I've been incredibly busy with my photography work for my projects this semester I've had a little trouble blogging. Which I will also be posting about my ideas and techniques soon so keep a look out!
I started talking to a friend about photography and realised my journey to come to where I am today was a difficult one and I wanted to share it with others who feel the struggle to get to their dreams too.
My journey starts when I was about 6 years old, and my parents bought me a monkey design film camera after I constantly stole their cameras to take photographs. I remember loving it and sharing it with my sibling. I have many photo albums tucked away in storage that I have taken on holidays or trips out. I used my first ever camera phone which I'm pretty sure was a Motorola Razor in pink, right up until I bought my first digital camera. (yes I was once blonde/white!)
This was a simple compact digital camera I used to take images of my friends, but I loved it and it holds many great memories for me in 2006 - 2009.
I had always loved art, and I have been drawing since I learnt to hold a pencil. I'd always had a talent and it continued when I studied Art at Phoenix School, Telford. I loved my teacher, Mrs Weedon, who was also my form tutor. She helped me through some of the toughest times of my life with bullying in school and finding out who I was and what I wanted to become. However, I only decided I wanted to do something art based ... not very specific! I then had another tutor when I took Art as an option for my final two years at school, which I did not get along with as well. This made me slack at art, though I loved it, and I have to admit I wasn't the best student with my friends also being lazy. I did however pass Art in school with a grade C/B (it was long ago I can't actually remember!) and though I was never an A* student, I was thrilled. This would get me into college.
My School Prom
By the way if your confused by the UK grading system it goes like this:
U - Ungraded, lowest grade
G
F - Fail
E - You just past!
D - Not too bad
C - Well done!
B - Even better
A - Smart ass.
A*- People who would win at life - The best grade possible
I studied college at New College Telford, a great college in the area and most of my fellow school friends went there too. I loved college, the freedom compared to school was amazing. This did on the other hand make me even more lazy considering I studied 4 subjects I wasn't even sure I liked! On the day I signed up to the subject, I was going to take on Art as a full subject which covered every art, including photography. I really wanted to take Geology and Graphic Design as a subject though, and I wouldn't be able to pick any other subject if i took this course. My mother, Maria, then spotted a Photography stand over in the corner and said "lets go look at that, you'd be good at photography." Looking back my mother couldn't of been more right! They said the course was new and that it might not even run because of the lack of interest in the subject. I even thought about moving colleges to the well known TCAT (Telford College of Arts and Technology), though this college had a reputation for students who had failed school and weren't very smart, just to do photography. Luckily I didn't have to lower my reputation as being 'the smart posh one' from school and New College opened photography as a course!
Some of the greatest friends (and distractions) at college
I didn't get taught much on the course however, I just got told a subject and to go and photograph it! With a bit of help on the writing side of photography, I carried on taking it as a subject into my second year. My tutor, who was also my Graphic Design tutor, was lovely but a tad boring and lacked enthusiasm for the subject. This however didn't stop me from trying my hardest at the subject like I did with all the subjects I studied (except Biology but thats a long story involving a French guy that couldn't speak English...). I managed to pull through college graduating with a grade C, which was a B but apparently some twerp decided to complain about the grades and everyones grade got lowered! Again the grades are pretty much the same as I was at school, but all the exams were MUCH harder.
I then had to decide what the hell I wanted to do next. Apply for University or get a job? I didn't have a boyfriend so nothing was holding me back except for my lack of a Maths A level grade. This was because initially I wanted to study Geology at uni ... buttttt my maths is pretty poor compared to my knowledge of everything else in geology. Well I didn't want a job in retail all my life, as great at it was at times when I worked for WHSmiths, it just wasn't for me. I then applied for University to study photography considering it was my best grade. I applied for Coventry, UWE Bristol, Staffordshire and Derby, which were all pretty local to the town I was currently living in. I went and visited all the universities on open days through my final year of college, and my favourite was Coventry and Staffordshire. I mainly loved Coventry for its accommodation however expensive it was as it is right in the city, and Staffordshire I loved because I met an amazing woman/man (not sure even today) called Phee who talked to me about the photography course. I then went to a lecture with David Noble who is head of the Staffordshire BA Hons Photography course, who was so passionate about photography I literally fell in love with it then and there. I now HAD to get into a university! But it wasn't that simple...
In the year I applied for University was the last year of the £3,000 - £4,000 cost of courses in the UK, so everyone and anyone was applying. There was so many applicants most of the universities were full in a few months. After being declined by Derby, I had an interview at Coventry University. Though the guy who interview me was a complete idiot, and I made my view of him very clear! Needless to say I got declined soon after... I then had an interview for UWE, a great little university in Bristol. However, I had to wait 4 hours for my interview! And it wasn't like I could go and do something in the meantime because they didn't give the group of interviewees a time for their interviews, we were all called randomly over the course of the day. Oh I can tell you that that wait was riveting. By the time I had my interview I had given up caring, and I was interviewed by two people (one who had a distinct similarity to Christopher Biggins). 'Biggins' wasn't sure about me, and the other woman loved me. I never got a reply from the interview and til' this day have no idea if I would of gotten into their university or not. I also got a straight up decline from Staffordshire, I was in tears. But I had another chance! UCAS allowed me to apply for courses that hadn't been filled but only 1 uni at a time. I once again applied at Staffordshire but for the Photojournalism course.
In about late May 2011 I got an interview at Staffordshire University Stoke campus for the Photojournalism course. I was interviewed by Rick Barks and David Noble. They asked me my opinion on elephants being used in circuses for entertainment. This subject was one I had a great opinion on and I argued about it with them for a good hour. At the end of the interview they called my parents in to speak to us all. I thought 'declined again', however they said they'd love me to be part of the photography course, not the photojournalism one, but it was full for that year. So now what? They offered me a course in Foundation Art & Design for a year so I could get the cheaper course payments and as long as I passed, I would get onto the photography course. FINALLY! But it didn't end there. I got no offer from them for the next couple of weeks on UCAS, so I applied for Wolverhampton. I was interviewed there but never got a reply because it was replaced with the offer by Staffordshire. Of course I instantly accepted the offer.
My Foundation Buddies!
I did my Foundation course, which I completed with a 3rd as I HATED the whole course, but I knew I was doing it to get to my dream. I made some great friends along the way too. I have to say, the foundation course for me was a hell of a lot harder than my photography course!
This is the grading for University:
Fail - Speaks for itself?
3rd - Lowest passable grade
2:2 - Not bad
2:1 - You should be damn proud of yourself!
1st - It feels like an impossible achievement for some, but aim high! - Highest grade.
I am now studying photography at Staffordshire University and am in my 2nd year. I've had a few rough patches last semester with a terrible break up from a bully of a relationship and being diagnosed with depression, IBS, fast heart rate, dyslexia and a severe general and social anxiety disorder. The uni as well as my family have been amazing with supporting my issues and I am very grateful for their help. I love my course and I am currently working towards an exhibition we are having of our work called Novus 14, on the 11th April 2014 6pm-9pm on the Stoke-on-Trent Campus in Flaxman Building.
For those out there who are finding it tough, keep trying because you will get to your dream as long as you fight for it!
Thanks for reading
EGSPhotography x
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