SUSTAINABLE PROSPECTS COURSEWORK WEEK 8
In June 2019 I started my MA with Falmouth university as part of an accredited education programme.
23rd November 2019
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This week we were introduced to the differing art markets.
Primary market – The first time a photograph comes to the market, through the photographer or gallery. The time at which the initial price is set.
Secondary market – Photographs being sold on by the primary buyer, usually through galleries or auction houses. Usually happens when a photographers work is well and known and sought after.
NOTES – THIS SEEMED IMPORTANT – Additional to auction houses, dealers can be found operating in both the primary and the secondary market. Dealers have relationships with collectors, so it makes sense that they would come to the dealer to sell works.
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This week we were asked to share our website with our peers. I chose not too for professional & personal reasons. My website can obviously be found by anyone looking, but I respect my clients immensely. People who come to my website are actively looking for a birth and / or breastfeeding photographer, they are likeminded people, with similar parental philosophies and are on similar paths to myself, there is a mutual respect. I have no idea of the reception, thoughts or judgements of the people in the course, I do not care to place my clients infront of them, with no idea of the reception . It would be doing them a disservice. Also, I am established enough, that I don’t need their feedback on my birth photography. The aim was for people to comment on websites, but put birth photography in front of someone, and that will never be the subject that they stick too. The same thing happens all the time, it has happened on this course many times already, and although I do value and respect others opinions, theres a difference between actively asking for feedback, and unsolicited ‘advice’ or criticism . I did not come to the MA to discuss my birth photography, and do not wish to really discuss it with anyone, as it is an intensely private thing, both for the birthing woman, myself capturing of it, and the presentation of my work. It was an active informed decision to keep my birth photography out of the spotlight in this MA , and one that at present I am going to continue upholding.
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Something else that was also discussed by my peers this week was how there were a few people who posted their websites this week, who to our knowledge aren’t actively engaging in discussions. That may be coincidental and it just happened this week, or it may be that we are all business people if we are professionals, and sadly for me, I question things like that. This also made me feel uncomfortable about sharing my website given its private nature.
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This week’s live lecture was with Andy Hughes. I was unable to attend this as I have been having back to back photoshoots for the last couple of weeks. I am finding this really hard. Last module I watched everything, and responded to everything really methodically and enthusiastically, I have been doing so many photoshoots for this project (and with my being ill and the bereavement) that I have been unable to attend a few live lectures, and haven’t been as an active participant as I would of wished. I am slowly catching up with all the recorded sessions though, and theres only a few I am still missing having watched now. I plan on watching all of these in the break between modules, and like the last break, going back over all the work we have done, and rereading/listening to the resource list as that made a huge difference in my level of comprehension last module.
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REFLECTIONS
I wish I had been documenting the webinars with peers and tutors as I had been doing them. I have made sure to follow up on every photographer reference, and have bene really enjoying what I have been attending. But I have been audio recording them and trying to find the time in-between my photoshoots is proving impossible.
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