This week, the work is predicated on the assumption that  as students we intend to start-up in business.   If we go with the assumption,  it is necessary to  realise of course that there are those who already operate professionally, and others who do not intend to go this route.  In my case, I considered this in-depth back in 2010 to 2011 and made a firm decision not to start up in the end. Mostly this was based on the fact that my efforts would be largely philanthropic and as borne out by an income and expense graph, that showed the venture operating at an ongoing loss. Meanwhile I’d be putting myself at risk in a  litigatious sphere extending from the USA.  It was also a time when technology was moving apace and the major players were in hard competition, changing offerings by the month whilst mopping up business in the area of the market I’d spotted in advance.  Okay so that was a bit of history and includes a firm decision and in some respects viability findings carry forward into photography practice.

For me in photographic practice, I  continue to seek to fulfil the philanthropic ideal and as such I registered with a society as a volunteer worker, alongside providing support to a commercial organisation that supports education towards the societies charitable objectives.

My actual photographic practice is basically an adventure into personal work as a means of self expression. I attempt to finesse and create images of artistic merit, that in contemporary terms  are imaginative images that carry layered meaning. I resist stifling this creativity by distracting myself through a business start-up.

For the purpose of this week of the course then, I’ve gone ahead  and engaged knowing that I’ve written  my piece for practice only. If work does take off then I will be well prepared being reminded about forms of business and how to manage them, and I’ll have gained a bit of current practice and be confident of how to get going if circumstances arose.

Nevertheless, and unspoken, it is probably true that as photographers we do personally represent ourselves. We represent ourselves and endeavours whether that be as an actual inaugurated business or not.