The first week of this module has been incredibly exciting with the introduction of the live briefs and the opportunity to participate in these.  We have been allocated our groups for the live brief project and I am pleased to have been allocated to my first choice, even though this is likely to take me out of my comfort zones as a photographer. Read more about the live brief here.

Already the importance of research in this context has been emphasised as it is essential to understand the client and the brief in order to create an effective project pitch.  Preliminary research for the live brief projects has involved looking at the client, the visual language they are using, where their campaigns are appearing and how they are being presented.

I have undertaken a lot of online research this week around the live brief, focusing on how the client is utilising social media channels, where they are focusing their campaigns and how they are presenting themselves visually.  This has led me to consider my own visual language and how I am portraying myself and my work online.  I anticipate that I will be making some changes in the near future as I consider the importance of personal branding.

I have looked into various definitions of research methodologies and initially struggled to apply this to my artistic and photographic practices as it seemed rather theoretical. It was immensely helpful to look at how other photographers approach their research and to discover a number of varied yet equally relevant ways to approach this. 

In the past I have used research methods in my formal studies, however, as these were not art studies, it was predominantly through books, periodicals, text books and online sources.  These are equally relevant to my current photography project, along with practice-based research and constructivist methodologies. 

This includes physical exploration of the urban landscape, engaging with people in these landscapes and communities, placing myself within the context of the project, and exploring relevant techniques.  I was pleased to gain a real sense of context for my research and feel this will help to focus my work and photographic practice.