Place saver

Another useful catch up. Lots of discussion around Sues upcoming post graduate exhibition.

I shared my progress and asked how others had approached assignment 5. Matt shared that he reverse engineered his blog to link to Learning Outcomes rather than the other way around.

Today four attendees were postgraduate and three of us still completing SYP.

Those who had just graduated shared their graduation stories and what they are doing now. Most are signed up for masters courses.

Neil (SYP) shared how he found his exhibition has opened up lots of opportunities for disseminating his work.

Miriam has been interviewing postgrads for her A3 (including: Sarah Jayne Field, Jack Delmonte, & David Fletcher – see his copy:, Sarah Gallear https://tracesofexistence.co.uk/, Helen Rosemier: , Anna Sellen too busy

I asked some specific questions of the group on publishing and self-publishing:

• Has anyone used book design software adobe idesign or affinity? Sue and Lynda used affinity a USA product, but some time ago – there is a 6 month free trial (https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/trial/?utm_source=affinity_subscribers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign ) so it is tempting. I need to investigate whether adobe idesign has a free trial.
• Has anyone used Mixam, youlove print.co.uk, exwhyzed, Blurb, Lulu books, self publish be happy to publish photo books? Some have used exwhyzed, Jack used Blurb for OCA work but not SYP, but used says their top-quality lustre paper and hardbacks are good. The advantage of Blurb is that the design software is built in. I am unsure whether it is acceptable quality for SYP – but I don’t see why I can’t explore that and exwhyzed and mixam and then maybe make a case for it on a cost basis.
• Moo was suggested as a good place to get post cards publicised: https://www.moo.com/uk/
• Has anyone used Artrabbit to publicise their work? They think was Matt who wasn’t here tonight who did- I’ll follow up with him
• How have people used Issuu? No one had.
• Has anyone any experience of obtaining funding from Arts councils? Sue tried but found it too challenging.

Once again a useful meeting for bouncing ideas around, support and provking some excitement about life after the degree!

Next meeting 22^nd August

Peer hangout 20.6.23

A good mix of OCA post grads and undergrads.

Faith was able to direct me to OCA Creative conversations where I can access the session which I couldn’t attend live, The Business of Being a Creative, with Nick Dunmur, Wed 19th June, 2 pm – 3.30 pm: https://learn.oca.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=354

I shared my success with the Glasgow Gallery of Photography and August Suboart magazine. I learnt that Suboart will tag me in their Instagram posts and then I can follow others who have been published – and they will publish me.

Join shutter hub and they share your good news and include your work in their yearbook

Miriam shared that here A3 assignment was role related to the photographic industry

During our discussions I thought for Assignment 3 using the question, why are you doing a photography degree? What were your intentions? Or did you intend to take your work beyond graduation? Or how are you taking your work forwards?

Lynda suggested as contacts Rob Townsend, Sarah Jane field?

We discussed assignment 2 for which its just theoretical how I’m going to publicise

For Assignment 3 Michelle suggested a zine would be cheaper maybe combined with a virtual exhibition -Kunstmatrix

Matt suggested use Art rabbit to publicise

Leaflets: Mixam printing use for quotes, or local printers?

Shutter hub book fair – use for contacts

Sarah Gallear suggested a handmade book: https://makingaphotobook.co.uk/

Susan used: https://exwhyzed.com book publisher

We discussed how on or own we feel during SYP, in terms of little OCA support; we wondered if this is intentional as we should be almost independent now and how valuable our peer support is now.

18^th July next meeting

This group formed and ran over the past few years and has continued as some have graduated for the others at the final stages of their careers. It is both highly critical and supportive, and has been invaluable to all involved. We also support each other by email outside of the monthly hangouts

Student led hangout 18.5.24

• Michelle (postgrad) is enrolled for MA at Falmouth
• Neil about to exhibit
• Miriam is preparing her exhibition
• Sue is preparing for her post grad exhibition

We had a long discussion about assignments 2 and 3.

Assignment 2: I asked how when for various reasons I had little desire to engage with an audience, and therefore how I could meet that criteria.

Suggestion that it just needs to be seen that I have been through the thought process for organising and costing my end product, and explored how I could maximise my photography if I want to. Ultimately I can explain why I feel my work is sensitive and I don’t want to put it out there.

I had these thoughts during the meeting:

• I could explore crowd funding and then discount the idea. See shared files for Helen’s stuff on crowd funding and interview Helen- she found it more difficult than she thought she would.
• Explore various book publishing companies to get comparison qualities and prices (dummy quotes). Book companies: ExWhyZed suggested as helpful in answering questions and giving advice. For costings try Mixam, Blurb, Lulu books, Mpix.

Ultimately I could explain why a scenario is too costly and rule it out. Apparently it is about showing the problems I encounter and how I overcome them or change the plan.

Michelle suggested if cost is an issue is to look at getting a zine published instead (A4/A5 booklet).

Assignment 3: Miriam and myself asked for advice on Assignment 3.

Recommendations given:

Very difficult to get industry professionals to answer surveys, Sue had 3 responses from 60 and Lynda 11 responses from 180. Sue researched curating and Lynda book publishing. Lynda has one F:F by zoom.

Lynda did a domestika photo book course and formed her 18 survey questions from there.

My thoughts:

• I could look back for exhibitors at the Bristol photo book fair I visited last year – find list of contributors.
• Shutterhub may consent to sending a survey out and ?….Harvey might take part. See Dec?23 open exhibition at Cambridge for list of contributors.

Again a useful meeting which propels me on

This group formed and ran over the past few years and has continued as some have graduated for the others at the final stages of their careers. It is both highly critical and supportive, and has been invaluable to all involved. We also support each other by email outside of the monthly hangouts

4.4.24

I shared my pdf publicity draft for A1 with the group.

All were happy with the format/layout. Jack commented that my intro didn’t explain the work as well as I did to him verbally. He suggested a simple, What, why and why now. I have taken this on board and rewritten the intro, artist statement and bio, being more explicit about the work.

I expressed again my reluctance to put my work out there, especially due to the sensitive nature of the concept and my accompanying poetry. Jack was strong in his opinion that it is an important story to tell, and common to many places. Michelle based in New Zealand and Lynda based in Canada shared that this is a global issue. Others concurred that it is sadly not unusual in communities. The suggestion is that I should share honestly the back story, ‘lift the covers’ – possibly I can do this outside of my locality! It left me feeling more confident about the work I am doing.

I had some suggestions where I could send it to – Anna Sellen , a successful Post graduate OCA photographer . Some shared that they’d not had any responses to theirs, and if so it was okay to say that this was the case.

We discussed reviews again and advice was to be clear what we want from reviewers. Probably not their thoughts about the work, but how to get the work out there.

Competitions: I asked opinion on the worth of lens culture competition and reviews. The group said both were worthwhile and gained exposure from them.

Other suggestions were:

• Exposure – but this is in February so was too early for me.
• Shutter hub which I have on my list to do – you get a free review if you join (£87).
• Suboart magazine which is online and free – I need to wait for another call.
• Source magazine- watch out for calls for work, the May 12^th deadline is one image only and I’ve already identified that that doesn’t work for my work. We have discussed as a group  entering the Source Graduate group entry (12^th May deadline).
• Impressions Gallery – subscribe to get open calls.
• Pictor website – I need to check it out.
• PH museum – list of paid reviews/reviewers?
• Photo Gallery
• London Independent Photography
• LensScratch photo magazine – Sue and Lynda follow and look at resources

I asked how others use Instagram. It was suggested that I post at one item a week, and like and follow others and others will do the same for me.

I should look at the OCASA enterprise hub for a small grant £100 towards expenses.

This group formed and ran over the past few years and has continued as some have graduated for the others at the final stages of their careers. It is both highly critical and supportive, and has been invaluable to all involved. We also support each other by email outside of the monthly hangouts.

29^th February 2024

Several who have now graduated were in the session: Lynda, Sue & Michelle, this is really useful to those of us still working on SYP.

Matt shared his experience at the Format portfolio review: He suggested have back up material ready as well to show if needed. He felt it was useful even if not all reviews were useful. Discussed reviewers to avoid (Micheal Weir). Suggested to get the reviewers email addresses.

Miriam and Neil shared experience of exposure reviews, found them challenging.

We discussed SYP assignment 3 and other shared that they had presented theirs as bullet points.

We talked about life after OCA, and short courses at institutes such as Domestika and West Dean College.

It was suggested that Linkedin is a good way to network – I should update mine.

This group formed and ran over the past few years and has continued as some have graduated for the others at the final stages of their careers. It is both highly critical and supportive, and has been invaluable to all involved. We also support each other by email outside of the monthly hangouts.

25.1.24

This was my first student led peer hangout since starting SYP this month.

• We shared our updates.
• Some have had images accepted for a competition. Neil has had agreement to sea walls as a venue for his BOW as well as the OCA diversity calendar.
• Miriam Jonathan and myself discussed applying for group funding for a group source  exhibition (AOP Graduate show). Miriam has offered to coordinate.

Those of us that have just received our assessment feedback shared.

• Lynda and Sue were pleased with their results though I was interested to hear Lynda say she was told her work/blog is too detailed- it gave me heart!
• Gerald gave detailed feedback about his SYP submission. I noted that he did well tough his work was not finished; he suggested that was as it showed good progression and was work that creates discourse.
• I noted that Sue devised a questionnaire to send out for assignment 3 for secondary research, using bullet points for ease.
•  Sue reminded us that we must speak to an audience that doesn’t know anything about the work.

Sue & Lynda suggested:

• when pitching get your points across briefly – think in bullet points- you need to grab their attention in 3 minutes.
• Use padlet’s to show progression
• They did their evaluation as books? For assignment 5
• For LOs document actual problems.

We discussed useful publications and organisations to apply to for open calls and portfolio reviews:

• Subart magazine
• Shutterhub- Karen Harvey recommended as a reviewer. If you join you get 1 free portfolio review a year.
• Picter.com – join http://submit.picter.com . Set up an account to give details of calls, and after entering a competition it holds your details including images, making it easier to submit to multiple competions.
• Lens scratch: open calls are free with a donation. They have a section of resources on open calls.
• I clarified that dpi which is asked for is the dsame as pixels per inches. This I can set as a perameter in photoshop.

I asked for advice on building a website for my work, platforms suggested were:

• Portfolio.box.net as inexpensive
• Adobe portfolio is free if you have an adobe subscription with the creative cloud

General advice:

• Advertise your good news via Instagram
• Images at galleries are referenced with, medium, paper, size of object plus title date artsi name.

Actions:

• Join picter.com
• Checkout Glasgow Gallery photography
• Checkout David Wyatt and Ariadne Tutor sessions online þ
• Checkout ‘Free range’ graduate shows
• Checkout the NEW York portfolio review (14^th April -remote). þ Deadline was 31^st Jan which was too tight for me.
• Athens open call deadline 5^th Feb too tight.

I need to get myself quickly into position where I can apply for open calls and portfolio reviews.