work production

Can you all ensure that you continue to produce, plan and prepare for you photography with written blogs outlining all of your research along with analysis of  photographers work in your chosen areas. I will expect to see uploaded sketches, drawings, ideas, themes, images and concepts starting to appear on your blogs.
For those of you aiming for the fashion photographer of the year competition you need to move very quickly with the deadline being the 14th October.

Also any prospective clients are well documented within a blog dedicated to what they produce and examples of the standard of work that they currently find acceptable.
Alongside this I need to see the images / test images that you are producing at a level you feel will beat this work.

Can you all populate your websites with this information for next week. The people that were not at the last session I will expect to see you websites caught up by next week as some hold very little work, from day one this is not acceptable.

Origination

Can I just let everyone know that all client leads have to be originated by you and cannot under any circumstances be ones that have been given to you from another source / tutor or project.

All clients have to be sourced and approached by yourselves in order to for you to appreciate the value of the whole project once it is completed. Also in this way you will be able to gauge the success or failure of your own advertising and marketing.

The origination of these leads and the capability to do so will single you out amongst other photographers, as I always say "no point having a nail without a hammer "

Attendance

Just so we all have a transparent understanding it is also expected that you 'attend all' of my sessions as this is a vital part of your professional approach to working with clients and industry.
This session is not a casual option it is mandatory, anyone who does not attend on a regular basis will be challenged.

Can you all make sure that you are following my tutor site as well as each other, so that everyone is connected and can comment on each others work, etc... as and when you are producing your photography. This is very important as you will extend you knowledge and creative networks faster if you give and receive feedback that can inform and direct your work.

Expected for next week

Will everyone adhere to what we discussed during the first session and populate their blog with previous work they have done for other people, such as photographed friends, relatives, portraits, models, products, weddings or broader projects for clients, etc..etc... I need to see what you have done that you are proud of.
Also I need to see any work that you have got planned or areas / clients you could begin to target.

Also for your chosen areas I will need to see expanded information on clients, advertising agencies, pr companies and information on local, national and international photographers who work in your chosen areas. All this needs to be appearing on your blogs for next week. It is expected that you all produce work both in class time with me and away from college.

Feedback and comments will need to be happening all the time between all students, even if you don't normally sit or speak with them, nobody should be working in isolation, as this constructive criticism and input will be valuable in your development as a photographer. Also you will all be getting feedback from me, as and when I can give it. 

Here we go....hang onto your hat....

This first session is all about setting a firm foundation in more ways than one. You will be looking at how best to set up to work online, to do this you will need to set up a blogger website. By setting this up you will be able to connect to this tutor support website. This not only allows connectivity to each other but also to a transparency as to what is happening across the whole course. Following each other allows you to see each others work at any time to suit you. By the same token I can see all of your work and offer support and guidance at any time.

Comments and feedback are expected to be happening between everyone on this network all the time. Also you will be getting feedback and comments from me as regards your images, research and development as a photographer. Only by working in this way can you progress and achieve higher.

You are expected at this level to be producing work very independently and proactively and taking complete ownership of all of your work and the meeting of the learning outcomes involved in this course.

This part of the course will be all about contact with the photography industry and its clients. You are expected to be contacting prospective clients and providing photography for them. This can be someone you know, or a friend, neighbour , relative, who works in whatever line of work and produce photography for them.

Initially this can be done via what is commonly known as a 'Loss Leader' this is a method by which you do a totally free job in order to build contacts and confidence in each other without the added pressure of the costs being involved. However you will still have to meet deadlines in a very professional manner if you expect to work for these clients.This is a key way in which to get your photography in front of clients and should not be underestimated in any way.

I will taking the part of a buffer between you and your client, you will have to get the work that you produce past me first before it is returned to your client. This is to ensure a high quality of image is produced at all times. Don't be surprised if I tell that the work isn't good enough and I will be asking for work to be reshot if its not of the required standard (in a constructive manner that will help you to improve).

Remember you must find these clients they will not be provided for you, if you find you haven't got any then you must work harder . Each client you try to work with and contact must be listed on your blog, alongside the date, time and response from the client, positive or otherwise.

All blog entries that are produced will require to be 'labelled' accurately so you know what and why you are writing them. This takes the form of the outcome number appearing at the bottom of each blog. The labels will automatically stack on your blog once the labels gadget has been added. In this way you can focus on exactly what is required, or what is covered sufficiently and appropriate your time management as you see fit.

Opposite the labels you will see a location add feature which allows you to exactly post code reference where you are working, I shall expect to see this when to show me where you have been shooting.

Read all of this site today, set up your blog websites, I will support this so you have a nice new blog to start this part of the course. Start to write about how you could approach this assignment over the next few weeks and beyond. List the people you know, what do they do for a living and search that on the net and evidence this all on your blogs, etc.. Look at the companies you could approach or indeed have already approached and list these as well.
Also I need to look at the type of work you have done connected with industry if indeed any, so I can get a feel for the type of work you produce, or have produced in the past.