27.8.24 (Sue faith Neil Rob Miriam Michelle Sarah Matt & myself)

This meeting there were 6 Students and 3 postgraduate OCA photographers.

I took the opportunity to ask my postgrad and undergrad peers to review my A4 draft submission, book dummy, press releases and publicity material. I posted these on an OCA Padlet and sent them by PDF to the post grads.

There was some feedback on the padlet prior to the meeting:

From Jonathan:

• “think the work will look beautiful with the green cover, Niki. A few minor comments on layout, etc.:
• The location of the title on the title page is similar but not the same as that of the cover page so jars slightly – could be either the same location or more different? I agree I asked at the meeting and will move the title page down in line with the cover title
• Introduction. Typo: smething (should be something?). Corrected..
• Disharmonious/harmonious(try a synonym?). I like the empahasis have left as is
• Also repeat of societies ? Have left as is.
• Some of the images are full single page spreads and some are just slightly smaller – again more differentiation might help. Other peers didn’t agree though one suggested increasing the white space around the smaller images, I’ll try this
• Not sure you need the poem twice? I asked the group and consensus is to move the poem to the back of the books.
• The small images at the back could be four on a page RHS to match the RHS images through the book. This wouldn’t then be large enough but I asked at meeting for other ideas: see below comments.
• p.31 image twice could use a synonym. Changed one to’photograph’.

From Miriam:

• I’m not sure about the black text on dark green on the cover – more from a readability perspective.
• Press release – after a period of reflection, rather than ‘over’  (and don’t ask me why exactly!). Changed.
• Drop the quote marks on locals. Done.
• Time spent ‘there’ rather than ‘in a place’. Done.
• The ‘this situation’ sentence really need to follow the bit about locals rather than the bit about woods. Changed.
• you could drop ‘over two pages’ on the Suboart thing, it seems to do that thing of drawing attention in a way that makes me wonder why it’s included. Done
• For further information and For additional info could be one? We discussed this at the meeting and I’ll change it.
• Postcards look great! Do the lines at the bottom show?  if so, can you have one more, because it looks like an exercise book, which I like, but if it is, it feels like it needs another blank line for balance. No its okay they won’t.

Comments at the meeting:

Book dummy:

• To put the cover text in cream to increase readability.
• To echo this on the section (Tabacco) pages
• Try the smaller images with just a little more white space around them
• Move the entire poem to the end of the book
• Asked about fonts and sizing and all thought was good
•  Intro place the date below my name.  Done
• Line the couplet start points up. Done
• Footnotes:
• Name something else, suggestions: under the microscope, inhabitants. Changed to constituents.
• Place the 2 images on a page vertically. Done
• Take them off of borders and place definitions in wrapped text by the side of them. This will make them more readable. Done
• Place on white page. Done

We had a lot of discussion about the footnotes. A couple suggested I give them more dominance even equal to the main images. Most agreed with me that they are a supplement to the main images and also that it is my main images that I have been successfully “putting out there”. However I welcome the suggestions for reformatting them.

Further thoughts of my own: Try dark green section pages- have done this.

Press release:

• Only have contact details once -done on artist talks
• Include dates for Artist talks Change my blog. Done  and material on talks testing the water

Following on from reviewing my work we had a long discussion about the huge benefits of our peer collaborative/support group. Our thoughts are that it goes a long way to correcting the physical benefits (darkrooms, printing facilities, technical support) that a traditional rather than online university has.

Sue shared the challenges of setting up her postgraduate exhibition.