AD5804 - Opportunities out there and after graduation plan
- Noemi Filetti
- 21 gen 2019
- Tempo di lettura: 5 min
At this stage of my studies I need to critically make a strategic plan for the directions I want to take after my final year.
Before thinking about what I will specifically do at that point, I want to reflect on where I am now and, consequently, HOW I get there.
At this stage of my practice, I have done so far:
Material
- Several documentary photography series, with potential development in long-term projects
- A magazine spread that prove my skills in making a photo-story
- One studio project
- One news broadcast video and one short documentary film
- One finished photo-book
- All business stationery
Professional Experiences
- Research Assistant and contacts finder for a Getty Images Documentary Photographer
- Event photographer
- Gallery Intern
Additionally, by the end of the last year I will have:
-Strong, consistent portfolio of images
- Two months experience at Magnum as an Archive Intern
- Two (at least) more ready for publication photo books
- Two exhibition (Free Range, African Diaspora)
Given those premises, by the end of the next year I will have plenty of suitable professional-level material and all the skills and experiences that would make me a potential professional documentary photographer. However, unfortunately, this doesn't mean (AT ALL) I will work in the industry, unless I make a solid plan and I play my cards right. The opportunities ARE out there, but it is completely my responsibility to go and take them. Objectively speaking, all my course mates are already better than many established photographers, all of us can work in the industry, what makes the difference for success is essentially contacts. Sad but true, our images are, most of the time, less decisive than our contacts.
Knowing this, since the last year I pushed myself in making contacts for the future. During the last winter I contacted tens of agencies and documentary photographers, proposing myself as an assistant. I ended up doing researches and finding contacts for a long-term project for the photographer Antonio Faccilongo who is represented by Getty and has published on National Geographic. This is how I started to make contacts and understand the industry.
My biggest goal for this year was doing a big step forward and getting relevant experience, perhaps with some "big ones". I started to send emails very early for professional practice, initially for term-time opportunities and later on for summer-time ones. I completed my placement at London Four Corners Gallery, which has not been extremely relevant for learning new skills (since I mostly invigilated an exhibition) but has been good for future contacts and CV building experiences. Later on I had some emails exchanges with the Soho Photo Gallery internships coordinator and Marcel Saba (Redux Pictures owner) both potentially offering me opportunities. I kept on applying for intern positions until I received an offer from Magnum and I (happily) accepted it. It consists in an intern position working both in their international and local archive based in New York, they have been extremely flexible about the duration and nature of my experience and I am working with them for two months. Furthermore, I will have free access to all their events, such us talks and workshops.
In this semester I am taking part to a photography project, with an organisation in Gloucester, documenting the African Diaspora. This will (hopefully) turn into an exhibition. I am also collaborating in a project documenting the Forest of Dean Community.
My expectations for these experiences are very high, especially I am very concerned in making the most out my internship at Magnum because it can potentially be a life changing opportunity in my career as a documentary photographer.
The next massive opportunity already planned (and hopefully confirmed) will be our final year exhibition at Free Range.
However, these experiences are still not enough for ensuring me a place in the industry after graduation, so I need to consider all the other options I may need to take for doing the profession that I want.
As I mentioned in other posts, my higher ambition would be being employed as a documentary photographer from an agency or working freelance but always represented by one or more agencies. This will take time, and it is really not likely to be a straight-forward step from my graduation.
How do I make my way in?
- Grants and fellowships
I started researching for grants and fellowships suitable for me and I highlighted the most interesting from Paul's list and I added a few more. Getting a grant/fellowship is a good way in.
- Assisting
AOP offers interesting opportunities for assisting photographers, but you need at least one year of assisting experience in order to be eligible.
-Freelance commissions
Websites such as Arts Council England often post opportunities for freelance photographers. I went to their website to see what sort of commissions they may offer and I found an interesting one for which I would have applied if I were postgraduate.
Example:
This is the sort of commission that I believe would really suit me and I would feel confident to develop.
-Sending proposals to NGOs
NGOs are often looking for documentary photographers and they obviously receive a massive number of emails from photographers aiming to work for them. So I did some researches and I made a list of "rules" in order to have more chances to be considered.
1. The key people you need to contact are the Picture Editors, they commission the photographers. Depending on the NGO, they may sit in the media team, the communications team, the marketing team or commissioning photographers might be just one part of someone’s job.
2. Nice short, to the point, friendly email with a link to your website. Include a PDF with some pictures from previous projects (I can actually confirm that since I created a PDF with work samples, people are more likely to reply me).
3. Be multi-skilled. In many occasions they need one person able to produce both stills, videos and audio contents. Writing and interviewing skills are extremely helpful as well.
More tips available at: http://www.rachelpalmer.co.uk/2011/11/29/how-to-get-a-photography-commission-for-an-ngo/
https://www.magnumphotos.com/theory-and-practice/working-with-ngos/
-Competitions
Even being shortlisted is a way to get your name out and it adds a relevant fact in you CV. For this purpose, I have researched and selected the competitions more suitable for me.
Other
-Visura
A great platform for finding contacts and opportunities. http://visura.co/open-calls
- Millenium Images Photographers
This is a good opportunity to start, they offer a three year contract during which you license them to sell reproduction rights to your pictures. You retain the copyright and you may also continue to exhibit the work and use it for your own self promotion. Amounts raised by sales depend on the rights required by their clients. https://www.milim.com/
-Fast Forward Women in Photography
Fast Forward is designed to promote and engage with women in photography across the globe, it showcases the best of emerging and established photography by women, it promotes opportunities and records events. https://fastforward.photography/opportunities/
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