LO4 Task 5: Be able to prepare information and a portfolio of media work for use when looking for an employment or higher education opportunity

LO4: prepare information and a portfolio of media work for use when looking for an employment or higher education opportunity

I have decided that for my next step I will gain experience in the area. By working with different photographers on projects given to me in order to achieve the right amount of varied work to build up my portfolio. 

 One of the major things photographers will come across when hiring me to work with them will be experience in using different adobe programs which is shown below.

Editing software:
 As I want to go in to the photography industry, I have had experience with Adobe Photoshop. This is helpful mainly because this broadens my skill range in the area, this also helps fulfil the skills I need for the job.

Camera skills:
I have experience with the camera's and the camera settings. This helps me to understand what sort of setting the camera needs to e on due to the different conditions of things like the light and the weather.

Unit 31 Photography: 
I have experience in the field of photography in this unit as we had to get all the material together in order to make the shoot a success. This will come in handy if applying to higher education as it will be these sort of field of learning they will be looking at.

Unit 14 Magazine: 
Within this unit I had more experience in doing photoshoot's as I would need photos for the overall magazine. So for this unit I arranged a photoshoot at the rocking chair with three bands that was playing; Tandem, heart shakes and Humbar. This gives me experience in being a photographer.

The work from my photography work on unit 31 would be helpful as that shows me sticking to a theme within a given brief. Another unit that will come in useful to my work would be the indesign work for unit 14 the magazine unit, this would mainly be because i did numerous photo shoots with bands and this experience of doing band photography could really come in helpful.However next year I will be taking up a full two year of photography in a yer therefore will be getting the time keeping skills, and management skills I will need to get into the industry. The photography a-level would allow me to research  photographers in the  depth needed to understand in which field I would like to place myself. 

During the years at the UTC I have had many client based briefs too. Including bands such as; Heart shakes, Bone Lab, Soul Fire saints, and Tandem. I have also worked for an event called 'Propa Local' this would help me understand how to keep to a real client needs. 

Skills needed for higher education: 

To communicate with other team members and models I would need to be more comfortable and confident in communicating with people.

I feel confident with my written work to, so I think i can easily communicate with people about photo shoots and details through email. This would also make it easier to reach the dedicated deadlines.

 Another skill that could come in useful for higher education would be eye for detail. Well this would be useful for both to be honest. However I would like to take close notice of all the small details within a photograph like it has been well thought about and not just thought bout for a second. This is generally becasue I flick through so many photos I have taken and think how they are improved. This is clearly not as easy to do with say live band shoots and things but would come in very handy when doing photo shoots. The a fact that at college I have worked with a real client base, will help me within further education, this is mainly becausein further education I will be working with a client base again and will need to stick with strict deadlines and work at the very best standard. 

Another skill that will come in handy will be my communication skills. This is because I want people to look at my photos and see my personality through them, as I think this will give my photos a unique look.

 Next year I will also be doing the full photography a level.This will help me to think outside the box and be imaginative about my work. However I want to  challenge myself within this to come across my weakness and be able to come out of my comfort zone and create something spectactular. 

In order to put my show reel together I will use adobe premier and after effects. I have learnt this from previous units within the media course such as Unit 46 the music video, and unit 17 the promotional video. This helped me gain the skills I need in order to create the show reel. I have also used a royalty free track that I found on you tube in order to make it something no one was expecting.

LO3: Task 4: Understanding my own potential career/ study routes.

Career Interests: 
I have always been interested in the photography industry and events industry. I would love to be doing photo shoots at events so I would love to be an events photographer, however I would also like to have my own freelance photography business. Another good thing about this is I get to work online and in person with the client to put my communication skills to work. 

Past exams: 
 
GCSE Exams:
- English: B
- Maths: B
- Science: C
- Additional Science: C
- Religious studies: C

GSCE Equivelents:
- Media studies: Distinction*
- Business Studies: Distinction*
- ICT: Distinction
- Dance: Merit
- 3D Design: Pass

A Level predicted grades:
- Graphics: C
- Art: B
- Extended project: B
- CDM Cambridge technicals L3: Distinction/Merit

Experience and interests:

Work Experience:
-  PDF (Print and Design Factory) 2012 - Finisher
- Soul Fire Saints 2014 - Music Video
- Propa Local 2014 - Promo Video


Qualifications needed for career of interest: 
Clearly I would need skills and know the basics of all the adobe programs, as well as how to work my way round a camera and all the different setting on the camera. This is as well as how to set up lighting in order for a certain shot. I would also need certain skills for a job in this industry, for example I will need to be enthusiastic and passionate about photography as being creative to make all ideas unique and it would also help to have a strong work ethic.
 

Necessary qualification for this area of work:
A2 Photography
A2 Art
A2 Media 
BTEC Level 3 media 
Level 3 Creative and Digital Media

This leads on to the university courses I could take which are:
http://www.arts.ac.uk/lcc/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-photography/
http://courses.bolton.ac.uk/Details/Index/1485
http://www.arts.ac.uk/lcc/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-photography/

Work experience/Apprenticeship opportunities:

Superdry  - Studio Assistant (Full time)
This is an apprentiship for studio assistant this would allow to me  to learn the basics on how to run a studio, plus its an apprenticeship which means you learn on the job so doesn't require much skill just previous experience.

Imago graphic  - Photography assistant (Full time, 24, 000 annum)
This is the chance  to work as a photography assistant at a decent wage, so that you can learn the skills of a photographer working alongside them day by day.


There is currently a job going for a diary coordinator in South Hampton for £15,000 a year although this is not highly paid it would allow me to get experience in the field of work and how to organize and run a successful photography business. This job will also provide training for a full year so no specific skills are needed. 
http://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/Venture-Photography-Southampton/jobs/Diary-Coordinator-163ff6ec3a60b8a2?sjdu=QwrRXKrqZ3CNX5W-O9jEvTTsyGDdNFPGlliH4LTNOZI4mb087tAydc7DAZNaBHg9eWvM63C6OpCDBRK8InQ7K5X0XDK3EEA76aN2TFpiHFU0Nm_SJd9fWSAsMFSKnXIb

Photo studio Internship:

This internship is for students only and is based in london. Within this internship you will gather experience in gathering samples and collecting samples for photoshoots. The placement will also be for the time frame of 6  months which is a good amount of time to get used to working in a business. 
http://www.fashionunited.co.uk/fashion-job/internships/12924-photo-studio-internship-%E2%80%93-students-only-%E2%80%93-july-2015?utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed
  

Funding for higher education:
If I chose to go to university, I would have to look at the finance side. To do this I would have to apply for both the student and maintence loan for these I would get the following: 

• £9,000 Tuition Fee Loan
• £4,047 Maintenance Loan (for living costs)
• £3,387 Maintenance Grant (for living costs)

If I am sure on going to university then I would have to apply for my finance before the 31st may through the wesbite https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/overview as then I would receive the money before I start university.  

If I was to go into work, then the wages may vary. So this would mean I would have to work out the amount of disposable income I have, plus photography isn't really a dependable job as you can go from really busy to no work. So it would be a good idea to budget. However I cold also set up my own photography business which would mean I have to save up for the start up cost. or go to the bank and see if I could get a loan in order to see if I could get a loan to start up my own photography business.

Personal Plan:
My personal plan is once I have finished the extended media diploma next year, I will also have completed a full year in photography which will give me the experience I need to edit and collate images within a business. I will also next year be visiting a numerous amount of university open days to see if going to further education will benefit me more than getting work experience in the area I want to be working within in future, this may also mean looking into student finance and accommodation. In order to do this I will need to make sure that I get enough UCAS points for the course I want to apply for. In order to do well in the interviews I will need to make showreel and portfolio in order to be a good appealing candidate for a place at their university. However If i find out that university is not for me then I will look into working alongside as an assistant to some photographers in order to gain experience and improve my portfolio. Then once I have started to gain experience in the area I will start up a business in photography and start to gather regular clients.

LO2: Task 3: Evaluating, Work, Finance and networking

Resources for possible portfolio:
In term of the work I include in my portfolio I would choose the best work I  have done the past few years at college. Which adds up to a real variation of work as we have done 2 units in total so it will show them a real  range of skills, especially through the adobe suite. However since I want to focus on photography I will try to jus used a varied mix of photography from the work I have done. For example  for unit 14 I will use the band photography I did for my magazine, as well as using my photography work for the unit 31. We also took some photos for the manager of propa local that we did unit 17 for, and soul fire saints that we did unit 46 the music video for. However after this year I will be completing the photography a-level so could also include the range of skills I gain within that in my portfolio.

Finance:


Contacts:  

During the years at the UTC I have had many client based briefs too. Including bands such as; Heart shakes, Bone Lab, Soul Fire saints, and Tandem. I have also worked for an event called 'Propa Local' this would help me understand how to keep to a real client needs, as well as have the client base I need in order to have my name out there. There is also a number of event I cold attend in order to gain the contacts I need. For example I could attend Tramlines or DocFest and volunteer as a photographer or media student just to gain the contacts I need inn order to start a business. In my years at the UTC I have also met a few photographers that I would love to work with in future, so for future work experience I could get in touch with these, to work as an assistant or something just to see how they work.

Help support and advice; 
In order to apply to university I would have to set up my UCAS Profile and talk to Miss Allen about what university would personally be best for my needs. However If i wanted an apprenticeship I would have to talk to Mrs Barrett as she has the right contacts in order to get the apprenticeship that's right for me.

Networking:

I could attend Tramlines or DocFest and volunteer as a photographer or media student just to gain the contacts  and network with the people in order to start a business. In my years at the UTC I have also met a few photographers that I would love to work with in future, so for future work experience I could get in touch with these, to work as an assistant or something just to see how they work.These event would be good compared to the scale of Sheffield as these are two of the biggest events locally. 

Oppurtunities to showcase work: 

One oppurtunity I could have to showcase my work would be to enter the world skills competition, this would give me both the experience of competitions, and showing my work to a large scale audience. 
http://worldskillsuk.org/competitions/national-competitions 
Sheffield Live have also gave us many opportunities to showcase work, for example we could showcase work on their TV show. By asking them to show things Like our music video or promo video. Through being at the UTC I have also had many opportunities to show my work to a number of people. For example I shown some of my Photography work to the photographer Chris Saunders. Which helped me get more of a proffesional view on the pictures I had taken

Swot analysis: 
Strengths: 
- Good communication skills, help to network and find new oppurtunities. 
- Creative in order to think outside the box and create something unique.
- Good at planing and organising, therefore will find it easy to stick to a deadline. 

Weakness: 
- Not good with things out my comfort zone, so will struggle to leave the safe zone and be creative with the thought of having to do a style of photography I haven't experienced before. 

Oppurtunities: 
- Take part in world skills competitions, or even any competitions to get my name and even my skill in photography out their. 
- Find work experience with local photographers and work as an assistant. 

Threats: 
- the photography industry is a very challenging market as there is very little gap in the market however every artists has their own style, they same applies for photographers so I just have to have my own distinct style in order to be sucessful.


 

LO2 Task 2: Personal Qualities and Resources

Characteristics:

In order to move on within the industry, weather it be higher education or employment. I need certain characteristics. This includes things like, motivation, good work ethic, enthusiasm, passionate and even good team ethics. I believe that when working within this industry I would have these characteristics. I am motivated as I am able to keep to deadline and get all my task work done to the highest standard  can, this also shows that I have a strong work ethic as my work is always of the best quality I can make it. I am enthusiastic within the media industry this is mainly because I enjoy a new challenge, and love to pick up new skills. This is shown within the media course as we have been given a very big variation of tasks and have achieved a good outcome in them all, this relates back to me being organised to so that I can meet al the set deadlines of the tasks given.

Skills

The skills I need in order to move up to the higher education, would include a strong work ethic within the photography industry, This is down to the fact I need to be individually driven to do my work as there i  no one to push and shove as there was in lower education. I will need to meet all the tight deadlines precisley so this means I have to be dedicated to the topic I am sudying so would help if I was as well passionate so I would be willing to put in the hours outside of university hours. I think that I could grasp these skills within my process of higher education as to reach the deadlines for college work I have met most deadlines and completed them to the best standard I could.

Contacts:
For creating contacts in the industry I would attend local events in order to talk to the certain people I would need to get in touch with, this would help me find out about any local opportunities for things such as events. Throughout Sheffield there are numerous events like Doc Fest and Tramlines which leave open a great opportunity as I could volunteer to gain experience. It would also mean I get to meet the people working at these event as this would mean I am getting my name and What I do out there so I could gather contacts that way.

Finance
If I chose to go to university, I would have to look at the finance side. To do this I would have to apply for both the student and maintence loan for these I would get the following: 

• £9,000 Tuition Fee Loan
• £4,047 Maintenance Loan (for living costs)
• £3,387 Maintenance Grant (for living costs)

If I am sure on going to university then I would have to apply for my finance before the 31st may through the website https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/overview as then I would receive the money before I start university.  

If I was to go into work, then the wages may vary. So this would mean I would have to work out the amount of disposable income I have, plus photography isn't really a dependable job as you can go from really busy to no work. So it would be a good idea to budget. However I cold also set up my own photography business which would mean I have to save up for the start up cost. or go to the bank and see if I could get a loan in order to see if I could get a loan to start up my own photography business.

Resources Available 
In terms of what I could include in my portfolio, I have a variety of work from the last 2 years at college as well as some outside freelance work in my own time. Throughout my course at college we have done 12 different units We have done a variety of different section of media. However To start up in photography I would have to include everything relevant to photography which I could include from The time we went to 'Propa Local' and created a promo for them. However we also did some photography. We also did more photography work within the photography unit, and we also did more for the band we worked with in unit 46 which was what the band asked us for as well ask the music video we created for them. 

Contacts: 
Through the many years of work at the UTC. I have gained many clients within the media industry.These will help me build up my portfolio in order to look good to other clients in order to show them the client base I already have. The places include working with Sheffield Live on numerous Units, for example the TV, Script and Radio unit. We have also worked with Ian Anderson from designers republic who gave us feedback on our graphic design pieces of work. However one person that will come in helpful for my client base would be Chris saunders who is a Sheffield based Photographer. Other events I could have attended in order to gain contents would be the exhibition at 99 Mary street as many people within the media industry attend, as this would allow me to be able to pick up a numerous amount of valuable contacts.  I could also attend events like Docfest and Tramlines, this would help me to get my name out their and get experience to put on my CV. This would also help me meet other people working for the events.

Help support and advice:
All the media teachers are very supportive of the guiding us on our way after the UTC. However if I was looking into university I would ask Miss Allen, but If i was looking into apprenticeships I would talk to Mrs Barrett as she has the contacts in order to gain the contacts she has to get me the apprenticeships I would need. 

Networking:
There are many different events within Sheffield. For example DocFest is a huge event in terms of Sheffield and could come in useful in terms of experience to volunteer at. However this could come in useful to do on a national scale. For example I could volunteer at any festival, music festivals, film festivals, colour runs etc. 

Equipment: 
In order to start a photography business I will need to have all the necessary equipment, for example all the basics DSLR Camera, Tripod, and editing software such as Photoshop, in design and bridge. The more money i have as a starting amount the more equipment I could buy. For example I could buy different lenses in order to get the equipment I would find benefiting. This would be benefiting as It would allow me to do many different sorts of photography.

Creative cloud for adobe programs: http://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud.html

DSLR Camera:http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/90360/Show.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&utm_term=EOS%201200D%20Digital%20SLR%20+%2018-55mm%20DC%20Lens&gclid=CjwKEAjwtYSsBRCDx6rM1v_uqmsSJAAZgf2qgxBZO8zeIn1wjncdnAiYEqlKa6CLPTAg6G9oOh02PhoCkEnw_wcB

DSLR Tripod: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras/accessories/tripods/velbon-ef-61-tripod-10091424-pdt.html?srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~~~Exact&mctag=gg_goog_7904&s_kwcid=AL!3391!3!46789360055!!!g!76883195471!&ef_id=VYFZ0QAAADyRER9H:20150617113022:s

Any lenses: http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/product_finder/cameras/ef_lenses/range/

Showcase oppurtunities: 
World skills UK is a huge competition for both young people and adults. Its a great way to show off work to a large group of people/audience. This would also allow me to take part in a big competition, as well as show in an showcase.

http://worldskillsuk.org/competitions/national-competitions

I could also communicate with Sheffield Live to share some of my work on their TV Channel for example my music video, that our group made for Soul Fire saints. That or the promotional video. Another thing I have had the chance of doing in the past few years at the UTC is that we have been given the chance to show employers work, the one that benefited me the most was getting feedback from Chris Saunders. 

Strengths/Weaknesses/Oppurtunities/Threats
The strengths of going into the photography business would be that I have had experience in working with clients so my communication skills with real clients would be a strength. This would also come in useful for interviews for Universities and or job interviews. Another strength of mine is I am a creative and out the box person so I like to try things that no one has thought of before. I also thing I am quite strong at organizing and planning things to a set time as I have managed to reach many deadlines I have been set by clients. A weakness for me would be if i get asked to do a variation of photography I am not used to, i will put myself in a safe zone and not come out with such good shots like I would if I if I played to my strengths of being creative.

LO1: Task 1: Understanding Employment and Education Opportunities

Photography Industry

University Courses: 

1. Sheffield Hallam University 

BA (Honours) Photography 

http://www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/course/792/

This course would teach me the different techniques and skills used within the different aspects of photography, This aspects are things like; digital and analogue. This is important within the photography industry because it is important to know how to work your way around the equipment and how to create different atmospheres within a picture depending on the brief. Throughout this course I will be working to strict deadlines, and participate in a public exhibition on both inside the university and outside. 

2. Sheffield Hallam University

MArt Photography

http://www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/course/1005/

This course would help me to understand the different aspects of photography as this course encourages you take risks creatively in order to get the best results. It will also help you gain a technical understanding of photography and how the industry standard studios/equipment work. This course also offers you the chance to put your work in a exhibition both inside and outside the building. However it does not give you a years work of work experience which I think would be beneficial in the photography industry.

3. University of the arts (London)
BA Honours Art
http://www.arts.ac.uk/lcc/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-photography/
This course would allow me to get a wider view on the view of photography.It also allows me to study the photographers and try to achieve the status myself. However it does not give you a years work like some other courses within the sector do. 

4. Bolton University
BA Honours Photography
http://courses.bolton.ac.uk/Details/Index/1485
This course would give me a wide vary of studying as I would be able to get study visit to places like USA and Canada.This university also falls in the top 15 for this sector of education therefore would give me a better look to future employers. This would also help me participate in at least a minimum of two exhibitions.

National Job opportunities:

Photographer & Sales Manager:
http://www.photographers.co.uk/html/photography-jobs-details.cfm?recid=7350
This job would give me access to the chance to actually work in numerous locations, as well as be in charge of the sales and put the communication skills I have to good use, this would also test my limits as I would have to stick to a strict budget in order to meet the needs of the client.

Sports Photographer
http://www.photographers.co.uk/html/photography-jobs-details.cfm?recid=7353
This job would allow me to be a sports photographer, which would allow me to take photo's of anything in action. Which I think is a good skill to have. The job is also paid well, at £10 and hour, where each event you do would at least need four hours planning and involve shooting the whole day, so passion is a real key for this, which is why this job would be a good opportunity.

Property Photographer:
http://www.photographers.co.uk/html/photography-jobs-details.cfm?recid=7344
This jobs includes taking photos of things around somebodies property in order to make the building look appealing for prospecting buyers to be interested in. One of the best things about this job would be that you get to meet people from all walks of life, this is an important thing to me as I think my communication skills will be a great power to this job.

Some other good opportunities that may come to light and get me experience in the field of photography in order to have the skill set to apply for a job as a free lancer, I could apply for a stylist of an assistant at numerous.