PC3: Personal Portfolio

The importance of personal portfolio is it represents who you are to your clients, it reflects you as a photographer and your understanding in this field, showing you are an innovative, your creative ability and professional skills you have. An outstanding portfolio is memorable, unique and concise, showing a serious of photographs you are proud of and you can talk about. Thus, when customers see your works, they would know how much time you have invested on preparing your portfolio.

Buttomhole Stitch & Longstitch Binding Workshop

                         

In this workshop. We learnt how to make two beautiful non-adhesive books structures: the Long Stitch and the Buttomhole Stich Bindings. Both bindings gave exposed decorative sewing on the spine and lots of potential in terms of materials selection, colour combinations, stitching and decorating techniques. They open completely flat which makes them ideal to use as sketchbooks, notebooks, photo albums or to incorporate own artwork or writing.

The sewing structures of these books are similar to Coptic binding all of them are sewing and pages exposed. I like this idea of seeing the horizontal line pattern in spine area that makes the decoration look abstract. Considering to make a book as my final, the idea of pure handmade seems to be working well and this shows the audience that I have skills to make a high standard body of work. Maybe combine this sewing structure covered by a box like visual artist Catanlina De la Cruz works for her photobooks which she creates Solander box and uses the front of board as her cover pages.

Photo etching workshop

                                    

In this workshop. I learnt the slow process of making photo etching to produce a body of work for my final project. Photo etching is also known as photo ingalito, the word ingalito comes from Italy, which means carved. In this type of print, lines are etched with acid into the surface of a metal plate. When the plate is inked, then wiped clean so that the link lies only in these recesses. A print is made when the plate is covered by damp paper and the two are rolled under pressure in an etching press.

The sophistic process is slow and skilled. Most of time you need to rely on technicians as students are not allowed to use the exposure machine, when they are busy at some point, you need to wait for them after they come back. I felt a bit frustrated when making the finals, as I mentioned, you need to wait, and literally it’s not you being independent to create your work, is someone help you to accomplish it. Thus, I think I didn’t learn the whole process of making photo-etching. Although Penny went the process in details, I still have nothing on the time controlling of exposure. Nevertheless, the result is amazing, I think the image contains simple contour and after it is etched, the effect of exposure stands out the contour and hence they look more vivid than printing on photographic paper.

Reference:

Artistsnetworkcom. 2017. Intaglio Printmaking Made Simple | Here Are The 5 Key Processes. [Online]. [25 April 2019]. Available from: https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/drawing/intaglio-explained/ 

PC3: Tax & Licenses

Being a sole trader is providing a service individually, you have your flexible working hours and you could work on various projects. However, this enjoyable role could be a risk than you need to consider where to get the next project as well as trying to meet up with people to build your networking. The negotiation itself and can take the form of a face-to-face meeting, an email or phone call but it is important to close a negotiation with an agreement. Repeat back to the client what your understanding of the agreement is, and consider whether you need to create a contract for clarity and protection. Regarding tax record, you need to keep receipts your income and expense every week/month, you could use an accountant to help with your trading year.

PC3: Branding and Marketing

The process of branding can be as valuable as using outputs to voice you as a brand. A good design stands out your style through outputs and people would easily remember you are a professional. Various things you could use as branding, for instance, business cards or other physicals, logo, website, social media, newsletters and you represent your branding.

BABE (Bristol Artist Book Event)

                                   

BABE (Bristol Artist Book Event) features the work of book publishers and small presses from around the world. Since 2007, BABE has established a great reputation as a relaxed and friendly event to meet and talk to book artists about their work and buy works of art. Hundreds of examples of artists’ books, from small handmade editions to risograph printed zines to repurposed altered books. With more than 100 makers taking part, and prices starting from just a few pounds, there will be something for everyone.

V&A Collecting Photography: From Daguerreotype to Digital

                                    

Since its invention in the 1830s, photography has radically transformed the way we document and express the world we see. Today, photographs are created and consumed at a raid race, but early on the very act of making a photograph was challenging and time-consuming, requiring scientific knowledge as well as artistic ability.