For my work
based learning it took me a while to get properly started on it. I find it hard
sometimes to talk to and approach new people, which is why I started it late.
One way that I tried to get over this was by going to Focus on Imagery and
trying to speak to fellow students that were there and see what work they were
doing. Focus on Imagery also helped me to solidify my ideas and what I wanted
to pursue as a professional career and showed me what competitors are out there
that can challenge me. I also learnt about new equipment that is available and
different companies that do book making and normal printing.
After
speaking to a lecturer about what I was interested in doing and that I wanted
to focus on getting my confidence up around new people I decided to get in
contact with Fotonow. After a meeting with them and getting to grips with what
they do and who they work with, I was asked to do 10 days’ work in the records
office doing picture research for a current project they are running about the
Pannier Market and its history. On my first day in the record’s office I was
shown around and shown how to request items that I wanted to look at, I was also
allowed behind the scenes where the public aren’t normally allowed into and was
shown the oldest item they have which is over 900 years old and an item with
Queen Elizabeth’s seal on which I found very interesting. Whilst at the records
office I looked at items such as photographs of the market area from 1959 and
1960 when it was being built, plans of the building itself and newspaper
cuttings that were about the market to show what people thought about it at the
time and how important it was. I also looked at a large document called
emergency minutes but found that the item was related to my research and couldn’t
find anything useful in it. Overall my experience in the records office and
working with Fotonow has been very positive as I was able to do something I
hadn’t done before and didn’t know about the records office until now which
means that I am able to go there myself if I wish to for personal research or research
that could help with my projects.
Whilst
working for Fotonow I received an e-mail from my auntie asking if I could take
photos for her of my cousin Seth’s christening which I was paid to do. I was
very nervous to begin with as I hadn’t done a christening before of worked with
a large amount of people that I know for a whole day, I was also excited about
the new experience and wanted to show her my skills so that she could pass my
business card on to help me get more work. I think that the photographs that I
took turned out successful but could have been better as I didn’t think to
bring a portable flash which meant that, even with a tripod, I couldn’t get the
lighting that I wanted in the church which meant that my images came out
slightly orange. The images at the cricket club were more successful though as
I was more comfortable and less nervous than I was in the church as I had
already taken everyone’s photograph at least once. I was able to get people to
be where I wanted and managed to take the group shots pretty easily without too
much complaint, I was surprised at how well behaved Seth was as I wasn’t
expecting him to last as long as he did and managed to get several really good
shots of him. I think that the images that I created worked really well after a
slight edit to the white balance and slight colour change to make the images
less orange from the church and to make them slightly lighter in places in the
images from the cricket club. My auntie was also happy with my images and I am
waiting to hear back from her which ones she would like me to print as she is on
holiday at the moment.
For my work based
learning I also helped for a day at the exhibition, I could only do the single
day as I was still working in the records office and went back to Cornwall the
following week to shoot. On the day that I assisted I helped to choose where
the images would be and what would go next to each other, although I was a bit
particular about my image in the end I was happy where it was and thought that
it worked well. I think that the organisation of who should have been helping
what day as at the start of the day a lot of people turned up which meant that
the space to work in was too crowded and people were sent away to come back in
the afternoon, although quite a few didn't come back at all. The space was a
bit small due to the amount of people in the rooms which sometimes meant that
sometimes people were more of a hindrance than a help. Next time we orchestrate
an exhibition I will make sure what days people are helping and how many people
they need so that the working space doesn't get too busy. I will also plan my
trips home ahead of time so that I am able to help out more.
As I
sometimes struggle to get my ideas and voice across, work based learning has
always been a bit of a struggle for me but through perseverance and help from
lecturers, friends and family I have been able to create some new contacts
through Fotonow and giving my business card to my auntie to pass on and spread
around. Although I am still a bit shy with new people I feel that this has been
a successful module and I’m happy with the outcomes that I have reached. If I
could do it again I would broaden my horizons more by going to more than one place
and try to see who I could work with to improve my career aspects.
