Some Photographs from my Jewellery Job....

Work.....

So I have been unable to blog for a while due to being sooooooooooooo busy!

However I have been working for a jewellery company called Marjo, taking photographs of 600 pieces for there new website due to launch in September. I was asked to take the photographs and then hand them over to someone else to edit so I have done so and am pleased to report that I finally made a nice sum of money doing the work.

I look forward to doing more jobs in the near future however I think I would definitely like to work with people as I found this job quite tedious as it was literally photographing one piece of jewellery after another until they where all done. I will soon be doing a maternity shoot and I am really excited about doing so. I will put some images up of the jewellery soon and when the website has been launched I will also include a link to that.

Beautiful Sunshine

When we had that burst of beautiful weather in Plymouth a few weeks ago I decided that this would be the perfect time to get out and about with my camera. So I headed to the Hoe and found a relatively people less spot and began to take images of the sea. Here are a few images from that outing:



The Olympic Tourch

On the first day of the Olympic Tourch Relay they came to Plymouth so I decided to go to the Hoe and attempt to get a few images of the event. It was extremely busy on the Hoe and I struggled to see past the crowds of people, however I did mannage to get a couple of snaps on my tiptoes whilst zooming in as far as my lens could go. Here are the images from that evening:

An alternative to a PGCE - The Graduate Teacher Programme

 After apeaking to Sarah I discovered that I could do a GTP. A graduate teacher programme on which I can obtain qualified teacher status while training and working in a paid teaching role. The GTP usually takes one school year working full time to complete it. The GTP may be a better option for me as I would be able to earn some money whilst completing it, however I am not going to rule out the PGCE just yet as I would rather wait and see where my life goes Im sure I will make the right decision for myself when I am ready to do so.

Tracey Wood ... just a few questions

Tracey Wood has managed to email me back with her responce to my questions I hope others enjoy reading her responce as much as I did :)

Why did you choose to go into photography?

Photography has been a lifelong interest. I had the opportunity do a degree when I was young, but opted instead for a more secure profession (Optometry). I finally decided life's too short not to try, and following a mentoring course and my Licentiate qualification with the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) decided to just go for it.

How did you get to where you are today?

I'm still relatively new to the industry, but I invested in training and spent every spare minute reading and practicing Photoshop and Photography. Since then I've learned that you won't get anywhere without business skills (which are totally alien to me), so now spend a huge number of man hours marketing and promoting my business.

Is you work commission led or do you still do some personal projects?

I always find time to mix some personal work into each piece, so that my work is always evolving (I hope). It doesn't matter if it doesn't work out the way you imagined as long as you have their requested shots first.

What equipment do you prefer to use?

I prefer to use natural light if possible, but use a speedlight when needed or an Arri continuous light for more set shots. I use a Canon 5D Mk2 usually on a monopod and my fave lens is my 70-200 (2.8), although my 24-70 is rarely off my camera.

What advice would you give a photography student?

Get as much practical real-life experience as you possibly can, as soon as you can. Don't be afraid to have a go even if it takes you way out of your comfort zone. And learn some business skills too!

Interview with Mrs.Sarah Blackmoore....

Hello Sarah,

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.

I have previously asked you a few questions about the PGCE and you told me that you completed your PCGE at the University of Plymouth. I was wondering what you enjoyed the most about the course and also what it was like studying at the University?

S: The course at University was well run though we were always late in finding out where our next placements would be! Besides that the lectures and seminars were really useful and ideas could be taken from these to help us develop as teachers during our teaching practices. The course was really hard work and was a test personally and professionally but at the end of the course you can appreciate how beneificial the course was as I had really developed as a teacher and felt more confident in my teaching ability. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to visit different schools and observe great teaching as you could pick up ideas and resources along the way which I could incorporate into my teaching in my classroom.

Obviously a PGCE is a lot of work however I am sure it is very rewarding in the long run. Did you enjoy working on placements?

S: I enjoyed having the oppoirtunity to visit a variety of schools during my teaching placements and expereince their school ethos. I found this to  be incredibly beneficial to my teaching as I was able to witness a variety of teaching styles which I could adapt into my practice.

What challenges did you come across whilst studying the course?

S: I found the course to be really rewarding both professionally and personally, though it was also extremely challenging. The workload was very demanding both at University and during teaching placements so time management was essential to complete the course. I definitely learnt to prioritise during the course, this was crucial to complete all of the work that was required at University and on placement!

What where your lectures like?

S: They were a mixture of lectures and seminars in groups as well as the whole cohert. Some lectures were given by tutors at the University and others were external visitors from local primary schools and children’s services. In each lecture we always had the opportunity to discuss their focus with other students and share ideas. The seminars were for each of the subjects within the Nataional Curriculum to give us teaching ideas to take into school, but some were better than others!

When you started the PGCE did you have to decided straight away what age group you wanted to work with or did you get to work with all ages during your placements?

S: Before getting on to the course I decided that it was a PGCE in primary that I wanted to take, but when on the course we had to specify our prefered Key Stage which for me was Key Stage One (4 to 7 year olds). We had three school placements during the course, two were in Key Stage One and the other was in Key stage Two so we had experience of both throughout the year.

What opportunities have you had since completing your PGCE?

S: Since completing the PGCE course I have been able to work as a supply teacher at a variety of primary schools across the city. I have also looked at the opportunity of completing my Masters at some point in the near future as I gained some credits during the PGCE course.

Thankyou for taking the time to answer my questions, do you have any additional information that you think I should know about the course?

S: If you decided that the PGCE wasn’t an option for you due to the increasing cost of fees, the Graduate Teacher Programme is a good alternative where you would be able to receive a wage. This is similar to the PGCE but you need to find a school willing to invest the programme as that school would be the centre of your learning as opposed to being based at University and then going on teaching practice. You would still be assessed through assignments and the QTS standards but you would be based in one school throughout the year.