When I started back in September I didn’t really know what to expect- this would be my fifth year of photography in terms of education and up until this point, I had to self teach everything I knew. I was certain I wanted to network with many more creatives and branch outwards with the bounds of my own work, through a deeper exploration of both photographic practice and beyond it-and now this is something I definitely found!
I really enjoyed being taught by practicing photographers and creatives who knew how to help me develop a much wider range of skills in areas like the physically processing of analogue film and studio based practice, both of which I feel so much more confident in now.
I think the most obvious challenge within this module was the timing of it, as of course COVID was a real struggle in terms of how it limited the gallery visits we could physically attend, however, I feel I had managed to get most of them in before the lockdown had occurred anyway. The main struggle for me was to find the motivation to work through this difficult time. I was sent back home to live with my brother due to the financial pressures of the lockdown and therefore was put into a place that made it difficult to retain much focus on any uni related work as I had to help him with many daily tasks.
However, even with this in mind, I have actually really enjoyed this module, as in many senses, it gave me the motivation to visit new galleries, some of which I’ll definitely be revisiting! It also ensured that I would be creating new bodies of work, even during the lockdown, even throughout the challenges.
As for the year as a whole, as cheesy as it’ll sound, I definitely think the people I’ve met have been a massive highlight of this year! I never thought I would have been able to network with some of the incredible individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and the friends I’ve made along the way too!
I think I’ve been better at time management this year, as trying to constantly juggle three modules has been a challenge but has also helped me learn how to juggle multiple tasks at once, as we would in the industry. However, this is definitley something I can continue to improve and develop into next year. I also think I be more confident into diving into genres and types of photography that I’m yet to explore, as I feel this is something I struggle with- I find myself always going straight for the areas of photography that I’m confident in rather than experimenting, and so this is something I’d definitley like to look more into next year.
Thank you for reading this blog, and for going on this journey with me!
Victoria
V E E L I S E K 