STARING tenderly but confidently into the camera lens, her face framed by flowers, this is the Martha Fernback who was blossoming “from being a follower to standing out and saying: ‘This is me’.”

Last night Martha’s mother, Anne-Marie Cockburn desc-ribed how her 15-year-old daughter was growing up, with her quirky, unusual and free-spirited personality captured in these images by local photographer Bella Kotak.

Martha, from North Oxford, died on Saturday after collapsing in Hinksey Park, South Oxford.

Detectives are investigating whether she took a pill she thought was ecstasy and a post-mortem examination was carried out yesterday.

Martha modelled for Miss Kotak as the photographer developed her career and Mrs Cockburn, who agreed for these images to be released publicly, said: “She was a teenager who had a quirky sense of exploring the world as a teenager and was trying to be different.

“There was a transition going on from being a follower to standing out and saying: ‘This is me’.

“There are many layers to who Martha was and these images were just showing how many different layers can be achieved by one person.”

She added: “She loved fashion, she loved music and she played the piano all the time.

“Martha was a very natural model. It was not contrived. She was very creative as a character.”

Miss Cockburn, 42, said Martha began to model for Miss Kotak in 2008, the first photoshoot being a Little Miss Jetsetter-themed “kind of quirky French film-style, because we watched a lot of those”.

Martha, a pupil at the Cherwell School, and Miss Kotak would go to the woods for days out to take photos.

Miss Cockburn added: “Maybe she wanted to be a model a little bit – like any teenage girl does – but it was like a hobby.

“Martha was very bright and had not decided what she wanted to do.

“She was very good at maths and chemistry. The world was at her fingertips.”

Miss Kovak, 28, said: “Martha had the spirit I look for to convey what I want in a photograph.

“She was fearless and had a real zest and energy for life. Whenever I photograph someone I want to capture a moment of spontaneity and personality and personality was something Martha was not short of.

“Martha, in her lovely way, would always be up for any mischief that I had in mind be it jumping in a bunch of wildflowers or trekking into the woods with our arms full of spiky roses giggling over the strange looks we’d receive.

“She was wonderful and charismatic with lots of friends from all walks of life. She was a confident young girl who was growing into a strong, passionate young woman.

“What happened to her is horribly tragic. The world is a less brighter place without her in it.”
There has been a huge outpouring of grief since Martha died and about 100 people gathered in Hinksey Park on Sunday night to remember her.

Her mother said: “The comfort I am receiving at the moment is from the massive amount of sadness and condolences from everyone, including people who did not know her.”