When first starting out on the course, I felt a mixture of excitement and fear, Excitement for what I was to learn and fear that it had been a long time since I was in formal education and would i be able to manage my work, family and study commitments . I started at Newcastle College back in September of 2012 having done a little assistant work but most of what i knew was from self lead study or one day courses but Now, in my final year of my FdA, I have a focus in my photography I started working freelance in my second year promoting Michelle Mercer Photography via social media and each year it has built along with my confidence.
Above shows my first year projects i received mid 60%-70% marks throughout the year and although that is not a bad mark as it is classed as high merit i am my own worst critique and strived to do better. My main learning curve in my first year was studio lighting, it was great to learn the technical aspect of is all as that is what I am used to in my past careers (I have a technical brain). The first year really exposed my weakness in creative thinking and this was something that I was determined to build on.
Above shows my second year projects and straight away, the whole concept of lighting, ISO, Shutter Speeds, Aperture, etc really clicked with me! and my IT mind it gave me a boost in my confidence as i know in my head what i needed to do to achieve the shot i was after. So this whole year was about the art and creativity. Throughout this year i used my photoshop and digital skills that i had acquired in my past employment and brought them up to date to allow me to complete some more skill demanding projects and briefs. By the end of the second year I was starting to rise again in my confidence after taking a blow mid year. I knew that the key to my future success would be attention to detail and seeing the whole frame, let my mind relax and explore my creativity. Above all PRACTICE!!!!
The end is near as | enter my third year and two final project and I have exciting times ahead my business for 2015 is building, I am starting to get regular commercial commissions from a VR company and my work is being published online and in newspapers. I was selected to be a case study for the college due to my high level of achievements. I have a plan and a focus for the future and I am looking forward to it