Plans After I Graduate.

This is without a doubt, the most exciting time of my entire life!

After three years of being a student on an incredibly tight budget, I am about to step out into the big-wide world as a qualified photographer.

I have achieved so much as a photographer whilst I have been a student, so much so that as a self-funded student, I have been able to mostly pay way own way through the last 3 years with paid photographic work.

There are so many different projects that I intend to undertake after I graduate.

I may have to possibility to work with a motorbike racing team as their photographer at this year's Isle of Man TT.

This is still in negotiation but is a very promising prospect.

I intend to further develop my final major project which is based on the macro photography of insects into a body of work that I can exhibit. this body of work will be accompanied by a book that I also plan to write.

During my final major project, I have made an excellent link with the people who manage the insect collection at the Manchester Museum, after working closely with them on my final major project, they are keen for me to continue my work with them.

In this last week, I generated some images for them that will be published in a scientific book about the history of insects.

The Curator of the insect collection has approached me with an offer to collaborate with him on a new project. 

This would be to use all of the resources in the collection to produce a new body of work about insect portraiture similar to the idea for my final major project. He then intends to have my work shown in a major photographic exhibition at The Manchester Museum on Oxford Road.

I have already agreed this with him in principal and he is in the process of writing a bid for funding to the senior management at the museum.

This will an amazing opportunity for me and will result in my photographic practice receiving some incredible exposure and this will surely lead to some exciting new photographic commissions!

I have also recently recieved a paid commission to work with a local housing-association on their jubilee celebrations. 

This will result in an exhibition of my work which will be paid for as well as some excellent coverage in the local media. this project will be starting at the end of May.

This will definitely help me to raise my profile as an emerging photographer in Manchester.

I also intend to continue with my motorsports photography as this is a true passion of mine.

I have made enquiries to my local racing circuit, Oulton Park in Cheshire about gaining media accreditation at the circuit and this now looks like it will be possible after I graduate.

I have to get my own public liability insurance and then they will be happy for me to document some events with full media access.

This will be a true ''game-changer'' for me. 

Having the opportunity to get so much closer to the action and with so many new angles and vantage points to experiment with, this is going to be an amazing experience and should help me to generate some amazing new images for my portfolio and website.

Working in this capacity at the circuit will also be an amazing networking opportunity and with the existing contacts that I already have, should hopefully allow me to find more paid work in this area of photography that I love so much.

I have also recently made an excellent contact at my favourite racing circuit in the UK which is based on the island of Anglesey.

The contact is called Andrew Mon Hughes and he is the overall circuit manager.

I had a great conversation with him the last time that I went to visit the circuit and he is keen to also give me media access and possibly paid work as well.

This is the fastest developing circuit in the Uk at the moment and is receiving huge amounts of investment so this could be an exceptional time to get my foot in the door so to speak.

In my spare time, I intend to start to design and produce my own range of branded books on photography.

I have a huge archive of work that I have amassed over the last 6 years and want to be able to share this work.

My photographic practice is exceptionally diverse, I photograph motorsport, rugby and football, wildlife, events and aviation.

These are just a few of the many areas of photography that I have bodies of work in and definitely want to be able to output them in the form of professionally designed books.

I also intend to contact all of the top creative agencies in manchester with my portfolio as soon as it is completed.

We had a lecture with Chris Morris on advertising photography several months ago now and he told us about all of the top agencies in Manchester and provided us with an excellent list of contacts. 

I intend to make a professional approach to all of these agencies as soon as I complete my degree.