Crusade part 3

Plans and goals

   "Choose your own adventure", the slogan that maps this chapter's   photographic journey. This section takes you through the different ways that you as a photographer can market yourself and your work in the photo world. Publication and museums were just a few options mentioned that can become options for photographers looking to further their work. As this section starts out, you must choose your own adventure and craft your own journey. Having an idea of where you as an artist wants to go is very important for an artists growth. The plans and goals you set for yourself are there to guide you as you move forward and continue creating work. In my experience not all plans and goals I have set for myself go according to the original plan, this was definitely evident for me and my photo journey this semester. For me, being able to know my limitations as a photographer is important, and when I understand what I can accomplish I'm able to create work that I'm proud of. This semester, goals that I set for myself didn't quite meet their marks, resulting in a lapse of questioning where to go next. As I've come to realize, this is normal, and also a part of the adventure for a photographer. Plans and goals constantly change, but being able to adapt and move forward so that new goals and plans can be created and met is what photography is all about. 

-NB

Crusade part 2

Edit and Sequence

    Within the photo taking experience you often come to one of the most important portions of your work, editing. This is one of the final stages that can truly bring your photos to life. For me, and I'm sure for almost all other photographers, editing gives us all a chance to enhance the work we create allowing us to have our own creative choice when making editing decisions. Additionally, the 'edit and sequence' section discusses the perspective of "an experienced outsider", this individual is able to have a different take on the work you provide. Often times it's hard to look at your own body of work and think objectively. This can be due to the vision you already had for your own project, or other factors that you have perceived about the body of work you've completed. Moreover, this is why critiques are important to a photographers overall growth when developing project after project.

-NB   

Long time no see!

Hey y'all it's been a minute! This semester has had me lost in the grad school sauce and it's just been a crazy busy semester for me, but like most people, we're all busy so we just keep pushing and doing what we can until the end.

My goal is to get the rest of my book blog chapters in at some point today and work on pulling together the rest of my website. Once those things are done be on the lookout for my website which I hope to post within the next few days. As for my final project, I've had to put Dead End on a slight hold for the moment, so, I've shifted gears to another topic of interest that I have and I look forward to posting a few images from this new series.

Until then,

p.s- can't wait to see everyone's final projects! :)

Michael: Update #11

Thar she blows!

Reconnection arrives this Thursday - and I intend to have my work hanging in it!
Everything is all ready and tomorrow I will see just how well these keyhole-slotted wood panels may hang.  With a handy level, power screwdriver, and patience, I'll be damned the day doesn't end on a prepared entry.
Well, more work still to be done for an artist directory zine for the class.  Perhaps I'll make some minor additions to my website and post the link for that again.  Along with a pic or two of Proximity.

Until next time.

Kerry: Last weekly post!

First, good luck to everyone getting ready for their senior show - I know you're down to crunch time, so I hope all goes well in these last few days.  I am really excited to see everyone's work mounted and hung "for real."

As for me, I'm done shooting for the semester, at least, and have culled through what I think are the strongest of the images I've made thus far in preparation for the final critique. I hope that, because I hope to use this work for my own senior show in the fall, that I'll get lots of constructive feedback so I can finish shooting over the summer; I'd love to have the work ready to print when fall semester rolls around, or at least soon thereafter. I look forward to hearing what y'all have to say!

See you in final crit!

Michael: Update #10

IT BEGINS!!

Installing has begun in the Gordon Gallery. 
My own work is closing in on the finish line (4 more prints of the 16 to go, then adhering them to the panels), so the most I could do was tape down some approximations to where everything will go.  It may be that space constraints will cause me to alter the arrangement some, but I'll work with my wall-mate and see what can be done. 

In other photo news, I can inform you all that I will be attending VCU's Photo and Film MFA program!  Over the weekend, they offered me a substantial assistantship which sealed the deal for me.  Phew!  Glad to have gotten through that process and stoked on the possibilities that await me.

First things first though...

Post 5: Possible Top 8

Maybe it's because I've seen these photos so many times, because honestly I'm not 100% sure I'm satisfied with my selection. I don't know, I just feel like something is missing. I respect each one of you and your eye so please let know the truth and tell me what you think. I would appreciate that.

Thank you.

Michael: Update #9

Coming to the home stretch, yes we surely are.
And yet for me, things have slowed down a bit.  Kinda had to spend the latter part of this week focusing on grad school: I've had a late acceptance by VCU and the decision deadline is tomorrow.  Should turn out all for the best though.  VCU just nudges out Columbia College as far as a suitable environment for me, being smaller altogether and more feasibly slow-paced.  While I have loved getting to to know everyone at CCC, I may just be a little more intrigued by what people are doing at VCU it turns out anyway.  It's a big decision and I am not taking it lightly.
Subsequently, more of this last work for seminar/senior show still awaits me but I am more than eager to take it on!
I've got essentially everything shot and edited.  My panels are cut and two thirds of them have keyhole slots routed in the back for hanging.  This upcoming week I should make my four big prints on Greta's special printer in her studio (oooh!).
It'll all come together.  That's what we do!

Kerry: Week whatever . . .

First order of business - my website is Kerry Kilburn Photography I welcome your feedback - if nothing else, this is the first time I've tried to use anything as complicated as Zenfolio, so I won't be surprised to hear that there are glitches I haven't caught!

Second, I went shooting again today with the goal of trying to nail down some images that have been eluding me, and filling in some blanks. Because it had just rained and was an overcast day, the colors in the park were really popping, especially the greens. At this point in the process, I'm definitely thinking of the series as representing ghosts of the park, with the ghosts falling into three groups: Native Americans, African Americans, and European Americans. I'll be contemplating this more as I work on my artist talk for Wednesday - but will be working all summer to refine this so I can use it for senior show in the fall, so I'm trying not to freak out about the fact that I haven't completely figured it out yet :)

As always, images aren't edited, and all feedback is welcome.

Jasmine Crusade Part II

Set the Stage

The strategy the artist takes in considering the order of their art is important. This chapter helps with understanding the work we put out to be view has to be carefully thought through so that the message we want to convey is clearly understood; But with this, there is a process that is involved that will help with getting to this point.

Critiquing my own work is not an easy task. It requires somewhat of an objective view which can be hard when your work is clearly subjective. However, learning to do this is essential to narrowing down your photos and making necessary adjustments. Which is why having time to discuss it amongst fellow photographers comes in handy. It should never be looked at as a painful ordeal because of the comments are only to help you; but it does take time to get used to.

When looking at my photos I look at the composition, the subject, and the overall lighting of the photo. How I determine what stays and what goes is by using a clear concise strategy: Can it stand alone and does it belong in the series and (if so) why? Next, setting the stage also takes a story that I must convey to the viewer, so that they follow each photograph as a sequence. Like each photo has an intentional placement.
Everything from the Artist Statement/Project Statement all plays a big roll in setting the stage. What we bring to the table is the complete package: size, edition, price, website; it all factors in with the photography aspect.

Jasmine Crusade Part I

Making the Work

I can relate to this chapter within the context of my series Thank You for Shopping Here. There has been so many times when I thought I was "done," and I could finally put my work together by narrowing down my photos. Upon the narrowing down process I knew instantly: I was not done and needed to go back and shoot more for this series. A series of any kind can not evolve properly if there is a lack of time dedicated to the project. What time does is it shifts the ideas conjured up and pushes it to be more with time.

Concept-based photography has pushed me in the direction of fine art photography. That type of photography requires more than a mere thought, but an idea. The idea then takes consistency and will go through a developmental stage which I find very pivotal for the success of the series as a whole.

My goal as photographer is to connect with my viewer on an emotional level. I want my work to speak volumes with a single photograph. This chapter has allowed to see the different stages there are in photography and the different type of photographer I can decide to be. I want to be the photographer that makes the viewer feel something. 

My deepest apologies for my lack of posts

My series Thank You for Shopping Here isn't entirely complete but I am finished as far as Senior Show and Photo Sem 2. I wish to continue this series in book form and hopefully get it published once I'm satisfied with the photos.

My website: www.jasmineswift.com

Please do not hesitate to tell me what I can improve or your thoughts in general.
Thank You!

Kerry: Weekly update #???

I've completely lost track of the weeks now :) Anyway, no new shooting (I'll be going out Saturday if  the weather holds), just reviewing the photos I have and trying to think about how to improve those that need improving, to identify what's missing, and to figure out some kind of sequencing that will make sense of them all. I really want to get some photos around the cabins, but I'm told I need a special use permit for that, so I guess that's something I'll be working on this week as well. I've puttered around my website and added the final (for now) gallery to the portfolio - the next one will be this series once it's publishable!

The other "next thing" is to get new business cards made now that I have an "@kerrykilburnphotography" email address. I want to put an image on it (on the back), but am having a hard time deciding what to use. I used the photo of the cup and my mother's pearls for the postcards I took to SPE, and they make a nice stand-alone image, but I'm not sure that's the image I want to stand for the body of my work. So still thinking about it. If anyone feels like glancing through the photos on my website and making recommendations, I'm happy to take suggestions :)

'Til next time - time to figure out why my new HVAC system is heating instead of cooling . . .

Crusade part 4: From Goals to Action

This last part is fairly short and gives most attention to portfolio reviews.  Now that I've had the opportunity to actually participate in one (via SPE), I can see the wisdom in many of the suggestions given.  I recall one of my reviewers asking me what I wanted to get out of it and I was a bit stunned that I hadn't really given this much thought beforehand!  Without a concise goal in mind for the review you may get any and all kinds of recommendations, but not necessarily what you are looking for. 
Essentially, I went into this situation with the mindset of it being like a critique, in which I am a student and the professor dictates the terms.  Instead, it's more like a serious discussion with a potential colleague: what I am working on that I could use a new perspective with?  What further steps may be needed for this project to reach fruition or if it's ready to be launched, how and where should it begin?  Perhaps most importantly, given that we do not know each other but I would like us to, how do I come across as a fellow artist and person to work with? 
This aspect was sound advice to me, along with the consensus view that these reviews can provide some truly valuable interactions: linking oneself to a community that can become familiar with you while you are learning -and enjoying the company of- it.
The appendix had a great list of photography-related websites, as well as many of the big portfolio reviews out there.  A fine cap to a helpful, easy-to-read book.


And as for an update: still going!!

Kerry Delayed Week 10 Update

So the reason this post is delayed is that I didn’t get out and shoot last week - I was swamped with other coursework and family stuff. But I did accomplish the business of establishing a kerry@kerrykilburnphotography email address! It took a few hours trying to decide what email service to use (wound up with Mailcheap) and how to get it set up and connected to my website, but it seems to be working. So now I have to reprint my business cards . . . It’s always something!

This week I will be revising the work Greta and I have gone over and identified as the images with the greatest potential and starting to do some organizing and editing so I can see what kinds of gaps I still need to fill and what new kinds of images I can come up with. Some new opportunities will be arising simply as a result of the change in season, but I also need to think about the staged narrative aspect. This will be the work I use for senior show next semester, so I have a while to figure it out (and to fill in the blanks), but the history of the park is sufficiently complex that I can take the story in a lot of different directions, and I need to start narrowing my focus, so to speak :)

So that’s the news from my trenches. Hope everyone else’s work is going well.