354MC: C.V Workshop

I felt that it might be necedary to arrange a CV-check session, due to the fact that amongst my few successes with emploment and experience, I had suffered a number of rejections of that front- many of which I think were due to my CV in one shape or form. Generally my CV’s are quite concise, short and sweet but I fefinately feel as if I frequently fall into a number of pitfalls and in addition, find it hard to make my CV stand out and most importantly of all, do me justice as a well rounded, experienced and hard working individual. During the talk I attended on making my CV better, the speaker made it clear that the CV should be a reflection of you: any employer should be able to pick up that piece of paper and be communicated just who you are and what you are about. This is no longer a case of it being a work experience, aged 15, CV you would send to a local hairdressers for a week of shadowing- it was time to step things up to a much higher level, breaking out of basic conformity and showcasing your talent on paper. through this I could:

- Use professional/”edgier” typefaces: times new roman, is probably something people dont want to see at the best of times, so having a whole CV in that font makes it even more dreary than it needs to be. I might be best to invest in some nice typefaces or find some free ones online, that can be used for section titling to break up the CV a bit and give the CV some more presence and professionalism

- Intergrate some of my images in there somewhere: nothing too overly dominant, but at the same time not too understating. In the past I have had a page which included some examples of my work for people to see, which I could continue with on my new and improved CV. However, I was really swaying towards the idea of having a border created from one of my images, so Im hoping to pursue this more.

- Making the CV 2 pages- no more and no less. If its less i.e. 1 page, which my CV has been like for a while now, it doesnt set the right impression at all. If its more than 2 pages, it can set the wrong impression still….2 pages is right on, and I need to add to mine to do myself justice.

I then had my personal session regarding my CV, where Jacqui bleetman had a look over the content and layout so far. I told her that usually I have 2 main Cv’s depending on what job Im going for; she said this was definately the right idea, but that each CV needs to be SPECIFIC to the job in question; almost as if it was written in accordance with the vacancy

I was suprised and happy that she was impressed with the content thus far, but she gave me some pointers on how to make it better:

- Always start with education, and always start with the most recent qualifiation.

- Show my creative skills; in terms of my written work, who have I been able to write for? Who have I been able to photograph for? Put this all in

- Add more activities

- Add some colour to the CV to break it up a bit, but not too much to make it too overpowering

- Remove the introduction section i had written; it was a bit cheesy and like she said: “anyone can say they are hard working and passionate…”

I was really grateful for the feedback and actually quite surprised that I was on the right track so such a large extent. She said I should also contact my references before listing them as references, just to check that they are not only willing to do it but that they are in the country etc. Im going to work on re-writing my CV, and will re-send it to Jacqui in order to get further feedback and advice, as I try to better my chances for post university employment.

354MC: Assembly ii // Instillation photography

I followed my original idea and went back to the Framers, where i got some more information about the screws I should be using for my frames. based on the description I told them at City Arts, he suggested I got to Wilkinsons or similar, and got wall plugs as well as screws, as they are best for brick walls. Although I came to the instillation prepared with all of these things, I didnt need them in the end as the walls turned out to not be brick, but plaster. It isnt an issue however, as I can save these materials for the London exhibit, as they might come in handy then.

After day #1 of the instillation, I was able to help out in a range of ways. Myself and Julia helped Matt (Johnston) set up the cameras in order to create a timelapse video of the install.  My main task today was to peel away the large scale decal in the gallery wall which although sounds and seeemed like a very simple job, actually proved to be quite challengning.

I was then able to take some images of the work in progress within the exhibit space, for the university blog/website. Below are some examples of this…..

354MC: SB- Coverage

Got some more promotional coverage for my final project; via the site I contribute to.  I was sure to put the exposure24 tumblr link on there as well as details regarding both exhibitions, so that as much information could be shared about the exhibit as a brand

354MC: Assembly

In the university facebook group, we were warned by invigilators Larissa and Dean that we would be permitted to assemble the exhibition between wednesday and friday (providing our work had been marked). In addition to that though, the tools for the job would not be provided and therefore we needed to bring as much of our own equipment as possible. That being the case, I worked out what I had already, and what I would need to bring in order to make the assembly as efficient as possible.I already had a drill in my possession, so I was covered with the main bulk of the work. I needed to get hold of a spirit level, pencil, hammer and of course, screws. The issue with the screws was:

a) I need to find out what sizing I will need for the frames specifically; if they are too small they might put unnecsary pressure on the fittings and if they are too big, they wont fit and will be a waste. I need to revisit City Arts  and get their advice on the right sizing.

b) The Screws will need Wall Plugs more than likely, as drilling into a brick wall and framing heavy prints without any support from the plugs could prove to be dangerous. This would also mean I would need to drill different sized holes in accordance with the plugs. Im certain I will need them too, but I will check with City Arts to get a second opinion.

Once I have received some advice and guidance from City Arts, I will post my progress here.

354MC: Continued Coverage

I continued to email platforms regarding covering/promoting my graduate project. I made contact with this platform (via a friend) and recieved some great interview questions! It was great to have received such good, well thought out questions; some are fairly challenging which is good as it should rouse some good answers out of me. Once they are sent and the interview is up, I will post the results here.

354MC: Image Transportation (iii)

Regarding the train-travel element of my newly planned journey, I decided to kill two birds with one stone in a sense, and thus cover the train travel at a reasonable cost, fairly early on. As I was in London over the weekend, I bought an open return ticket from London to Coventry, which was £28.80.

It sounds a lot more than i budgeted for, but taking into account that the average ticket price was £15, I infact covered the relevant ticket price for just under that amount (£14.40)- and more importantly it is booked, taken care of and all sorted. All I know have to do is budget for the taxi journey(s) to and from the station; which will be in the region of £20.

354MC: Image Transportation (ii)

Contrary to my last post, I was now set on transporting my images myself; from Coventry to London, via public transport. In the beginning, this sounded long winded and somewhat farfetched as an idea, but after learning that the only full day in the exhibition space we would have would be the 17th of June ( a sunday), I then realised that Couriers would be out of the question as they cant deliver sundays. Aside from that, even if it was a week day that we were allowed in the space, who would I trust/be able to receive the images?! I didnt really think that idea through as much as I thought I did….

In transporting the images, my plan is as followed:

- Get a cab from my home in Coventry to the train station

- Catch the train from Coventry to London

- Get a cab from London Euston to Clerkenwell

I know from experience that the cab fare from my home to the station is around £4. That being the case, I decided to research train prices for the day in question:

I will need to check with Frameless Gallery as to how early we can arrive and how long we can stay till. The price range was generally £7-£20 for a train ticket, which is fairly reasonable. I then researched cab estimated pricing for a ride from London Euston to Clerkenwell:

Although an estimate, the quote stated £8.83, but said weekend prices would be slightly more (£12.49).

This method of transport, although slightly longer in duration, is much more cost effective than getting a minibus, or university bus down- even more so that it is a weekend we are dealing with, and a sunday at that. I had shared my concerns with the group in the initial stages of me realising that transport would be an issue:

However, as nobody came forward/people that did, didnt report back/fulfill their role, we now have less than a month to go till the exhibit and henceforth it has become an every person for themselves situation regarding the transport of images.

In spite of this, this just means that I save a great deal more money- can keep tabs on my individual finances easier and have more control over the transport situation. Overall, I feel as if I would need to budget no more than £40 for the travel in total (gives me £20 for trains as maximum and £20 for cab fares as maximum).

The only thing more than the travel, postcards and the text plaque I will need to budget for, is bubble wrap for my images, but I shall post such research in due course.

354MC: Exhibition Google Results

I thought I would check what the google results were like when searching Exposure24, as since the beginning I have known that it will be a really hard task in getting our exhibition name picked up in the google searches or suggestions, based on the openness of its name. In spite of this, with the help of a handfull of students in the group, through the likes of maintaining the site, twitter page, facebook page and blog, we seemed to have achieved some recognition in google. I searched it both with “exposure 24″  conjoined (“exposure24″)

When searched together, the website (run by Pete lord), the blog, facebook page, twitter and the most recent addition: the Fotoura page I made, came up in the search. Granted they were somewhat surrounded by other irrelevant results, but I was very please with the progress in such short time. I am doing my best at the moment to push these results by posting the links in as much places as possible, but also regularly searching keywords associated with the exhibition, as google picks up searches this way very quickly.

Having good results in google is highly important for the exhibition for a number of reasons:

- if someone becomes aware of our exhibit name somehow, when they search it they will want more information and the more results that come up, the more professional we look

- it can bring attention to our projects individually, as well as show that we are a strong and varied brand

- we have such an open exhibition name, so we have to fight our hardest in getting a stronghold over our name

354MC: Exposure 24′s last week of promotion

As the last week of online promotion for Exposure24 Coventry drew closer, I began to upload and share images with this in mind; on exposure24 sites across the board. I posted in the facebook group to see if there was any additional images that people wanted to send me for the blog, and that I could upload and share information about:

I have been running the blog and making the majority of posts on the twitter account for some time, but as the final days were drawing closer I wanted to promote us as much as possible, as well as draw attention to the more anticipated projects which people have worked hard on promoting. On this occasion, it was the Burlesque project by Francesca Hancox.I tweeted about it, alongside blogging about it and posting it on facebook- all in unison, in order to raise a combined and general awareness.

next I shared Dean O Brien’s Destination Unknown  project, which is one of the most anticipated, as well as elaborate project out of the group:

I will continue to raise awareness of these projects in the final stages, provided I am sent the relevant images to be uploaded to these places.

354MC: Post university Employment

Over the last 10 months, I have been planning for my graduate life very carefully; applying for jobs that will help me after I have finished at university- either financially or in terms of experience. Over the years I have come across graduates and those about to graduate who have landed themselves very prestigious jobs, roles and experience through sheer hard work in their last year of university- using the time they have and the general absence of real life worries (i.e. lack of time, paying tax etc) to their advantage in building up their work portfolio, confidence and experience in the wide working world. After last summer, interning at a Magazine I had a better idea of what it was I wanted to do and not do in regards to gaining experience. Although it was a very good start, it simply wasn’t something I wanted to do again- contrary to my thoughts when starting there.

Once I started my third and final year, I knew I had to push myself and get the relevant experience, so at very least I can show my future employers that I am hardworking inside as well as outside of the course; but most importantly that I realise the importance of legitimate experience for a young practitioner. At the time I was making enquiries about working with model agencies, to see if I could gain some experience whilst interning there but after speaking with Jonathan Worth, he suggested it would be much more worth my while approaching a photographic agency. That way, if i was successful I would be able to see what goes on behind the scenes within the higher tiers of the realm of work that I wanted to go into, and thus gain a better idea of the many elements that makes up editorial and commercial photography.

I applied to a number of agencies, and received some replies and some rejections, but was accepted by Patricia Mc Mahon Agency. I stayed at the agency for 4 months.

My time at the agency was great in a range of ways. I was able to complete both small and larger tasks in helping the agency along. Even the smaller tasks were great because it meant I could assist in some way towards a larger goal or result. I also had the opportunity to visit shoots on set, by photographers shooting for clients; and got to see just how these images I would be used to seeing in magazines or catalogues, were brought to life in the flesh.

Since finishing my time interning there, I have been trying my hardest in becoming a photographers assistant for the right photographer. Generally there isn’t much money to be made (to sustain me) in such jobs, but I have been advised time and time again that becoming an assistant for the right photographer, can allow you to gain an income through their income and thus in some cases, help you to generate a living from doing so. The main hurdles in doing this however are:

- finding a photographer who needs an assistant

- finding a photographer who needs more assistants than he already has

- finding a photographer who is not with an agency, than needs an assistant. Usually when a photographer is with an agency, all correspondence has to go through the agency and henceforth emails regarding assisting are highly unlikely to be taken further

- finding a photographer who him/herself generates an income through their nature of work, of which you can be paid some from. This would be commercial photographers mainly, but editorial photographers are just as good to target in most cases.

I created a spreadsheet, with a range of photographers details, contact info and coding re: me attempting to contact them, like so:

After compiling a sizable amount of names and details on the list, I began systematically emailing them; with my prefered photographers first, sending my CV and a Cover letter with all the details about my experience to date. Not many got back to me; those that did, told me to contact them in the near future when they might have vacancies. I did have one positive reply however from Retts Wood, who was pleased to hear from me and glad to have me assist her when she returns to London. After doing all of this, I took time out from applying to focus on my 352MC project- and for the last 3 months have done nothing but try and piece it together and get it finished. Now that it is complete, I decided to start back up again; looking at both paid internships and job alike.

The main issue with internships as a concept or Buzz Word, is that it is often used out of context and as a replacement word for free labourer or office help, which isnt a problem if the experience is helpful to the individual however, the re-embersement of travel costs for me is a basic ask and there are very few internship oppurtunities worth doing, devoid of basic re-embersement. That being the case, and also the fact that I have a great deal of paid and unpaid interning and assisting experience under my belt already, I decided to search for opportunities with this in mind.

During this search, I have applied for paid internships at both the Printspace and Metro Imaging; the latter of which I was granted an interview, but didnt get the job from.

Although I have managed to be successful in a range of other experience-orientated jobs, I feel that one thing that could be holding me back is my CV- little things such as the ordering and the presentation make a big different; especially within the overly competitive realm in which I am entering. I have booked an appointment with Jacqui Bleetman in order to have my CV overseen and where I can apply my feedback in order to create a better self representation for myself. (Once this is updated, I will share it in a seperate post…)

At this moment in time, I have changed my plans somewhat- for a number of reasons but moreso because my original plan of assisting for make a living and shooting freelance as a portrait/fashion photographer is no longer what I want to do, for personal as well as financial reasons. It would seem more logical for me post graduation to:

- Go to the jobcenter and sign on whilst job hunting. The financial support will be helpful towards funding my photography and of course paying my TAX

- Aim to get a stable job- it doesnt have to be creative at all, just as long as I can get a steady income for 3-5 days a week, and still allow me time to either work photographically or do something that will boost my experience. I need to be still researching potential photographers, as well as looking at recruitment sites and listing sites alike

- Still keep an eye out for internships (that cover basic costs), just as long as they are not more than 2 days a week.

At the moment, I am in the process of updating my CV- from which I will resume applying for internships, jobs and assistant positions alike, with the above in mind. I think by widening my search for non creative jobs will be better for me in the long run and increase my chances of setting off from university in a stable way.

354MC: We Are Drifters Coverage

After emailing we are drifters , my project was covered online! You can see the post here

354MC: Invite List Progress

I decided to work on the invite list, and add some more names and contacts to the ongoing list I created. What I realised that as good as it was that I was inviting established photographers, artists and esteemed figures, there is always a chance that they might be too busy to receive and look at such emails; and therefore the chances of them coming are even slimmer. I thought it might be a good idea to target our followers on twitter; as they already have shown an interest in us as an exhibition and are more likely to want to come to the exhibit:

I then looked at some of my own followers to find those that are based in london and might be interested in the types of photography that is to be exhibited. I then added the relevant ones as followed:

At the moment I am up to 70 names on the list. I am aiming for 100 at least, which will be a nice aid amongst the promotion from Frameless and via our facebook event page. Its an ongoing aspect of the exhibit I have been working on, and thus far alone, but the more I can add to it, the better for myself and the exhibit.