WEEK 5:Stronger together:

This week I have read the book by Lisa Pritchard called Setting up a Successful Photography Business.It suggests a total structure and stratgey for going forward.I am finding the book is full of practical tips. Things that I would not have thought of.Although I have had my own business before.I feel that I could benefit from a new perspective and possible a whole new direction.As I work through these weeks my thoughts are becoming more chrystalised.

My old practice was based on analogue work and although I am feeling a little bit bogged down in technology I do feel that I am able to get through the challenges.I have made enquiries at Central St Martins to catch up on lost time and booked a bespoke course to bring me up to speed.

The big thing that am taking away from this book,Lisa Pritchard, is that you never stop learning.The industry in ever moving and evolving.I have made a conscious effort to connect with a course that will help me understand the digital world better.

I have made a list of to dos and set myself some small goals.

It is a little bit ridiculous setting up and playing instagram virus games but to what end? Going forward I have made a strategy and I will stick to.

Instagram Strategy

Strategy:

1:To not follow other artists.

2:To follow curators ,buyers of art,editors,galleries and influencers.

3:To post every day one picture that pertains to my current thoughts.

4:To get into the habit of creating every week.

5:To to engage with followers as much as possible.

Networking:

Instead of pure networking I thought about reconnecting with many of my peers from the 1990s.

It was a great exercise. Many of whom are doing incredibly well, now.

My previous agent owns half of LGA, a well respected London Photo Agency. I have connected with him and we plan to meet up.

Bizarrely Steve Macloed was a familiar face for many years processing film at Metro. I have since contacted him as well. It’s great to see that Metro survived and thrived through recession x 2 and the birth of the digital age and rebirth of analogue age.

I  still maintain a few connections in the industry and would be interested in picking up the phone to chat to a few of my peers.

Having planned out my new work and the way I would like to re-enter in the world I would rather not put emphasise on networking just yet.

I would rather focus on how I am going to align myself into the photographic industry.Be very calculated in my approach.Do my research with the carefully chosen leads.

I know what to do to drum up work but my difficulty is the way in which I feel will help me best.

Having seen the presentation with Laura Hynde today I was inspired in the way that she makes works and then tries to sell it. A project led way to find clients. In my previous career I would wait for the work to come to me. I think creating the idea would be even better. Try to sell the idea to specific clients.

I should, I’ve decide be led by my interests….

1: Aboriginal working with handmade paper in Goondiwindii/Bogabilla..the place where I was born IN Australia.

I have contacted the paper making art incintive there to hopefully buy or collaborate with them on some cyanotypes.

2: I am travelling to Morroco and would like to do a story there.The idea is looseley based on the argan oil and the female copoeratives that are thrving in Morroco.

3: Devise a story for my visit to St Kitts.The slavery trade was started on Nevis however I wanted to work on a positive story in St Kitts.

4:I plan on travelling to New York in late April so I am planning to shoot some work there as well.

My time line for networking is next year. I would like to launch the work all through next year.

PHOTOParis   

Friday at the galleries

Friday in Paris was a really inspiring day. We met up with a group of fellow MA and started to go from private gallery to private gallery.

The first on the list was fillesducalvaire gallery to see Laura Henno.

Her work was beautifully presented and really engaging as a body of work. In particular the lighting used on the first floor was exquisite. The gallery space was enormous. I found the film a little disconcerting as I was unsure of the background to the work. There was lots of uncertainty around the film. I am still not sure if it was staged or a real delivery of children to a safe place. In the text that the gallery gave to the viewers there are inferencing to a ‘game of interpretation’. It seems Henno has trained her subjects to re-inact a flight of freedom. A game of deception? Myth creation?

The next gallery we visited was Gallerie Hussenot. After a mysterious walk into a courtyard we found this amazing space tucked into the back of shops in Le Marais. The space was filled with the work of Martin d’Orgeval the work was collectively called SUR FACE. I really enjoyed the work in particular the splash photograph work in the entrance wall. It had a chance element that I loveD.. It had motion and energy. In the notes for this exhibition.

He recognises the moment . Before understanding what he is doing, before checking what he’s got in focus. Martin recognises. And to recognise before you cognise is not time run backwards.’

Gallery Hussenot notes.November 3rd-January 12th Martin d’Orgeval

My favourite by far was the MA (photography)student work from Ecal.

This was a stumble across exhibition that was probably the highlight for me.

There were massive works printed on canvass that was backlit. I also filmed moving elephant eyes in Black and white CGI. The whole show had a very ‘now’ vibe.

I am always really excited to see innovative new ideas. This was a module from MA students who were working in collaboration with a CGI company and the results were very inspiring.

The results were what I describe as totally contemporary. The students had used the CGI really well with some amazing outcomes.

We also visited David La Chappelle works at the Templon gallery

 Called ‘Letter to the World’. In the PR notes from the show it reads: The layout of the two levels of the gallery space is designed to create a dialogue between two contrasting worlds: from destruction to utopia, excess to redemption.

My personal opinion was that I did get the excessive over-indulgence of the photographs and I was repulsed by the works. I did however really enjoy the vibrancy of the works. I was also interested to hear that a Chappelle now totally focusses on the art creation. ’Since 2006 he has been focussed on his artistic side of his work.’(Templon Press release)

 ‘David Lachapelle paints a disquieting portrait of the 21st century values and lifestyes.’

Jue de Paume:Gallery.

Was the last stop of the day.

 We were there to view Dorothea Langes work Her prints were exquisite considering she probably was working in very dusty conditions to process along the way.

I felt very priveldge to have seen the work.Some of the images had never been shown before.

Saturday

Visiting Photo  Paris was a great experience if not slightly overbearing.

I will definitely go over two days next year.

The highlight for me was a chance meeting with Ellen Carey.

This has proved a valuable connection and I plan to meet up with her in New York to see her large 20” x 24” plate camera that she pushes her negatives through.

She has inspired me so much. It was a joy to meet someone who is open to meeting sending emails and talking about her work. What a breath of fresh air. We have exchanged a few emails and she has sent a pdf of her contextual theories that she works to.

On SundayMEP.I was intrigues to visit Maison européenne de la photographie.

I had found out that Simon Baker the curator from The Tate Modern had ‘defected’ to This museum in Paris so it was on my wish list before I went.

 It was a long wait to enter the gallery on that cold rainy Sunday however it was worth the wait. Inside I found an extraordinary exhibition of JR the elusive french  photographic equivalent to banksy I guess.