Today we had a talk with photographer Andy Lo Po, who works with commercial photography, as well as his own practice. It is always interesting listening to a photographer discuss their work, but with Lo Po’s presentation I was particularly interested in him showing us his portfolios and the brief he made them in response to. He showed a couple of briefs, including one from the ITV series Joan.

One of the main things I noticed from his portfolios, were they used the same colours, and a similar layout to the ones in the brief. This highlights to the client he is pitching to that he visually understands what they are asking for, and highlights he has made the portfolio especially for the job. In the portfolio, Lo Po created sketches and online mock ups of how he would go about shooting the project, including lighting, which was a key element to the commission, and the model needed to be shown as a powerful woman. I thought this was really interesting as you never get to see these from artists, so it makes applying for commission quite daunting.

He also showed us some of the final images he had created, and they looked very similar to what he had proposed. This has given me an insight to how I could go about applying for commissions.

One biggest thing I learnt from this session, are the types of information the employer is looking for, which include lots of visuals and a lot less writing than I was expecting. It is also descriptions of the images, and images that are relevant to what they want to see, there is no point wasting their time with irrelevant images. This is something I will definitely take forward when it comes to creating my own portfolio in the further, as well as for option 2C.

For task two of the Professional Practice module, I have selected 2C, the written portfolio option. I began my research into portfolios on the examples in My Studies, which include Martin Seeds and Zoe Childerley. The biggest element to both of their portfolios is the image to text ratio. On both of the front pages, is a large image the size of the page, with their name, and the size of the print, and what project it was from. It is then followed with a couple of install shot, and then a couple of pages of closeup images.

Martin has also showed the making of some of his work, which I think is an interesting idea, and helps the viewer to understand how something more complex is made.

Another key element to Martins portfolio compared to Zoe’s, is he has shown multiple projects. Whilst the project were all of a different subject matter, they have similar aesthetics. Seeds works in black and white analogue photography, with his work all using quite harsh contrast. This means all of the work compliments each other and makes the portfolio coherent.

Portfolio screenshots from Lois Holland

Thinking about these ideas, I have chosen to select my work that is about archives, as I think this is an area I would like to work in. I have shown below a selection of the images in my portfolio, with my strongest at and most recent project at the front. The images of the cars highlight my ability to use the studio and create stock images, which will be useful for any commercial work. The images also use the same framing, which highlights I have consistency in my work. The images from my project with BAS highlight an ability to work with archival material, even though the aesthetic is very different, for this reason I have put a page in-between this project and the one before to highlight it is a different project.

Screenshot from Lois Holland portfolio Project – The Forgetting

Finally, I have included my book I created, which uses archival material, darkroom prints and digital prints. This project highlights many of my strengths and shows my ability to select work and present it in a book. It also shows my ability to bind a book. Since this project is

Portfolio screenshot – BAS Archive project

aesthetically different to the other two, I have chosen to put it at the end of my portfolio.

From looking at previous students’ portfolios, I have also learnt ways I can show different projects effectively, as our work is less likely to have a specific aesthetic like the lecturers, as they have had more time to develop more work to select from.

After the trip to the BAS archive, I have realised that working with archival work, or in an archive is something that I would like to do, therefore I have done some research. I began to research jobs surrounding archives and gallery curation.

Through my research I have discovered a Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeship, which is equivalent to a master’s degree. The apprenticeship lasts 3 years. It is 80% on-the-job training at the archive and 20% formal training. I think this will be a really useful course to take and will give me experience on the job. There are very few positions every year for this apprenticeship, and applications open in June, therefore beginning a cv and cover letter would be useful to do now, but there is still time until I need to apply.

One of the main things I have discovered is that it is tricky to find a job in this area without experience, therefore leading on from this I will research volunteering opportunities to gain experience.

A job that has recently been added is ‘Archive project photographer’ at the Tate in London. It is a part time position (21.6 hours per week). The role supports three archive digitalisation projects.  This is something that really interests me and is a job I am defiantly going to apply for.

Another Job I have discovered is an Archive manager in Windsor. Whilst this is not I job I will probably go straight into post studies, I think it is important to have job progression in mind. The job description is an Archive manager at the Royal Archives, taking care of 12 million documents from the royal family. To be successful in the job application, I would need experience in managing diverse collections, have strong leadership skills and evidence developing, inspiring and motivating a team.  A post graduate qualification in archive management is desired, therefore this is something I need to consider in terms of broadening my career opportunities.

During my independent practice project, I began thinking about the importance of archiving items. The particular project focused around my grandparents’ house, which they are starting to pack ready to move house due to my grandfathers health diagnosis. In this project I have photographed collections, and begin to research how I could present the work. Whilst researching I came across the work of Taryn Simon, who works in multi mediums, including photography, text, sculpture and performance. The particular project I was interested in was ‘Contraband Civilization: The way we live now (2010)’. The project consists of 1,075 images taken in a week as JFK Airport.

There were different areas of Taryn Simon’s work that inspired me, the first being the way she photographed the items. Every images is framed the same, with an item in the middle of the frame, the same off white background, and the same lighting. She has controlled all these factors in her images, which suggest to the audience that the project us a study of these items.

In the presentation of the work, the images are categorized based on the subject matter (as shown below). And every image is encased behind glass, which almost suggests these items are untouchable.

Installation view. Contraband
Civilization: The Way We Live Now
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Seoul, Korea, 2018

Her work directly inspired my project ‘The Things we leave behind’. In response to Simons project, I also photographed the items from the same angle, with the same lighting, from the same distance, and cropped all of the images into squares. I decided to arrange my images in a grid format, as I was purposely photographing groups of items.

I think her project is a really interesting one looking at organising, and archiving these items, and I will continue to research her work throughout my studies, as I find her work inspiring.

This week, I exhibited my project ‘The Forgetting’ as a solo exhibition in the Brighton Photo Fringe. This was my first solo exhibition and was a learning curve. My project is about memory loss, dementia and passing, therefore I reached out to St Marys church as I felt as though the themes linked.

One of the biggest issues I faced, was how I was going to hang my prints in a building I could not make holes in the wall. I researched way in which I could do this on a budget, and I decided to use easels. To make my prints stable, I used self-adhesive foam board cut to the size of my prints, which meant the images would sit on the stand.

I advertised the show on my Instagram and made posters for the church to advertise and to out around university.

As well as a physical show, I also exhibited my work on the Photo Fringe website, so more people could see my project. Images of the online exhibition are shown below.

A screen grab from my online exhibition with Photo Fringe

From this experience, I have learnt that I need to be more clear when proposing a project to people who are not in the art space. I think the church expected more images installed, and also suggested that people did not understand my project. I thought it would have been clear with my book sitting next to the prints, which explained more about the images, but feedback said this wasn’t the case. I will take this on board for my next show, as well as think more about how the location can affect how people understand a project.

Install shot from ‘The Forgetting’ Brighton Photo Fringe

Install shots from ‘The Forgetting’ with Photo Fringe.

In January 2024, I was asked to photograph a Wilder student fight night for the charity Oddballs. Before the event, I was given the brief that I would be photographing behind the scenes, the ring walks, the crowd and promotional pictures for the sponsors. In preparation for the event I spoke to the technical team, and asked for some advice about kit. I borrowed a Canon 5D mark IV, a canon Speedlite flash gun and a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.

Screenshot of my brief from the fight night.

Screenshot of my brief from the Event.

This camera will allow me to shoot with a high ISO in dark condition without getting a grainy image. The lens was a wide aperture, which will allow me to get a shallow depth of field, and to help with the exposure in low light conditions. The Speedlite is also to help with lighting the images as on camera flash, and to replicate the images in the brief I was sent.

On the night the biggest problem I faced was the light levels. The fighters were walking out through a pitch black corridor, and  I was not allowed to use flash, therefore I could not capture any images there, and had to improvise and photograph when they were out of there and into the main area.

Another issue I faced was the pyrotechnics that were used as the fighters did their ring walk. When I set the exposure before the pyrotechnics were turned on, the images ended up being over exposed, however it was tricky to alter the exposure in the few seconds they were on. To combat this, I tried to remember the settings from the previous time, and edited the images in post-production so the exposure matched.

This was a really useful experience. It allowed me to develop a better understanding about event photography, and how fast pace and adaptable you need to be. It also gave me experience with responding to a brief in real time. I also wrote my first invoice, which is something I will need to become more confident with if I am going to work as a freelance photographer.

Shown below are some of my images from the night.

Crowd shots, Lois Holland

Ring walk imagery,
Image by Lois Holland

Behind the scenes, Imagery by Lois Holland

Behind the scenes
Imagery by Lois Hollan

Today Tom Pope (visual artist) visited University to take a workshop that focused on exhibiting work in unique and interactive ways. His work explores the act of creating a photograph, and embraces the performative act when exhibiting his work – this is something I found particularly interesting.

In the workshop, Pope discussed previous projects, including ‘Built out of Yesterday’s News’ in which he had a pot of cyanotype liquid in a paint tin with a brush inserted in the top, connected to the door. Every time the door opened, it would pull the brush out of the tin and splash the solution on the canvas. The final image is shown blow. I find it interesting how this image uses a photographic technique, however it could be argued that the final project is not a photograph. The cyanotype mixture on the canvas becomes a documentation of the people who have entered the gallery space without specifically showing a human presence.

Another project I found particularly interesting is his project ‘Terminating Martin Parr’. In the project, Pope created a performance in which he destroyed 17 photographs created by Martin Parr on his residency. In this project there are two outcomes, the final prints that have been destroyed in their original right, and a 7 hour video of the process of the destruction. Linking with the first example, this highlights the idea that the process of the making of a photograph is Popes main focus of his work.

Another element of Popes’ work that I found interesting, is his idea about getting working class people into the gallery. He has done so by creating interactive games he grew up playing in social clubs with his images and brought these into the gallery.

Tom Pope darts
Lois Holland

My favourite game was darts. Their aim was to throw a dart when the print is released from the pully system, to pin the print to the dart board. Another game I thought way interesting was Toad, in which you throw metal chips to get yours closest to the Jack. This damaged the print more than darts, and began to erode parts of the image, taking off the top layer of the cyanotype. This gave the image an interesting texture.

Toad game, a traditional Sussex game like bowls. Lois Holland

When discussing my own project with Tom, he suggested I research Jonny Biggs, as he uses archives in his own work, and discusses ideas surrounding invisible relationships, which is something that links with my project surrounding missing people from war archives. I think the way he alters archive images to reflect his feelings and memory makes his work really impactful and unique.

This week was the opening of our Second Year show, my first experience having my work in a show.

My project I showed was in response to the brief ‘The Technical Image’. The brief discussed ideas surrounding the camera as a technical apparatus and therefore can only produce a finite number of images. I wanted to challenge this idea about a finite number of images that can be captured, as well as ideas about jaw the camera can capturing a moment. Throughout history photography has been seen as a truth. This project seeks to directly challenge this idea.  All the images shown were triggered by me, taken simultaneously. The moment captured by each camera looks different as they are capturing different angles but builds a bigger picture seeing all of these angles at the same time.

Exhibition install – Lois Holland

The image above shows my set-up of the show. I decided to present my images looking at each other, to match the way I created the image in the studio. This allows the audience to step into the ‘studio’ and understand my process better.

I used a laser level to ensure my images were all at the same level and used pins to attach them to the wall at all four corners.

I think this exhibition was successful at expressing my ideas, and was a useful experience learning how to install show, which I will use in my graduate show, and any other shows moving forward.

Installing the gallery Lois Holland