Wednesday 30 December 2009

Peter Turner Award

Today after a good christmas break I opened up my pile of letters that has been built up, and was delighted to hear that I am in reciept of more free money! Two-Hundred and Fifty Pounds going towards exhibition printing or equipment, for just going onto to do the MA and remanining in Farnham!

Thursday 26 November 2009

Experimental Practices


Cor Blimey! Have I taken a photograph and made some work?!

this is some of the more playful stuff that I am making examining the empty blank space and object. (the balloons are just there for fun)

Thursday 19 November 2009

Finding the Time!

When ever anyone asks the question, hows your Masters going. My response is always the same, primarily good, enjoying the creative freedom, tutorials and being able to do my research taylored to me. Which does mean spending ages reading books, writing notes and going to lectures. The freetime to take photographs is very much limited, particularly seeing that my work is primarily studio based. But one thing for sure is and all my fellow students are also having the problem is managing this course and having to work, which takes up another large section of my time.

As none of us have a massive £20'000 grand checked rolled up our sleeves, working is essential in order to survive, and in some repects slightly more important. as this is what I and everyone else rely on to pay rent, bills, council tax, food and not to mention anything I need to do on my course. Thats not to say my masters isn't a priority; its my number ONE priority, without it I may as well move back into my parents house in Cambridge, and find part time work there. Okay so Starbucks isn't my ambition, and I certainly don't want to be there in five years time, but in many ways I am very lucky to have it. For starters its a job, which many of my fellow BA graduates are stuggling to get (some of whom are setting up there own buisness), and ultimatley money is money, secondly it is a job that I have been promoted in, therefore more money (eventually), and also there is a team of some amazing people. Many of whom I have grown to love.

At the moment, I have taken holiday time off in order to find the time to really get cracking with my course, hopefully write my essay so its done before christmas, and really build on my research, and shock horror, shoot!

Thursday 12 November 2009

Thursday 15 October 2009

this semester Anna ...

... I shall be photographing something, yet nothing.

AF: explain?!


..............................................................................................................

Text and Image workshop

6 word autobiography

went bankrupt after four photography degrees


..............................................................................................................

and so the MFA continues ...

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Masters!

Well, I think I may be sort of properly starting my Masters in Photography, tomorrow. 

These past couple of weeks I have had a somewhat patronising and painful time. Firstly, Induction week - for the things I already know. Then when my real introductions began, low and behold I have a non-negociable wisdom tooth extraction to have. So I have had a somewhat painful day today. :( and I have more to come 

However after much trying to understand my timetable and the lectures I do have, and some e-mails my first lecture begins 10.30 tomoz. So early 6am start on the train to get back to Farnham in time! Should be excellent though studying (or should I say researching) of the 'photographic referent'. Then having more lectures on Curating and Exhibition practice, and writing my research aims, for 'Experimental Practices' unit.


All of a sudden I have become so busy. 

Sunday 20 September 2009

Friday 14 August 2009

MA Timetable

I have my new MA Timetable, which seems to tell me nothing about whats going on.

there seems to be a unit called "Curation and Exhibition practice" and "Contextual Perspectives 1". I get the feeling that this is a very general timetable for more that one course, and not subject specific. Ultimately I have know idea.


Thursday 13 August 2009

Postgrad Solutions... I love you

After a couple of months off from uni, I am dying to get back into the fold of studying and learning. Quite frankly this is what I love doing and comming into Uni gives me a purpose. Also I am seriously lacking some structure in my life, and when I'm not at work, I'm slowly becomming a bum. This is not a good thing.

After much on again off again desperate searching for funding that seems disinterested in supporting anyone who is postgrad, working in the arts, who is underr 25 (apparently I should be still dependent on mum and dad, despite being 22) who isn't an ethnic minority, who's parents should over lived in a very specific remote village, and my surname should be Kentish! yes Kentish.

After a chat with Martin, who in a nutshell, said "keep at it", I have decided to do another trawl through the old funding search engines again, and fortunatly found 'Postgrad Solutions', who don't seem to think that my mother should have been born in the middle of nowhere is important in giving me some finantual support. It is purely judged on my powers of persausion, in setting a good case as to why I need the money more than they do. Hazar!

Now I need to do is to make this case, so amazing that they cannot resist! oh an in less than 200 words of course.

Thursday 23 July 2009

MA and GTA

Currently am still waiting on info about my MA course, while Anna reasures me i'm on the course it is still rather concerning not to hear anything. Although did discover dispite graduating from the same uni, I still need to hand in a copy of my degree certificate. I grow more baffled my college admin staff all the time.


But things are looking up in terms of doing any GTA work at UCA, am going to a meeting on Monday to see if there is any work available. This would be brilliant to do in terms of being good for the CV and extra cash.

Photography Frustration

Life at the moment has been somewhat boring to say the least. Now that I have graduated I have been struggling to make it any further with my photography, due to serious processing problems with resources. This is highlighted further with the lack on Internet at home, for me to download software to manage raw files with my lovely new D5000. What makes it more of a catch 22 situation is that this also cannot work in college therefore even more frustration occurs leading to myself ranting on this blog.

now that I have got that out of the way I shall continue to focus on the more positive elements of my photography career.

Monday 6 July 2009

Graduation

Last Wednesday I finally Graduated! Hooray!

it was an amazing sunny day, yet baking hot. especially wearing the gown and the silly hat!
It feels like a serious achievement now that I have a degree and I am proud of what I have done.

Friday 26 June 2009

Its been a while

... since my last post. 

So far in this time I have had my show in london and got a definite on my 2:1 for my degree!

The London Show was amazing to do, it really culumated 9 months hard work in preparation for it. With the stress of the tube strikes didn't help but by thursday afternoon I was really enjoying my time in setting up the show. The main downer was the fact that tuesday wipped round and had to take it all down again. :( 

In the meantime I have been doing my job work stuff, earning extra money and cash at wonderful Starbucks. I have to admit, it has been filling my time well at the moment, otherwise I would begin to start falling into the bordom trap. Currently been Shift Supervisor training at the mo, which means PAY RISE! but feel I havn't learned alot in terms of paperwork and other parts of the job. More of a glorified Barista. 


Ahh! what's happening where has the photography got to. 

Tuesday 2 June 2009

The End of My BA

First things first. Seeing as this blog mainly focuses on my career and my professional futures unit, I would proudly like to annouce that I recieved a massive 80 for this unit. 
YAY! with comments being, and I quote "EXCELLENT, good luck with plans for the future!" I'm absolutely delighted at this. 

While I'm on the discussion of marks , all of them are now in, ad with help from Kerry's spreadsheet, I have worked out that I have achieved a 2:1 overall! which means my conditional place will now be definate. Hooray! 

Underall this excitment it means that I am at the end of my BA degree in Photography that I started four years ago now. There have been some low points, but at the end of it all I have loved it and wouldn't change it for the world. 


Saturday 9 May 2009

fotofolios

updates to my page on fotofolios now available.

http://fotofolios.co.uk/work/helengoodin

Wednesday 6 May 2009

Website!

www.helengoodinphotography.co.uk

now up online

Monday 4 May 2009

Making a good case for funding

As I am trying to apply for funding from various sources I have decided to make a list of good reasons to why various organizations give me money.

Here they are;

• Low Income Family – parents are currently pensioners
• Postgraduate Course – no Student Loan given, fewer funding opportunities available to me
• Payment of tuition fees is upfront
• Have received a Scholarship which means that I am worth investing in as a dedicated successful student
• High Amount of Expenses towards the course in terms of equipment, books, computer equipment and resources to make my work.
• Using my time after BA study effectively, if I wasn’t going into postgraduate study likely to be unemployed for significant period of time, or have little or casual work relating to my degree. Thus being further investment within my own education, alongside of which I was also make further steps towards my own employability, in terms of teaching, further work experience in publishing, galleries or any of the creative industries
• Started my BA studies in 2005, when student grants were not available to me, which in the circumstances I would have received some money from this source. Thus I was much more reliant on my student loan and student overdraft, and savings that I earned prior to becoming an undergraduate student and therefore already have a significant deficit in funds already.
• Lack of funding means that I will have to take up more of my time in paid work taking my time and focus away from my postgraduate studies and time spending future investment in my employability through work placements and relevant casual work towards my career path
• Lack of funding also forces me to take up a Bank Loan (CDL) pushing myself into further debt and demands that I have to pay back as soon as I graduate not when I find work

For Access to Learning Fund
• Continuously searched for funding through charities and trusts through EGAS, and Hot Courses. Little available for the arts and even fewer that I was eligible for according to my age, race and where I grew up and the fact that I am undertaking postgraduate funding



Funding for MA

Finding funding has been ever important to do my MA Course as I do not receive a student loan and tuition fees are paid up front. Through taking advice from careers and looking at UCA website has given me sources to find from and I have been mainly working through these.

  1. UCA Scholarship - £1200 fee waiver
  2. AHRC Studentship
  3. EGAS
  4. Hot Courses
  5. Access to Learning Fund
  6. National Postgraduate Commitee
  7. CDL

Firstly the Scholarship I applied for this alongside my MA Application. I felt that I argued a good case to this and as it turns out I received the full £1200 for it. Will still have to pay some tution fees but money is money at the moment.

AHRC Studentship. Don't get me started on this! This was brought to my attention through a careers and believed through advice that the deadline was the 5th May and I made it individually. However after wading through a serious amount of white paper that the AHRC makes for itself I discovered that I made it with the university. So go back to registry and find out through someone who deals with this that there is a seperate application to UCA that I have missed! Thus this money is no longer available to me. I am so unbelievably angry at this and the advice I had been given. I just feel that there is going to me more pressure on me to find other sources of funding and support to do this course.

EGAS - this is a really frustrating website. After typing through all my information about myself I only find about 5 trusts listed accordingly and half of these I am not eligible for. Reasons including my race, age, where my parents used to live and not having children are fighting against me. There are a couple of long shots that I have going to try for my it looks bleak

HotCourses - quite frankly this website is bollocks! search results involve (even after I ave specified tha I am an art / photography student) the Royal Horticultural Society providing funding to botany or scholarships connected to other bigger universities. At this rate I might as well be studying in Winchester

Access to Learning Fund - This is also through uni, something that I am definatley going to apply for this as it more and more seems like the most likely option that is going to give me some money towards my postgraduate study. I just need to argue a good case


National Postgraduate Committee - so far looks like alot of advice, need to look further at this

Career Development Loan - Trying to avoid this as much as possible as it is a Bank Loan, but if needs must I will apply. Have looked at all the information it is generally positive but will need a definate job when I finish

My opitions seem to be few and far between, but determined to get funding, as will have to work to live and pay for my Masters thus taking me away from it.



Sunday 3 May 2009

Professional C.V.

At Last I have finally completed me professional C.V. for this unit.

Thought that the hardest part was for it to exactly fit one page, but as it turned out it fitted perfectly and thinking of skills that I have was especially difficult without pointing out the obvious

Anyone wishing to take a look here it is below (with personal details edited out),

Helen Goodin
helengoodin@googlemail.com

Experience

• Team Fundraiser and Joint Exhibition Catalogue Designer of ‘Eclectic’
End of Year Degree Show, Brick Lane, London (apart of Free Range)
Organising and running of small fundraising events and Joint Designing of the Degree Show Catalogue and Flyer

• Student Teacher/Mentor – February 2009 – May 2009
Farnham College - Apart of S.T.A.M.P. The Surrey Tutoring and Mentoring Programme
Within this placement involved working with A-level students of the Graphics and Photography courses, encouraging their ideas with their projects, examining their folders looking for areas of improvement, lending my expertise to their work through my knowledge of these subjects, working through technical problems as they arose, giving critiques when required and general support to students with their college work.

• Gallery Assistant Internship - August 2006 – December 2006
Gallery Yujiro, Clements Road, Bermondsey, London (now defunct)
With this placement I was involved in the set up, opening and general running of the gallery. Tasks included assisting the construction of the space, photography of the exhibitions as private views and exhibitions, Invigilation of the gallery space, promoting the gallery to the general public, assisting in educational events, building up information databases, and general office administration.

Education

• MA Photography – University for the Creative Arts, Farnham
Begin Study September 2009, Awarded a £1200 Scholarship
• BA (Hons) Photography - University for the Creative Arts, Farnham
Currently Studying
• A-Levels – Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge
A in Photography, B in Art and B in Sociology
• GCSE – Cottenham Village College, Cambridgeshire
9 passing GCSE’s including A* in Art, B in English and C in Maths

Skills

• Good Organisation and Time Management Skills
• Good interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and within a team
• Office Administration
• Very Good Knowledge of programmes including Adobe Photoshop, In Design, Word and some knowledge of Dreamweaver and Excel

References

UCA, Farnham – Jason Evans – Tutor – Email
Farnham College - Steve Jones – Graphics Teacher - Email
Gallery Yujiro –Rhea Douglas – Fellow Intern – Email

Saturday 2 May 2009

Scholarsip

Thinking back to the future I have just recieved the news that I have a Scholarship to do my MA studies!! Its a £1200 fee waver, still have to pay some of my fees but any money is greatly needed.

Happy days are here to stay!


Friday 1 May 2009

ahhhh! the stress

Life at the moment has been hetic!

Firstly FMP to do. Had a really positive experience at the presentations yesterday and I am now know where I am going with my book design and layout and what to include. Scarily though I still have to shoot one more person but thankfully I am throughly booked out everything I need and can be working on things in advance. I know what I need to do and I really feel that I need to nail this project for me to get a 2:1, for me to do my MA.

That reminds me that I also need to start preparing for the 'The Constructed Image' symposium, conference type day. Am talking at it and showing this current project. Feeling rather nervous about it.

Also have loads of degree show Fundraising to do. Cake Sale on the 7th. I also stupidly via e-mail barked at the wrong people thinking they were doing a rival one on the same day. Sponsored Run to raise for as well as the Print Sale to sort something for and yet anther CAKE SALE. We still need to rase thousands to pay for it all with catalogues, bags, space, wood, paint and everything else. oh the stress of it all. Not forgetting how to sort out the exhib cat as well. People still won't be able to follow my instructions!!!

I seem to have forgotton what this blog is all about!


Tuesday 28 April 2009

Lots to report on

Sorry for not updating this blog enough recently, other things have taken over, plus i've been very forgetful. 

Placement I have now finished with this from today. As I was working with A2 students and they are currently heading towards their exams my mentoring has come to a natural end. Also this next coming month will be super stressful with my FMP and Degree Show. 

In terms of my MA application for here at Farnham I had an interview with Richard Sawdon Smith and have received a conditional offer! Just need to get a 2:1 - so my FMP needs to be excellent. Even though I received a 1st in my last practical project, I really need to make sure that everything is good with this project as only got a 2:2 for my dissertation. Which I am disappointed with as I really want a 2:1 for my degree. 

Still lots to do ....

Thursday 26 February 2009

Placement Diary III

This week with my placement has been interesting. With the graphics groups that I am working with I am very much in the swing of working with students on a one on one basis and students are listening to what I am saying and hopefully they are getting something from what I am saying. 

WIth the photography group that I am helping out with it is a different story. Unfortunately the teacher with the group that I come in with is still off sick and a feel their is less of a structure with what I am doing with students, at the moment with them starting on ideas with their exams I am trying to engage with them in terms of the ideas that they are doing (although have received a bit of a cold shoulder). What I did manage to do today is to bring in some books of mine to show a student the work of contemporary photographers, and look at the potential of photography and showing that this kind of research is more useful that flicker. With this a general interest in a topic became much more focused in terms of an idea and a project. So doing some good here. 

Next week I have planned to stay on longer on a thursday with a AS group to engage with these guys who apparently have some more enthusiasm for photography, and can be more useful to engage with. 

Thursday 19 February 2009

MA

Yesterday whilst in a digital workshop I decided I really want to do an MA in Photography and carry on my studies. Mainly for the simple reason I just want to carry on learning and understanding this subject that I absolutely love. Lots of people say (generally speaking) that doing an MA is just an excuse not to find a job and that you don't know what you want to do. But for me that is not true I find education an incredible experience that is challenging, rewarding and allows me to keep on improving in what I do. 

Thus taking action I am now investigating steps in order to progress onto the MA course at UCA. The reason why I want to stay in Farnham is purely down to this being one of the few (or the only) two year full time course. I find doing such an intensive course in a year a challenge that I may struggle with, and time has a habit of flying by. Although with living expenses it may work out cheaper, thats not what doing the course is about. It's about me continue to keep on studying for the fact that I love doing it. I know that I still will have to find work when I finish, but I will have an added qualification on top of my degree that makes me more employable, (especially from a teaching perspective). 

Right then finding funding is important then ...

Monday 16 February 2009

Placement Diary II

So far I feel my placement is going well at Farnham college. Currently with the Graphics groups I am with I feel focused in my mentoring of what they are doing at the moment in terms of giving advice with what they need to do. There is definatly a sense of enjoyment and talking to Steve i feel he is there to help me if required, and feel that he does trust me with what I am doing. 

In terms of the photography group that I am with I have only just started the lessons with. The first lesson was rather a weird one for several reasons. One being the normal teacher with that group is off for bereavement, secondly it being the last lesson before half term week (this week) and half the students are not there and finally it being the end of the project and students are much focused on what they are doing. What I felt I did achieve is to start talking to students and finding out what they are interested in. 

Overall am happy with the ways things are going

Wednesday 11 February 2009

Focusing on the Future Now

Now that my Professional Futures Unit has started at Uni I can now properly focus on the things I need to do in order to aim for a creative photography career! 

In terms of assessment requirements what I need to do is;
  • Career Proposal
  • C.V.
  • Portfolio directed towards my career
  • Portfolio on fotofolios (our uni portfolio online community) 
  • Placement with 500-1000 word report
Right now taking action

firstly the simple things (or are they?) 
Proposal  - can do earlier this week
C.V. and cover letter  - can do this week
fotofolios - can open account this week and start looking at work next


Placement have begun, however I feel it would be nice in order to widen my horizons to look at other placements. Publishing seems an ever appealing, as for my last project I really enjoyed (despite the hard work) making my book. On top of that I received a high grade on my last project and lots of praise for it. Therefore I feel that I should look for placements that I can do for a short period of time during easter (whilst Farnham College won't be open, and won't be doing that placement) 

Now the hard part my portfolio. Looking back at my own work I'm currently in a state of confusion as to what this portfolio will contain. My degree is in two halves and in terms of what I consider in place in this will contain nothing from the first half as I'm not really proud of this projects and they don't show anything to really show off. In terms of the 2nd half of my second year their is something but this will need to be reshot. And then their is my 3rd year consisting of my last project and the one I'm about to do. I'm very much worried that this won't be good and diverse enough. 

Hmm..... things to consider

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Placement

Since teaching seems to be the thing for me to do, I have now begun a placement at Farnham College primarily mentoring/helping out with Graphics but also doing a photography lesson on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. 

So far after two lessons it seems to be going well, in my assistance at the moment I am just going through peoples workbooks and checking off requirements on a list and things they need to improve. After a fairly nervous start I feel that my confidence is growing and things are going well, working on a one to one basis. Generally feedback is positive, so all going well. Thursday I will be beginning with a photography lesson, so should be good to help out in an area that I know more about. 


Monday 9 February 2009

exhausting weekend


as I have been off uni, I have been somewhat restricted in starting new coursework, so as shifts were up for grabs at work I took them -  extra money didn't hurt everyone. however worked so much that by sunday night I was knackered, with a shift to do the next morning (today). 

on top of this I received the sad news that my auntie dezra has died, after her battle with cancer. this has certainly been a moment of reflection and a has certainly made me pause. So this weekend has been somewhat of an exhausting one. 

on the plus side today, focusing back to my degree, I have finally managed to hand in my Dissertation and I got a seriously high mark for my independent study project. 78!!! Amazing! 

best wishes 

Helen x


Friday 6 February 2009

Looking around

After yet another day of snow, and uni being closed I have spent half the day at work (currently have a part time job at Starbucks), for the sole reason of boredom. In terms of the future I have been using searching throught the careers website, in order to just get a feeling of what potential jobs could be out there for me when I finish uni in June. 

So far I have left feeling more confused than where I was yesterday, and creative work is few and far between. The prospect of publishing seems appealing, althought my skills and knowledge in this area is probably somewhat weaker than to someone who has done a course in this area, and my prospects seem very slim. Another creative profession that keeps poping up is Web design, something I havn't really done properly, before. Last year I did manage to build something very basic with dreamweaver and get it online for a group project in 2nd year, but quite frankly I'm rather embarassed by it. (Thankyou to Maxiie and the lovely librarian at uni who helped me to do it) I find the whole field really elisit with the amount of jargon that surrounds the field, without getting into the whole tags issue. This is actually something I'm quite desperate to learn properly and hopefully uni will help us out with this, just out of self promotion. 

Oh christ! what skills do I have to get a job?! 

Thursday 5 February 2009

Right then...

... what do I want to do. 

for those who don't know me I thought I'd better tell you more about myself and what I want to do. 

Basically at the moment I am a 3rd year Photography student studing at UCA Farnham. This past year I have really enjoyed getting back into my degree after a year off. And the last six months I have loved, purely down to creative freedom and doing something I want to do. This I know will not allways be the case, but I find myself forever clutching education and I know for certain that I don't want to leave. An MA is something that I definatly want to do, but funds arn't really there. So the MA will have to be put on hold. 

Being a photographer is my top proirity. Ultimatly what I want to do is make the work I want to make, and get paid for it. This is really the dream and I have to be pracitical and the chances of being successful at this are slim, but I won't give up on this. So the shorterm plan at the moment is the enter my work into competition and hopefully I will get noticed by the right people. 
 
I find the prospect of teaching is very appealing. I love learning and improving myself through education, and I feel that with a teaching position not only will I be teaching others but I will be a challenging job that will keep me on my toes and allow me to keep researching and learning myself. 

However I am keeping my options open at the moment, and continually looking around a potentially what else I could do. Other jobs that are appealing is the work in Galleries, Picture Libraries, working freelance, basically anything creative. This has been the bulk of my search at the moment to see what else I could do. In short Plan B. 

Best Wishes

Helen x

Hello to all

Hello to all,

My name is Helen Goodin, and I am now a blogger!

Currently in my life and am reaching the final sprint with my uni degree and the prospect of a job and more importantly a career have never felt more important. Or should that be the other way round in these times of recession. Therefore I have been inspired partly from reading other peoples blogs (as uni has be closed because of the snow) but also for myself in order to try and keep track of what I really want to do, and how on earth I am going to find a job that I actually want to do. 

At the moment with uni, we are at the semester change over and should have started today with my final units, but alas Snow has decened on the streets of Farnham thus will be postponed to I imagine sometime next week. Therefore my time has been spent looking around on various job wesbites, such as Monster, Job Centre Plus, Prospects e.t.c, and preparing for these next two units of my degree that will need to be done. And of course writing this blog. 

Best Wishes 

Helen x