After an insightful conversation with Leila yesterday the future and the prospects it holds are becoming more exciting. We discussed different career options and the ladder to get there. Explaining about her friends and their past climb to the top in Gallery work was a pretty inspirational chat for such an early hour of the morning. On reflection my education to date has been very narrow (ie. taking a course at London College of Fashion in Fashion Photography). To try and get around this I need to get more work experience too widen my art spectrum for future career option's. This wont be a chore in anyway, the idea of spending more time learning about art history is something I try to do myself and the experience will hopefully be integral.
Its all too easy to forget your personal pro's, that will set you up for the future, until they are laid bare for you by someone else. One thing it seems I'm good at is pretending. Like a swan panicking under water and calm and collected at the top. Putting these skills to use, a career that mixes both business and photography feels more and more like the right path. My interest in art photography has grown through out University and whilst fashion photography is still something I would like to pursue, more options are now opening up. I'm never going be the man at 40 thinking 'shit what have I done', if I've got another 50 years in me left (touches wood whilst typing) I'm hoping to do a bit of everything.
My experience itself with starting up in fashion photography has been pretty sour. Trying to forge a career in a business where EVERYTHING is personal rather than professional doesn't sit too well with me. Trying to fit a mold, going to the right parties, working with certain people (and loosing all your money to Matilda Finn) is tiresome. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow so I would rather spend my days with people that aren't attempting to screw me over and refer to people as contacts instead of a friend.
Photography is still my passion and this will always be the case. Through university we have always been encouraged to get your signature style, which was a bit of a personal battle for me. Feeling worried about tight casting myself before I even knew what I wanted to do. Meeting Adrian Wilson and having the privilege of assisting him has been invaluable. Showing me that being a schizophrenic photographer is not a bad thing. Whilst assisting Adrian we would do a shoot in the morning that would be all pretty and sweet for a glossy magazine then later in the day would end up photographing a girl get tied up Araki style and having candle wax dripped onto her breasts. The guy was a great photographer, he was also honest and professional. I look up to Adrian and hope all the lessons I learnt from him can be put into practise to better myself.
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