Okay, let’s see how this works structurally and content-wise. Structurally, and I need to get this out of system at the start, I’m doing a week by week blog entry on this headline topic. When I see other examples of other students work say, I might reform and change, if it can be done more efficiently.

Content-wise I’ll match up with the topics and Talis and revisit at each relevant step.

Here we go then.

Will Hartley taught me (probably most of us) something.

Guest Lecture with Will Hartley

This guest for me resonated immediately because as a pre university student Will studied nearby. I liked the advice offered and I’ll tighten up my act when supporting studio work. Another point that resonated was his having studied in Wales.  A short but intense Community Journo course I did was with Prifysgol Caerdydd – ah, Newport not Cardiff.

I kind of figured before this course that I might fall nicely into a Picture Editor role (dream on) with John G Morris being a personal hero if I may be allowed such. There again I would enjoy digital editing too if time allowed and I have other unformed plans to go freelance. How good would it be to give up some time  studio hosting for more practice at assisting or even grow practice at filming.  For what it’s worth, I tend to think that human vision is more akin to video and ultimately an attractive prospect. Mind you there is a good deal of talent out there already.  I diverge, but please forgive as this is inspired by the lecture.

Advice to focus on personal practice was given and is truly inspirational really. I’m acutely aware the practice breathes life back into the photographers job. I had for a short  while taken to creating boards planning out this area of practice and keep it in reserve. One time the method failed me in trying to do 3D photography in a London graveyard, the subject in the main was nearly always too flat. But at least I tried and can eliminate this idea. I might spot the specific subject that I know now that it can be effective with. Trail and error but on my own time. Another diversion I know but I’d love to build in 3D work to a project as it really draws in a viewer who can linger within the image examining detail – with the right subjects it can be rather entertaining and maybe qualifies academically under the banner of semiotics.

I liked the way editorial work was described as a shared workload when giving over editorial Instagram or web resources of contributing authors (including photographers. Given trust can be established it is a smart idea to share workload. I liked the balance between writing and photography mentioned in the talk. I liked how thought was given to the concepts that run alongside photographs.

Post this MA I could envisage making a studio and training centre print magazine. It’s the sort of thing delegates would likely pick up and peruse over lunch or after a visit.

I have a suggestion in reply to Max’s what can we do question. Whilst I like novelty and am certain multimedia could be somehow incorporated into the editorial scene, one perhaps more realistic thing would be to feature poetry. Can you imagine opening up to a whole raft of new contributors and like Viveca Koh on this in her fellowship book submission, there could be everything from her work through to budding poets in school. Serious contributions with strong cultural work in line with culture identification and development. This is really important to society. I might just pinch my own idea there.

___ ends for now with more to follow on other things from this week ___