A1:4 Professional Practice - Over-view & guidance

 

Distinction criteria

To attain this at a higher level, these aspects need to be seen consistently across a number of your projects (tasks). 

This criteria will be evidenced by written content primarily with some evidence being possible through the use of your images.

Once you've been taught and researched these aspects of photographic practice, this information and knowledge needs to incorporated and adopted within your own practice...

Mention this knowledge in your planning, evidence it within your photography and most importantly discuss and analyse the impact of it if adopted, or explain the impact of being able to use and adopt some of these practices - how might that have impacted on your photography. 

Equipment checklist

Every photographer before doing a job checks their equipment and gets their camera bag and whole range of other stuff ready usually the day or night before. To do this as I used to, you might have a standard checklist that is generally used on all of your shoots. I used to have a load of copies of a printed list in a grid with 2 checking columns to tick and I'd use these to check all my gear. I'd have space at the bottom to write in unusual additional things I needed to make sure came with me on a shoot.

Make your own version like this and add a list of the things you need to make sure you have for your shoots.

Your checklist might include props or clothes for a fashion shoot and things you need to do. For each of your shoots make your own generic checklist and use it - showing that you've ticked it off and maybe made notes all over it. 

Your checklist can be a part of your general plan for each of the shoots see the link here for guidance with regards how to compile detailed plans https://bteclinks.blogspot.com/2022/09/writing-plans-for-photo-shoots.html or use the link in the sidebar. 

Job roles and their associated practice (Stand-alone pages) 

Images and detailed explanations of a range of different job roles involved in the production of Photographic work.

• How does a product shoot come together and what is the Photographers role?
• How does an Editorial shoot come together and what is the Photographers role?
• How does a personal body of work (Art Photography) come together and what is the Photographers role? 

Who are the following people and what is their role on a Photoshoot or in the production of Photography 

•  Client
• Advertising agency 
• Set Builder
• Model Agent
• Model
• Make-up artist
• Stylist
• Location agency/manager
• Assistant
• Studio manager 
• Hair stylist
• Home economist 

How significant and important are planning, schedules, target meeting, contingency planning, resource and asset management (Equipment/storage/availability/backing up/batteries/power). 

Budgeting - finance and delayed payment factors.

Some of it is simply addressed by the evidence provided by your images. But at a higher level it will need to be seen in the written components of your work e.g. through the regular use of planning, reflecting and the use of a detailed and comprehensive final evaluations.

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Health & Safety

Record health and safety issues that arise out of your work practice. Photograph them and explain what is done to address any health and safety concerns...

• Risks and hazards
• Chemicals, materials, tools
• Protective equipment
• Lifting and carrying
• legislation
• MSDS's & COSHH
• Working in dangerous environments (Socially deprived areas - muggings/crime etc)
• Working in dangerous environments - (Building sites/road-sides/at height etc)
• Weather - cold/exposure/sun/skin cancer

Again in more advanced applications in the 2nd years this could be produced as a series of detailed 

(Stand-alone pages) 

You could research specific jobs in photography such as a wildlife Photographer that shoots great white sharks and produce do a whole thing on what might be involved in terms of H&S, or a war photographer working in Gaza in Palestine. 

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Project management

In your work, set yourself targets and schedules - in your plans. Write plans for each practical activity you do (Shooting, processing and printing) and set targets I aim to get x prints done in this session or I aim to get all of my written work for today recorded and written up and keep on top of keeping a tally of all the money I've spent.

Accounts - Keep a record of your spending on the project. Make a simple account sheet like this...

Best practice - print off a grid and fill it in showing the working out on the sheet in pen/pencil

Write up a grid for each week and carry over the running total from each week, so at the end of the task you have a grand total of all the costs of producing the work. 

You can then reflect on the fact that in producing that work you spent 'x' amounts of pounds and therefore to break even you would have to sell the work you've produced for that amount. To make a profit, you'd have to sell it for more. To make a living e.g. make enough profit to pay yourself a wage, you'd have to sell it for a great deal more and or spend far less time making and producing the work.