Sustaining Your Practice

COMPETITION ENTRY: ONLINE GROUP SUBMISSION

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It was good to be part of a collaborative entry with:

  • A permanent platform for the work, stays after the degree shows
  • Targeted industry exposure: established professional readership (editors, curators & publishers)

My Learning:

Again to adapt to different technical requirements, no trailing statements and special characters were new to me. I again adapted my statement and info to fit a different word count and to take into account their criteria, especially researching the background of the landscape judge.

I captured my images and the OCA the online presence below:

DETAILS: SOURCE GRADUATE ONLINE GROUP SUBMISSION: DEADLINE 12.5.24

From Source Website: https://www.source.ie/graduate/submission/index.php

Excellent Value: Only £33 per student for UK based courses / €38 per student for courses based in Republic of Ireland. Includes a free 1-year digital subscription to Source (worth £26.99) with access to our extensive back issue archive and our monthly e-bulletin which will ensure you stay informed with all the latest news and opportunities from the photography sector.

Miriam one of my OCA peers offered to coordinate our group submission and sent us the details below:

Sun, 28 Apr, 17:03  

Hi all

The time has come to submit our images to Source.  This is the website, but I’ve pasted the format for submission below.  I’ve made a folder to collect your submissions. Please make your own folder within this and let me know if you’ve uploaded or are having any problems. 

Copy and paste link if needed: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-vKJ5IhHX3LLDOc-U2dkGWox6PzH_ZtE?usp=sharing 

Source have also asked if we’d like to send them any pictures of Install-in-progress or promotional material.  That’s a separate ask, so you can email direct to the email provided.

Miriam

Here’s what you need to know: BA Submission Deadline: 12th May 2024

Submission format

1. (Required) Eight images saved as jpegs, 72 DPI and 1024 pixels along their longest edge. All jpegs should be saved in sRGB colour profile. We cannot accept moving image files. Note: the Student may submit less than eight images if they wish. If the Student’s work is made to be shown in a gallery we would recommend that one of the eight images be an installation shot. This is to show the scale of the work and how it is presented.

2. (Required) A 120 word statement about their work.

3. (Required) Each student must specify which one of the following six categories best describes the work  they are submitting – only one category may be selected per student:

• Documentary/Photojournalism

• Commercial/Fashion

• Landscape

• Portraiture

• Staged/Constructed

• Urban/Suburban Landscape

4. (Required) Personal email address. This email address needs to remain valid after the Student has graduated.

5.  (Optional) Personal website address.

6.(Required) Payment of £33 per student for UK based courses / €38 per student for courses based in Republic of Ireland. Note: the Lead Student will gather all the individual payments and then make a one-off payment to Source on behalf of their class.  (MC: I’ll let you know how to send the money).

(You can apply to the Enterprise scheme for the £33.  We each need to apply separately. https://www.oca.ac.uk/studying-with-us/oca-enterprise/ )

Share your Install-In-Progress images and/or Promotional Poster Image

Each year, we offer additional help for students promoting final year work, using our social media platforms to promote your class’s degree show (physical or digital). In previous years, we have posted images of installations in progress and exhibition posters (see attached examples). You are very welcome to email 3 – 4 install photos and/or a poster image to my colleague Susanna Galbraith at research@source.ie. Please ensure:

1) To include the name of your course

2) To include details of the location and the dates of your show (if there are two shows, please include the two addresses)

3) To include an appropriate credit for any photographic work shown in the image(s)

4) To include the relevant Instagram handle for your course/university/college, as appropriate

5) The images attached are square (ideally 1080 x 1080 pixels)

(They share these images from May to July, so that’s the time frame.  I’ve asked if it’s 3-4 per person or in total and will let you know.)

Their technical requirements for images were again different:

1. Image filenames should not contain any spaces, apostrophes, quotation marks, or any other unusual characters.  I’ve asked about the actual names and will let you know and also underscores. 

2. Saved as jpegs. All jpegs should be saved in sRGB colour profile.
3 Scaled so that they are 1024 pixels on their longest edge. (A jpeg scaled in this way will never exceed the 2 Mb file size limit.)

Text

The system clearly can’t cope with any formatting so….

1. Each student’s introductory text should be formatted as a single block of text with no carriage returns.
2. Web addresses and email addresses MUST NOT include any trailing spaces!  If they have they’re not read as links.
3. If in doubt, the safest way to deal with problematic special characters is to substitute them with safe alternatives. Replace curly quotation marks with straight quotation marks, replace ’em dashes’ with short dashes or hyphens, replace ellipses with three periods and replace ampersands with the word ‘and’.

I PREPARED THE FOLLOWING FOR OUR SHARED FOLDER and was able to take into account the suggestions given by the lens Culture Reviewer:

Niki South personal email: niki.south@hotmail.com

Website: https://nikisouth.myportfolio.com/home

Category: Landscape

Artist statement:

‘What Lies Beneath’ uses the landscape of an ancient woodland to express my thoughts on community, creating a visual model where things coexist and support each other. Footnote images signpost its inherent qualities like, diversity and cooperation.

Humans and my experience of community provoke the project’s concept, where locals are often disharmonious and driven by difference. Sadly, incomers are never accepted as local, no matter how long passes or what they contribute to their neighbourhood – a story common to settings across the globe. The work has helped to heal some of the wounds that inspired the story’s beginning.

What lies beneath the emerald wrapping, embracing their collective realm?

What lies elsewhere beneath man’s disguised demeanour, civil but deliberately divisive?

Niki South

I submitted the same 8 images as for Lens culture

3.6.24

Hi,

I’m the web editor at Source Magazine.
You recently submitted your work to our ‘Graduate Photography Online 2024’ project.
I’m delighted to inform you that the project is now live on our website and can be viewed at:

https://www.source.ie/graduate/2024

We want to thank you for participating in the project and we wish you all the best with whatever comes next.

Best regards,
Stephen Hull
Web Editor, Source Magazine. 

COMPETITION ENTRY & PORTFOLIO REVIEW

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2. Lens culture Critics choice 2024: Global Call —Deadline: April 17, 2024

Before I entered this I emailed my OCA peers and asked:

Hi all

For those of you who know it, I’m trying to work out if it’s worth entering – of course no expectation of being picked, especially as the work picked previously looks of a type very different to my own.

But is it worth it for the exposure? or ticking a box – doesn’t cost a lot but they all add up! Any thoughts – I’m trying to be picky about paid comps, though they all seem to be that way.

Supplementary question, has anyone had one of their reviews? only an extra £20 but I had one recently after a photo comp that was pointless!

Any pointers gratefully received.

Thanks

Niki

So I decided to submit and request a review

Details: 1 single image free, or series of up to 10, judged as a series, which should work as a group, thematically or aesthetically. $45- 30% = $31.5- £25.30 $49 us total after discount. Optional, Receive a written review of your work for an additional $25. This is a unique opportunity to receive valuable and specific feedback on your work from one of our experienced industry professionals. Submission Reviews are done anonymously and will be completed by June, 2024 on a first-come, first-served basis.

It is a rare opportunity to have your work seen by 20 of the photography world’s leading experts. The work will be immediately reviewed by their editors. Selected submissions will be featured in their Competition Gallery and published across all their online channels, reaching an international audience of 3 million. (For example, more than 511 early entries were selected and featured during the 2023 Critics’ Choice Awards, and more than 200 of those were promoted via Lens Culture’s Instagram and Facebook platforms, garnering more than 400,000 likes and comments.) Enter your work early to take advantage of this incredible opportunity for global exposure!

Upload jpegs or pngs that are a minimum of 1200 pixels on the longest side (but up to 2000 pixels is fine) and no more than 10 MB.

This time I was working with a character limit of 2000 for my statement and bio, so adjusted to fit, but crucially I adjusted it to fit the criteria of the competition and that of the judge who was relevant to my category, ‘Places’. I also gave additional information to my reviewer, see below.

MY SUBMISSION:

WHAT LIES BENEATH

Statement Lens culture

What Lies Within, is a series of images taken in an ancient woodland. A conceptual project, it uses the landscape as a medium to express my thoughts on community. The photography transforms abstract ideas in my head, into something concrete, positioning the ancient woodland as a visual metaphor for community.

Though humans provoked the concept of the work, they are not evident in the images. The local community, often disharmonious and driven by difference, is in stark contrast with the harmonious characteristics of the woodland society. Footnote images signpost inherent qualities like cooperation, support, diversity, resilience, inclusion, networking, mutual exchange, and adaptation, which could be beneficially adopted in many human communities.

Known and accepted for some years, like other incomers in my neighbourhood, we are never adopted as local, no matter how long passes or the contribution to the community – a story common to settings across the globe.

Combining the world in my head with the one in front of me, through an internal and external passage through the landscape, has helped to heal some of the wounds that inspired the story’s beginning.

ARTIST BIO

Niki South was born and grew up in England. From 1995 she began holidaying in Wales; this culminated in buying a second home there in 2009 and transitioning to a ‘dual centre’ life between the two places. In 2019 she relocated to Wales permanently.

Currently completing her BA (Hons) Photography degree with the Open University, she has a particular interest in community. Her previous documentary work ‘Layers of Truth’ was informed by her ‘insider/outsider’ position where she highlighted issues arising during Covid 19 from ‘incomers’ trying to integrate into a small traditional community.

My submission: https://www.lensculture.com/submission-reviews/107428See the review below received 26.4.24: https://www.lensculture.com/submission-reviews/107428

Additional info I gave to the reviewer:

1. What is the single most important question/concern you have about your project that you wish to have answered here in this review?

Do the footnotes combined with the artist statement adequately signpost the story behind the series? Can a viewer understand the concept of the woods as a visual metaphor?

2. What do you hope to accomplish with your photography in the next few years?

To finish my degree, now 95% complete, to be able to move on and follow my inclination for combining narratives from my subconscious with images from the conscious world. I would like to publish other visual stories.

3. Is this an ongoing or completed project?

It will be completed soon when I publish a book with the images and accompanying poetry that I have written, that completes the signposting for the narrative.

4. Do you consider yourself a… photographer?

advanced

5. What genres of photography do you work in (mark all that apply)

fine art, documentary, imaginative storytelling

Hi Niki,

You can view your completed Submission Review here»

Thank you for trying out our Submission Review service. We hope it helps you refine your future competition entries! And we’d love to hear what you think. Please email us with any comments or suggestions. Thanks again!

Cheers-

The LensCulture Team

Reviewer Portfolio Feedback  26.4.24

Hi Niki-

It isn’t happenstance that you are using a forest as a metaphor for community. Fungi, aspen groves and many tree species are known to have elaborate networks of communication that bind them together. Not to mention all the other small organisms that make up the ecosystem that sustains the life of what we are seeing in your photographs. You pull any single member of the community out, and the whole forest suffers. Despite that the knowledge is out there for humans to make sense of it all, we continue to make the same, irreversible mistakes, over and over. And this project brings these questions, and more, to my mind. 

In response to your request for feedback, I am still a little confused by the overarching idea that you are going for. If what I have said above rings with you, I think it would be helpful to state it somewhat directly and concisely. For example, instead of saying “The photography transforms abstract ideas in my head, into something concrete,” and defining your work as a “conceptual project,” I would simply say “”What Lies Within” uses the forest landscape of [name the forest] as a metaphor for human communities and civilization.” Or something like that. 

That being said, I still want to understand how you see human communities as stark contrasts to this forest communities, but are using the forests as a metaphor for the human communities. Perhaps they are not a “metaphor” but a “model?” In other words, are you suggesting that these woodland spaces are a model for what it means to be a part of a community and to live in an ecosystem where all things must coexist and support each other’s life processes? Again, I am very interested in the ideas. I just think it’s a question of being clear and concise: especially when submitting to a contest like this where jurors have so little time to spend with each submission/statement. 

I also don’t know if you need to include the words with their definitions beneath the photographs. I think you can say everything in the statement and then rely on the viewer’s intellect to realize that what they are seeing are prime examples of what those words represent. Perhaps you can include those exact words in your statement and then give an example of how that plays out in the woodland environments. But my sense is that this project could exist as two separate entities: image and text. 

Otherwise, I haven’t talked about the images themselves. And I personally find myself getting lost in the beautiful, dense, and elaborate spaces you are creating/seeing. The compositions are complex, often surprising, and always seductive. These are hard landscapes to render, and it feels like you have an eye for figuring them out. 

It’s a pleasure to discover this series, Niki. Wishing you the best of luck. 

I responded:

From Niki South <niki.south@hotmail.com>

To feedback@lensculture.com

Subject: And as a reminder: this form is to provide feedback for the reviewer on your review. They receive the note, but will not be able to reply to additional questions on your submission.

Body: Thanks for the review. It comes at the beginning of my journey to ‘put my work out there’ , so is very timely.

I understand your message to be more explicit and concise when conveying my ideas to viewers/reviewers and thank you for the practical ideas that you have given that I can consider in a reformatting of the project. It was a very thoughtful, useful review.

Thank you!

Niki

My learning

The review was extremely useful, especially as I had woven parts of my draft PDF into (I used it as additional feedback for A1), it and it gave me some points to consider and edit for that and further reviews.

I heard much later (14.6.24) that my work had not been selected by the judges, but it had been another useful learning curve for me to submit with new criteria and purpose.

COMPETITION ENTRY

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  1. TREES ONLINE EXHIBITION COMPETITION: A.Smith Gallery- Deadline: March 18, 2024

This was my first competition entry. I chose this competition because of the subject matter, though I was hesitant as there was no request for information about the work and images submitted were treated as single images, rather than a series.

The call was for photographers of all levels to submit work reflecting the theme “trees” to A Smith Gallery by March 18, 2024. Exhibition Dates | April 12 to May 23, 2024: https://asmithgallery.com/exhibitions/trees-5/ – Online Gallery and a reception. The entry fee for 5 images was $40 and I paid $20 as well to have a 30 minute post competition review with the gallery directors.

The Juror for “trees” was Wendi Schneider, Denver based photographer, and artist, widely known for her luminous gold leafed influenced by a background in painting and art history, Schneider layers oils on her photographs to manipulate the boundaries between the real and the imagined. I realised the importance of researching the jurors after the competition was judged, as all images chosen were akin to her artistic style.

Dear Niki

Thank you for entering A Smith Gallery’s “trees” exhibition.  Unfortunately, your work was not selected by the juror Wendi Schneider for the exhibition. Wendi had to make some very difficult decisions in her jury process of the images submitted. The quality of the 1,365 submitted images was outstanding.  Regrettably, many excellent images were not included in the final 55 that were selected.  To view the selected images, please see:  https://asmithgallery.com/exhibitions/trees-5/

It has been a pleasure seeing your images and I hope that you will enter future calls.

Sincerely,

Amanda Smith

Gallery Director

A Smith Gallery

p o box 175

johnson city, tx

www.asmithgallery.com

amanda@asmithgallery.com

Though I was not chosen for the exhibition it was good that I entered and went through the process for the first time. I had to conform with the submission guidelines: Digital images should be up to 1800 pixels on the longest side saved in JPEG format at 72 ppi. Each image should be labelled with consecutive numbers followed by your name, i.e. 1FirstName_LastName.jpg. The number should correspond with the number on the application form.  This I navigated successfully.

I selected 5 images for submission that could stand alone, and then for the review they asked for a further 5 images.

My notes from the verbal review of my work:

  • Images submitted all strong, quality excellent
  • They awaken your senses

They asked for my questions:

  • I asked how to submit when you are working from a body of Work and yet only single images are asked for with no opportunity for context. They suggested look carefully at the jurors, as jurors often selects work of her own type, but this is not always the case. Sometimes jurors will select work different to their own as a change.
  • I asked if Jurors see titles. They said in their case no, they number them, but that where are used titles work well. I think if I was submitting with no context in future I would add a signposting title.
  • I asked what genre they see my work as. They said, fine art, though they said that increasingly fine art photography is defined by post production changes…

They suggested to look to enter competitions which call for Bodies of work, or at least those that ask for artist statements as my story is strong and important.

They also advised that I shouldn’t be put off putting my work out there for the same reason. I discussed my concern that because of the sensitive nature of my work, I don’t want to share my work locally, so maybe I should share away from here in some way.

I asked for advice on how to gain feedback and of course they said by portfolio reviews. They suggested I might try:

  • The Los ángeles Centre for Photography
  • The Carmel Center for Photographic Art – Anne Jastrab
  • The Griffin Museum
  • Photo fest
  • Atlanta photography group.

My concern remains how to do this with minimal financial investment as I am not aiming to take the work forwards after SYP.

  • I asked about how to contact other photographers who submitted for feedback/support. They advised that some have websites, or to google, or to use Instagram. They will add the contact details/websites to the winning gallery images, so I will contact one or two of those whose work I like, as a way of networking. Those I thought would be of interest were David Lang, Leslie Giem and Ann Milne. However, having researched their work it isn’t relevant to my project, concept or style. I

Reviewing the artists chosen I made a note of:

  • Ann Milne / Oasis in the Redwood Forest, Rotorua, New Zealand / annwebbphotography.com, though After research she is a ‘straightforward’ landscape photographer from New Zealand, her competition image is unlike any of her other work.
  • David Lang / Spreading Wings / the 27 / davidglangphotography.com, Some tree images – all I phone work
  • Leslie Gleim / New Life, Ohia Tree / lesliegleim.com- Beautiful work but not relevant to my work

Although thought the gallery owners reviewing was weak, I did gain some insights into how to choose what to submit to and how. It was also a good practice run for me and I lerant to have pertinent questions ready.

I will watch out for the Gallery Talk with the gallery directors discussing all 55 images.  The Gallery Talk will be posted in the blog section of the website. The online exhibition as well as the GalleryTalk will be permanently archived after the end of the exhibition: trees (2024) At: https://asmithgallery.com/exhibitions/trees-5/ (Accessed 10/04/2024).

PEER HANGOUT: Level 3 and OCA photography post graduates

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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 12th 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 (12th 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.

PEER HANGOUT: Level 3 and OCA photography post graduates

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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.

29th 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.

PEER CRITIQUE SESSION

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These have been set up and run by another Photography level 3 student

Peer critque session 24.2.24

Shared Peer Padlet: https://oca.padlet.org/robert513937/photography-level-3-critique-sessions-feb-24th-2024-1eiusxdj97joi0hf

This was the first time I have engaged in this group. The timing was good for me as I am currently working on SYP assignment 1, and refining my BOW images so that I can share in open calls and portfolio reviews.

As always it was useful to engage with peers, reflecting on others work and sharing ideas. It gives me some perspective to see and understand what others are working on and being close to open calls and portfolio reviews now being in the seat of a critiquer was useful.

We discussed Jonathan, Kevin and Hilary’s work first. Jonathan’s work is in a naure reserve and is along Land Art lines. Kevin is working with family portraits and identity.

Regarding my work, I prepared a padlet for the process where I set out what I was looking for in the critique of my work:   https://oca.padlet.org/nicola514516/syp-image-edits-of-bow-for-final-output-what-lies-beneath-e4h3uylersvjzysh

Summary of my expectations for the peer critique session: I am finalising my images from my BOW assessment for my final SYP output which will be a book. I would welcome any thoughts on my editing process so far, as set out in the ‘editing board’ post on this padlet.

I gave context for my work by sharing the power point I submitted for BOW. Then shared my editing board for SYP: https://oca.padlet.org/nicola514516/niki-south-syp-editing-board-of-bow-final-portfolio-images-34wrm0q8udo7plnr

We looked first at my main BOW images: 1.3302, 2. 3283, 3. 3305, 4. 3273, 5. 5279, 6. 5607, 7.3259,

After some discussion there was a consensus that if I was looking for images to drop, it should be images 5 (as the lighting is different) and possibly 6, as I thought. It was mentioned there could be some benefit in adding an image or two that offers different aspects of the woodland as image 3 does currently.

The group found it hard to decide on which to swap in but eventually agreed that images that showed extra aspects to the woodland other than predominantly trees would be good. So, I have decided for now to add in possibility images 2 and 3. These were the images that the group consensus felt added some extra woodland context to the other tree images.

SYP images: 1. 3302, 2.3283, 3. 5900, 4. 3273, 5. 3305, 6. 5640, 7, 3259.

Then I shared and we discussed my BOW footnote woodland images and my suggested reworded and edited SYP footnote images. The group were complimentary about my SYP images and couldn’t suggest any changes.

I asked if they though they signposted my work too overtly; the response was that they thought they were necessary and add to the story that I am telling.

All in all a useful sessio which focused and then refined my editing process for my SYP images

PEER HANGOUT: Level 3 and OCA photography post graduates

/ niki / Leave a comment

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 (14th April -remote). þ Deadline was 31st Jan which was too tight for me.
  • Athens open call deadline 5th Feb too tight.

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

SYP JOURNAL

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LATEST POSTS AT THE TOP

27.7.24: Entered Ffoton’s open call ‘What you see is what you get?” I think the theme is perfect for my work – we’ll see!

23.7.24 submitted assignment 2

6.8.24 Sent 1st research enquires off. Ordered sample papers for photobook and postcards

26.8.24 Peer hangout opportunity for peer feedback on publication draft

23.8.24 submitted assignment 4

22.7.24: I received the copy to proof read for my Suboart 2 page spread – this was exciting!!!!

18.8.24 Suboart magazine issue 28 published with my 2 page feature.

8.8.24 ShutterHub YEARBOOK 24 exihibtion goes live and I receive contact from someone via my website.

22.7.23: I have submitted assignment 2. My visit to the Ffoton bookfair in Cardiff was a turning point for me as it crystalised my plan for disseminating my work to a wider audience. Then pulling together a timeline and budget for the resolution of my project has spurred me on.

18.7.24 peer hangout, see post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/online-meetings/student-peer-hangouts/peer-hangout-18-7-24/

13.7.24: A really useful visit to a book fair  and networking session at ffotogallery Cradiff, see post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/syp-research/ffoton-gallery-cardiff-book-art-fair-13-7-24/

1.7.24: Tutor Feedback session: see post on reflections on feedback: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/submissions-sustaining-your-practice/syp-a-reflections-on-formative-feedback/

28.6.24: When looking for the advertised session, ‘The Business of Being a Creative’ with Nick Dunmur, Wed 19th June, 2 pm – 3.30 pm, I discovered a new set of OCA resources ‘Creative Conversations’, a regular program of live and events with monthly live sessions aiming to bring together OCA students, tutors and external practitioners into dialogue and exchange with each other. I see there is an overview Padlet and forum resources, an video archive of the live sessions and a resource Padlet for links to wider conversations beyond OCA: https://oca.padlet.org/Adam_Thompson/oca-creative-conversations-2023-24-kk0u55vsu08nbo06/wish/Ae2RavrBnAOAanz4.

These could be useful. The Nick Dunmur session was useful for my A2 preparations, see my post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/syp-research/seminar-the-business-of-being-creative/

20.6.24 Peer hangout see post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/assignments/assignment-1-syp/a1-publicity-pdf-review/

17.6.24 Portfolio PDF review with Anna Sellen. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/assignment-1-part-2-publicity-pdf-review/

13.6.24: Images and work statements I submitted to Suboart Magazine for their summer magazine issues has been selected to be part of their August 2024 print issue, as a two page feature. Will share a link when published!

What I’ll get:

  • A beautifully designed two-page feature that will showcase in between one and 4 of your photos and will include your biography, artist statement, website and social media account
  • A photograph of the pages that you’ll be free to use on your website, socials & newsletter
  • A digital PDF copy of the magazine & promotion on our Instagram page through posts or reels or stories

Time to proofread my feature before publication

See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/competition-entry-3/

I took the opportunity to share my success on Instagram 15.6.24

10.6.24: I submitted 3 images to Loosenart for their Somewhere online exhibition. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/competition-entry-4/

8.6.24: I submitted an image for the PDF of OCA group grads entry for the AOP issue. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/online-publication/ and the publication in issuu: https://issuu.com/aopuk/docs/aop_accredited_courses_graduates_magazine_vol_3

3.6.24: We are now online as OCA grads on the AOP website: https://www.source.ie/graduate/2024/opencollba/opencollba_index.php

29.5.24: I submitted 3 images to Suboart for their July/August magazine edition. 

27.5.24: Good news one of my images has been accepted for the green exhibition at the Glasgow gallery of photography – exhibition in Oct.

23.5.24: Have submitted 4 images to the AOP Student awards. For this I updated my student subscription so that I could take advantage of the member’s rate. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/competition/

19.5.24: I have submitted to The Glasgow Gallery of Photography’s Green exhibition. Deadline: 24th May 2024. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/competition-entry-2/

18.5.23: Peer hangout see post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/peer-hangout-level-3-and-oca-photography-post-graduates-4/

13.5.24: I contacted Ann Sellen an OCA Post graduate photographer to ask her to review my publicity PDF. She replied to say she would but not until early June. I have written to my tutor to ask if we can scheduled a tutorial for Assignment 1 mid June.

12.5.24: Submitted with other OCA students to the Source Graduate Photography online exhibition. This was 6 main images and 2 footnote images. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/competition-entry-online-group-submission/

27.4.24: In the meantime I have entered 2 competitions, each with post competition reviews. The first ‘Trees’ (A Smith Gallery, deadline 18.3.24) taught me that single image completions aren’t worthwhile for my body of work, but it was a good exercise as a practise submission, formatting and submitting to a brief and a review afterwards with unknown photographers. see post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/competition-entries/

The Lens Culture award (deadline extended to 25.4.24), was much more useful and more exacting. I had to provide 10 images as a series, with and artist statement and bio. The review I received was exceptionally useful for the stage I am at and will cause me to alter my artist statement and contribute to a rewrite og my publicity PDF. It also contained some helpful ideas for formatting/presenting my work. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/competition-entry/

4.4.24: Peer hangout which was really useful – I had support with my draft publicity PDF See post:https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/peer-hangout-level-3-and-oca-photography-post-graduates-3/

I sent the PDF to my tutor on 8th April and had a reply from her on 22nd April advising me to go ahead and send out, taking into accounts her comments, see my A1 learning log notes. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/assignment-1-part-1-draft-publicity-pdf/

18.3.24: Received an email from my Tutor suggesting we have an introductory chat once I have emailed her the PDF document, this for showing 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 and possibly an overarching artist’s statement as well as the introduction you wrote in Body of Work.

29.2.24 Peer hangout gave me great support for building my website and setting up my Instagram account. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/peer-hangout-level-3-and-oca-photography-post-graduates-2/

24.2.24: Peer critique session- see post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/peer-critique-session/

7.2.24: I’ve now worked through the introduction and assessment course book and have contacted my tutor as suggested.

This has confirmed the actions that I have set for myself above so that I can present my work as a PDF document with the intention of showing it to an industry professional and asking them politely for a short piece of feedback:

  1. Edit my BOW. To do so I will review and reflect on my assessment feedback.
  2. Write my artist statement.
  3. Write a bio.
  4. Write a CV.

My reflections on formative feedback from assessment BOW:

Positives:

  • It was recognised that I have transformed the abstract concept of social disharmony into a visual narrative using the woodland as a visual metaphor.
  • My intertextual couplets is important in bridging the ideas.
  • Peer group participation

 To develop:

  • Develop/research my ideas psychosocially /anecdotally on the unseen ‘hostile forces’ in the local community. This will help with my audience presentation through my artist’s statement. Note to self: revisit Documentary work
  • Revisit my woodland images for a final edit to strengthen them for SYP.
  • Refine my footnote images for a final selection, especially for lighting and consistency.
  • Consider the placement of the footnote images – to bring the most effect.

I have reflected on feedback from BOW assessment, to help with editing/reworking my BOW images for SYP notes, and been a part of an OCA Peer Critique session see post A1 learning log and peer critique session 24.2.24. See post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/online-meetings/student-peer-hangouts/peer-critique-session-24-2-24/

27.1.24: My recent peer hangout (25.1.24) see post: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/online-meetings/student-peer-hangouts/peer-hangout-25-1-24/://nkssite6.photo.blog/2024/06/30/peer-hangout-level-3-and-oca-photography-post-graduates/) brought some revelations. I was about to start submitting my images for competitions/articles, but I hadn’t realised that I needed to have a dedicated website for professionals to refer to and an Instagram account.

This has led to a fast-learning curve on how to build a website for free. I thought about using wordpress and paying for a personal domain as I am very familiar with it. I also experimented with Adobe Portfolio and whilst at first I was frustrated I persevered and have now built the skeleton. I also need to build up my Instagram account.

I need to get myself quickly into a position where I can apply for open calls and portfolio reviews. To do this I need to:

  • Write a CV- look at other websites and requirements for portfolio reviews and open calls.
  • Decide on my final images, by reviewing BOW feedback and peer review.