EYE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS
CONTENTS 4 I-Introduction: My Placement
6 II-Career Tools Cirriculum Vitae Website Online Portfolio
12 III-Project Outline Visual teaching aides Hovington Workshop Mallorca Workshop Studio Workshop Lead assitant tasks 36 IV- Use of Social Media Twitter Flickr
EYE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS ‘EXPERT AND FULLY EQUIPPED PHOTOGRAPHIC TUITION IN AMAZING LOCATIONS’ EYE workshops teach all photography enthusiasts, from amateur to experienced, how to see photography from a unique perspective. Administering this knowledge in beautiful surroundings such as the African safari and the Highlands of Scotland provides ‘in-the-field’ instruction and gives ample scope for discovering how to ‘see’ photography creatively. As EYE has only recently been established, it is continually exploring new areas of the market and adapting its business model to fit an ever-changing economy. My role as part of the EYE team followed that same path, not fixed or static, but continually evolving. Working predominately in an assistant’s role at EYE, I was presented with the challenge of seeing photography from a different perspective, as teacher instead of photographer. The job was not about providing images to a client, but rather, how I could relay the photographic process to others. Within this area, I developed teaching aides and visual guides that would make the learning process clearer. I worked as part of the EYE team in a business aspect, developing new themed workshops targeting specific areas of the market. For example, how could we create a workshop that would appeal to young people in their gap year or mothers interested in child portraiture? How would we do this differently to competing companies? This became a new context through which I explored the ideas of photography and how it reaches a mass audience. My experience at EYE has left me with a greater understanding of the process of putting theory into practice in order to run a successful, photography orientated, business.
I met Michael Potter whilst selling photographic prints from a stall on the Portobello Rd. Through a casual conversation it was established that he was in search of an assistant to work along side him teaching at his photographic workshops. I expressed interest and we arranged a time to meet and talk about my involvement with EYE. I left a business card with him so that he could have a look at my website as well as the photographic work he viewed on my stall. During our meeting we talked about what I was currently doing within the photography world including both my own portrait photography business as well as ongoing university projects. Michael gave me an overview of how EYE operates and the various types of workshops that were run. It was agreed that I would join the EYE team. As my work placement was established through a personal meeting with Michael Potter, I was not required to provide a cover letter or curriculum vitae. As this had been my first experience within a professional photography role since beginning my degree, I was aware of the absence of a current CV amongst my career tools. I felt, although I had obtained a placed at EYE, that it was important to create a current CV. I worked on this and the development of an online portfolio to accompany my own website. In the event that future photography jobs may arise I am now equipped to vie for the position.
www.esthergrayphotography.com
www.esther.clickgarden.net
www.esther.clickgarden.net
I made simple visual aides to accompnay the tutorials given at each workshop.
Low key lighting
Demonstrating critical point of focus
f/ 14.0
f/ 8.0
f/ 5.6
f/ 3.0
f /10 1/1600 ISO200
Fast shutter speeds
f/9 1/1000 ISO400
HOVINGTON WORKSHOP
Hovington was a two day workshop in Wiltshire. As all clients were beginners, emphasis was place on instruction of basic technical skills. Throughout the workshop I performed the role of assistant. Michael led the morning tutorials and I supported the clients while out on day trips with any technical information they were in need of. I was also in charge of maintaining all the photography equipment and helping the clients with downloading and editing their images. Activities such as photographing a local hunt and an evening trip to a neighbouring town enabled the clients to practice with shutter speed and low-light photography.
MALLORCA WORKSHOP Our workshop in Mallorca took place in a small village named Pollenca. Over a four day trip the clients learned a range of photographic skills from technical basics to creative theme and composition. I was given the role of working with those clients whom already possessed an intermediate grasp of the camera. As a group, we worked on expanding their current understanding of photographic practice. After a short tutorial in the morning the clients were given exercises or themes to work on throughout the day’s journey. By placing the clients in a beautiful location it provided a fun and relaxing way of putting what they had learned into form. Locations such as a local market, monastery, and harbour provided a plethora of visual images. Throughout the workshop activities were set-up to focus on particular technical areas. The group had an amusing experimentation with shutter speeds and metering as they photographed their instructors performing gymnastics on the beach. One client who was an accomplished ballroom dancer performed in the studio allowing other clients to work on creative angles when working within a confined space. The workshop was a resounding success and received a glowing report in Country Life magazine.
STUDIO WORKSHOP The studio workshop was very small with individual tutoring being the focus. Over the two day workshop I worked as tutor and assistant, working with the model to create various looks through make-up and clothing changes. The clients were able to learn various lighting techniques as well as experience the photographer/model relationship.
One role I played within the EYE team was to find and interview potential assistants. This is an example of the correspondence I had with a young photographer seeking a job with EYE.
The Eye team felt there was a gap in the market for a photography workshop catering to young people. It would serve to fill in their gap year or as an introduction for those choosing what they might study university. As lead assistant, I brought on board two school colleagues that helped create and run this workshop. The offshoot was named BLINK and a Facebook page was created to get a feel for potential interest.