CPW Blogs

"You don't take a photograph, you make it." – Ansel Adams

Feb
1

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Task 2 of our Professional Practice

Category: Artists, Jobs, Presentations Tags: , , , , Leave a Comment

Throughout our professional practice, Task 1 has been focused around writing various blog posts on guest speakers and information about the photographic world learnt during our weekly lectures. However, for Task 2 we have been asked to pick an option to focus on, out of 4 options.

 

Option 1 – a funding, residency or exhibition proposal. For option 1, you are asked to complete a proposal to either ask for funding for a project, apply for an artist residency or apply for an exhibition.

 

Option 2 – create a job application, including a cover letter. For option 2, you are asked to prepare an application to apply for a job in an area of professional employment related to photography and, you must include a cover letter.

 

Option 3 – an annotated visual portfolio presented online and a written artist statement. For option 3, you are asked to prepare a visual portfolio of your work that represents your professional self and skills in your absence. Alongside this you are asked to, include an artist statement and any other relevant information relating to the work for example; a project statement, artist biography, work dimensions, materials, installation information, contact information and links to websites and social media.

 

Option 4 – a visual portfolio presented in an oral presentation and a written artist statement. For option 4, you are asked to prepare a visual portfolio of your work which will be presented in person and include a written artist statement alongside it.

 

For task 2 I decided to opt for option 3 because, it is a good way of learning to create a professionally standard portfolio, which will help me with future endeavours when it comes to applying for a job in the photographic industry.

Dec
15

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Lauren Maccabee

Category: Artists, Jobs, Social Media Tags: , , Leave a Comment

Lauren Maccabee was a former BA Photography Graduate of Brighton University. Maccabee is a portrait, documentary and fashion photographer, based in London. When she came in for our professional practice lecture, she discussed many useful points on how to succeed in the freelance industry.

 

When emailing a potential employer make sure you are brief and that you reply to them either on the same day, or the next day. Ensure you are conversational and remember, you don’t need to be super formal when emailing.

 

Maccabee also informed us of the variations between different kinds of photographic work such as; editorial work. Editorial work involves magazines and online features and is usually low paid, for free or just your supplies covered. However, you have more freedom and can stick to your style of shooting but, the work is often last minute.

 

Whilst discussing commercial work, she informed us that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions so you understand the full usage and requirement of the imagery in order to make your client happy.

 

Assisting other photographers is a great way of having a different insight into the industry so, reach out to photographer’s you admire and offer to assist on editorials for free. If you are working in a studio environment, wear black so you don’t mess with the white lighting. Finally, don’t show your work to the client on a shoot when you’re assisting unless the client asks you as, the photographer will see it as disrespectful and some have been known to not work with you again if you do this.

 

Dec
9

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Clare Griffiths – Beepurple

Category: Jobs, Support Services Tags: , , Leave a Comment

Clare Griffiths is a part of the Beepurple careers and employability team. During her discussion she informed us that there are 7 key steps when it comes to succeeding in self-employment:

 

  1. You need to come up with an idea.
  2. You need to research into your chosen market.
  3. You need to write down any ideas.
  4. You need to test and refine your ideas.
  5. You can access business support for help.
  6. Don’t ever stop marketing.
  7. Remember nothing goes to plan, obstacles can get in the way.

 

When generating ideas, you need to ensure your product or service solves a problem and that it has a use that is required by the target market. You also need to remember that sometimes your original idea won’t always be the one you end up creating a business out of, so always be open-minded.

 

Whilst researching your target market ensure you are really clear on who your target market is, and what you feel their specific needs are. Always make sure you listen to your customers and clients as; they will be open to tell you what they need if you just listen.

 

When analysing your ideas, always think about questions like these: Does your product/ service meet your customers needs? Do you have the necessary skills and resources to make your ideas happen? Will you generate enough revenue to cover your costs and create a profit? And many other questions, there will always be questions you need to think about when entering the world of self-employment but, companies like Beepurple are here to guide you on your journey.

Dec
1

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Lindsey Smith

Category: Artists, Jobs Tags: , , , , Leave a Comment

During our lecture this week we were introduced to the guest speaker for the week, Lindsey Smith. Who is Lindsey Smith?

 

Lindsey Smith is a photographic artist and freelance facilitator. What is an arts facilitator? Generally, an arts facilitator is someone who provides resources, knowledge, inspiration and support to people in the community who wish to make and learn about art. Smith engages with various individuals, on all different types of freelance projects which she is invited to participate in to help guide others.

 

During her talk she discussed the six models of practice:

 

  1. Artist as catalyst.
  2. Artist as a provider of new skills and processes.
  3. Artist as facilitator.
  4. Artist as mentor.
  5. Artist as mediator.
  6. Artist as collaborator.

 

In the course of her discussion, Smith pointed out during each of the six models of practice the artist will engage with individuals, communities, societies in arts and culture; as the audience, participant, co-creator or producer.

Nov
17

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The laws of copyright

Category: Jobs, Laws Tags: , , Leave a Comment

You have to consider many factors when it comes to the laws of copyright such as; protecting yourself, protecting others and licensing. It is your responsibility to understand as much as you can about the laws that apply to the area in which you’re working, in order to protect yourself and others.

 

What is copyright? Copyright gives the photographer the exclusive rights to control the use of their work and, copyright gives the copyright owner the ability to pursue those who have made unauthorised copies of their work. In the UK, the copyright is assigned to the author of the work as soon as it is created but, always check the copyright laws in the country you are working in as they are not all the same.

 

What does copyright prevent? Having the copyright prevents others from; copying or distributing your work, renting copies of your work, making adaptions of your work and putting your work online.

 

How do I stop people from using my work? If you post your work online there are many ways of stopping others from using your work such as; you can reduce the file size so that it can’t be printed and you can add a watermark. You can also assert your copyright and you can assert your moral rights. Your work is automatically copyrighted whether you assert it or not, however your moral rights must be asserted for them to apply.

 

At the end of the day, always read into the copyright laws in your country in order to understand and follow them properly.

Nov
10

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How to develop your presentation skills.

Category: Jobs, Presentations Tags: , , Leave a Comment

When developing your presentation skills there are three major details you need to think about… Design, Script and Public speaking.

 

Whilst considering the design and layout of your presentation, you need to think about the imagery and text. Your images need to showcase the work, creating a steady flow and pace of the best work. Make sure to use text sparingly as, you don’t want to cause the presentation to look clustered. Consider using a clean and simple font with a minimal colour palette throughout to avoid distraction.

 

Secondly, when preparing your script, make sure to over-prepare rather than under-prepare so you’re not left stranded for words in front of an audience. If you construct your presentation similar to an essay, it will make it easier for the audience to follow, allowing them to take in the information. Practice makes perfect so, ensure to practice ahead of time in order to figure out your timing and use of your tools.

 

Finally, public speaking consists of three things; confidence and nerves, body language and preparation and practice. In order to build in confidence, you need to practice in situations that make you nervous. It’s okay to be human just practice, practice, practice. On the other hand, body language can be read in many different ways, it can help how you come across to the audience. Standing tall as oppose to pacing can have a major effect on your audience. At the end of the day, always ensure to prepare your materials and test your technology.

Oct
20

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What is a CV? What is a bio? What is a statement? Why do we need them?

Category: Jobs Tags: , 1 Comment

What is a CV? A curriculum vitae, Latin for ‘course of life’ is a short-written summary of a person’s career achievements, qualifications and education. When writing about oneself, you need to be clear, concise and conventional from the very beginning. A CV is a way of expressing to the employer how you are the perfect fit for the job, a way of highlighting all your relevant skills and past employment. At the end of the day a CV is just a list. It may be a very impressive list but, it is just a list. Be sure to keep it up-to-date and improve on it and, add to it when asked.

 

Biographies, what are they? Well, an artist’s bio is a way to express to your audience who you really are and what your work means to you. In many biographies you tend to find where the artist has come from, the journey through which they came to be where they are now and their many achievements such as; awards, shows and publications.

 

Statements … A statement can be a short introduction to many various things such as; your practice as a whole, a specific body of work, wider concerns, motivations and processes. Statements are useful for many reasons because, they introduce you and your work, they focus your thinking, they can be used for websites and press releases and finally, they are mainly used for the ongoing reflections of the artist.

 

Many people confuse the bio with the statement but, even more confuse the CV with the bio. I hope the concise information I have supplied above will help you with the understanding of the differences between CV’s, bios and statements if you ever find yourself needing to write one.

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