When photographer Meredith Andrews' exhibition, Artistic Contemporary with a Twist, opened at the Masterworks Gallery in the Colonial Insurance Company foyer last Friday, it marked the culmination of years of study, thousands of miles of international travel and a personal first.

"It was my first Bermuda show, and I was really excited but also a little nervous,'' she relates. "It was a little bit more nerve-wracking than London, where I also had a show, because there I didn't know anyone. Here everybody knows you, so one's reputation was on the line.'' While such worries are understandable, it seems the young photographer has nothing to worry about, given the impressive list of credentials and experiences which sum up her life thus far.

Self-described as "always a visual person'', Miss Andrews first became interested in photography while studying for her International Baccalaureate at the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales.

"I was in an international atmosphere, and the college really promoted learning photography,'' she says. "I had friends who were in the photography service, and that is where I learned the basics, and to shoot and print black and white photos.'' Because the students also travelled a great deal, Miss Andrews became more and more avid about capturing on film the many fascinating sights she saw.

Upon graduation, however, she had to make the decision between "going to art college or a normal university'', and opted for the latter because she felt the "theoretical building blocks'' university would give her would be useful.

Thus it was that Miss Andrews graduated from Canada's McGill University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English; Cultural Studies, with a minor concentration in History. Among other things, she also took first prize in the University's 1998 photography contest, and served on the executive of its Photographic Society.

This year she is completing her Master's degree in Image and Communications, Photography at Goldsmith's College in London, England.

"Goldsmith's was a natural step after McGill because it is a nice mixture of theory and practice,'' she explains. "It is a great environment because it is one of the most contemporary, cutting-edge art schools in Europe for visual arts.'' Studying in one of the world's most exciting cities, the photographer had unlimited opportunities to capture its essence with her ever-enquiring lens, and her current Masterworks exhibition -- part of the Artists Up Front Street series -- features images from her travels, three of which will be from her one-woman exhibition at the Westland Gallery in London, as well as CD-Rom work.

Miss Andrews' specialty is portraiture and documentaries, and in the tradition of street photographers her modus operandi is to spend hours simply wandering around a location before putting lens to eye.

"When I go out I just wander, and whatever crosses me I shoot. I like semiotics (relating to signs), and creating meaning through the use of signs,'' she says. "I have topics that come up again and again. I don't go out initially and seek them. They are all within me, and I get what I get. I like the randomness of it, and consider myself a fla oneur -- someone who wanders the streets ...a voyeur of sorts.'' Now facing the challenge of employment, Miss Andrews will return to London at the beginning of September, where she hopes to find work as a freelance photographer.

"It is very competitive, and there are lots of ways into the market, so I want to try to explore them all -- anything from film stills to advertisements and special occasions,'' she says.

Artistic Contemporary with a Twist continues through August 25. Gallery hours at the Reid Street location are 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Admission is free.