Final Exhibition Personal Evaluation

Personally, I believe that I have been a strong member of the Marketing and PR team; I have contributed a lot of time researching various techniques and how to hold peoples interest online and used this to create our social media more effective.

I am a great communicator and I pride myself on being proud of every piece of work I do (whether it be my own personal work, or work in part of a team).

I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to promote the exhibition online, as this has given me the practice that I will need in my future endeavours as a photographer.

Our team has been extremely well organised and I proud of the work which we have completed and achieved.

I knew that I would be a strong member for the Marketing and PR Team, as I know that I am confident in being able to sell the work which we are showing online, making the viewer that much more interested to see where the work will lead. Being in charge of the Instagram account has been rewarding and challenging- I have learnt different marketing techniques along the way.

I have had inspiration from other classmates blogs- but also, looking at the social media and marketing strategies of the previous BA Honours shows for different universities showing in the area.

I am confident that the show is going to be such a successful event as all of the class has come together to really pull every thing off. I am so proud of the work that we have achieve; I am looking forward to the next step:

Setting everything up.

Strategic 3-5 Year Plan

As a student who has been able to study the art of photography in one of the most well received universities in the UK for arts and design has been a pleasure and an honour. To be part of a group of aspiring artists who are attempting to find their own personal style of photographic art and play on the typical norms of how to express oneself or viewpoints through photography.

After I graduate from my BA Honours photographic course, I will be going the MA team to further enrich my knowledge of the photographic art world and challenge myself to even more difficult tasks and attempt to overcome any issues which I am bound to face when expressing myself in the art world.

So, for a year after I graduate- I will still be in education.

I will continue to sustain my part time job, as this is a reliable income- as much as I want it to be, photography isn’t (especially my specific specialised type of photography). This will continue to provide funds for travelling to diverse shoot locations and purchasing new and more expensive equipment, once I feel as though I need to move on and expand from the current equipment that I will be using.

Researching into how I can incorporate my photography and A Level in Creative Writing into one future career path- I believe that journalism (or more specifically photojournalism) would be best suited for me. I love being able to control a blog and working with other to publish their work- having a lot of responsibilities and control of what I’m able to write sounds like the perfect career path for me. Also, if I would be able to write articles which would correspond to the images which I have previous taken (or taken for the purpose of using them for the specific article) would be perfect for me.

I like being different in my style of photography and I feel as though it will be forever changing.

Realistically- yet also unrealistically- my all time goal is achieve a doctorate degree in photography. I want to be able to pursue photography and education as far as I can go. Trying new things, learning what doesn’t work for me, discovering what I want to prove with my photography and finally- be able to do something that I love for the rest of my life. I want to lecture; teaching aspiring new artists the wonderful world of photographic culture and how it can change the world. Photography has yet to be properly accepted into the art world, and I want to do my part in changing that.

Whilst I am continuing my studies, I will be working alongside my photographic career as I will need a stable income.

I am learning new things every day whilst I’m studying at UCA and I love every second of it. Learning about new artists, getting to listen on their lectures (my all time personal favourite visiting lecturer meeting was Zed Nelson- his work has completely inspired me to challenge the normality of beauty and how we can all perceive it in different ways) and working with so many people, with whom I will be eternally grateful for.

In order for me to achieve my goal of acquiring a PHD in photography, I will really need to ramp up my communication game; as previously stated, it is all about who you know in the photographic world. Meeting like-minded individuals and getting to know them and work with them, will really boost my career in the right direction.

After graduating from my masters in 2020, I will probably take a year or two to fully save up the money for some new equipment- whilst also simultaneously running my photographic business. In this time, I will be able to form a wider circle of clients and improve on my techniques as time passes.

Being able to achieve a PHD in photography has been a personal goal of mine for so many years- being able to find a way to realistically achieve that is an extreme confidence boost.

SOAR Analysis

Strengths

As a photographer, I know that my forte is with portraits. I love being able to fully capture a persons personality, without them realising that I’ve even taken the photograph. Shooting with an erratic model for so many years has taught me how to look for openings in the madness and shoot in the split second that their true personality shows through the facade that every single person puts up in front of the camera.

I thoroughly enjoy learning new techniques when it comes to photography, such as using the dark rooms and learning new editing styles in light-room. Throughout my time at UCA- I have learnt all different types of files and the best ways to shoot in certain situations.

My goal is to be able to find beauty in the little things, such as the glimmer of light in someones eyes or the freckles on their cheeks that look like constellations.

As a photographer, you have to know what your strengths and weaknesses are: I am  patient photographer who always enjoys the shoots which are energetic and unpredictable. However, my main weakness is trying too long to find the correct setting to capture my images (whether it be manual, aperture priority or shutter speed).

Opportunities

In the previous year- I have been approached by both friends, and friends of friends to take photographs for them. They have either found my active social media or heard about my photographic business through friends or people who I have already taken photographs for.

This really has been an incredible experience as I have met some lovely people and future models through the use of my business- as well as asking my clients to suggest my business to their friends and leave a realistic review for my own personal log. This allows me to reflect on what aspects of my photography which I can improve on.

Recently, I have found some websites which have been advertising for featuring photographers who would be willing to work on a project all together (I’ve submitted my information to a job advert for a photographer for a weekend shoot in Spain!)

Aspirations

With my photography, I want to be able to shoot the beauty in the little details of life and the mundane aspects of various things. I adore shooting with a 50mm lens as it allows me to get some incredible macro detail in my portraits and animal photography. One thing that I love doing with photography- is finding patterns which occur in a natural setting- such as on an animal or in the bark of a tree.

I thoroughly enjoy being able to see the joy of showing my clients the finished product of their shoot; it really makes me cherish being able to make people happy by taking some candid portraits of them. Sometimes, people don’t realise how naturally pretty their smile is until you capture that snapshot of a genuine smile or a natural and loud belly laugh.

Results

My photography has completely changed throughout my time at university. I really have enjoyed seeing my style and techniques change and improve, as it proves that I have discovered what I believe is beautiful. Also, with my photographs, I am able to show what see people may miss when looking at nature with a passing glance; the patterns, textures, colours and naturally occurring shapes within the fur of animals or leaves which have fallen up the ground in Autumn time.

I have expanded my photographic portfolio and business by keeping on top of my social media and having my friends and clients suggest me as a personal photographer whenever the discuss about wanting to have photographs taken.

 

Portrait Portfolio

These are my top six images for my portrait portrait portfolio- I know that my strong point is natural photographs; I feel as though I am really able to capture the personalities of my models.

I love using my camera to try and capture who they really are- rather then have them model for me and only portray what they want to show. But, I thoroughly enjoy learning about my model through the photographs I have taken.

These photographs are my favourite six.

The first image was of a band performing at the Rochester castle gardens concerts- I was asked to take some photographs for Medway Matters.

The second was a photograph taken when I was learning my way around the 50mm lens.

The third was during a soul night at the Rochester Castle Garden concert- she was such an amazing performer, I was completely drawn to her confidence and finesse.

The fourth is of my friend, Jack. I, once again, was still learning my way around the 50mm lens and wanted to photograph something at close range- to test the depth of field of the lens.

The fifth image is one of my favourites- being able to take photographs for Craig David was such an honour.

The sixth and last image is a simple one. I am so drawn to the colour yellow and I think that the relationship between the child and adult is so apparent in this photograph; she completely trusts the man she is riding on as she is soundly asleep. He is her carer and he knows he has an important role to play in her care for the day.

Testing my plan

One of my friends knows that I am a photographer- she is currently expecting a child and celebrated the welcoming of her new baby girl with a baby shower! She invited me to come and celebrate and also asked if I could take some photographs for her- I told her my prices and times and she agreed. I wanted to keep the prices relatively low as it was partially a gift to create memorabilia for her to reflect on once she has the baby.

I also have taken photographs for this friend before, her son celebrated his birthday last year and I was asked to take some natural portraits of him playing in the park and trying on some new clothes. Her son is a rambunctious young boy who is a treat to photograph- I have to work around him and this is one of my strongest points; I pride myself on being able to capture the fun of life and doing some simple edits of the portraits of my models.

This is one of my most trusted models- Yasmin. She is a delight to work with as I never know what I’m going to capture. She is a whirlwind and rather difficult to work with, unless you know how to shoot with her. As you can see, she is gorgeous- her structure and confidence really comes across well in her poses.

I used three sources of light- two were artificial and one was natural. She needed some photographs taken for her modelling career which she is promoting online.

I personally want to promote my work by word of mouth and online- primarily Facebook.

Recently, I have received a message from a friend who has passed on my information to one of her acquaintances. Her friend is getting married and she suggested for her friend to contact me regarding photographs for her wedding and pricing options. This is why I believe that word of mouth is a great way of self-promotion.

When talking to the curator of the Canterbury Ilford Gallery; she spoke of how word of mouth plays within the art community- photographers who she has worked with before has spoken of an up and coming artist and she would begin to seek out talking to the new artist and approach them about showing their work in the gallery.

Word of mouth is reliable and interesting. Social media is easy and effective.

Submission for an Opportunity

As you can see, I have applied for an opportunity as an Experience Photographer.

I have been using various websites in order to promote my photographic talents and getting to know other photographers who are looking for other people in the field to help with their shoots.

I would absolutely use this opportunity to explore various locations and work with other photographers who  wish to find more inspiration from other artists.

Budget

The year following my graduation; I will be continuing along the creative path.

In September, I will be starting the journey of obtaining my masters degree- I have decided to attend UCA Rochester once again for another year to further my knowledge of photography and develop my own personal style in a more professional manner.

My budget plan will be simple- I will be working part time at my usual job and continue to build my photographic business. I have started building a professional portfolio and business by using the techniques which I have learnt throughout my time at uni.

My only expenses that I will need to cover in the next year will be my travel to and from uni, and also finding some cheap lighting and backdrops for my business so I can be more mobile when taking photographs in other locations.  Once my business becomes more successful, I will consider buying higher quality lighting and backdrop arrangements as I believe that this will help me progress, not only as a photographer, but as a business too.

I would like to invest in purchasing my very own personal canon 50mm lens as I believe that I would get some gorgeous portraits by using this lens- as well as my own camera.

Self Promotion Strategies

Personally, I use Facebook, word of mouth and Instagram as my most productive sources of self-promotion. Facebook is easy to use and promote- you can also post a lot of information in a small space and there is unlimited space for uploading images onto the site. When taking photographs for my friends and family (which I am approached by in a professional way as they know I’m trying to make my business pick up), I ask them to share the photographs which I post online so their friends can see my sort of work and allow them to ponder on whether they would like for me to take their photographs. Instagram is extremely simple and effective- you can post a variety of images onto your own blog and continue to find other images which suit your liking and people can find your work through the hashtags that you use.

I know how to promote my strongest photographs and I am proud of the way that I have used social media in terms of self-promotion; my work being on the internet and in my control (through the use of watermarks) allows for people to find my work intentionally or by stumbling across it whilst online.

My macro photography is what I wish to begin promoting primarily; it is what I want to do with my talent. Finding the beauty in the every day and mundane- finding patterns and minuscule details in portraits fascinates me.

I sometimes allow myself to post throwbacks on my Instagram to show how far my work has come- and where I plan to take my work in the future. I like to look back on how my photography has improved.