Personal Progession

Personal Statement

I want to develop my knowledge and understanding of photography because it is my passion. Personally, a photograph can be used in a number of creative and imaginative ways.  For me it is not simply the capturing of an image itself, it is the diverse nature of this medium that particularly excites me.  Over the past three years, I have strived to develop my photography so that my work is able to communicate more than just the image.  I am interested in developing the potential of my photography to tell stories, evoke emotion, capture beauty and document life.

This creative potential has enabled me personally to impart my innermost feelings and emotions through the lens, provoking a sense of liberation and personal achievement.  This, coupled together with being able to share this feeling with others is ultimately very satisfying, as it allows me to overcome the difficulty I have in expressing myself.  In this regard, I am in accord with the inspiring Hungarian artist, Sarolta Ban, who is quoted as saying “I’m not so good in talking about myself.  I prefer the pictures to ‘talk’.”

I first realised my love for photography while I was on holiday in Barcelona in December 2008, where I wandered around this exquisite city and took picture after picture of the inspirational and magnificent architecture.  This is when I realised the importance of a well-framed image.  Since then my photographic prowess has improved tremendously, to now, where I am using sophisticated equipment and considering pre-shot: lighting, depth of field, composition and time of day, to capture the ideal picture.  I have developed over time, with my interest in photography growing through learning from experience and articulating my thoughts, feelings and ideas visually.

I continue to be inspired by the world around me and especially love discovering new places, people and wildlife, capturing them in their element.  I relish showing people the familiar and everyday, presenting them in a new light, hopefully opening their minds to different perspectives.  I strive to expand my knowledge and find that photography is a way of taking reality and designing and manipulating it to my own specification.

I am constantly inspired by photographers’ work, old and new. These include such practitioners as; Ralph Meatyard for his exotic surrealism, Ansel Adams for his breathtaking landscape photography, Sebastião Salgado for his hard-hitting journalistic images, Dmitry Bocharov for his exquisite fashion imagery and many more. I am appreciative of all forms of photography, being open minded towards new and exciting styles, with a growing penchant for surrealism.

If I had to define one element of photography that inspires me the most, I would say photojournalism.  This stemmed from one of my projects in my first year where we had to research and photograph how Man is impacting on Mother Nature. I chose the problem of pollution and improper sewage disposal, as it is a pertinent issue that I could easily document within my local area. I lost myself in the research and enjoyed educating myself on this issue and in turn educating classmates and tutors. I would love to become a photojournalist but at this stage I want to keep my options open.

More recently, I have been contacted by a local hairdresser for creating publicity shots and have also been commissioned to take pictures for a local Gastro pub. I have negotiated with two local establishments to display a selection of my work for public sale.  I hope that this HE programme will give me more confidence in my ability and further my understanding of the photographic industry and how to firmly establish myself within it.

University Research

Nottingham Trent University: Photography/Photography in Europe

During my research into University courses I came across this which immediately appealed me. The reason behind this was because of the opportunities it has to offer. On this course they arrange regular visits to international photography festivals like the 'Festival of Lights' series in Paris, Berlin and Bratislava, as well as major exhibitions in London, New York and Bilbao. This extremely appeals to me as I am passionate about travelling the world and to be able to do this whilst on studying photography is amazing. They also have an Erasmus exchange programme there where some students have gone to Canada for a year of their studies.  Aside from this they also offer amazing resources, work experience with industry experts and teach all aspects of photography.  

University of the Arts London: Photography

Another University that appealed to me was the University of the Arts London. This University appealed to me because of the resources it has to offer, the multi-genre approach to photography spanning fine art, documentary and commercial practise. They also offer a wide range of opportunities visiting London-based production facilities like: photographic studios, magazine and newspaper publishing houses and processing facilities. Also due to it being in London there are many visiting lecturers of industry experts and opportunities to do work experience within the industry. This course appealed to me because of how I will be able to get my work out there and gain proper experience within the field of photography. 

University of Brighton: Photography

The University of Brighton appeals to me for two main reasons, it is familiar and they offer a very thorough and diverse course in Photography. The reason it is familiar to me is because I used to live there and have friends and family who are still up there. However, I am more interested in their prestigious photography course that will help to mould me into a professional photographer. They offer good tutor time and help you progress throughout the three years and to the end helping you to find your photographic niche. Another element of this course that appealed to me was how previous students have been involved and successful in many of the most prestigious photography awards including the Jerwood Photography Awards, Guardian Student Media Awards, Independent Photographers Terry O'Neill Awards.