This is Part Two of Career Development
LinkedIn Profile:
What it does:
- Creates connection of clients, friends and contacts of work to look for after graduation or during studies at College or Universities.
- Advice and assists to how to promote self, professionally and suitable for business which within photography is a requirement within portraiture, music/event and studio photography – artistic or commercial.
- Shows experience and skills gain or acknowledge: Adding and endorsing skills of which are featured within your own professional career within photography
- Can add links, CVs, portfolio and website to the profile
- Add Links, work and photos within the work experience or work on the profile so that when clients (mostly LinkedIn users) can look and see what you have done throughout University or outside for work.
What changes and designs towards own profile:
- Link and profile link: Easy to find and locate self through the search of the LinkedIn site: www.linkedin.com/in/jameswaylingmkphoto/
- More Professional and creative statement towards my profile, describe self in a more professional manner within a business website, plus drawing the clients/contacts/work in if finding/looking for work
Statement:
Milton Keynes and Northampton Based
Photographer with experience within the art of Portraiture, Studio and Music Photography.
A dynamic photographer with growing expertise in portraiture, documentary photography and art-based approaches, with a particular interest in music and perming arts portraiture and events coverage. Independent, reliable, creative and technically proficient, he works with great attention to detail and highest professional standards in all assignments he undertakes.
Love to explore and experiment within my photography work exploring through both digital and analogue formats to create professional and high-quality imagery.
Within music photography, the aims are to capture the excitement and enjoyment the event. Whereas with the portraiture, explore and capture the subject within photograph, their unique character and nature throughout the expression of the individual.
During my free time, I passionately enjoy practicing with my analogue camera: Canon A1 (35mm Camera) in the art of street, architecture and documentary, to practice my skills and knowledge of photography when going into my digital photography for quality and professionalism, also push the creative and artistic notion within my photography, showing narrative and character within each image or series.
Finally, an experimental photographer within darkroom practices and printing, exploring with the analogue format the art of photography with techniques, processing and printing to create an artistic notion from the negative or print, depending on how creative I explore throughout a specific topic.
- Imagery for Background; Plain and simple architecture photography of one of my imagery but edited to fit the frame of the background page of the profile. Plus, matching the profile picture as well. Good to show own photography than a stock/imagery, showing a unique profile which adds my own character and notion within it.
- Logged in: Under the statement – Shows the Website and the two CVs; Formal and Creative, showing both commercial and artistic side of my photographer skills. But keeping it very professional and smart within LinkedIn
- Logged Out: Mostly shows the profile, details of experience, statement and work experience (with no imagery or links). Meaning it is for LinkedIn user/logger to see everything to see that.
Profile Photograph – Within Social Media:
First Image Profile:
Taken by Mark O’Connor: O’Connor Photography
Aims:
- To look friendly, professional and approachable towards the viewer which could be a client, contact or another photographer.
- It started as an idea to relate to the style of photography, which was only to be focus on, digital – Portraiture, Commercial and Studio photography only, removing the other skills and knowledge which would be hidden or removed unless looking onto my Flickr (creative photography and work) or almost build website.
- Portrait of self: Felt very friendly, approachable and interesting character, also connects to the style of photography which I wanted to specialise in but felt like it was missing the other technical and passionate skills of analogue (another skills and knowledge, which I’m known for) making it feel more personal to myself and meaningful (if it needs an artistic meaning/notion towards the image). Plus feeling unique and reliable to which I feel comfortable and somewhat represents me, naturally through the image (must be the documentary notion of photography – to pursuit for a natural shot which identify the individual characteristic and nature toward the photographer/viewer or being picky).
Used for Contact Me page: www.jameswaylingphotography.com/contact
Other Portrait of Self:
Some looked friendly and approachable but didn’t feel like me within the photograph, all digital and different – by lighting, approach and character through the imagery. But didn’t feel like the right ones that represent self within photography and matches the style of photography which I pursuit in; being Portraiture, Music/Event and Creative photography (Analogue, darkroom practices and Adobe)
Was taken by: Mark O’Connor
Too light and positive, wanted to show a serious and professional type of imagery, but also shows the approachable and friendliness needed within photograph, plus feeling more natural and relaxed within the photograph. Used for my Tweeter Profile Picture
Also as my creative CV was sticking to a black/grey/white colour theme, needed to find/create an image matching the theme as well, plus suitable for all areas of photography which self-specialise in, such as portraiture, music/event, creative photography (analogue, darkroom practice and architecture), showing both digital and analogue photography as well (as I am knowledgably skilful within both styles, technical and slightly experiences)
Used only for Twitter: www.twitter.com/JamesWayling
Final Imagery: Photograph of Self
35mm Camera: Canon A1 Film: Ilford HP5 ISO: 400
Helped with a Friend but planned the scenery and imagery to represent myself.
Aims:
- Feeling a more serious and natural self within the photograph, having a this is how I like to be represented as a photographer than a person within photography. (Odd perspective and notion but wanted that documentary feel, to relate to the style of photography I specialise in)
- Taken 35mm Film: Felt more natural, realistic and had a weird notion towards it (plus relates more passionately to the style of photography, which was portraiture, music/event which were very documentary based and studio photography). Even though taken by film, was digitally edited and change to digital imagery, displaying the skills/knowledge of retouching from analogue to digital.
- The styles of photography relate to the influences within my analogue photography, which were documentary and portraiture photographers of analogue (Terence Donovan, William Klein, David Bailey and Mick Rock: Music Photographer)
- Why black & white: Felt more realistic and relatable to my individual character from the image/photo, plus it was more relaxed, calm and nature which I was looking for than an always smiling and typical type of portrait, every person and some photographers do to represent themselves within an imagery.
- Matches the design layout of the creative CV plus feels professional and smart through the business and commercial present in photography (even though the wrist has a ring, wristbands and other things near the watch, showing the music side of photography within self).
- Documentary side of self; represented and shown through the background and scenery, have people behind out of focus and solely focusing on self than another one else, finding a surreal narrative or story within the image.
Image used:
- Creative CV: Photograph of Self – Profile
- LinkedIn: Profile Picture
- Flickr: Profile Picture
- Website: About Page: www.jameswaylingphotography.com/about
- Instagram: Profile Picture
- Not Facebook Page but only personal profile only
Creation of the Website (Social Media):
Flickr – Creative and Digital Portfolio:
Link to Flickr Photography: www.flickr.com/photos/128117740@N02/
Link to Profile – Flickr: www.flickr.com/people/128117740@N02/
About Me Page:
· Statement: More personal and approachable the detail, making it feel more human and relatable towards photographer of all genres and level – Beginner, amateur and professional.
· Unique Background Cover: Which is informal and smart but shows both style of professionalism and creative notion of words, letting the image/photograph do the talking (as it is hard to express the words, which I wanted to express when writing, as words are quite complex and difficult to use to explain how or what it the notion of the photography work), plus matching the LinkedIn Background (so client/viewer can find James Wayling Photography work more easily, if it was different would think it is someone else with the same name).
· Profile: Similar to the website and social media profile (Final Image selection for my profile), as it feels quite a strong representation of self within photography. Displaying a confident, creative and passionate photographer who enjoys photography within a commercial or creative notion.
Used to display self-photography work towards the client/viewer, looking for a photographer within specific areas of photography which self-specialise in, such as music, architecture/creative analogue, portraiture and studio photography – from the beginning of the photography in 2012 to present time.
All imagery is all my photography work and more up-to-date based, which can be shared on all social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter or the Blogs on the Website), making the portfolio -digitally and online readier or prepared for interviews/jobs.
Also, with the website of Wix, can connect photography imagery more easily and quickly than reuploading them or finding them (Looking on hard-drives, SDs Cards or Memory Sticks or even rescanning negatives or prints again – plus editing the damage/dust/scratches off the scanned image, which could be time consuming or a waste of time if clients wants a fast response to see the up-to-date photography work.
All imagery is edited to look professional and smart, in different albums to know what type of photography they are towards the client/viewer. Plus demonstrates not only my commercial based photography work but also the artistic and creative side as well.
YouTube Videos – Retouching and Editing Photoshop/Lightroom:
Link to YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Cf-TSOLGnt2rZUNrYxtxw
What it is used for:
· Mostly for showing the editing and retouching skills
· Digital Imagery or Digital-based photography: Showing the editing and retouching skills throughout the image, if it is Portraiture/fashion – be editing the details, lighting correction, contrast and colour preference (Suitable warmtones, Printing preference and colour correction), also a few retouched of specific areas of the image if needs be when it needs to look professional as a final outcome.
· Scanned analogue prints or negatives: Retouching and fixing the dust/scratches/damages (especially on negatives, cannot be perfect all the time – can used dust cloth/brush removal kits but won’t remove everything), lighting corrections – Looking similarly to a Black & White digital print quality, contrast – Rich blacks and greys throughout the imagery (Blacks are jet black and the greys as silver). With the damages, correct and attempt to fix the patches or damaged blob, practising the requirements needs to fix/repair damage imagery of the past or present on the negative/print.
· Also, shows the improvement of development by the faster and quicker editing methods and techniques (read a mixture of Photoshop/Lightroom/Capture One advice from magazines, online and experience photographers to improve the skills needed for the retoucher role within photography).
· Other types of mediums to creative: GIFs, Collages, moving imagery (similar to a GIF but more like stop-motion on Photoshop), need to show more video editing and production as well (showing a more diverts ranged of techniques and methods needed throughout photography practices).
Instagram – Documentary of my photography within all areas and Social Life:
Link to the Instagram: www.instagram.com/just_james_photography/
What it is used for:
- Documentary of mostly all my photography work and development within photography, most of the time or heavily. Showing the passion and creativity throughout my photography.
- Shows my social and normal life as well, shouldn’t be all photography needs to show people that I’m a person as well than a photographer.
- Connected both Facebook Page (Music Photography portfolio and work) and Website (Showing all my portraiture, commission of music and freelance photography work, even past work within performing arts and theatre work.
- Hashtags used: More notice and photographic promotion throughout the social media.
- Imagery is cropped and limited to specific size: Mostly to prevent copyright or infringement of ownership (Perhaps)
Website of Photographers – Influences similar to my style and theme of photography:
Photographers of Influence:
Paul Harries – Studio and Music Photographer:
Link to Website: www.paulharries.com/
- Plain and simple: same colours and layout throughout all of the pages on the website.
- Showing a strong variety of studio and location-based photography of musicians and bands from Rock genre (Heavily Rock, Metal and Goth)
- Commissions of Kerrang magazine covers and photography within the magazine, strong and vibrant range of photography.
- About Page: Simple and basic, understandable and interesting to audience who are into that genre of music or style – not artistic or art-based photographer. More of a Music/studio photographer (Very commercialist and music industry based).
- Got the social media sites as well on the website – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many more. Keeping it simple and basic to see and read.
- In the Portfolio: Shows mostly all style of photography within music studio and portraiture than music events and gigs on the website, could be on a different social media or only specialise in only than type of photography.
- Good contact and connection between musicians and bands.
Jessica Hilltout – Portrait and Still Life Photographer:
Link to Website: www.jessicahilltout.com
- Plain and Simple colours and typography
- About: Simple and plain, which is quite interesting and yet fascinating towards the viewer/client looking for a photographer which specialise within portraiture and still life photography
- Not much show of Jessica Hilltout’s social media but has an Instagram (Photographer’s Profile – displaying all here up-to-date photography work and past work).
- Good ranged of portfolio in specific pages – with unique titles and names within all of them.
- Statement and information about the imagery and the photographer is strong and collective, having a good ideal of what the character and nature of the photography is like in person.
- Photography and Imagery: Are Blurry or out of Focus (maybe designed that way to make the images hard to copy or taken from other photographers and artists).
Tom Sheehan – Portraiture and Music (Documentary) Photographer:
Link to Website: www.tomsheehan.co.uk
- Very plain and basic for a Portraiture and Music type of photographer, could be more of a physical/social able character or person. Than using the social media or online media throughout his career.
- No about page or bio about the photographer on the website, making it very uninteresting and boring.
- But the layout and typography are quite unique and interesting, videos of Tom Sheehan work and about the photographer.
- Mostly need to contact the photographer to see more of his work or paid to see the work (being more commercial than a work of art or photography – from own perspective).
John Blakemore
Darkroom Practitioner and Analogue Photographer within Still-Life and creative practices:
Link to Website: www.johnblakemore.co.uk
- Creative and Unique photographer
- Contact details are simple and basic, but very interactive towards the audience/client/viewer
- About Page: Briefly describes the photographer very well and beautifully. Also showing the gallery exhibitions, commissions and awards (achievements within photography and practices).
- As shooting analogue and printing can be a complex task within photography to further and show through a digital media, the work of John Blakemore influences and inspires to explore analogue through a digital format (For digital printing or online portfolio).
- Blogging shows all the photography work past and present, which John Blakemore
Website design and layout:
Final Outcome of the Website and the process:
First Website Design and Layout:
- First design and layout for the website, plain and simple as similar to my influences but lack the actual characteristic of self within photography.
- Very Commercial and theatre and studio-based photography only, which felt biased and not showing all the potential throughout the photograph.
- Too little stuff; such as bookings and costs to hire. Photography ranged of portfolio in different sections. About Page was too little and lack the professional imagery to represent myself as a photographer on the website, plus statement didn’t feel positive or interesting.
- No Social media links or portfolio links to other sites, was more of a portfolio for only studio and theatre photography only. So, a lot of changes were made for the final outcome of my website.
Final Website Design and Layout:
Link to Website: www.jameswaylingphotography.com
- Clear and shows more of a range within my photography, also represents the photographer aspect of being a music, portraiture, studio and creative photography on the website.
- Clean typography and links to photography work on the page, also off the website due to being website can have a limit of imagery or space, which could make it take longer to load or show the imagery efficiently on the website.
- Blog of photography work – past and present (may need to add a bit more when free or able to due to work and stuff needed to be done)
- Up-to-date series of photography work (which can be uploaded quickly from Flickr Profile when using Wix – customising the size to a more suitable purpose for the website.
- Logo and Social Media links are on the bottom of the page as it was a big distract if place elsewhere on the website – following the influences of photographer’s website.
- Balance between all style of photography; Portraiture, Music/event (Most of the event is on Facebook Page) and Theatre/performing arts.
- Professional About, Contact and CV Page to show a more interesting yet charactering nature within own website (having a personal touch of the photographer (self) throughout the whole series of pages on the website)
Invoice and Business Cards:
Music Business Cards:
· Plain and simple details to contact me via Facebook, email and mobile
· Mostly ways to find and discover me on Facebook
Formal Business Cards:
Invoice:
· Formal and plain – with my logo of my photography company (business)
· Not fancy and overly designed, which is not necessary or needed when creating a business invoice towards clients working with my photography work/commissions.
· May look to plain and simple for an invoice but it not an artistic or heavily creative, it business not art within the commercial side of photography (within my point of view, if design or very artistic feels like a distraction and makes the client feel like it is working with a non-formal business person in photography)
· Got Logo to know how it was. Email and website if the client want to see more of my work as well
Outcome of the Career Development:
Three Individual Portfolio photography, showing skills and passion within the three areas of photography which I specialise in:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): Creative and Formal
- Website
- Social Media: Showing different online portfolio as well
- Portraiture/Studio Photography:
- Music Photography: In a smart leather photobook in smart cases, which will also show experimental analogue photography and contact sheets/prints (Also Test Prints)
- Creative Arts: Showing the analogue and darkroom practices of photography which demonstrate practice and passion of skill within analogue to digital technique and methods, portfolio in an Archive Box while the prints (digital print) on soft foamboard, within contact sheets and test strips as well for the creative arts (analogue/darkroom practices in architecture photography – Portmanteau Project)
- Self- Reflection Evaluation
Overview of the Career within photography:
Throughout the professional development of myself throughout the business and professional side of photography, it needed to be efficient, interesting and shows a strong representation of myself through the photography industry which I specialise within, looking heavily into the research and success of photographers who relate to own style and theme of photography, which could be explored and reflected onto my CV, Social media and Website (even the online portfolio on Flickr).
With the creative and Formal CV, the design and layout (even the typography) was needed to be created and design with similar traits of my characteristic and nature through a business look within the photography industry – smart, clear and interesting (matching to the style and theme of my photography as well if using both analogue and digital format within portraiture, music and creative photography). Carefully researching through the influences of creative and formal CV sites to see what types of CV, the clients want to see from a photographer or photography-based practitioner perspective, looking for quality than quantity within specific matter (sometimes) in the photography industry.
Whereas with the Social media and Website built up and creation (even the logo), it demonstrates a lot of confidence, professional and patience to present and display the photography work through both social and business media online/digital formats, showing the need of understanding what the clients/audience is looking for to hire the photographer for the specific role. Heavily researching and looking into photographers and artists which relate to own style and theme of photography or photographic practice, demonstrating different style/theme of photography need to be represented and shown differently (like music photography, needed to be shown professional and clean but also having a unique characteristic or notion towards it, whereas creative and art-based photography needs to be shown professionally and clearly towards the viewer). Analysing and resolving the type of photography, which passionately show a this is me and this is what I’m like with each imagery throughout the music, creative arts (Darkroom and Analogue Photography) and portraiture/studio photography but in separate medias (either through different photography sites, such as Flickr, Facebook and Instagram).
Overall, from this experience and knowledge gain from the career development it supports and helps discover myself throughout the photography industry which represent and practice/skilled at throughout my own photography, also creating a professional and creative reflection of myself with each series of imagery. Other than the photography experiences gain and learnt, other skills were gained throughout the process of the creation of website, logo and promotion of self-photography work, working within clients, photographers, artists and musicians (even designers to help create the logo) build a connection and contract for further work or jobs advantages throughout my career within photography practices, becoming a confident, inspiring and proud individual within and out of photography industry.
