#professionalpractise

[elsaruffieux]

Professional Practise - Freelance Work Experience

I was asked by my boyfriend’s mum to photograph some socks for a project she was working on. It was a bit last minutes so all I had with me was my camera. I shot the product using what I had at the time which was natural light. It taught me how to make the best of what I had. I waited until daylight light arrived and shot everything close to a window, sometime using a white curtain to diffuse the light. The shooting part all together took me an hour and a half which is probably quite long but I just wanted to make sure I had everything I needed. There were two pairs of socks plus a setting including someone’s feet in the frame. I photographed those socks from each possible side. I probably spent too much time shooting but I first tested the light and from where I wanted to take my shots to create something consistent. Also I knew I wouldn’t be able to reshoot if I didn’t have what I needed as I was in the Netherlands and would be able to take the products back with me to England.

I was asked to produced those photographs quite quickly as it was something they wanted to sell for Valentines’s day. I don’t have the email asking me from the images as my boyfriend asked me if I could do it on the phone and it’s only when I went to pick up the socks that I talked with his mum to be able to get a sense of what she wanted. She showed me an example online and asked me to do something similar. It’s only later on when I send her my work that I have screenshot of each emails we exchange.

Once I sent her the images, she used them in an online article about it and also on the website they were selling them on. One of the photo was also used in an article from a newspaper called “Netheralndsdagblad”.

It took me quite a long time to process the images. I wasn’t really confident about it as I am far from a master at photoshop and even I had already done similar things in the past, I wasn’t quite sure which technic to use to do it. I tried different one, asking Denise on how she would do it. I once I found the right way to do it it went quite quickly and was able to finish them. I shot everything on Tuesday the 28th of January, processed the files on the 29th and 30th and sent them on the 30th in the evening.

I will had all the emails in my submission folder.

The address of the website the socks can be purchased from is the following: https://www.intimitijd.nl/a-58782624/romantiek/sekssokken-2-paar/#description (I did not take the first 2 images, they were added later on).

All together I have spent half an hour testing and shooting plus 2 hours of postproduction for two following night, which makes 5 hours and a half.

These are the two example I was given when I asked about what they wanted:

[artlivalexander]

Here I have engraved a photograph onto a log, that I previously cut down in the workshop with Alex. I wanted to see how well the machine could transfer an image onto the wood. Clearly the outcome is of a high quality, this could be something I could take into a professional practise going on to even sell them.

[siobhanmctaggartk00232730]

Professional Practise Smarter Travel Poster. 

[gchurton]

Today I thought I would try the life drawing class, to pick up some skills and learn how to draw the human body and how to catch up on my drawing skills.

• We started off with trying to draw the model, while he was doing different poses, he was asked to change pose every 2/5 minutes, while trying to capture the posture and the elegance of his pose.

• We were then told to do a continuous line drawing, so we weren’t allowed to take our pencils off the paper, this was quite difficult as I am used to lifting my hand up while drawing, it was hard not lift my hand up.

• We then had to draw while only looking at the model, we were told not to look at the paper and to see if we could still capture the pose that the model was doing through just looking at him. I found it difficult to try and get his body in the right place because I wasn’t able to look at my sheet of paper, I found it hard not to look at the paper a so am so used to looking at what I am doing while drawing.

I found this class really interesting as it has helped me learn how to draw the human body through different methods of drawing, I have never not looked at my sheet of paper before when drawing, so it was different and valuable to take on.

[jessicawonta]

Final exhibition piece exhibited at paradise works

[alfielaneart]

Red Beat Common Launch

A couple of friend’s of mine working in graphic design and film production have set up an Instagram based creative, aiming to produce graphic design/Music videos for artists and musicians in Manchester. 

Rationale:

For the launch, they asked me to create some artwork for a short, looped video to post on their page. Each frame of the video will have a different overlay design, producing an animated sequence when put together.

This is just a quick creative project that I was involved in last month, however I documented the process of research and design ideas for this project as a powerpoint slide, converted into a PDF document which is linked below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pcN8uCQfP6pqfbr9vSKW6AJ2d-l5AafC/view?usp=sharing

[babssmithart]

Professional Practice 2

#Thanks to CassArt Manchester with Overdrawn for Pizza and £50 worth of goodies when we spent £25 These guys are really welcoming and knowledgeable! They offer great exhibition space for students.

[sophiesmiles20]

Peel Park Fire Garden:

As we set up for the fire garden later on that night. Our original plans didn't work out which was wrapping the cellophane around the trees and joining them together to create this pattern but the cellophane we got was to thin so I tore when the wind blew and the other thing was because we cut the rolls in half because they were to big, the cut slide to the cellophane tore and didn’t peel off neatly so the idea was to gently release the cellophane. Anyway we tried to wrap the cellophane around and didn't work so we had a team meeting about it and all decided to just wrap the tree stumps in the cellophane about 8ft tall on the trees to match the flood level. We used two different shades of pink and It looked so beautiful afterwards when we had done it the trees looked so fragile and delicate. 

Later that night it was wonderful to see people interacting with the trees and taking photographs of them and I hope it opened some peoples eyes to see another side of art than just paintings and drawings. 

[mochadwickresearch]

We set up our exhibition on Thursday 2nd May 2019 and had the opening of the exhibition “Are we nearly there yet?” on Friday 3rd May. I was very happy with the overall result of the exhibition and it was amazing to have the whole class showcase their talent and be surround by supportive family and friends. Every piece of work that was displayed was very well done and each creative in their own way, demonstrating the dedication put in by each individual artist. This exhibition was helpful to me because it is developing my experience of having my work exhibited and will help me in my future professional practise by building up my experience and knowledge of how to set up an exhibition etc

[jacquelinemulvaney]

Transferable Skills

week 3

5.2.21

For this exercise I will be using my volunteering in the setting up of a local youth club in 2008.  

Analysis and decision making.

In my local area (South Norwood, South East London), I looked at what was available to the young people and there seemed to be something missing. If a young person was not interested in joining a structured groups such as cubs/scouts, brownies guides there was not anything else for them. After spending a week at school  being told what to do, many young people just want a safe and crime place to hang out with their friends. In an area with a high level of deprivation it was clear that something was needed. I set about getting a group of young adults together, the idea behind this was although be in attendance at each session, I felt that the young people would feel more comfortable and respond to people nearer their age. Together we set about creating the H.I.Y.C, youth club, for young people aged 10-14 to have a place they called call their own. 

Commercial Awareness

To be able to set up a youth club there were some legal aspects that I needed to sort out first. I was lucky enough to be granted premises for free in a local church hall. The church also granted me a set up grant of £75. I first had to check the insurance of the hall. to ensure that we were coved foe any accidents or injuries. The staff needed to all have D.B.Ss, and have safe guarding training. Working with children means that these legal formalities need to be kept updated. I also had to ensure that there was a fully qualified first aider there at all times. 

Creative and ability to solve problems. 

As a group we needed to keep the young people focused and interested in coming to the group. We arranged a termly programme of activities and outings, as well as regular activities. Regular activities would include - table tennis, badminton, football, crafts. termly activities would include - T-shirt painting, hot dog/pizza nights, film nights, outings to bowling /ice-skating  etc. By keeping the group fresh the young people kept on coming.

Customer Focus.

Asking the young people what they wanted from their  and letting them make decision's was a key part of making the club successful. At the end of each session and at the beginning of each term we asked the young people what they wanted from their group. They made the rules, they decided how the money was spent on new equipment. what was bought for the tuck shop.  (Funding for the group, came from the subs of £1 per session and small profit from the tuck shop, all monies raised went straight back into the youth club). 

Influence and communication.

By listening to the young people we were able to guide them into making good choices. ‘ No, we couldn't  have an 8ft trampoline, but yes, we could buy goals for football that wouldn't fall over when you kicked a ball at them.’ ‘Yes, we could buy Hula Hoops for the tuck shop, But No, we couldn't buy pot noodles.’ ‘NO, we couldn't go to Disneyland for an outing, but Yes, we could go to the local trampoline park.’   By involving them in the small choices, it helped them making the big ones. 

Leadership and team working. 

I took on the role of opening up, setting up and putting away the equipment along with the rest of my team at every session. I  always had to ensure there was always enough staff, supplies and first aider at every session to enable it to be a good experience for everyone. As well as that I also had to be aware that everyone involved had an up to date D.B.S and safeguarding. We kept a registrar of everyone in attendance (both staff and young people) and made sure everyone signed in and out.

Planning and organizing.

Planning and organizing was always ongoing. Although we liked to involve the young people in as much as we could, there were meeting that needed to be held between us to keep the running smooth, risk assessment's were done and the general planning of staffing.

Self Management

As a group, we were lucky enough to be asked to be part of an organization that funded holidays for children who did not normally go on holiday. Myself along with other members of my team escorted a number of our young people over a period of five years to holidays for a week in places such as Chepstow and Shropshire. We were involved with the planning of the days and outings for the whole week. The young people were able to meet new people from all over the country and different backgrounds to interact and make new friendships with. It was a good experience for everyone and one of the highlights of the youth clubs year. 

Digital Capability.

Over the Covid  pandemic, it has not been possible to run youth club on its usual weekly basis. The ides we came up with for the young people to be able to still have some contact with each other was to do quizzes together online.  By using a programme called ‘Kahoot’,we were able to create a suitable quiz, create a link and invite the young people together in this way. It has not been as successful as the weekly sessions, but it is available should they want them. 

To be a wedding photographer there are many skills that I will need.

There is more to being a wedding photographer than just taking beautiful photographs, it requires a combination of different skills that will get perfected with experience. 

Calm under pressure – Brides, grooms and the wedding party will be nervous, things may not run to the controlled timetable, lighting and surroundings will not be as we like, tensions may be high. It is one the wedding photographers’ jobs to keep everyone calm and to keep everyone around them calm. No one wants to see chaos in the photographs.

Stamina -- Weddings are very hard work. Most wedding now days start with taking photographs from the very beginning of the day as the bride and groom are getting ready. This could involve taking photos for up to 10-14 hours of the day, so with traveling the photographer can expect to be working for up to 16-17 hours. Along with this there is the planning beforehand and the editing afterwards, plus loading and carrying the equipment around. As well as the physical stamina, mental stamina is needed.

Patience and flexibility – No wedding ever runs to time, brides, flower girls and guest have tantrums, some people drink too much alcohol, the photographer has to accept that people are real and unpredictable and  do not run like machines, so there will possibly be hiccups during the day. The photographer needs to be prepared for this and work through it, and now when is the right time to take control.  

Communication – It is important to be able to communicate with the bridal party and guest without coming over as a sergeant major. It is the photographer’s job to produce beautiful memories of the day, no one wants to remember the photograph as when they were barked orders at. The trick is to be assertive in guidance of where and how you would like people to stand and be, but in a guiding way rather than controlling.

Creativity --   Of course every bride wants their photographs  to be individual and fresh, so this is up to the photographer to create. To stand out above the rest, photographers need to be always looking at for new inspirations, researching and trying out new ideas as the opportunities arise.  Paying attention to details such lighting, composition and thinking through every aspect of each image to produce the best that you can. 

 Skills which I feel are important, but I have not had experience with --;

Accounting, Contracts, Freelancing, Web Development, Price Setting Marketing, Networking, Sales, Branding.  

I think a business course would be essential if I was planning on being a freelance wedding photographer.   

[elsaruffieux]

Cover Letter Example -  Professional Practise

After looking at example online I tried to compose my own cover letter:

Dear ...., (or use to Whom it may concern if not aware of the person responsible)

I am writing to express my interest in the art fair assistant position (or what ever job I am applying to) at your upcoming event. 

Currently, I am on my second year of my photography degree and find myself attracted to the curating side of the industry which I would like to explore.

I am confident I could be of good help throughout your fair and would be grateful for the opportunity.

I thank you in advance for taking the time to read my CV included in this email and I hope we are able to meet soon.

Yours sincerely

Elsa Ruffieux

[artlivalexander]

A commissioned pencil sketch, I found this piece quite difficult due to the image being from a make up picture meaning the subject features such as eyelashes and cheekbones were really exaggerated. To improve, I think I could have attempted to add details to the jumper, and have done more realistic hair.

[morebubblesdarling-blog]

***** Simply-Be Cover Letter *****

This morning I carefully coordinated my underwear to match the confidence that I felt today would bring. To be a female and have the choice to wear underwear for both comfort and style brings such empowerment and the under-valued feeling being happy in your own body.  Simply Be, I have recognised a market gap in your product range and one that I believe I have the expertise to target and improve within the company.

 ‘WE ARE CURVES’ is a morale I whole-heartedly support: creating stylish fashion for plus-size consumers. Simply Be covers an extensive product range, branching from affordable ‘must-haves’ to the higher price ‘special treat’ clothes. But why does the lingerie department lack the desirable higher-price, higher-quality range? To be curvaceous is feminine and invites an allure of intimacy, so why are you denying women to splash out and feel luxurious underneath their clothing? The current range offers varying styles, shapes and fabrics but there’s a niche market ready to be tapped into: to design, market and sell exclusive lingerie under the Simply Be label. Even more so that this issue of only plain underwear being available for curvier bodies, is becoming more hot in the media that now would be a perfect time and business opportunity to change that.

  I believe underwear is the core for feeling body confident: to sculpt shape, support, and sex appeal. I am passionate to bring this to your brand and invite feminine playfulness and provocativeness that these women, alongside all females, deserve.   

[abbiemedd1-blog]

I love these designs for business cards on clear plastic!

I think they work really well and the simplistic pattern can be accompanied by colour showing flexibility within design. I think this is an interesting path to go down and may research into different methods to achieving a similar outcome.

http://www.creativebloq.com/computer-arts/personal-business-cards-give-clear-message-61411958

[alfielaneart]

Art of Energy Open Call

Below I submitted my work to ‘Art Of Energy’ open call by Energy Ethics Research Group at the University of St Andrews. The call asked for work reflecting our current energy crisis and how we can create solutions to the demand for energy in regards to climate change. 

I submitted one of my paintings with an artist biography below:

[babssmithart]

The Trip to Venice Biennial was fabulous! Here are some photos of my favorite pieces and the beautiful city itself.

This is the work of the British artist representing England. Phyllidia Barlow caught my eye a year or two ago with her interesting journey as an artist and teacher. She began working on what would lead to this gigantic playful style late in life. I love how she keeps everything that she works with in a huge outside site and reuses materials. She brings familiar abstract forms and materials to the viewer in an abstract, magnificent way. It is almost Alice in Wonderland with an undertone of sinister.  Folly is playful and explores our understanding of sculpture.  Definitely my favorite, (for now)