF Palmerston North photographer Kelvin Gilbert has been collecting awards for his work, including a Renaissance-inspired portrait series.

Gilbert was a finalist in the photographer of the year section of the prestigious New Zealand Institute of Photography awards this year.

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He has been ranked as a grand master through reaching 80 points of competition wins, where a gold-ranking photo earns three points, a silver ranking two and a bronze one.

KELVIN GILBERT Kelvin Gilbert created this image from pictures he took in New York and New Zealand. It was included in an international 'best of' industry publication.

He is the youngest person to have reached this level and has done it in the fastest time – four years. There are only 12 other New Zealand institute masters.

Gilbert has had a head start – he started experimenting with photography when he was a child and his grandfather gave him a camera.

"I used to throw it up in the air and see what came out of it. That sparked my interest."

"As a professional I enter to push myself all the time and create something that's not commercial – push the creativity and make something for a specific reason and it's great exposure for us the more recognition you get."

This year he entered a series of eight photos that combined a Renaissance atmosphere with portraiture and a dark, edgy social commentary about maintaining beauty.

"I'd always been fascinated with the old masters paintings. They are a big influence, especially with their lighting and styling."

In August, four of the series won the Australian Institute of Professional Photographer's overseas photographer of the year.

"It was quite a shock. There has been some quite prestigious US photographers that have won it in the past."

His work was also shared in the 2016 edition of well-known industry publication Lurzer's Archive Best Digital Artists Worldwide.

Working in design and photography, no two jobs are the same, he said.

"I'm really lucky to be doing something I really enjoy."