A photographer has documented her stay at a psychiatric hospital in a series of striking black and white pictures, which have won her a nomination as best emerging talent.
Laura Hospes, 21, was admitted to hospital for depression, anxiety and eating disorders following a suicide attempt, and decided to document her days by going in front of the lens.
The student, studying in the Netherlands, created the series which she called UCP-UMCG - named after the hospital - to explore what is happening behind closed doors.
Looking back at the images, Laura told MailOnline: "Most of the time I see the pictures like I see a picture of someone else.
"But sometimes I am able to take a good look at a picture and I feel the same emotions again. I think that is a good thing, because it's a part of the healing process."
Laura said that she felt overwhelmed and confused when she was first entered the hospital, and decided to rediscover herself through self-portraits.
She told The Mighty: "I couldn't make contact with my own emotions and I felt like I was floating somewhere in the air with heavy stones tied on my whole body.
"After a month I slowly found myself back and the emotions screamed in my head. I was extremely sad or extremely angry. I felt so desolated in hospital, even if there were friend or family around me."
The photo series won Laura a spot on LensCulture's list of 50 best emerging photographers for 2015 in the LensCulture Emerging Talent Awards.
Photos / Laura Hospes Photography
Photos / Laura Hospes Photography
Laura, who started photography when she was 16, explained that it was her fascination with social media showing only the best possible sides of someone's life that inspired her to show her own life laid bare.
She added: "At first, I made this complete series for myself, to deal with the difficulties and express my feelings.
Photos / Laura Hospes Photography
"After that, I want to inspire people who are or have been in a psychiatric hospital.
"I want them to see my pictures and recognise themselves in it. I hope they feel taken seriously, less crazy and less alone."
Photos / Laura Hospes Photography
Photos / Laura Hospes Photography
She documented her portrait throughout her stay at University Centre for Psychiatry in Groningen, Netherlands.
On her website, Laura writes: "Nowadays she makes self portraits to connect with the world around her, to make clear what she feels deep on the inside.
"Her camera is her consolation. He listens better to her than everyone else do or even can.
"Photography is her medium to accept and process hard events in her life by showing her struggles behind her great wall."
