Finding a client...

For my Photography FD104 Assignment we have to find a client in our designated area. Im looking forward to it as it will get me used to developing professional relationships with clients and help me getting used to being out there and talking to different people. My assigned area is the Plymouth Hoe, there are quite a few businesses there that range from Big Apartments to small café's that I can talk to and hopefully gain a client.
I went up there and talked to many of the businesses but they either didn't want my services or they had there own professional photographer, the only idea I had was to take images of the various architectural structures and ask people what they thought of the Hoe in general. I didn't real feel that this related enough to the assignment so in a last desperation I would go up again and ask different businesses if they would like my services. I finally found a client who runs the little golf game called Putters on the Hoe. I have currently done one shoot so far with them and have a few more ideas that I can experiment with when the weathers a little better.

Where do I see myself in 5 years?

I can't really see myself in 5 years time because I have already changed direction so many times in my life already I've learnt to just go with the flow. I do however want to finish my education in Photography and want to take it as far as I can. I know I will complete the Degree course that I am currently studying and want to do a BA (Hons) Top-up afterwards. Once this is complete I am considering whether to do my Masters in Photography or to find a job/freelance work. This will be the next decision in my life and as I don't know what I'm going to do yet I can't really say what's going to happen beyond that. I do know that my main strength in photography seems to be portraits, especially when under studio lighting. I do hope that one day I'll own my own studio and be doing freelance work with it. This can easily be run alongside a job if I ever get one.

Why Photography?

When I was a young child I remember my nan's camera and how she would take it with her wherever she went. One day (after my constant pleading) she let me hold the camera and take my first picture. Ever since then I have had a fascination for photography, but never thought of the creative possibilities that surrounded it. Unfortunately when I was still young my nan became ill and couldn't use the camera so it was put into storage where it stayed forgotten for many years.

As I grew older I had an interest in art but not through the teachings at school but through my mum and the craft club that she now runs. There was more freedom in what I could create rather than have a school teacher tell me what to make. I wanted to carry on studying art but didn't know what specialist area to study in so I started at the beginning on the First Diploma at the Plymouth College of Art to help me decide. Once I passed my interview my nan gave me my first small compact digital camera. I brought that camera with me everywhere but it wasn't till I was shown how much creativity and emotion that can be expressed through a single image by one of the tutors, till I thought of it as a possible career. As the course was nearing its end my nan passed away and with the money that she left me I got my first Digital SLR (Canon 350D) ready for my next course the National Diploma in Photography. The National Diploma course helped to develop my skills and see where my strengths lie in photography which led me to carry onto the degree course which I am currently now studying. 

It wasn't until I got my nan's camera out of storage when she passed away did I realise that it was her that first sparked my interest in photography all those years ago. This gentle guidance led me down the path not just to photography, but also my whole life and where it has gotten me so far.