Peer Review

On the 21-04-16 I had my rescheduled Peer Review session because I had missed the first one.
I was partnered up with Kane Layland  who looked at my work and judged what I had done well and what I needed to improve on for each Learning Outcome.

LO5: Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental techniques, materials and processes associated with your subject.
Improvements: 

• annotate contact sheet 
• try editing styles like the photographers you've searched to help show understanding 
• add something to show process and technical knowledge

Strengths:

• You've used a variety of shooting formats:- i.e. played with landscape and fashion photography.
• using different formats of photography (suggested to stear away from phone photography
• Liked the use of layout in narrative book 

LO6: Make judgements and present arguments through engagement with fundamental historical, cultural and ethical concepts and theories associated with your subject.
Improvements:

• focus more on artists style and what you got from the work rather than their back story
• annotate work/ images 

Strengths:

• good amount of artist research looking into different styles and types of artists.
• putting older shooting styles into current day

LO7: Demonstrate a range of approaches to creative and experimental problem solving. 

Improvements: 

• talk about what went well and what didn't in evaluation- discuss how you overcame the problems adopted

Strengths:

• Good evaluation of phone shoot on way to uni 

LO8: communicate the development of you ideas clearly using text, image or object.
Improvements: 

• Talk more about plans for shoots and how to improve in future shoots- re-shoot if necessary to show progression 
• play around with editing techniques more

Strengths:

• after changing ideas for narrative you have a lot clearer views of what you are doing, showing clearer development
• can see a clear development throughout work 

LO9: Demonstrate fundamental subject - specific and transferable skills relevant to your practice and future career. 
Improvements: 

• perhaps put group work such as PowerPoints into your logbook 

Strengths:

• good self evaluation of group crits
• sowing definite transferable skills in public speaking etc. 
• good work in workshops- working with others
• traveling for models and prepping for shoots is good  (maybe say how ouu found model)

LO10: Evidence independent planning and time-management in the development of your work. 
Improvements: 

• as you went into areas such as cambridge talk in advance about planning what you are bringing and times etc

strengths: 

• reshoot of holding images is done alot better - can see big improvement 

overall I think this Peer Review helped a lot, as I found out exactly what i needed to do inmy work to improve

Taking a Break from Coursework

So After 3 solid days of working on my sketchbook/visual logbook and getting that finished my parents decided I needed a break so they dragged me out of the house to get some fresh air and see something new other than just words on a computer screen.

We took a ride to kings lynn and had a walk along the water front before heading to the shops and picking up some lunch .

It was a lovely sunny day so it was good to take a break from working so hard to get everything finished and get out of the house...

Here are a few pictures I took from the day:

Trip to RAF Sculthorpe

Last Wednesday (13-4-16) Esme Hewitt got the train to Ely so that I could drive her to RAF Sculthorpe to do a photography shoot for out Project 3 Exhibition.

It wasn't a journey without trouble mind you, because she had originally told me it was  on the way to Snettisham beach... turns out it was half an hour further down the road closer to Norwich.

It was definitely interesting being there seeing the buildings that were left behind, I only took my phone with me so the images I have are too high a quality but they serve their purpose. It was quite a fun adventure especially as the weather turned out to be a lot better than it was expected to be.

Esme got the photos she needed and I did something I never thought I would do

So, here are the photos I took on my phone :

 

 

                                              

 

One to One with Richard

On the 12-4-16 I had my One to One session with Richard.
He said that my Reflective Journal showed very limited evidence of reflective writing and suggested i set aside 10 minutes each day for reflection.
Richard also said to update my visual logbook which i have since done and it is nearly complete for this semester of work.

I was also told to look at the Unit handbook and learning outcomes to consider how to improve my work and add a range of possible creative outcomes.

The final thing Richard suggested I do was to source a wider range of research.


Personally I don't think I got as much out of this one to one than I have others... It was helpful to find out what I needed to do but it was also things I knew I needed to do and had planned out how to do them and where I was going to do them already.

University Coming To An End

I have titled this post University coming to an end because as I write this I have 14 days till my hand in for my university course, 14 days of stress and consuming a lot of coffee. Thats 14 days till I have finished my first year at Norwich University of the Arts. 

And honestly I wouldn't change any of it for the world. 

I have met amazing people, that have been so supportive and helpful, and I don't think i could have got through it all without them.

Looking back it is crazy and scary how quickly the last 6 months have gone and it is also scary how it is all nearly over. 

It all comes down to these last 14 days 

The last 6 months have been a whirlwind of friendship, stress, relationships and happy moments, it really has been the best experience of my life and i can't wait to embark on the next 2 years of my life at this University!

workshop 24- The Lone Ranger and Tonto

For this project our task was to - 

Produce Four images per group.
As a group use the knowledge that you have of studio practice to produce two images from each set of lighting codes- conveying sensible normality and conveying luxury, glamour, sex appeal, style, or aspiration.
Each image is to utilise your choice of location.
This can be changed during the course of the exercise. The subject of the images is of your choice but should remain consistent.

I don't like how this shoot turned out compared to the last glamour shoot because i don't think the background works well with the style of shot we were trying to create.

Guest Lecture - Carl Bigmore

www.carlbigmore.co.uk 

Bigmore's practice is rooted in Documentary 

He did a BA in digital sense media and his early influences were

Larry Clark

Nan Gouldin

Ryan McGinley 

Alec Soth

Carl Bigmore shoots mainly on analogue for his personal work and sometimes digital for his commercial work. 

He did a shoot about westerners living with their Tai Brides in Thailand, and also did a project focused around the canals in London. 

Bigmore said the most important thing is to"get your work out there and getting your work known" 

Big more is currently running a kick starter campaign for future projects, where he will be documenting the changing environment from California to Washington.

Sadly I wasn't able to concentrate much through this lecture despite finding it interesting and wanting to hear what he had to say. 

This was due to people talking loudly and kicking the backs of the seats behind us, so I didn't get as many notes as I wanted to. 

I still found that what I heard of what Carl Bigmore had to say, was interesting.

Workshop 23 - Colossus (Glamour)

Our Task for this workshop was to:

Produce four images per group. Each image is to utilise your choice of back- ground. This can be changed during the course of the exercise. The subject of the images is of your choice (portrait or still life) but must remain consistent.
How can lighting be used to signify that the subject is glamorous, exciting, in- triguing and sexy?
What are the qualities of light we need to consider and explore to develop a glamorous presence?
As a group use the knowledge that you have of studio practice and produce the following images:

1. An image with a lit background
   
2. An image with a dark background
3. An image with a dramatic background
4. An image with a dramatic foreground 

This didn't really happen we only really managed to achieve 2 shots 

In your groups, consider:

1. The quality of light? 
   The Quality of light adds to the images, because of our use of soft boxes giving a softer glow to the model (me)
   
2. The signifier of the lighting on the model/subject in the photographs
   made.
   It adds a somewhat glamorous feel, I think the pose also helps to add an eire of glamour to the image 
   
3. The areas of the background lit (if any), and the quality of light used.
   They tired to create a Halo (circular ) light around me (the model) in the first image shown this was to draw focus into the model, this was achieved by using a floor light placed behind me as i leant forward over the chair i was resting on 
   
4. 
   

One to One with Matt (Part 2)

This One to One with Matt was merely just to check on my progress from the week before. This one to one was on the 29-2-16.
"Progress has been made" and "Time management improving" are just a few of the positive things he had to say. Matt noted that my narrative brief had taken a new direction and a structure had been put into place within my visual log book, and made notes on what i planned to do with my narrative project, where i planned to take two shots each day, Matt suggested I take more than two and to change the orientation so that I had a variety of shots I could choose from.

I was told to do more research to underpin my approach and to keep using all available tutorials to my advantage.

I left that one to one feeling a lot more positive and a lot happier than when I had gone in and I'm grateful to have these times available to go through everything I've been doing and ask for advice or suggestions as to what I need to do and improve on.

I definitely agree that my time management needs improving and I need to write more posts on this Reflective Journal because it is more than just one to ones, workshops and Guest Lectures that i should be writing.

One to One with Matt (Part 1)

I had a one to one with Matt on the 22-2-16 to go over all my work that I had done.

 For my Essay I was told to spell check everything, to support my opinions with critical writing on photography (there are lots out there on McCullin and Adams) and to focus on theory.

Theories I was suggested :
"Inside outside"
"Burgers ways of seeing"

For my project Matt said to prepare and reverse when we have to do presentations.
Matt also suggested i use my computer camera to record it.

His main piece of advice was to "Let Rebecca Shine through" and to focus on what I am passionate about and fit that into my project.

Matt also mentioned that I needed to focus on my time management and suggested i make a time table for each day of everything I need to get done.

I came out of that one to one feeling confident about what I needed to do and feeling motivated about what I needed to achieve in the following few months.

Guest Lecture - Metro Imaging

Jack Quick and Professor Steve Macleod came in from Metro Imaging to do our guest lecture this week.
They each did their own presentation/talk telling us about two different sides of metro imaging as a company

Metro is a photographic printing lab that is based in London

Metro works with organisations around the country and London

Jack Quick- "Exhibitions are important to promote your work, trying to find the defining example of that image"

Metro imaging helps to promote your work for exhibitions

We were told that the most popular type of printing at metro is C-Type and they are the only place in the country that does digital black and white printing.

Professor Steve Macleod is the director of metro imaging and a visiting professor from UEA. who tries to get involved as  much as he can. He has worked with Time Magazine and the photographers gallery.

I didn't really get much out of this lecture and felt it was aimed more at the 3rd year students than at us. But it was useful information to know for the future.