Thursday, 9 August 2012
Iconic View of London 2012
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
'The amount of times I’ve had to use a camera since graduating have been endless'
“Photography can be used in so
many different ways. If you’re interested in a creative career there are so
many points at which you will need to use a camera…….whether its graphic
design, textiles or marketing you’re interested in, it can be of use in so many
creative careers and its helped me such a
lot in every job I’ve have had!
When working as a freelance
illustrator, I used photography on a range of jobs. I had to produce 7
large scale drawings for a cruise liner and to create the drawings I initially started off with a
camera and then, when building installations for various other projects, the only way
to record this for my portfolio was by photography. When I worked in a
gallery and an arts centre, one of my jobs
was to photograph work that was to be
included in the gallery guide along with photographing other events and private views to use for publicity. Now I work in marketing and I have to
use my camera to photograph events on a weekly basis. The amount of times I’ve
had to use a camera since graduating from a degree in Graphic Communication have been endless.
Although it was never my intention to be a Photographer, having photography as
a skill has assisted me in every job I have had in the creative industry.
Advice I would give to students
who are interested in a career in the creative industry is to always consider
the range of skills you will need in whatever path you choose. You may be
interested in textiles, but exploring a range of creative processes and
techniques will always put you at an advantage in your career and make you more
employable. For example if you became a surface pattern designer, you may start
your original designs with some initial drawings, these then may get scanned
into the computer edited and finished using various programs. You then may wish
to silk screen these designs onto fabric and your last step may be getting a
model to wear your designs in a studio for you to photograph for your
portfolio. By creating a beautifully designed pattern from start to finish you
have used a variety of different processes and skills. That’s why I think when
I left school at 16 choosing to study a Btec in Art and Design in an Art
College was so useful. Although I was able to specialise in Graphic Design
which was the area I was most interested in, I was able to explore a range of
different processes and learnt a variety of different skills that I’m still
using 7 years later” Ex Extended Diploma Student at Hereford College of
Arts who left in 2005
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
Tom Jenkins Photographing the Olympics
As Usain Bolt has just won the 100 metres sprint in the 2012
London Olympics, we thought it was only right to bring up Tom Jenkins who is arguably
one of the best sports photographers of our time. In the 2008 Beijing Olympic
games Jenkins famously photographed Usain Bolt winning his second gold medal,
this became one of his most iconic sporting images.
Photographing sports events for over 20 years Jenkins has
won a huge amount of awards including Young Press Photographer in 1990 and Photographer
of the Year in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Jenkins started his career in 1989 when he left
Newport College, Wales with a Diploma in Documentary Photography. He started
his career working for Allsports Agency, one of the best sport photo agencies
in the world. In 1990 Jenkins began working for the Guardian.
Friday, 3 August 2012
Young, employed and making an impact - Interview with Photographer Bethan B Fairclough
Bethan is an exceptionally proactive and inspirational Young
Photographer from Hereford who has just finished her BTEC Level 3 Extended
Diploma in Art and Design at Hereford College of Arts. At the young age of 18 Bethan
is already well on her way to starting a fantastic career within Photography. We
recently caught up with Bethan to find out what she’s up to at the moment now
based in Cardiff and where her passion for photography first began…
Q: What made you decide to study Art and Design at an Art
College?
A: For GCSE I studied photography. This subject
became a huge passion of mine in which I wanted to continue with. I have always
loved the art world, when I choose the BTEC in Art and Design course I was told
I would learn a bit of everything before being able to specialise. This seemed
perfect for me; I wanted to explore the art world and different areas a little
more.
Q: At what point did you decide that Photography was the
route you wanted to go down?
A: Every time I would try a
different art field I would compare everything about it to photography. I felt
my passion would not dissolve for photography.
Q: Can you remember the first photograph you ever took
A: I used to steal the camera of my mum when I
was little and pretend I was the paparazzi. This annoyed her a lot as she is
never happy with a photograph of herself.
Q: Bethan you’re a young photographer achieving some great
things and carrying out some exciting projects, could you tell us what your
biggest achievement has been so far?
A: I can answer that straight
away. I feel my biggest achievement was being assistant photographer for the Queen.
I was asked by a gentleman who I have previously done voluntary work with, to
be his assistant. We were the only non-press photographers so we had more
control than any of the others. It was
for her Jubilee Tour, she visited a place near to where I live, Glanusk Estate.
Q: Who’s you
favourite photographer?
A: I know there are all these
amazing photographers in the world but at the moment it has to be someone quite
close to me, Mark Kerr. He has helped me out a lot and inspired me more than
anyone. He does local projects in which I am now involved with.
Q: What other things inspire you within your work?
A: Within photography I think
just looking around me inspires me. It inspires my work and what I put into my
photographs. There’s always something new to shoot whenever you look around.
People inspire me yes but the source of my images just comes from looking around.
Q: What have you found the most useful tool to get your work
out there and noticed by people?
A: Contacts are the most amazing
tool to get your work seen and known. They lead you onto bigger and better
things. Even the smallest thing can get your work known to just one more
person; the number will grow this way. Everything is worth doing when you want
to get your name out there as an artist.
Q: What are your plans for the future and where do you see
yourself placed within the creative industries?
A: I am currently working for a
jewellery company in Cardiff behind the advertisement section. I photograph
products and create advertisement shots for the products. These images are then
going onto their company website and catalogue. I’d call this my dream job so
would like to see myself still within this job in the future. They want me to
eventually become manager of head office, I feel privileged they feel I can
manage with this role.
Q: What advice would you give to other young people
interested in pursuing a career within Photography?
A: Contacts are everything; they
have led me onto great things and some of the best things in my career. Even
when you think you’re getting nowhere, there will be something around the
corner. It’s always worth asking and if people say no then you move onto
something else. I rang galleries, read books, contacted photographers and now I
feel I’m in my dream job and it was all worthwhile.
Some Inspiration
Check this out to see 20 of the best young photographers from around the world. http://www.expertphotography.com/top-20-young-photographers-2012
Thursday, 2 August 2012
New prize just announced - The Judge's Favourite.
As well as all the great prizes that are up for grabs Jessops
in Hereford have kindly offered to sponsor ‘The Judge’s Favourite’ prize.
The winner of The Judge's Favourite will have their winning
entry on display in the Hereford Jessops store. As well as this you will also receive
100 free 7X5 prints and a 25% discount off a canvas print.
That’s ten prizes in total that are up for grabs, so get
your entries in, we look forward to receiving your photographs.
And remember the theme this year is Looking Forward
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