PDP points.

I have successfully managed to complete some of the points that are on my personal development plan. However there are a couple of points that i have not yet completed but ones that i am going to continue working on so that i can benefit from them as much as i have from the points that i have managed to complete at this moment in time.

The five areas that i have been focusing on are:

1. my photography website
2. business cards
3. my physical portfolio
4. updating and finishing off my CV
5. actively looking for photography jobs.

I have managed to meet my target deadline for points 1, 3 and 4. I am going to continuously work on points 2 and 5 as i can definitely benefit from them in the future. 

1. Photography website.

I successfully completed my photography website near the end of April, my target date for this development points way May so i am happy that i have managed to get it done even before the target deadline that i set myself.

I must admit i encountered a few different problems when putting my site together from the layout not functioning the way i wanted it too, to my domain name not successfully changing over. But i got there in the end and i must say i am actually pleased with how it looks. I think it works well in displaying my work and my capabilities within my chosen area of nature and landscape photography.
It is an easily navigated website with simple and function-able links that break my work down into subject fields. I have my basic contact information on there as well as a short artist statement that allows the viewer to gain a basic understanding of who i am and what i do. There are also links to numerous of my social media sites where different work' can be seen.

2. Business cards.

Originally i wanted to have business cards printed up by the time my university course was over, however this was not the suitable option as i started to work on the design more and more. I realised that if i were to have them printed up now, i couldn't put all of the information that i wanted to be on them on, as i don't have a degree at this present moment but if i wait until i do hopefully get my degree i can have that printed on them so people are aware that i have a degree within the photographic field.

Although there is this slight hiccup i have come up with some designs that i think work quite well and am going to keep working on and move forward with when it comes to getting my business cards printed up in the near future.

3. Physical portfolio.

As well as having the website acting as my digital portfolio i also want to have a physical portfolio because different types of people prefer to view your work in different forms and this allows me to have access to a couple of different ways.

I have had numerous photographs printed up to a size of A4 and have purchased a black portfolio box that my images will sit in. This allows the potential viewer of my images to view them and make selections, grouping images together and such things.

4. Photography C.V.

So that i had a better chance when applying for photography jobs i wanted to make sure that my CV was fully up to date and completed by the time i finished university. This is a point that i aimed to have completed by the middle of May but i have managed to get it completed nearer to the end of April. I have updated the information on the existing CV that i had and added in the new experiences that i have gained in the past few months.

5. Looking for photography jobs.

I have been actively looking for photography jobs over the past few months and i am going to carry on doing so in the future. I am still not fully sure on whether i want to stick with photography as a career purely because it is so hard to find a job of interest to me with my having such a specific interest within photography. However, i am still going to keep browsing the job sites to see the different opportunities that are out there and see if there is anything that interests me.

Personal Development Plan

What are my development objectives?	What activities do I need to undertake to achieve my objectives?	What support/resources do I need to achieve my objectives?	Target date for achieving my objectives	Actual date of achieving my  objectives
Photography website	Design a functional easily navigated website that showcases my photography - can be used as a portfolio.	Find a suitable web page to host my site, learn how to use the websites design features, buy a domain name.	May 2014	April 2014
Business cards	Design cards that have the necessary contact information and  show my interest within the photographic field	Designing the card layout and appearance. A place to get them printed.	April 2014	Ongoing
Portfolio	Sort through my recent photography work and get images printed, chose appropriate sizes. Also sort out how they will be presented.	Getting my photographs printed and buying a portfolio box/ other way of presenting images.	May 2014	April 2014
C.V	Put together a photography job specific CV for use when applying for photography jobs.	Putting together and listing all of my aims, objectives and experiences that will promote my work.	May 2014	May 2014
Look for photography jobs	Search various job sites to look for different types of photography based jobs that are available.	Browsing different websites to see what is out there regularly.	Ongoing	Ongoing

Website up and running!!

So like i stated the other day i have purchased two domain names, I have now successfully manages to add these domains onto the website that is hosting my online presence.

Im really happy to be able to say that I now have my own online presence which i can direct people towards where they can see the type of work that i am actively producing, as well as what i am capeable of.

This website will have multiple functions in just allowing people to view my work as well as possible employers viewing it as a portfolio. I am going to regularly update this website with the work I am going to continue to produce and develop over time after leaving university. I am really just excited to start expanding on my existing work and projects and to see what the future holds with the help of my website!

Updated PDP!

What are my development objectives?	What activities do I need to undertake to achieve my objectives?	What support/resources do I need to achieve my objectives?	Target date for achieving my objectives	Actual date of achieving my  objectives
Photography website	Design a functional easily navigated website that showcases my photography - can be used as a portfolio.	Find a suitable web page to host my site, learn how to use the websites design features, buy a domain name.	May 2014	April 2014
Business cards	Design cards that have the necessary contact information and  show my interest within the photographic field	Designing the card layout and appearance. A place to get them printed.	April 2014	Ongoing
Portfolio	Sort through my recent photography work and get images printed, chose appropriate sizes. Also sort out how they will be presented.	Getting my photographs printed and buying a portfolio box/ other way of presenting images.	May 2014	April 2014
C.V	Put together a photography job specific CV for use when applying for photography jobs.	Putting together and listing all of my aims, objectives and experiences that will promote my work.	May 2014	April 2014
Look for photography jobs	Search various jobsites to look for different types of photography based jobs that are available.	Browsing different websites to see what is out there regularly.	Ongoing	Ongoing

 
I have updated my PDP with all of the dates that are relevant as well as tweaking one or two pf my intended points of achievement. All of the points on my PDP are ones that I feel are important to me and have helped my gain more of a direction over the past few months. They have given me a little something more to work towards as I have set myself things to do in a certain space of time and because of how i set a time on it, it has meant that I have actually got them completed before they need to be done. All of the points that i have on my PDP are also quite important for when i leave university as they will all help me with my career which is also really important.

Business cards!

Initially it was my full intention to have business cards printed within the next few weeks, but upon thinking about the design and such things I have decided to wait purely because i would like my cards to have 'BA ( Hons)' printed on them to show evidence of a degree - this is something that can catch someones eye and its the fastest way of them knowing that i have a degree in the subject. I can't put this into my design and have it printed until the point i have graduated so this is why i am going to wait to have business cards printed.

Although i have decided to hold off on purchasing business cards I have still been working on the design of them, changing little things and seeing what works well and could be good for my cards.
But obvioulsy the information on them will be changing so these are just basic trials to see what works.



Designs
Front of card                                                                  Back of card

 

These are just a few of the designs I have been working on showing the different layouts that I have been thinking about, i'm still undecided on the design that I want to have printed but then again i am also thinking about maybe getting a few different designs so that i can changed it up ever now and them and distribute different types of cards to different people.

Domain name' purchased!

Last night i bought two domain names, i have bought the names -

www.laurenmorrisphotography.co.uk
and
www.laurenmorrisphotography.com

The reason I have purchased the two domain names is because these are the two most commonly used end of URL', .co.uk and .com are the ones the people tend to go for so i have bought them both in the hope that no one will have a similar or the same URL. Meaning that my website will stand by itself a lot more and there will be no confusing with .co.uk and .com.

All i need to do now is wait for both the domain sites to become active and then configure and verify the settings with the website that is hosting my site so that the URL will be redirected and i can use my own domain.

Domain names

I have been looking at a few different websites and seeing the different prices of domain names for multiple durations. I want to see what will work out best for me in the long run before i purchase a domain for 1 year. I also want to make sure i am 100% certain of the URL that i want to have as this will be the main way of people gaining access to my photography website.

So there are a few different things that i need todo, one being deciding what i want my domain name to be and the other deicing on the best place to purchase said domain name.

more sample packs?!

So i have been thinking about getting some business cards printed now that i know what design i want and how i actually want them to look, not knowing the best place to get them printed is the worst thing. I want my cards to be good quality and look the best they can so i have been browsing a few more card sites that can send me sample packs of the cards that they print so that i have get more of an idea of what each place's  print quality is like so that i can narrow my thoughts down and decide on a place to get them printed.

C.V

I have gone through and updated my job specific CV that is for the purpose of photography jobs. The reason that i have put updating my CV on my personal development plan is because i feel that have a good, strong CV is vital when applying for photography jobs, the employer needs to know exactly what I can offer to them and the experiences I have up to this points, they need to get the best idea of what I am about and that can be seen in my CV.

I have made a few tweaks and changed to the CV that i already had for photography work, I have added in some new information and experiences that I feel make me stronger and a person due to the experiences i have had. 

Lauren Morris                                                     

241 Parr Lane, Unsworth, Bury,

Lancashire, BL9 8LX        

Telephone:        

(mobile): 07774548956                                             

                         (Landline): 0161 766 1913

Email:               laurenmorris1@hotmail.co.uk

                                                                       

                                                           

Short Profile

Dedicated, determined and hard working individual currently doing a photography degree at Salford University. Looking for freelance work within the photographic field, specialising in nature and landscape photography. I am an organised individual with good time management, organisation and planning abilities, which is shown through my ability to complete and hand in educational set work before the set deadlines.

Key Skills:

• Flexible in photographic assignments with the ability to work to a set brief.
• Organised and work well both on my own and within a team environment.
• Adaptable and always willing to take on new challenges and tasks.
• Experienced in Photoshop editing and image manipulation.
• Hard working, determined, and have an extremely positive attitude.
• Competent, efficient and able to work to tight deadlines.
• Capable well when put in stressful situations.
• Honest and caring individual who is kind and helpful towards others. 

Objective:

Looking to develop as a photographer, to undertake new and unfamiliar challenges broadening my experiences allowing me to develop professionally.

Other Skills and experience:

• Assisted a student photographer on a photo shoot in a studio environment.
• Had work published multiple times in Your Local Bury Magazine.
• I am a happy individual and always have a smile on my face.
• Experience of data input on Sage Accounting, after carrying out work experience with a Horologist.
• Volunteered in a soup kitchen

Work Experience:

2012 - present

Daytona Karting, Manchester

Catering Assistant

• Undertaking a range of duties including communicating with customers, preparation and cooking of food as well as serving on the cafe and bar.
• Ensuring that food is prepared and cooked on time for conferences, events and kids parties.
• Developing confidence and the ability to work well under pressure to meet strict deadlines.
• Working on my own and within a team in a fast paced environment.
• Maintaining high levels on cleanliness within the different areas of the department at all times..
•  Making sure that customers have a good experience.

Receptionist

• Undertaking a range of duties including communicating with customers, booking / signing customers in to events.
• Answering the phones to customers and providing them with information regarding their queries.
• Maintaining a high level of cleanliness and tidiness on reception and surrounding areas at all times.
• Working both on my own and within a team in a fast paced environment.
• Ensuring that customers have a good experience.

Education and Qualifications:

University of Salford: 2011 - present        -        BA (Hons) Photography - In progress

Bury College: 2009 - 2011                        -         BTEC National Diploma In Art and Design

King David High School: 2004 - 2009      -         9 GCSE's including English, Mathematics,                                                  

                                                                          Science (double award), Art and Food Technology.

 

Now that my CV is updated it is ready for me to send off when i apply for different photography jobs, i feel that it contains all of the vital information that i need to have on it and all the information that they employer is looking for when they receive a CV.

Jobs I have come across...

So over the past few days I have been actively looking for photography jobs, at this moment in time i am not 100% sure if i want to stick with photography as a career after i finish university. So at this point i am actively looking for photography jobs simply to see and get an idea for the different type of jobs that are out there and the different routes that can be taken when it comes to photography jobs.

Above are print screens of a few of the different type of jobs that i have come across thusfar. Some appeal to me more than others but i think one problem is that my interest lies somewhere totally different to what any of these jobs could offer me, and i am worried that if i tried to go for something like these jobs my heart wouldn't be in it at all and i would not enjoy my experience and it would put me off photography for multiple reasons.

Finishing up my website!!

Over the past few weeks I have been making all of the small little tweaks and changes to my website to finish it off and get it to a point in which I am happy with it and feel i am ready to put it out there for people to see!

I have updated my 'About' section to make it more professional, providing an overview of what I am about and what my work is about, allowing the viewer to gain a better understanding of me and my reasoning for my photographs.

So over the next few days i am going to start looking at domain names and prices to enable me to get the best deal possible!

Portfolio.

As well as having my online presence which i will also use as a portfolio I also want a printed physical portfolio as some employers prefer to have a physical portfolio as well as or rather than viewing your work online. So I am covering all areas by having both rahter than just one or the other!

I have some photographs that I have had printed up recently, as well as these images there are still some more photos that I want to get printed up to go along with them in my portfolio.

Over the past few weeks and months I have admittedly thought a lot about how to present them in the best way possible. I need something that is going to work for the type of employer that i am targeting.

Because my work is very much nature and landscape based and all based on the outdoors, the viewer has to have a sense of getting up close and personal with the images. They kind of need to be hands on with the photographs that I am providing them with. I feel that this is the best way for them to get a look at my work and to gain a better sense of what I am about when it comes to my photography.

For these reasons I have decided that the best way to present my images would be in a portfolio box. A simply black box that holds my photographers. Therefore the person that is viewing the photographs can take them out and pick out what they like and what they are interested in. It is a way of them being selective and  grouping images together. I just really like the idea of having a portfolio box and how the images are kept and can be seen by a person.

So this is why i have invested in a portfolio box to hold my photographs in, my current portfolio box is A4 size as at the moment i feel that this is what works best but in time i will probably more to a larger scale and therefore invest in more sizes. 

PDP

I have updated my personal development plan with a couple more points that i want to work on not necessarily up to the point in which i finish university but in the near future after my study has finished.

At the moment there are a couple of point on my pdp that i have managed to achieve, they are things that i have worked on over the past few months so that i can benefit from having these different points achieved by the time i finish university. Having a completed and up to date CV, a live photography website, business cards with all my useful information on, a physical portfolio for different uses, and being actively looking for photography jobs are all things that I will benefit from as they are not things that i will have to focus on or worry about why i have finished studying, they are all there ready at my disposal and i can give people my information easily.

What are my development objectives?	What activities do I need to undertake to achieve my objectives?	What support/resources do I need to achieve my objectives?	Target date for achieving my objectives	Actual date of achieving my  objectives
Photography website	Design a functional easily navigated website that showcases my photography - can be used as a portfolio.	Find a suitable web page to host my site, learn how to use the websites design features, buy a domain name.	May 2014	April 2014
Business cards	Design cards that have the necessary contact information and  show my interest within the photographic field	Designing the card layout and appearance. A place to get them printed.	April 2014	March 2014
Portfolio	Sort through my recent photography work and get images printed, chose appropriate sizes. Also sort out how they will be presented.	Getting my photographs printed and buying a portfolio box/ other way of presenting images.	May 2014	April 2014
C.V	Put together a photography job specific cv for use when applying for photography jobs.	Putting together and listing all of my aims, objectives and experiences that will promote my work.	May 2014	May 2014
Look for photography jobs	Search various jobsites to look for different types of photography based jobs that are available.	Browsing different websites to see what is out there regularly.	Ongoing	Ongoing