Why not try film or video

As part of this course you could experiment further by using film or video.If you have an iPhone why not try this to help express your creativity.
Have a look at Red's work and think about how you could try something different,

http://vimeo.com/34335998

Also can you link up more with his website and follow what he is doing as part of this course he is doing it via distance learning.
Also can you visit and follow his site,and keep in touch with each other please.

http://redd-hutchinson.blogspot.com/

Business plans

With the advent of a new year I would like you to respond to the notion of how you see yourself fitting into the world of photography.We went to a studio prior to the Xmas break, and we saw how the studio was set up to offer professional services to a broad range of clients.
In response to the visit I did ask everyone on the level 4 to write a case study based on all the information gleaned and images that you may of taken.I want anyone who hasn't written a professional case study report to do so.(as covered in a previous blog entry).

In the context of this I also want you to put together a business plan which is made up of how you see yourself operating as a photographer, what clients are you aiming to work with,what services you would like to offer and for how much.
Location is key to providing any service and this also needs to be considered, where and how you could operate a business from a certain location maybe opposed to another, pros and cons, etc..as adult learners I will expect you for formulate a concise business plan with extended information regarding brand and identity.

Please compare and contrast both your plans and the case study of Adrian's photography studio because the same will apply to you as to him but on a different scale and to varying degrees.

Happy Christmas/Holidays and New Year

Can I take this opportunity to thank all the students on the City and Guilds Photography courses for all their hard work since joining the courses in September.

Thank you for all the hard effort and commitment that you have all shown, and I wish all of your a very Merry Christmas and Holidays whatever your faith, and also have a Happy New Year as we move into 2012.

Case Study Response

Based on the studio visit last week to Adrian Heapy Photography I want you all to start and put together an in depth response to that visit in the form of a Case Study. In this way you will be meeting the requirements of the course.

It needs to take the form of an analysis of each area of the business clients and professional practices.

Offering the opportunity to investigate processes and skills associated with positions of responsibility in the workplace, and also the associated legal, ethical and practical constraints.

Plus expand further with the usual reflective writing to explain fully the impact, influences, thoughts and ideas this visit will of surely caused.

What were the questions that were asked and what replies were given to your questions and that of others, evidence all of this on your blogs with supporting images and videos that you took.

Studio size and location (why there)?

Type of work they undertake and why?

How has he been in photography and where did he start?

What areas have been profitable over the years and why?

Client depth and breadth across uk?

Requirements of kit, type and suitability to subject and why?

Etc...etc...etc...

Type of cameras used and why?

What does he use now, what processes used to exist before digital and where were they done?

Digital Workflow and how it is managed, what methods do they use and why, security, Archive systems etc...

Photoshop and it uses within the studio..etc...best practice

Brochures and client work that you saw...what style was it, etc...etc.

Client confidentiality, dealing with clients, being professional and what this means.

Client expectations and examples of pressure and working to tight deadlines

Repercussions of not meeting deadlines...what was said and in what context

Copyright issues and examples of infringement / breaches

Intellectual property rights, ownership , plaigarism, etc etc..

Health and Safety at work and public liability.

Roomsets

Client typical brief

Layouts and design methods

Mood boards

Construction by stages, chippy, builders, etc...

Wallpaper and painting / prep area...

Props and prop stores and their useage

Working with stylists benefits and costs, search fees..etc..(what company do they use)

Lighting Arri type, why this type...etc

etc...etc...etc....

Plus upload all your images and videos to your blogs please.

Ofsted Exhibition

In light of a visit by Osfted to the college on the 5th December I wanted to make sure that our area is well represented.To do this I would like everyone to gather all their best images together (anything between 25 and 50) so I can put all of them together on a gallery showreel. Some images I may well have but since this course is fairly new I expect there will be images shot fairly recently that I haven't seen.

Can you provide these as jpegs only please as this will allow me to put this together quicker and can you put these all on a DVD on or before the 3rd of December. We need to do this as Ofsted will come in the day time and miss all of our sessions which would be a real shame as there is some really good work happening.

The format of the exhibition will probably be a website / showreel to show off all the work from a large TV screen at the end of our corridor.

Studio Visit!

                                                     www.adrianheapyphoto.co.uk

The visit to this studio will happen in 2 parts, the date / times will be from 9am until 4.30pm Wednesday 23rd November, and 9.00am until 1.30pm on Saturday 26th November.

The correct post code is DE56 1UP , for sat navs, plus look at the location map on the website.

As this is a professional studio the expectation is that you arrive no later than 9- 9.30 am so we can start on time, arriving on time is vital please.

The expectation is that you arrange all the travel yourself by 'car sharing' or by train (the railway station in  Belper is very close to the studio). A nearby landmark is the Lion Hotel and you can park in the pay and display car park nearby. Look at the directions map on the website please for further information.

Take time to look around the website to get familiar with what they do and specialise in, so that you are aware also of the types of clients that they have and in what genres of photography.

The day will consist of seeing how a professional studio works and what workflow they use to resolve a variety of client work from concept to output. You will need to bring your cameras just in case we need them along with any laptops and ipads as wifi is available. Lunch can be bought nearby in the high street or bring your own.

The studio is a 'live' working environment and as such we will have to respect any last minute changes to what they are able to provide and show to us. The main subject will be the concept and construction of a room set, and will include whatever stage it is at when we arrive, it should be in its early stages and will allow you to see how the studio prepares and constructs this from its resources.

Also we should be able have a short intro to the studio from the Director Adrian Heapy supported by access to previous client work, brochures and images.

On Saturday you can come back for the return visit to see how it has come together as a final styled roomset along with preferred lighting style. You may get chance to experiment with how you would light this will the studio lighting. This is subject to approval.

Please respect the fact that this is one of the studios where I have worked in the past and I am a close associate of, and you are representing the college and not just yourselves.

Clients / Portfolio Building / Mini Exhibition & Critique

From time to time I will act as a client and give you a brief to resolve which will be either specific to your theme, or broader for the whole group to resolve. I like to give warning for these but they may happen out of the blue. As last week we had a front cover to shoot for a college magazine which the whole group responded to. This went well and the image has gone to print, the client was delighted with the results. From this link with the Chamber of Commerce and Business Alumni within the college we should be getting to connect with more clients. I will keep you all posted on this development.

Also we had two jobs for clients come in from Ian Hey who is very well connected within the local council and National Forest. He has an awareness of a broad range of events that are happening across the borough and again these will open out to this group as and when they happen.

Also I will be expecting a broad range of research of your client and thematic approach to your work which explores and examines the specific genres of your photography.

And I would expect that in response to research and equipment that you initiate experimental test shots of your own in preparation and readiness for working in the area that you are aiming to find clients in,

ie, If you have prospective clients or would like to target, you are taking photographs at all times in preparation for working with them. These images can then be sent to these clients as loss leaders backed up with current, relevant images that you have taken.

If its fashion you are setting up fashion shoots to build your portfolio in this area, this needs to be ongoing and evaluated against original research to benchmark how well you are doing. These shoots have to be self initiated and to do this you must be as per all professional photographers, continually producing images as part of your continued professional development. Do not wait to be asked in order to produce these, you need to be very proactive (an attribute you need to develop to succeed in any area of photography).

In order to focus your minds we will be having a 'Mini Exhibition / Critique' of all the work produced so far in the last week before the xmas break in order to see where we are as regards your own work. This will include client work and experimental images aimed at prospective clients. All students will present their work to the group onscreen to avoid the expense of printing images out, and the rest will critique and discuss the images. All work needs to be post produced and sized to A3 300 dpi.