Final Thoughts

Well this will be my last (new) post for this course. I received my completion certificate last week for TOAP and I was quite sad, mainly because I've been so distracted by a recent Ofsted inspection at work that I hadn't really considered that fact that I had finished the course. I felt, feel, like I'm still doing it. The next module is going to have to wait too for financial reasons so I'm really reluctant to wrap up this course, but, assessment is pending so here I am, on the blog to tidy it up and make some changes before it is analysed and assessed.


So what have I learnt? Well, this may sound a bit over the top, but I have learnt how to be an artist rather than a skilled camera operator. I have learnt how to think about what I want my images to convey and also what I want to say through photography.


Since I have been taking photographs I have moved between different styles and subjects and doing this course I feel like I am crafting a style of my own. I'm also quite keenly aware of the different influences that there is on my work. I liked doing some parodies of Avedon, Mapplethorpe and others. I've also realised that people and portraits are my main passion when it comes to photography. 


Looking back at my work and the photographs I have produced I am proud but if I started from scratch there are a whole host of changes that I would make given time, but part of me likes to see what produced and rather than change it, use it as motivation to improve and make the next thing better.


I definitely feel this way about the assignments. The images I did for the last assignment are my favourites and I really liked being given a free reign over my ideas.


I've still got a long way to go, I need to work harder at expressing myself through my blogging and explaining my thought processes, but I'll get there!