Questionnaire from the beginning of class

Where did you succeed, where did you fail? what was most successful in terms of you accomplishing your goals, and what wasn't? 


Like I said in class I don't necessarily think that I failed.  I went through a process on figuring out what it was I wanted to do for my portfolio to get into grad school.  I feel like once it was a choice that I made I was getting somewhere.  Maybe I could have reached it faster but I don't know.  With kids, photography business & being a full time student I have a lot on my plate and I think things of that nature take a little longer for me to decide.


I do wish I could have had a show though after watching everyone else.  Michael and I have already talked about it and plan to do this next semester together!


Questionnaire

When do you plan on graduating? Dec 2012

Where have you, or will you be interning? Will be interning Spring 2012 with Marvin Gorley @ PJC

What are your plans and goals for after graduation? Grad school? Starting a business? Getting a job? Being an artist/commercial shooter? Please be as specific as possible. How do you plan on making a living?  I will apply to grad school Fall of 2012 WHOOOTT WHOOOOTTT; I already have a thriving business so things couldn't be any better for me right now!

Establish a budget for yourself, post-graduation. What does it cost to live in a manner that you’d be comfortable? Again, be specific. Do you have school loans, credit card debt? Need insurance? A place to live?  This is kind of pointless for me except for the loans part.  I have already started paying back on them and will continue to do so.

Do you require any special equipment to make your work or start your business (for example, a wood shop, studio, video equipment, cameras, computers, printers) that might be cost-prohibitive or difficult to access after you graduate? If so, what kind?  I have a 5d mark ii that I'm completely happy with right now....I would like to invest in a few more lenses, studio equipment & a mac but all things come in time for me.  I try to make very good decisions when it comes to the finances of my business

Are you planning to go to graduate school? If yes: right away, or later? Have you started researching graduate schools? Why do you want to go to graduate school? Tell me what five schools you'd like to go to, and how you plan on doing it.  Yes going right away!!!  I want to go to graduate school and get my MFA because it's always been my #1 goal to teach college level and I got a taste of it over the summer and I know it's where I belong.  I plan to submit a documentary, alternative processes portfolio instead of my commercial work to get in.

What kind of job would you most like to find?  College photography professor

What kind of job do you expect to find? Honestly I don't expect right off the bat but who knows

Name either a dozen potential employers, clients, galleries or graduate schools, depending on your goals. Potential Employers - PJC, TAMU-Commerce & I will get into grad school here!

Do you plan to live off freelance work or commissions (perhaps in addition to a part-time job)? Living off my husband & my business at the moment

What did you do this summer to move you toward your goals? What art have you seen this summer? How much work did you make?  I have shot ALOT!  My business has tripled since the Spring so I feel like things are really going great.

Do you have a portfolio of your work? Website? Blog? Can you tell me in 30 seconds what your work is about? Do it.  I have a portfolio, website, & blog; my work is portrait, event, commercial & wedding photography but I do have other work in alternative processes

What artists, musicians, photographers, writers, movies, books have influenced you/your work? Byrd Williams and the list goes on but my hand is seriously cramping LOL

Please share any important websites that you are referencing for art/photo competitions and/or information. Name at least five of them.

What do you feel is lacking in your education to prepare you for your future? What is lacking in your portfolio? Please be specific.  My portfolio looks great I think but I would like to do some more research on the history of photography

Why does someone want to hire you? What makes you unique? I have drive, I'm japanese american and in the minority, LOL.  This is a question I need to think about some more....

How to Win Friends & Influence People and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

I'll be honest that I didn't finish reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People but I LOVED How to Win Friends & Influence People.  I bought both books and I will finish the other when I can.

It was a good idea to read these types of literature because, as a mother, I think we all need to be reminded about how to treat people on a daily basis.

I liked the quote from 7 Habits......to put your personality before character.  Everyone has to start somewhere and really both of these books I have already passed on to other people to read.  Not the hard copies just saying passed on the info because they are motivators and things, again, that we all need to be reminded of.  I have several quotes on sticky notes in my bathroom at home with quotes that I found in the first book and thought that was cool.

Project hours

I would say that, since I switched gears on what my portfolio is going to consist of to get me into grad school, I spent a total of 15hours give or take last week on my project.  I met with Kara Irwin, the new owners, of the old church/school and they are thrilled for me to start this project.

I took the tour with Kara & her husband and listened to them tell me what history they knew of the building.  It was so amazing that it made me anxious!  I went to the City's genealogy facility to see if I could locate the previous owners of the church/school but have yet to get anywhere with that.

I plan to head to the courthouse & library Thursday to continue this research and will start shooting next week.  The whole portfolio of images will be with 4x5 film.  I CANNOT tell you how freakin excited I am!!!

I just know this is why I went through what I did this semester.  Because I feel happy and right about the decision to do this instead of the original project!

Liz Mellot & Byrd Williams

WOWZA!  That's my first thought when I recollect the lecture the two of them gave.  I had always thought I would be good at documentary and their work really inspired me.

I am currently taking photo history from Mellot and it's been alot jammed into one semester but I have thoroughly enjoyed the class.  I feel like with the slump I had going on with the doubts that their particular lecture triggered something in me to pursue this avenue.

As a result I have switched gears into doing a documentary on an old church in Paris that originally burnt down in the Paris fires of 1916.

Marilyn Waligore

I was happy that Marilyn took the time to come speak to us.  I wasn't however really turned on to her work.  That, to me, doesn't mean it was bad work just means I wasn't into it.  She was definitely a fine artist and I appreciated hearing what she had to say.

The lecture meant more to me than her actual work but again I was grateful she took the time out to come speak to us.

Ally Godfrey & where I'm at....

I was surprised by Ally.  I thought she was great & very informative.  I was in awe of the books that she was showing.

I thought it was interesting to hear about it from a rep side.  She seems to be pretty involved with the photographers that she works for and that was surprising to me.  I wasn't sure if it's because she kind of hand picked those people or what but I definetley appreciated the one on one it seems that she gives back to her clients.

Yes I was one of those that left early and it wasn't by choice.  On Monday nights I have to be back for my kids by 10 because my mother in law has them and I can't request that she keep them past that knowing she has to be at work the next morning.

I appologize and I will meet with you about it.  I would like to explore more about this opportunity you suggested about those of us that just wanted to focus on the business side of what we have going instead of doing a show.  I would still like to have a show but it's unrealistic for me to be able to complete what I started by the second week in Nov to start preparing prints.  I have alot more going on than anyone else I believe and while I don't like to use that as a crutch it's just fact.  I have decided to bow out of grad school because of where I am in life.  This decision was made just recently.  I will come out with teacher certification but won't be teaching college as originally planned.  With that being said I have needed to "re-vamp" things with my business.

I would like to make new promos, redesign my literature on session pricing, redesign my website, new logo & create another website that hosts my work outside of my portrait business.

So there it is....I'll talk about this later with Vaughn.

Here is some new work with my business....these are all recent images within the past month or so.

Thoughts on Vaughn's presentation & update on project!

Whooohooooo I'm updating this!  No really last week was a bad week between kids being sick & myself.

I spent at least an hour every day last week excluding Friday researching some more artists trying to figure out exactly if I am going to take images of abused children or "stage" this.  I have shot some images (probably 15) but I do not want to post them to here.  Only because this is so personal to me.  I plan to eventually but just not at this moment. 

This whole series is a very emotional process for me and between family, school & my business I have learned that I have to give myself time to get deeper in to the things I remember and allow time for the emotional side of it.

I did a phone interview last week with my father.  I would like to do a video interview next week but the reaction I got from him was let me think about this.  I have not contacted my mother yet, and made my father promise not to say anything.  At this point he doesn't know that I plan to use this whole thing as a show/series in a body of work.  I am not sure at this point if I am going to tell them.

Anywhooooo I missed class last week due to a sick child so I don't have an essay to write on Chad.  I did however LOVE yours Vaughn.  I felt like people really dug the work you showed and the turn out was more than what you anticipated!  People were intrigued, and even though I had seen most of that work, I was into your presentation as well.  I feel like you hold an audience!  You are soooooo good with that and  it shows!!

I will post some examples of the things I have done....they won't be in this exact content but you will kind of get an idea of where I'm headed with this project!e