And breathe...

Sometimes it takes making mistakes to realise exactly what you want. In September last year, I felt like the biggest failure since I finished school in 2010... I had gone to Wellington to study Photographic Design in 2011 and didn't like the city and left. I had then worked full time for the remainder orf 2011, studied a Diploma in Professional Photography through the world renowned Photography Institute and saved money to take with me to Hamilton, where I would study at Waikato University, doing a Bachelor of Communications. I then left for family reasons at the beginning of semester two and tried to continue with the degree extramurally, only to realise that this wasn't what I wanted. That was 2 years of my life, where I was jumping around, changing my mind and changing it back again. By September 2012, I felt like the biggest loser. Here I was unable to complete a degree and my friends were completing their second year of University, what the heck was I doing?

What the heck was I doing?

What did I want?

Why couldn't I make up my mind?

One day I decided I would clean out my waredrobe and in the back of the waredrobe was my big pile of art boards from high school. I got them out and had a good look at them and had a eureka moment.. 'Hey I am really good at photography'... Yes I had completed a Diploma in 2011 since I finished school and I still constantly took photos, but I never took myself seriously.  Until now. I then got my computer out and had a good look through all my work I had done since I first got my hands on a digital camera. Why had I never taken my talent so seriously before? I then proceeded to make a Facebook Photography Page and started to push my work out there and before I knew it, I had photoshoots with Florists, 5 weddings on my plate and event photography up my sleeve.

With my page becoming successful, I made the decision to push my knowledge even further and now study here at Witt doing the Certificate in Photography, the Diploma in Digital Photography through the Southern Institute of Technology and the Diploma In Professional Photography through the New York Institute of Photography.

It's going to be a tough year, with lots of work to do but in the end it will all be worth it. This week has been an example of how much work I have had to do. I've had three assignments due, 33 hours of work, been moving house and have two photoshoot this weekend. BUSY!

Design and Digital Media have been beyond helpful this past couple of weeks with all the courses as I have learned many new photoshop skills that coincide with lots of the work and assignments that I have to submit.

Design has been particularly beneficial in helping me understand the elements of an image and how they make an image successful.

My favourite topic in this project was definitely the movement and emphasis brief as I stuck with the theme of Port Taranaki and took many images that allowed me to show movement. It was a stunning time of day, so the light was beautiful and I was able to capture some great images I could use. In the past I have used Adobe Illustrator in Art Design in 7th form and really loved working with it as I also enjoy drawing on the computer and working with text. I am not a strong hand drawer but I do like working on design in Illustrator. I found the contrast minibrief the hardest as there seemed to be a lot of images to make so I tried to push the boundaries and have my own take on some of the ideas of contrast. The fact that I have been able to document my work on this blog has made me more organised as I can go back and edit posts and everything is shown in a sequential format. If I did this project again I would manage my time more effectively, it made it difficult as I was trying to move house all while doing this but fortunately for the future assignments I will be settled in to my new house. I am proud of my work that I have produced in this task but I am aware of a few images that I most likely could have done a little better.But all in all, I think I have done a pretty good job.

All I know for sure is that I am looking forward to a really good and long sleep once I have submitted this assignment after this presentation.