Assignment 1 – Asking for feedback:

1. Prepare a PDF document with the intention of showing it to an industry professional and asking them politely for a short piece of feedback. This should contain an edit of the work you produced for Body of Work. You may wish to include an overarching artist’s statement as well as the introduction you wrote in Body of Work. In the first instance, you’ll use this to introduce your work and your ideas to your tutor who will give you suggestions on the submission itself and how to enhance the PDF before sending it out. Please tell your tutor who the PDF is intended for and include some background information on how you’ll contact them. Make sure that you’ve researched the form your submission should take; some organisations still ask for a CD/DVD, for example, which you should prepare in advance.

2. Having taken your tutor’s comments on board, use your PDF document (or, if applicable, a hard copy portfolio) to get some feedback from a professional photographer or another professional from within the industry. This could be done via a portfolio review or by a contact you already have.                                     (Boothroyd, S. and Alexander, J; 56, 2020)

Reference: Boothroyd, S. and Alexander, J. (2020) Sustaining Your Practice Course Manual. Barnsley, UK: Open College of the Arts.

REFLECTIONS AGAINST LEARNING OUTCOMES:

This assignment formed the beginning of establishing new relationships in the industry.

LO1 demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the professional context(s) relevant to your practice and have an understanding of the professional dimensions that underpin a successful photographic practice

I have prepared a PDF document to show to an industry professional to gain feedback. To create my publicity PDF I first rewrote my artist statement, bio, and introduction, which was critiqued by my peers, see blog post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/peer-hangout-level-3-and-oca-photography-post-graduates-3/

I revised the publicity PDF again following Tutor feedback see blog post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/assignments/assignment-1-syp/a1-draft-submission-publicity-pdf/

I also built a website using adobe portfolio and a professional Instagram accounts so that I could include links to them in my publicity PDF.

LO2 coherently present a body of work, making creative presentation decisions that complement your subject and/or your artistic strategies.

I prepared an edit of my work for my publicity PDF.  I first developed my body of work; editing my images to the final selection for SYP. I also reconsidered the placement and presentation of these images for both my publicity PDF and my book for the resolution of my project. See padlets on this editing process:

SYP A1 editing board of BOW images for SYP: https://oca.padlet.org/nicola514516/niki-south-syp-editing-board-of-bow-final-portfolio-images-34wrm0q8udo7plnr .

SYP A1 images edits post per critiques: https://oca.padlet.org/nicola514516/bow-image-edits-for-syp-following-peer-critique-session-7b3a93s2udcqpdvb

LO3 operate in complex commercial contexts requiring the application of specific interpersonal, professional and business skills within an ethical framework.

I sent my publicity PDF to Anna Sellen a UK based photography professional to gain her opinion and feedback, see my learning log post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/assignments/assignment-1-syp/a1-publicity-pdf-review/

I also used much of my publicity DF for a portfolio review with Lens Culture. Whilst my Publicity PDF has an Introduction, Artist Statement and Bio, Lens Culture asked for a statement about the work and a bio of under 2000 characters, so I used the bio that forms part of my publicity PDF, and to conform to their word count I combined elements of my Publicity Introduction (80%) and Artist statement (20%). The reviewer’s feedback below was very useful, against parts of my Publicity PDF, and I took this advice into account with Anna Sellen’s when I revised my publicity PDF. See blog post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/putting-myself-out-there/portfolio-reviews/lens-culture-critics-choice-review-april-24/

LO4 independently disseminate your body of work by establishing relationships and networks with audiences, clients and markets.