Lecture Content Responses 3

Agents
Whilst in class I was looking up some Agencies as part of a task, and was looking at Peter Bailey's Agency.  It looked fantastic and there was actually a lot of photographers that I had known and researched about that were on Peter Bailey's agency.  Here are some other great one's that I have looked at after class. Lisa Pritchard, Wyatt Clarke Jones, Horton-Stephens, Peter Bailey, Trayler and Trayler, Vue-Us. I love to look on agencies like these ones, as i just get lost staring into amazing photography by so many photographers an hope that one day I could be in an Agency like these.
Here below are my notes from agencies.

Applying for Funding
This is something that I would most definitely do when I finish University for my own brand.  I would write out a funding application summarising my project and pitching my idea in a short minute. I would also write up a structured, simple plan of action with a time line.  Planning a Budget is important too.  Sponsorship and Time management are two thing to have before sending a funding application.
I can apply for grants through many different sites, but for this, the application is assessed to see if they think it is worth getting a grant for.  It has to engage with the public and fit in with my current work and future developments. I would also have to explain exactly how I would make it happen in stages of my activity. Finance and an Evaluation is to finish the application for funding.  This is only something I will do when ready to and when I feel like I could do with one.

Lecture Content Responses 2 - Portfolio's

Marketing the Practitioner

My Portfolio Box

Portfolios to Paperwork

I have just finished Compiling, editing and presenting my Portfolio for this particular module.  There are a lot of benefits to having a printed portfolio and I personally love having one. Printed Portfolios are always good to have and will probably never disappear no matter how good technology gets. As long as there are face to face meetings, and as long as there are printed end applications like magazines, brochures and posters etc, the portfolio will still have a place. 

Most advertising and design agencies and most magazines and newspapers still ask to see a portfolio in hand, even if it is private clients like weddings, families and portraits, it is just nicer to present them as a folio rather than on a laptop.  Clients tend to look at websites and then still ask for the request of a portfolio, which ever industry I go to, I need to make sure my portfolio is at a high standard because is says a lot about a photographer, keeping work, clean and up to date is the right way. 

• The best Portfolio box or case that I can afford will be the nicest to use, especially for 3rd year and leaving out into the real world.  That's why I have a Silver print A4 box. 
• I need to consider a case for my business cards to make sure they do not get crumpled, and the Portfolio Box is the colour Black, It is standard and most professional. 
• The prints will be of a good quality and on a decent paper type. 
• I have worked with paper types before and know the differences between a good paper and a bad paper.  I would like my prints to suit the paper I choose, so I may have to look back at all my different paper types to decide what looks best. . 
• I will not have any sleeves in my portfolio as they are reflective and make it harder to see the images.  The size for my Portfolio box and prints is A4, I only choose this size as it is my first professional Portfolio Box that I will be getting, when I produce another Portfolio later down the line with much more base to my work I will get an A3 box so I can show the images off. 
• I will include additional materials as well as all my necessary contact details at the beginning of my portfolio.  This will include my name, address, my website, phone number and e-mail.  This is important If I am unable to find some business cards cases. Cover letter and Contact Details.
• It is known better to keep all Portfolio prints either all landscape or portrait, according to what best suits my work, but also says not to mix them up at all.  I have quite a few of each so will have to sort this out a bit later. 
• The standard photo number for a Portfolio is 25-50 images.  Some pages could have multiple images on the same page, this can be appealing to design agencies and magazines who are used to looking at images as stories rather than singular images. 
• I will make sure all images within my Portfolio are kept to a similar theme and are right for the viewer or client I can potentially show to, and will only show my best work.  
• Making sure the Images flow well is important too, should have a beginning, a middle and end.  Its sometimes good to include strong work at the end as well as the beginning. 
• My Portfolio should be updated regularly as I want to give the impression I am constantly working on new projects and new imagery to keep it looking fresh.  

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. 

Feedback & New Ideas

Individual Tutorial Feedback  & Feedback from my Proposal

So In my proposal, my ideas were slightly off and were not correct.  This was a shame as I really actually got excited about the topic area.  It turns out that I had jus got mixed up in my mead about what it was I had to do.  I proposed to enter some competitions that I had found and I listed them as I have earlier in the blog too, and I had found a competition called 'Elements', and I had an idea for 'a brief' which was to create four portraits for each Element, and to have the images used for my brand 'Suzi-Rae Photography'.  This was not actually allowed.  Not because the idea wasn't good, because the concept of my doing 'a brief' that was not specifically for anyone and anything apart from myself.

I was told that I was proposing a 'Self Constructed Brief', which some photographers set themselves when they feel as if they should do a specific theme to a shoot. So as much as this was wrong, It is still something I could do in the future.

My brief was about creating four portraits to a set theme which I thought was right but after my tutorial today, I now have a much clearer understanding of exactly what I need to do.  In basic terms so that I can look back on this I need to one of the projects below:

• A Commissioned Project,
• Development of a Business,
• Charitable Photographic Work. 

New Ideas !!!

• For a commissioned project I have now had new ideas of looking back on anyone that had asked me if I could take photographs for them before.  When I first set up my business of 'Suzi-Rae Photography' I sent out a lot of e-mails and messages to all of my contacts to see if anyone would like any photo shoots.  I need to spend some time thinking about it, but hopefully I can find someone who has asked me, or contact new people and hopefully get a new client and produce the work for them but for this project. 
• As for a Development of a Business, I have basically already started one up, it just needs more work to it.  Last year I had to create a website and my Brand and personality, choose a specific line of work to follow and start a style.  I have done all of this and have technically started up a business though my photographic work.  What I could do to extend on this more is create posters and postcards, flyers of my business and create a Couple Shoots, Wedding, Engagement, Maternity and Newborn business.  I would create this because they are the events in life that everyone wants to capture.  I would develop my materials and come up with prices and outcomes for a new and improves 'Suzi-Rae Photography'. 
• For Charitable Photographic Work I know a few contacts that have asked me to be photographer for their charity Hair and beauty show at the College I used to go to, They needed a photographer to take photos os a catwalk like show.  I could evidence preparation and show the final Images of mine from the show that was for charity, this would build on my community practice side of my brand.  The work would be voluntary and I would happily do more. 

All of these three new ideas have got me all excited to find out something to do for this project.  I am happy with the way all three of these ideas sound.  The one that seems more realistic at the moment is idea number two and the Development of a Business, and I can come up with pricing ideas and photoshoot ideas to create the material needed to spread the word about my Business.  I will see how things go and I may end up changing to one of the other projects. 

More Assisting Again

I have been a photographer for quite a while now and have used my own assistants for some of my work, I know what I would expect of an assistant but I know I would be very nice and calm for them helping me out, whereas in the real world - the photographer can do what ever he likes and ask whatever has can to the assistant because the assistant is there to help them.  I know that if I get any more assisting jobs in the near future it will be a lot more strict, and I would be expected to do everything that they ask for.

Assisting a Studio Shoot

• For a studio shoot I need to make sure that the preparation of the set meets the relevant deadline and is correctly built and organise the set builder to do the work.  
• I would be required to set up the lighting, checking all bulbs are working, flash tubes and fuses are all operative and that their is sufficient power available.  
• I would also have to set up reflectors of the overall light and record power pack settings. Making sure all digital equipment is ready to use and that all cards are formatted and that there are external hardrives ready.  
• I would handle the list names and number of client and all members of the production team, stylist's etc. 

Assisting a Location Shoot 

• For a location shoot I would be required to travel to the location in advance to check availability or power supply, this would have to be done within enough time before shoot.  
• Checking access of the location, roads, trains and the avaiability of accommodation and communication: WiFi. 
• I would have to check the location studio, if being used, for power, height etc. 
• I would have to organise hire equipment and transportation, as well as hiring other assistants for help as there would be quite a lot to take to the location. 
• I would also have to setup up on location and check equipment is working. 

These are both things that I have done before in my years as a photographer so far - they are fairly obvious and quite simple to do.  It just requires a lot of planning and time management to get everything right for the photographer of the shoot to be ready.  

Skills and Knowledge

Abilities to make decisions quickly is handy, constantly asses what jobs need to be done around the shoot.  Checking before doing anything to confirm it is correct. Ask short quick questions so that I do not distract too much from the photographers mind.  The shoots can be at any point in the day so remembering overtime is not usually paid, just be helpful at all times.  

• Stay relaxed enough to talk to but know when to stop and get busy when the pressure hits,
• Have good digital skills to be more employable,
• Second guess the photographer as then the bond there will keep you in a safe position.

I personally think I have all of the above and have already been an assistant for a few years to prove that.  And I have been given good comments about how I have been as an assistant and have been used by a few different photographers through word and mouth. 

Assisting Jobs & My Assistant Job

Careers in the Photographic Industry

Assisting Jobs

The first step for this is to get in contact with the photographers that I actually want to work for.  I need to ideally make an appointment with them.  Things like this can take a while to get but if very polite and If I kept at it and do not give up with a few different photographers then it could work.  After I finish University I would have had more than 5 years experience in working with Photography with a lot of different ranges from studio, locations, film and digital etc.  I'll need to be completely honest in everything I say to photographers that I'm asking.  Most of the time, honesty, a good attitude to learning is what photographers are looking for in assistants.

Most photographers will pay even a beginner depending on the experience you have in the field. The sooner i can explain what experience I have the better as I will probably get contacts quicker.

My Assistant Job
I have worked as an Assistant for a few years now with a professional Events Photographer called Andy Barnes.  I have been to many event with him as assistant and photographer.  I have been to big events such as The Kent Excellence in Business Awards, and The Caudwell Butterfly Ball as photographer two years in a row,  and many more other events such as proms and weddings and santa's grotto at christmas etc.  But I will talk about this more in depth on a later post.

The Role
The role for the assistant is to do everything so that the photographer is free to concentrate on the image he is producing.  Learning a long the way is always helpful, but is a secondary position as the assistant photographer.  As assistant, the rest of the people at the shoot will not care if you are trying to make it as the photographer because at the point your not.  Assisting means, help out on everything and anything when you can.  This is what I have had to do, even if there are stressful times, being an assistant is second to the photographer and is something that needs o be remembered.

If there are other clients on shoot, I still need to remember that I am just the assistant and not a photographer because at the particular shoot there is the photographer already and I have to remain the assistant.  This case was different for me in my jobs that I went to.  The photographer was on press call and was taking the photos of the celebrities and I was at the studio set up and was taking the photos for the whole night - but for these events I went to - I was more like the second photographer rather than the assistant.

Things to remember when being as assistant:

• Be early to all photo shoots. 
• Be presentable, and get prepared to be working hard on jobs that need doing around the shoot,
• Offer to make drinks for all the team in the shoot,
• Listen to everything that is asked of me and get used to the photographers working methods,
• Try to meet everyone and find out who, communications are great in this business and very important in the shoot.  I should make a note of everyones names mention and this could be a great start to my own contact list. 

Being a Stylist and Stylist Jobs

My Ideas for my Future 
This is a field of work that I seriously considered doing as well as my photography.
My original ideas from when I was back in College was to finish my Photography Diploma and if I was to take a year out before coming to university I would have maybe tried to do a short course in styling and beauty make up, i would combine this with a partial hair course so that I could learn all aspects of beauty in the field.

The reason for doing this as my original ideas and why I might still consider it after university is because then, I will be part of a bigger business and have more experience under my belt!
If I can get my own shoots, with model for example, I would not have to pay out for a make up artist or hair stylist because I would already know how to do it.  I've always had these ideas and it is something I am still thinking about.

As far as the career as a Stylist goes, a stylist provides the props, which can be as varied as clothes, furniture or china, and anything that is required for the photographic production.  If becoming a stylist as well as a photographer is a path I will try then I have to remember that any ideas I have towards an image I can completely change but as far as the whole look goes, I would probably be on a very tight brief that only wants a specific thing.

If the brief image is for a magazine the props are usually borrowed from shops in exchange for credit in the publication, but if the image is used for advertising purposes, the stylist buys or hires props from prop houses or hire companies.

Why am i interested in becoming a Stylist
I want to try out a bit of styling in the future mainly because I feel like this is the section in my photo shoots that I am actually very good at.  It wouldn't just be buying products, It would be choosing related things to the photographers style as well and the market the shoot is aimed at.  Planning and scheduling is important for a Stylist which is the only section that I probably wouldn't be best at, but it is all something that can be worked on.  Everything for the shoots has to be delivered on time and the transportation would be in my own hands so there holds a lot of responsibility, which I know I do have and work with really well in business purposes.

I like that the reputation you can gain as a stylist can get you so many contacts with shops, hire companies, suppliers can mean that If I held down a substantial job as a stylist but had my own freelance photography business as well I would be able to have good contacts to help myself out with my own work. I think another reason why I like the idea of becoming a stylist is because an Established stylist for photo shoots can earn up to £500 per day !! This would be a great place to be in my future career.

• Fashion photography - fashion magazines, mail order catalogues, brochures, on location and in studio - this would be a dream job for when I finish university and is what I will aim for. 
• Food photography I have always had an interest in and I could potentially be a stylist for cookery books, packaging, magazines and adverts. 
• And there is also the option of Room set photography with home interest magazines and 
• Still Life photography - again working with magazines, books and packaging. 

All of the bullet points above I would love to work as an assistant Stylist for, they would be a great lead for working my way up to the top. 

Getting Started on becoming a Stylist

• I need to make sure my portfolio is better and bigger and that I include more work.  I basically need to get shooting more frequently so that I have a lot more images. 
•  I also need to do this so that I can try and get my photographs published because the client will want to see my own published work in tear sheets.  
• I need to get in contact with photographers and work for free on a few jobs to get my portfolio bigger and then the photographer will pay for everything in return for free styling. 
• I need to start phoning agencies and magazines only after my portfolio is at a higher standard.