UNI Interviews and Offers

I applied to Falmouth, Gloucestershire, Leeds, Newport and London Arts College.  I have interviews to everyone besides Leeds as they required a C in Math, I also did not attend my Newport interview as I found out the campus was in Cardiff and I was not impressed with the Facilities or the accommodation it had to offer.

Falmouth was my top choice to begin with so naturally I attended numerous days and things they had to offer related to the course I wanted to do. This enabled me to get used to the campus and the surroundings before my interview. 
Gloucestershire UNI, my first interview, however was completely new to me. On arrival I was impressed with the campus and the facilities on offer. The surrounding area was also nice and looked like a safe environment to live in whilst studying there. My interview went very well and there was a lot of promising feedback toward my portfolio, I prepared before the interview, as with everyone, by running through questions that may be asked and coming up with answers to them, I also thought of things to say about my images as well as relevant things to mention about my previous experiences in photography. As Gloucestershire was my first interview and had gone so well I came out with a new found confidence about my work and images and sure enough got a conditional offer from them a few days later.  The offer was to get an overall grade of DDM and a C grade in my math re-take.

My second interview was at the London College of Communication. In order to prepare they had asked me to write an evaluation of an image in order for them to assess my written work. This was taken from me in the interview. I applied for the Photojournalist course however when in the interview I realised the course wasn’t right for me as I want to look more into travel photojournalism as apposed to covering red carpet events in London. I also think the interview didn’t go as planned as there was no real interest in my image or what I had to say. I knew I hadn’t got in and sure enough I hadn’t.

Falmouth was my last interview. I had to complete a project they had sent me a brief for which included documenting something unusual in my hometown, I decided to document a shed that was converted into a cafe, these images were viewed and spoken about in the interview. As this was my top choice I was very nervous and almost over prepared to insure everything went smoothly. I spoke about my images and tried to come across as confident as I could during the interview. I also brought a certificate I had from the Devon photographic competition where my image came highly commended. After the interview I felt I did everything I could to get in however the interviewers hadn’t let out anything about how they felt about my work so I was still very nervous and unsure about whether I had got in or not. After a long twenty-four hours late I got my reply and I had a conditional offer from Falmouth with only a merit grade requirement, this was below the asking grade. I accepted the offer straight away dismissing my other offers.

When attending interviews it gave me an insight as to whether the UNI was right for me or not and I concluded that Falmouth was the right UNI for me and I felt like if I didn’t get in I would re-apply until I got in because I did not see the point in going to a UNI in which was wrong for me or made me feel unwelcome.

Online Portfolio

Here is my online portfolio. Some of the images in my digital portfolio are slightly different from my printed portfolio as I wanted to show a variation of my work and felt that having my digital portfolio slightly different would allow me to show all aspects of my photography.
We created digital portfolios so our work could be viewed online and also because some Universities want to view your work to determine an interview spot therefore a digital portfolio was a good thing to have prepared before applying to UNI. I didn't have to send my portfolio off as the UNI's asked me to complete projects instead, however i still feel it is a useful thing to have and add to for future employment or abroad placements.

http://500px.com/laurenswish1

Photography jobs 

I have included three photographic job opportunities both int he UK and abroad. 

The first job opportunity I found was a Photojournalist position at the NBC Universal in Connecticut, America. NBCUniversal is one of the worlds leading media and entertainment companies in the entertainment, news and information to a global audience industry.  The salary is not specified on the job application. The job has a lot of requirements and skills that would need to be developed before applying for a position like this, below i have included the advert for this particular job to show the requirements you would be expected to meet before going into a position such as this.  

The second job i have included is a nightclub photographer job for a company called Licklist, located in Bath. Licklist cover a range of social gatherings such as nightclubs, bars, events and music festivals. I chose this position as i wanted to show a whole range of photographic jobs, this is a complete contrast to the job I talked about previously however still shows has the same concept of documenting something. The pay is between £35 for a 1hour session and £110 for a 6hour session, with a higher rate paid on event coverage. Below i have included job requirements and skills needed for a position such as this. 

The final job i have looked at is a Clinical Photography job at he National Trust hospital in Bristol. I chose this job opportunity as i felt it was unusual and completely different from the documenting route. The job involves taking images of wounds and sometimes the operations in progress to show the measurements of the wounds or how the procedure is going. The photographs can also be used to show the healing process and to ensure whether it is healing properly. The salary is between £21,388 and £27,901 per year depending on experience. Below i have included the job requirements and specifications. 

         

Falmouth Open Day/ Press and Editorial Taster Day

Falmouth open day 

After reading about and being impressed by the press and editorial course online, I felt that the only way I could really experience it and find out what it was all about was by going to the open day. Whilst at the open day we were greeted by different students that took us on a tour of the campus. We first visited the photography building and viewed the facilities there was on offer. This included a tour of the darkrooms, the press and ed room and the photo studios. We then attended a Photography talk where by the heads of all the different photography courses came and gave an insight into them. After this talk I knew that I wanted to go to Falmouth university to study press and editorial photography. I feel that open days are a good way of getting an insight to a uni that you are unsure about and also a good way of deciding what course route you'd like to take.

Press and Editorial Taster Day 

After attending the open day I applied for the press and editorial course at Falmouth. A few weeks later I received a letter asking if I wanted to attend a taster day. The taster day gave me a good insight into what the course is all about.

Final Version of Personal Statement

This is my final draft of my Personal Statement. After a few attempts i felt this was the one. 

Personal Statement

Photography has become a key part of documenting the world around us. Through both negative and positive viewpoints, it has shaped the way we think and feel using different forms of imagery. I too want to become part of this community as a photojournalist and feel the best way to do this is to study Photojournalism at University.

I have chosen to pursue a career in photojournalism as I feel it is one of the most important aspects of photography. The images taken have meaning and purpose allowing an outsider to witness events they may of otherwise had never thought about. It is a way to express feeling or emotion about a subject you find fascinating or feel strongly about. The ways in which a photojournalist can use images to tell a story or portray the exact feelings of their subject makes the photographs more fascinating. A photographer that has inspired me personally through my studies is Ansel Adams. Although not completely relevant to photojournalism, after seeing his original work at the Maritime museum seeing the quality of his prints and how travelled the world to take pictures has left me keen to achieve this also.

I decided to study Photography at the City of Bath College as apposed to partaking in A level study as I felt College would give me a professional and specialized approach to the subject, enabling me to be more creative within my own work. Whilst studying the current Extended Diploma, I have gained experience in client based work from photography assignments set through the bath chronicle, and a more confident approach when taking photographs or working with people. One of my most successful projects was Supernatural. Using practical skills learnt in sessions I created a series of ghost like images. I felt these to be some of my most successful images and enjoyed the process of taking them. I am currently completing a work experience placement alongside a professional photographer to get a better understanding of photography as a profession. I hope to gain more understanding when using equipment on a professional level as well as gaining more information about going into freelance photography.

Outside of college I enjoy entering photographic competitions and also enjoy playing the guitar. I currently have a part time job and have found that having a job has helped me develop independence as well as allowing me to become more responsible both inside and outside the work place.

Upon leaving University I hope to work for a newspaper or music magazine as well as raising awareness to issues around the world through my photographs and personal experiences. A place at University will enable me to do this as well as broadening my knowledge and skills as a photographer and gaining a more developed understanding of my chosen career path.

Photography has become a major part when building my future. By studying at University I will be able to gain the skills and knowledge to achieve what I want both in life and in a career. 

Personal Statement Planning

I started my personal statement by writing down all the things i wanted to include in a mind map. I then created my first draft which was a short and un-detailed version which i took parts of to form my final Personal Statement. Underneath i have scanned in my notes and included my first copy of the Personal Statement.

Employability Skills Questionnaire

This is a questionnaire we had to complete about our skill base. It has helped to decipher how employable i am and how good my attitude, behaviour, skills and abilities can effect job opportunities and UNI applications. These scans below are my outcomes.