I enter this week mindful of the end of module assignments that need to be handed in: the draft oral presentation was reviewed and has taken onboard numerous amendments and I have been sleeping on it (for rather too long); the portfolio of abstract photographs of the new work I have been making is a growing body of work that I’ll need to edit and place within my portfolio; the CRJ which is this blog has extended week on week and as the work this module has been more business orientated I’ve gone back over some research for parts that need further building upon.

Meanwhile in going from Week 8 into Week 9 I have been quite pleased at the continuity that occurred as if by chance in that the Week 8 work estimate I made anticipated ahead many of the points emphasised by Amy Simmons Art Producer in the Week 9 video.

Meanwhile, on the subject of Treatment – the request Amy made at the end of her video, I’ve been active making sketches / illustrations / diagrams and decided to make a method of my planned photographs suiting the requirements of Landscape, Square and Portrait and constraints of upper left Copy and lower right Logo.

I haven’t committed my answer yet as clearly a simpler approach is better. Meanwhile I am driven to risk something more thoughtful and showing enterprising spirit that might differentiate my photography from others work. I probably need to corral some of my existing photographs and cannibalise them into the examples in my Treatment submission. I don’t think there is really enough time for this.

I have taken a bit of time to go back to my photographic interests outside of the course and will be hosting a light painting workshop later in the week.

It has been refreshing to listen to a talk by Ted Paterson and Morag Leeming who have lived and worked on dual signed work in an area of Scotland I have gone back to repeatedly over the past few years and which was the start of my current practice.

https://www.leemingpaterson.com/browse

In complete contrast I listened to a colleague’s live practice presentation on Still Life, Allegory, Vanitas and Momento Mori. I’d had some prior exposure and had looked into still life lighting techniques. It was great to reinforce that growing knowledge and the inspiration of Caravaggio and Pieter Claesz.

Apart from that, on a practical level a change of computing platform has led me to the need to re-calibrate for print. It can be quite a lengthy prospect setting up especially as the software hiccuped. I took advice from another colleague and will be tracking down profiles from the Epson international site in Australia. I really must get back to creating tangible results for my work.

Lastly, I’ve gone back to competition, which I let wither and with a bit more focus managed a third place equal in Advanced competition. I’d let this slip of late due to personal circumstances and in giving the MA Photography priority.

Another area I’ve let slip outside of the course and that I’ve yet to reconnect with are the various groups I shoot with in and around London missing three events in the space of a fortnight. In a sense it is better I learn from the course to concentrate on shooting according to a defined practice with preset objectives and I can go back to the social side of shooting as and when there is time.