L.Greer photography

Professional Practice Portfolio Reflection

My first and main role in the degree show was a shared role between myself and two other members of the group, to act as a liaison between our group and a team of 2^nd year graphic designs from whose task was to design the cover of our exhibition catalogue. This role involved communicating both graphic design student’s ideas about how the catalogue should be designed and the photography student’s ideas to both parties to reach a design that both parties were happy with. This role meant using and developing my communication skills both in person and threw social media and my organizing skills as it was a difficult task to arrange a time where both we and the graphics design team were both available for a meeting.

Other small and shared roles that I had were providing work that could be published on the EXPOSURE24 website, which would then be used to promote our exhibition. Though this was a simple task as we would already be producing images, so it would be no extra work , it did mean working to a time limit which being organized.

The other was to set up the gallery ready for the exhibition this is where we had to prime our individual spaces, by sanding and painting the walls, and then mark up and hang our work. To do this I had to draw on my communication skills and my abilities to work within a team as I had to explain the layout of my work so it could be decided where I would be placed. I also had to draw on my limited DIY skills as we were hanging our work independently.  This was a challenge that ended up in one of my frames falling from the wall and the glass and frame breaking. Thankfully I had a spare frame that I could use. This role has taught me to be flexible and always have a backup plan as things can and will go wrong. It also taught me that all skills are valuable.

My final role for the exhibition was to curate the exhibition for a day, I was there to welcome the guests and pass out information about the work and photographers.

I feel I have played a part this exhibition, that I have risen to the challenges that have been given and I am happy with what I have achieved. I do wish I had done more but I recognised early on that most of the roles that need to be filled were based around using design software and social media. These are not my strengths and though I would have loved to have expanded on them, I felt that I could have let the exhibition down which would have not been fair to the rest of the group.

Now that my university life is over and I have gained these skills it is time to start planning for my future.

My goal for the future career is to become a self-employed wildlife photographer but I have also wanted to teach photography since I began college. I also plan to study a masters in Photography. I feel that this next six months is the time to prepare and research how to achieve these goals.

My first action is to sign on to jobseekers and attempt to find a stable job that will help me save for the future but will also give me the funds to live. Though I will most likely not get photography related career through this any work experience is valuable. I am already adding to my work experience by volunteering in a local charity shop.

I will also be sending my portfolio to the contacts mentioned in my distribution plan. This may not land me a job but I will hopefully get some feedback on my work and how I could improve and it may enable me to get some contacts in the industry.

As I want to study a Masters in the future I will spend time researching Master degrees in Photography or perhaps even Photo-Journalism. This will possess me with the knowledge of what my option are in terms of courses and locations and any other qualifications I may need  to be accepted onto a Masters degree.

If I am to teach Photography, I need to contact colleges and schools to see if they have any positions available and what qualifications I would need.  As I went to Henley College Coventry I Have researched this previously, though they have no vacancies at the moment, I have the qualifications I need and the college allows you to do a teaching qualification while teaching.

I want to be self-employed in the future, I know it is nearly impossible to be successfully self-employed and rely on it to be your sole source of income this soon out of university but this does not mean that I cannot be self-employed part time. I will be researching how to start my own business with a fellow photographer, enquiring about possible studio space to rent and the cost of a travel studio kit so If we cannot find a space to rent we can travel with the portable studio to clients homes or to locations.

By the two month mark, I plan to be active looking for work and beginning to save for future photography equipment I will need and begun to research how to achieve my future goals.

At four months I hope to have perfected my portfolio and sent it off to my chosen contacts.

By the time I have been out of university for 6 months, I hope I will have a secure job that provides a regular income but allows me two days a week to focus on my photographic practice.  By this stage I will have a clear Idea of my options in terms of starting my own business, the possibility of teaching and going on to study my Masters.