Week 8.2 – Reflection

A reflection on the first 7 weeks of research and preparation for the ActewAGL Major Project. 

I feel that the seven week lead up to the actual shooting of the images has been an invaluable learning experience. It has provided us with a clear understanding of the processes that need to followed or at least considered when preparing to undertake a photographic project for a client.

The first three weeks provided an understanding the importance of researching the client, past advertising campaigns, their client audience set the photographer in a position of truly getting an understanding of who your client is and how your work can appeal to them. Not to say the photographer has to follow their predecessors but it gives them a starting point. With that knowledge the photographer can choose to follow suit or go for a radically different approach and justify it to the client based on their research.

The last four weeks became a time of soul searching for the photographer. The conscience consideration and writing down some ideas of what images they may shoot and detailing techniques, equipment, places, permission, costs, travel, time etc. that would be needed to fulfil the objective. This portion of the exercise again was a great learning one making it a more conscious thought process and written process of what the photographer intends to do. All this is an imperative of what we as emerging photographers should consider if only mentally for some jobs and in some instance do the full-blown exercise for others.

I think I struggled and still struggle the most with the Week 8 blog, “Why your client should employ you.” Not unlike others I find it difficult to self-promote and I’m probably the harshest critic of my own work. I know the theory and understand the importance of self-promotion but I still find it a struggle. Another thing I’ll have to work on.