Lecture Content Responses

Lecture Content - My Critical Responses

I wanted to include the Lecture context so that I could give my own views and critical responses to each of the individually. Through out my lectures I have been shown information about The Professional Practitioner and The Law, The Business of photography and Marketing the Practitioner, which have included topics such as Copyrights, Moral Rights, Contract Law, Going Freelance, Company Set-up Considerations, Portfolios to Paperwork, Agents and Associations.  I have also been shown how to Apply for Funding.  All of these things are extremely important to me as a Photographer, so I will need to take all into consideration when continuing my Career after university.

Copy Rights & Moral Rights

This lecture held some very important information that is something that every photographer needs to understand.  I know that it is quite heavy stuff when it comes down to copyrights and rights, and if I learn all of it by heart then I should be able to make sure nothing bad happens to any of my images in the future.  Moral Rights are an integral part of copyright law. Moral rights emphasis is to maintain the integrity and honesty of a piece of work, rather than protecting its economic value.  Moral rights are personal to the photographer and cannot be transferred to someone else, unlike copyright which can be assigned.  I learnt that moral rights and copyrights last for the whole of the photographers life plus 70 years after death.  Copyright comes down to the rights in which the photographer must know in able to deal with them. Ideas are not protected by copyright as they are only 'products of the mind'. I will not assign copyright to anyone at all for any of my images, if I do so i will loose all Control of what happens to the images.  I am careful and take all this into consideration at any job. 

Going Freelance & Self Employment

I know already roughly how to store everything if Self employed. I know from people I know with their own business's.  But learning about each step is very helpful, registering for self assessment, record keeping of business records, such as cashbooks, invoices, bank statements, receipts of purchases etc. People like my mum who is an accountant has told me how everything is kept for a minimum of 7 years so it is something I will always do. 

Company Set-ups & Starting a Business

I have already started to set up a business and created all medias necessary, I have reached out as a brand and have got quite a number of customers willing to be clients,  but there is much more to do to really get the business up and running.  I need to research my market even more and identify potential customers.  Finding partners in business I have already partly done with my sister who is a Graphic Designer and Photo Editor, she designed my logo for my brand. Funding is also something I could consider.  Understanding my markets competition and picking the target has done but I would prefer to aim to a young adult audience. My marketing message includes what my brand is like, along with the behaviour, personality and values I care about. 

I have quite a few different Marketing Media's but I would like to extend and create more within the near future. I have medias such as a website, business cards, word and mouth, leaflets, networking, and e-mail, but hopefully once I finish university I can branch out even more and produce advertorials, posters, brochures, enter more competitions, newsletters and articles.  And door to door leaflet drop is something I should do as well as window displays.  All medias to get my photography brand out there, i just need to be a little more prepared first. 

Business Planning involves things such as Profit, Cash-Flow, Pricing, and the Pricing Policy.  If I choose to develop of my Business as part of this project then I will Include all of these things within the live brief.