The Cher-Ching Realities

Well in a bid to be really a lot better at the frequency of my updates I'm back up to speed on completion of this little addition.

I've been really busy, like usual, but this month around it's been in all spheres: Business, Bills Work, Social and on my own. 

My month started with a really motivational day, at a Business Link Event.  I dragged my tired ass along to a local start-up day to investigate the things that I've always been a bit unclear about, with the overall ambition of getting a real picture in my mind of exactly what stage of becoming a true photographic entrepeneur I'm at.  With the company of my ever lovely Mammykins, we tackled what could have been a real bamboozling trip into a systematic zone attack.  I'd heard from an illustrator friend of mine days before going that these events can be dangerous if you aren't prepared.  Imagine a Wedding Fair with hysterical bridezillas, but exchange the bridezilla's for business dragons and salesman wide-boys and you have a rough whiff of the mood of the event.  I'm very glad I got there so early, and was able to quiz the people I needed information from early enough in their day, for them to be focused and really listen to my questions.  In conclusion, I still have a fair way to go - involving a lot of time to be spent on proper planning, but this is still my most precious factor in anything these days.  Finding the bloody time!

In continuation to my latest photographic ventures in shooting events to up my experience, I signed myself up to take pictures at an event at my nearby Students Union.  This was an event aimed to celebrate women, on the 100th anniversary of International Womens Day.  As a feminist myself, I was more than happy to do what I could to help out.
When I arrived at the event I learnt that one of the speakers on the panel was actually in A&E and thus no longer able to be a speaker.  Word had travelled that I was a feminist, and I was rapidly roped into being on the panel myself.  My fully charged camera equipment had to rest in the wings while I headed out and did my best to provide intelligent feminist input to coversations covering "Celebrity DVD's", "The recent headlines on Female Linesman", "Who my Female Idol Was" and so on.  Other unplanned conversations involved debates on Childcare, Katie Price and my giving the audience a rough historical timeline on the feminst movement and a few rants on the misperception of what a feminist in today's society actually is.  What a night!  Excellent times!  I was truely energised and inspired to get back to shooting more feminst themed work.  I'm now currently mulling over possibilities for a new collection - maybe a book on something in this area in my conscious/sub-conscious back burner (my brain being a hob top, this burner being the one you never use cos it's so damn small)......

Another great fun filled and non-photographic day included running into some bins.  I walked through town to meet a friend to go and get our feet nibbled by garra fish Fishy Fun with my Buddy Liz (the new Dr.Fish Spa Craze) and ran a few errands before we met up.  I must have marched right through this interactive art installation about 3 times before I actually noticed what was going on.  By Grey's monument there were two wheelie bins, named Sid & Nancy who were operated from some distance and ran into passers by.  I ended up stopping to watch the effect this had on people, it was brilliant!  Children and old-people -the most aware of their surroundings- instantly noticed these bins were wheeling into their walking paths, or even right into them, whereas the rest of the people were dodging the bins having seen them in their peripheral vision, but at the same time, without noticing that there was a wheelie bin moving on it's own.  Facinating statement!  Here's a link of Sid & Nancy in motion:
Sid & Nancy Vid

With all these varied experiences I find myself much more inspired to start working on new photographic projects.  I've already bought 2 new camera's (both second-hand and bargains, both very different) to start playig with in the hopes to make technical improvements to my new neighbouring blog.  This was inspired by my good friend Dee who studied with me at Newcastle College.  Dee is now up in Edinburgh becoming even more of a photo academic and has recently begun her own blog aimed at tackling her inner darkness.  she's aptly called her blog Photo-therapy.  You can find it here: Dee's Photo Therapy Blog I have to say it is of Dee's usual high-quality and technically impressive finish.  A really great way to explore one's own psyche through a comfortable medium.  So to show my appreciation, and to also greddily aim for a similar amount of satifaction, I too have jumped onto the Photo-a-day bandwagon.  So far my output is jumbled, chaotic, and technically below-parr.  I've found simply taking a photo on a mobile or my little compact to be challenging enough, but I plan to pluck away and hopefully get some good results over the 2 month mark or so.  We'll see how it goes, maybe this jumbled mess will take some shape????
You can find my work here: The 365 Dare

Pro Bono to Accumulate

Since my last update, I've been continuing to look at how to go about really setting up regular business for myself.  As already identified I need a zillion things to get me on my way:

- Reliable Digital SLR

- Lighting kit

- Bank Account

- Funding

- Premises/Space at home to work from

- Colourama & Rig

- Financial Position that's less risky?  i.e can I live on only small means without regular outgoings I've got to commit to?

I feel the rest of the necessary objects are things I have and would be able to create if the above were met.  So I've set up some serious deadlines for myself.  First up, to really get a true understanding of the funding game.  Initial searches show there are vast lists on funding if you'd like to play around with genetics, or build a wind farm but sadly there is little help for the more creative spheres.  I'd already set aside time to meet with people who are more in the know in this field than I, and until then I am really unable to report back with an educated response.

I was hoping to get some regular out-of-hours work with a recent job I was hired for, and since leaving time for the initial "Settle in" period, I've been going about pimping myself out to the people in my department I reckon would be in a viable position to agree work with.  I faced some quite high brick walls.  But never to have been able to take no for an answer (at least on first attempts anyway) I have ploughed on through re-reminding people that I am a photographer who is not only reliable and can shoot to any spec, but I'm prepared to work for free.  And my nagging has finally paid off.  I was given a gig.  Albeit a pro-bono one, but on I hope will lead me onto more regular work and eventually paid work.  It's going to be largely in events coverage, and I had forgotten how fun this can be without the pressure of the event being pre-fixed with a giant capital W!

I had a great time, and really feel that my voyeur gene was over-indulged.  This really is the style of photography that captures real human beings, being themselves.  It's amazing how a macro lens can take the edge off!

That being said, I am still not advocating any kind of a photograpahic career path in paparazzi!

I was shooting an auction event which took place over at The Shed in Gateshead.  It was coordinated by those lovely people at Volunteer Northumbria who work out in the local community to connect students who want to volunteer, and the people who could use their help.  This event was a fundraiser but still made those connections.  This time between artist Corinne Lewis-Book Sculpturer extraordinaire and friends of Volunteer Northumbria who came along to bid for pieces she had inspired local members of the community to create through a tutorial workshop.  The night was punctuated with the witty sounds of the Cobweb Orchestra.  Another great group of people who play together just for the fun of it, but ensure their sound is heard out and about in the local community.

                                            Here's hoping my good karma bank will start to debit my bank account

There ain't nuthin going on but the rent!

Happy New Year to all of you out there reading this!

Now keeping a firm focus on photography is certainly very hard to do in January, I've found.  The financial burden of Christmas excess has taken it's toll and scrimping till pay day has overshadowed all of my creative thoughts.

I'm now working three jobs these days (in addition to my own photography work), in an effort to realign my bleak finances and this is taking the strain on my time as can be imagined.  So with this in mind I thought this blog should be dedicated to that slippery ladder of success I hope most other emerging photographers are clinging to.  The crude oil grease upon each rung of course.... is money............

I've had a splendid time in my adult life so far.  I left home as planned at 18 to go to university.  Having struggled to make anything out of two years studying A-Levels I was never very good at, I jumped onto the 'clearing' bandwagon and jumped into a degree I didn't really care about.  Three years of student life for me were more about the excitement of living away from home, and running my own life as I wanted to.  Academic realisation of my bad decision in degree course only really hit me when I wrote a dissertation that pretty much declared I was unprepared to explore a career in the field I had studied because it just wasn't a very nice thing to do with my life.  So I decided to run away from it.  This was a great time,  I travelled the world on a graduate loan and had a blast.  I grounded in Australia with a slight vibe of unease about where my finances were, and when I took the time out from the party to find out I realised I was in a bad way.  To rectify this I decided to live in Australia, and enjoy the lifestyle.  It beat the hell out of the one waiting for me back home in the UK, so that's what I did.  I made some wonderful friends in this time and despite not giving much of a monkey's about the job I had, it was over-paid which made my new Aussie life pretty cushie.  This came to an abrupt end when my visa was no longer valid, after I was unwittingly double crossed by a troll-like character...... but that's another story.
So without a proverbial pot to squat at, I landed back in Heathrow, sobbed on the plane when it landed and had to face the monetary music.  I ended up living in Norfolk for a while, which again involved many blessings in the shape of some wonderful friends and even the chance discovery of my now boyfriend Thom.  Blessings aside this was a tough time money-wise, I sold my soul to a financial giant and slowly worked my way out of debt.  Again an over-paid job meant this involved a little disposable income with which to indulge in mind expanding activities; festivals, yoga, even a life-drawing night class at one point, and of course very regular social bookings in the shape of many a party.
The travel bug then reared his antennae when I decided to follow Thom on his travels around the world.  I felt I hadn't completed my journey from last time, and the whole idea was just so wonderfully romantic that I got a second job to save up (did it the right way this time) and went for it.
It was on this expedition that I found photography, through assisting Thom on many a sunrise or sunset shoot.  Once I'd learned the principles, I decided I'd give it a go and see if I had anything to say photographically.  Thom agreed to continue to teach me but only if I packed up my digital compact in exchange for something 'real'.  I bought my first 35mm camera in windy Wellington in New Zealand, and fell in love with the passion oozing out of the very awesome dudes in that shop who hung around and chatted with us about photography for at least two hours.
So whilst exploring what photography could be to me in some of the most beautiful places I've seen, I became more and more sure that this may just be my passion in life.  I applied to study full time back home in the wee hours of the night, writing my UCAS application out in an internet cafe in Christchurch. 
With a rough folio and my attempt at what I thought a sketchbook was, I was offered a place.  And with this I re-entered in the financial status of  "Skint -Student".
Having come out the other side fulfilled and happy with life, I'm once again searching for that pot.  And so I'm back to busting my ass off in 4 jobs to make some more adventures possible.  This time around it is all so much more worth it though I have to say.

So in times of recession, what is a girl to do to get herself some good enough equipment to start working more regularly as a photographer?  My first answer has been to ask someone more wealthy -very nicely- for help.  And so, I have commenced an application to the UK Arts Council.  It is a very rigorous matter, you have to submit so many detailed appendices to your application and so on and so forth and then wait with baited breath..........
I've also been on the hunt for some advice and guidance and have booked myself onto a few lectures on self-financing in order to learn more about how this monkey swings out in the jungle that is industry.

While my chips are down, and I save to develop some films of recent times (to show you my latest work)  I have included a few inspirations that have kept my tired face a-smiling.........

PLARN

Plarn is a yarn made out of plastic bags.  You chop up your old carrier bags in such a way to make a continuous string of plastic, and then the idea is you work it into something much more worthwhile than trash.  






Leftover Cookery
Certainly the best thing to come in January.  I have litres of frozen meat liquors that I'm working my way through to make hearty soups, broths and casseroles.

The Shutter Sisters Cup Project

I am a fervent fan of yogi tea and it's lovely messages.  Lately though I have busted into even spicier tea given to me as a present.  Certainly a warming cup in the winter.. here was my entry 



Cleaning
Now I love a good clean at the best of times, but for some reason this month I have been a little bit addicted to cleanliness.  I have cleaned out the studio I work in, I gutted out several storage cupboards in my cinema job, and spent a joyous few hours last weekend cleaning my car and oven with white vinegar and toothpaste solutions (which I have to say worked a treat!).



Keith Richards

His auto-biography is proving to be a real good read.  I haven't got to his 'big-time' accounts yet I've just enjoyed learning how dedicated he always was at being so anti-establishment, and so obsessive in his craft.  Goes to show how unmerciful you need to be to become a real great in your field.







The AOP Foilos (Issue 4)
I picked up a few postcards of Lottie Davis' work and have them dotted about in my home.  I still think her idea's are witty and fresh, especially when she involves children.

LOTTIE DAVIS

Joe Lasky's travelling photography is warming my cockles in this frosty time of year.  Could those antennae be back on my horizon?

JOE LASKY