richard harley placement report

Richard HarleyPlacement ReportRH

Table Of Contents

Introduction - 4 Introduction - 4 Context is half the work

Project - 5 Project Learning Objectives - 6 Personal Project - 7 Project Images - 28 Use of Social Media

Career Tools - 31 CV - 33 Online Portfolio - 37 Cover Letter

- Richard Harley - Placement Report

Introduction

Whilst talking to Lincoln Jefferson (guitarist of the band The Passion who I had recently photographed) he mentioned there was a position of Sports Photographer as part of the Tower Hamlets Sports Partnership. As part of the build up to the London Olympics in 2012 all the Olympic boroughs are working to step up their sporting presence and as part of this, Tower Hamlets had constructed a website and wanted a large amount of photographs to document the different sports the children could take part in.

Having a keen interest in playing sport as well as watching it, I expressed an interest in applying. After sending my CV, covering letter and presenting my Creative Portfolio (http://richharley.com) I was given the post of Sports Photographer.

Context is Half the Work

After dialoguing with the staff they told me what they wanted the images to show and the constraints surrounding the images I produced. With these requirements I formed a site-specific plan for the style of photography they wanted.

When I arrived and reviewed their existing photos I observed the images were very bland and whilst taken with a digital SLR camera, the kit lens was used and the images were both blurry, too far from the subject and lacking detail. Also, the images did not have much photographic thought behind them and were just taken to focus on single aspects with no consideration for framing and very little attention paid to ensuring the correct focusing area was in use by the camera. My photography was to be as vivid as possible, and the staff requested “artier” photographs, with good composition, ensuring the colours had a high saturation (so black and white images were not an option) as well as in sharp focus (allowing for motion blur if artistically and aesthetically better) and with a clear focal point for the viewer.

Whilst sports photography is consumed on a very regular basis they required a slightly different approach to the style of photography. Unlike standard sports photography, which often focuses on a single player or team I had to ensure the sports looked as popular as possible whilst still catching the action. This required a different approach to the photography – whilst long, fast lenses had to be used to capture the moment of the sport, the images had to be framed to make the sports look popular with a large attendance even when this may not be the case.

Another aesthetic the staff wanted to be highlighted was an “urban” feel to the images to highlight the fact most of the schools would be inner-city London,surrounded by businesses, shops, homes and tower blocks. This caused for a great awareness of the surroundings and trying to frame the pictures in a way to retain the action and popularity aspects whilst giving a sense of location.

The images also had to be resized for the web. The school network did not allow for images over 50kb to be uploaded and the software they used to resize the images was very poor and made the images look very unappealing. To resolve this, I would take on all editing responsibilities, both on selection of the images taken, cropping the images and resizing them to be a uniform size in terms of pixels and file size.

Project Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and UnderstandingI hope throughout my placement I will come to have a better understanding of how the modern society we live in views images of children, especially ones of the children engaged in sport. Through this I hope to further my knowledge of how certain contexts are unavoidable and how this shall affect the meaning behind my images.

Intellectual SkillsMy placement project will focus on how images of children are viewed in modern society. By pixellating the faces of the children in Photoshop during post-production, I will produce a commentary on the level of censorship evident in society. The images I shall pixellate shall be images I have taken for my placement – the images sent to the placement shall have unpixellated versions as they are for their private use but as I am unable to display these, my pixellated versions are the only thing I am able to show, thus completing the placement of my work and completing my project with the social context intact.

Practical skillsI plan to use twitter (along with twitpic) to document my findings and thoughts whilst on my placement. Wherever possible I will provide insights into what I have learnt during my time on my placement, with regard to technique and equipment used, how to be a better photographer, as well as camera settings. I will also have to learn how to adapt quickly as the work I am doing shall rarely be in the same location, or the same sport. This shall also allow me to learn how to adapt my work and methodologies to avoid causing distress to those I am photographing.

Transferable skillsUsing Web 2.0 interfaces and other online mediums to further my photographic work and network with other photographers and photographic organisations. I will also learn the pressures of having to produce images within a timeframe and deliver consistently good results in constantly shifting work environments.


Personal Project

My personal project shall focus on the way society now views images of children. My placement involves taking photographs of Children playing sport and although I must store the images in order to edit them, I am not allowed to use the images in my portfolio unless I blur the faces of the children. To me this raises an interesting ques-tion about how people view images of children based on the context of their location of display.

I will utilize a high-spec DSLR camera with long focal length lenses and extenders; this is a necessity rather than choice, as the images I take have to be of a high standard for the client. I will then manipulate the images inside Photoshop to blur the children’s faces, leaving the rest of the image untouched to produce the material for my personal project.

CVRichard Harley

55 Celandine DriveHackney, London

E8 3XFTelephone Number: 07847310733

Email Address: [email protected]: http://www.richharley.com

Personal DetailsDOB: 29/9/88

I am an enthusiastic and highly motivated person who can work in both a team and solo environment. I am a very adaptable photographer, and am a very fast learner and can quickly adapt my photography to suit a situation. I have a very good under-standing of both Apple OSX and Microsoft Windows and their software suites. I have also studied for an Adobe Certified Expert qualification working with their imaging editing programmes.

University: I am currently a second year university student at London South Bank University studying Digital Photography. The course is 50% practical and 50% theory, with lectures in the latest photo-manipulation and book publishing techniques, current and future digital camera technologies, printing techniques and all aspects of digital media.

EducationJohn Cabot City Technology College (2000- 2007)

A2 Level Results: (2007)Photography – A Information technology - BPhysics - D

AS Level Results: (2006)Photography – APhysics - BInformation Technology – BMaths – DOtherBritish Airways Award in German (2004)

GCSE Results: (2004)Biology : AMaths: APhysics: AReligious Studies (Short Course) : AEnglish Literature: ABusiness Studies: BChemistry: BEnglish Language: BGerman: BInformation Technology: BSystems and Controls: B


Past Work Experience • March 2009 – Produced photographs for the British Volleyball Association to help promote their work in schools.• March 2009 – Produced photographs for the band “Bleech” for promotional work in the build up to the release of their single.• October 2008 – Photographer for the London based band “The Passions” pro-viding photographs of their live shows for use in the band’s publicity. As part of my responsibilities, I also edit the images, and send them to the band ready for use in publications. • October 2008 – Shop assistant at Jessops on the Strand in London. As part of this work, I help customers choose the right equipment for their needs as well as till work and putting out the stock and checking stock.• 2004 (2 weeks) and 2006 (2 weeks) – Classroom Assistant, helping teach-ers take classes. As part of this I helped with administration, setting up lessons, and helping students throughout the lessons. In 2006 I had a bigger emphasis on teach-ing physical education, using my experience in many sports to help the teachers plan lessons.

Achievements and Other: • Won Inter Technology College Challenge (ADT Challenge) – a challenge based on technological skills, both on computer aided 3D design and constructing a working trebuchet from scrap materials• Won several online photography competitions• Went To University Of The West Of England to do a Maths Course as part of a high achiever program• Played tennis at under 16 County level• Exhibited work in a University photography exhibition• Produced a book of my photography in conjunction with London South Bank university using Adobe InDesign.

Referees

Daniel Rubinstein – Digital Photography Head Lecturer, London South Bank [email protected]

Patrick Thompson – Manager Jessops, The Strand02073796522

Online Portfolio - Creative CV

55 Celandine DriveHackneyLondonE8 3XF

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am currently a second year university student studying photography at London South Bank University and am trying to get some photographic experience in the work place. I have a keen interest in sports and feel I would be suitable for the posi-tion you currently have open.

I have enclosed a copy of my CV to give you a fuller idea of my past photographic experience and skills to help you decide if I am a suitable candidate. I also have an online portfolio, available at http://www.richharley.com/portfolio.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Regards,

Richard Harley

richard harley placement report

Documents

project images

white images

different sports

standard sports photography

style of photography

post of sports photographer

personal project

work project