It has been a busy week with preparation for the pitch that is coming up and also with me attending the Laia Abril talk, the Sugar Paper Theories Exhibition and talk with the artist Jack Latham, and also a visit to the Martin Parr Foundation. These were all very valuable in learning about how to research projects and how to work with subjects for documentary projects in ways that are ethical and collaborative.
I was very interested in how these artists approached the photographic narrative and art of story-telling, something which I would love to develop further and would be eager to learn more about in the course of my MA Photography. The other aspect of these talks that was of big interest to me was the way in which they approached the creation of a photobook and made it unique with clever design, layout and inserts. These are all techniques designed to create visual interest and subtly guide the viewer to reach their own conclusions about the topic. Very insightful talks and it was great to be able to attend.
After the second webinar with our module leader, Anna, in which we discussed aspects of the various photographic markets, it is becoming very clear that this is tough industry to succeed in, despite the fact that there is a constant demand for imagery. I find myself feeling daunted at times, wondering if it is possible to break into the photographic industry at this stage in my life. At other times, I find myself comparing my work to that of others and wondering where exactly it fits in, as I’m not quite sure who would buy it or where my market would really be. These are the days where I suffer from ‘low creative worth’ and wonder what I was thinking taking on this course.
My research project is taking up all my spare time and I am spending most of the weekend walking around the city and in the underpasses, a far less than glamorous role and not quite what people think photography is like. I have been tired, cold, rained on and stared at by strangers who can’t understand what I am doing hanging around a concrete underpass. I am getting used to being uncomfortable now and no longer notice the stares but I do feel a little bit like I’m losing heart in my project. This might be since Ursa the Bear was removed from the Bearpit a few weeks ago, as I feel like the heart of the city went with her. Even though I predicted it would happen, I never anticipated that it would hit me quite so hard or that I would feel a little lost without Ursa. I wonder if others in the city feel that way too.
This week we were given opportunity to prepare oral presentations ahead of our assignments at the end of the term and to practice these with our peers. Once again, I am unable to participate because my current work demands have been so high. There have been a number of events this term beyond my control that have thrown me into disarray, but work has been exceptionally demanding recently. I am beginning to worry that I am falling behind on coursework and not gaining the full benefit of the weekly discussions and peer work.
At the moment, I am using every available moment of my free time to work on my studies but there is simply not enough time in a day. I have had to prioritise certain parts of the course that I feel are most important: the live brief, as this is part of work within a group; getting out and taking the photographs that I need for my project this term; attending my individual tutorials and also webinars where possible, watching recorded materials as I can, and doing some of the contextual research and reading in the time that is left.
This week I had my first individual tutorial with my tutor, Laura. I have not been able to attend many webinars so I do feel as though I have not been able to benefit fully from her experience and guidance through the weeks so far. Laura has, however, been brilliant in getting to know me and developing an understanding of my photographic practice and current work.
Laura observed that although I don’t believe I have yet found my creative voice, that I have already developed my own style which is consistent across the images I have presented to her. We talked about how I am grouping and sequencing my images and exploring ways to create a narrative through clever use of sequence. I mentioned that I think this project may lend itself to becoming a photography book and Laura has suggested I think about how I would incorporate some text and to research ways of doing a creative layout for a book.
Through questioning, Laura extracted that I spend a lot of time walking and exploring my environment to discover the things I photograph. She quickly identified that this is a core part of my photographic practice and she has suggested I do some reading on the subject of walking and try to reach a deeper insight around why this is so important to me and how this shapes my photographic practice. She has recommended a book that I have now added to my list of reading for contextual research.
I felt the tutorial was very encouraging and supportive, and I particularly liked that Laura asked a lot of questions which led me to some important insights about my practice. She is definitely getting me to explore a different layer of meaning within my current project and this is leading me to explore why I do what I do, why I have chosen this particular project and what it really means to me.
Reflecting on the topic for this week, I looked at where I am currently and where I imagine I would like to be in five years time. I am not yet a commercial photographer, so I do not have a current market, however, I do have a small and growing audience which has largely been gathered via social media, in particular, Instagram. My audience has good engagement with my content and there is a core group of loyal followers who consistently interact with my feed.
I started out sharing my photography on Instagram with no intention other than challenging myself to share my images and to make the commitment of sharing one image a day. I was stunned by the response and positive feedback I received as I had never considered the prospect of an audience, and was merely posting images for myself. This online platform has proven to be an incredible networking tool, helping me to connect to others and to form genuine relationships. Breaking Glass Magazine, who have recently shared some of my photography, are an example of the real networking, connection and community that I have discovered through Instagram. Below is one of my featured images from their October 2019 Anniversary Edition article which can be viewed here.
I do now look at things like engagement statistics because they are a good measure of whether I am consistently creating quality content for my audience, but also it is a great marketing research tool as it can give good indications of trends, preferences and audience loyalty. However, I do not measure myself by my number of followers and likes, but rather on the quality of real engagement and authentic connection that I can form with others, and by staying true to my own artistic vision.
I imagine that in five years time, my audience would have grown considerably and I would have expanded my presence across other online channels. I would also have begun to market my work and my personal brand through these channels and other areas that are industry relevant and which would place me in the correct market share for my work. Networking is as important online as in person, so this will be central to connecting me to my particular market and over time, my audience and market would begin to see some overlap.
This would be achieved by a strong business plan which incorporates a marketing, communications and social media strategy, alongside creating the quality content and photographic products that my market and audience would engage with. I am very interested in creating photographic books, selling prints and potentially doing freelance work for relevant publications, so my target market is easily defined. I would also consider teaching, running workshops and curating content as supplements to my income in order to be able to freelance and commit to my photography as a full time and commercially viable practice.
Journey Through the Lens 