Exhibition Project – Conclusion 8th June 2014

Final video is put together. Bracket is ready. Business cards are on the way. Just need to go to the LPPG on Monday 16th to get it on the wall. Really pleased and relieved it’s all done. Looking forward to people’s reactions on opening night, 18th June. I’m sure I’ll enjoy discussing the project with anyone that will listen as well!

It’s a cliche but it’s been a long journey with lots if ups and downs. Plenty of stress, hitting deadlines, leaving my camera shooting for 8 hours & hoping it’s going to come out and working out narrative to bring my sequences together. Plenty of lost evenings and weekends, keeping this blog up to date as well as researching and writing a 2000 word essay with the same deadline. Plus on top of that a group exhibition to organise, with no real leadership. Only promoting and direction from lecturers. The group is all pretty equal, so there was no outstanding ‘manager’ to delegate jobs.

Being a bit of a geek I got into photography more for the kit as well as the quality of the images. Although I have definitely improved as a photographer over the two year course I feel I am still weak on the creative side. I’ve struggled with the open ended ‘self negotiated’ projects. I chose time-lapse because I had been fascinated by the results from my Pride and Prejudice project. I did contact sporting venues about access for crowds coming into and out of grounds, without luck. I would have liked to look at bigger grander sequences, but with a full time job, time and security of my equipment were always issues. So my project ended up being about me and what I did in my time. I am very pleased with what I have produced, but after 2 years studying as a photographer I feel I’d maybe be better with prints on the wall than a video.

So, what next? A rest from photography and so much studying. Get back to taking photo’s because I enjoy it, not because I need to. I will still update my blog, but not in so much detail and without deadlines. If I get a spare hour or so. I’ll put some posts on, if not it’s not the end of the world. I’m not going to push Starmead photography for the near future. If something comes up I’ll definitely consider it. But I’m just happy with a break for the moment. However, in the future I would like to do some weekend or evening work to pay for kit and my HNC investment.

My wife and I are expecting our first child in September. No doubt the camera will be out. If my wife meets other Mums at groups there may also be opportunity for some work photographing other babies!