Irregular.

I haven't quite settled into coming up for ideas for blog posts or really what I want the content to be yet hence the irregularity. I do suspect it'll be a real mixed bag of stuff because I'm that kind of person. If I expect to gain readership then I've got to be more disciplined with posting. I know I can't commit to every day but perhaps I should set some sort of schedule?

So what have I been up to since I last posted? Well truthfully not a great deal. I submitted my book cover design and had my final tutorial of the year at college. My tutor finally acknowledged my depression but still managed to patronise me. It's a talent she has. Still, at least college is done with for the summer and for that I'm grateful. As part of the final tutorial I had to come up with 3 SMART objectives. I'll briefly cover what SMART stands for.

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Action orientated
R = Realistic/relevant
T = Time bound

I've always felt stuff like this is bullshit but I came up with 3 objectives anyways.

1. To produce a documentary series of at least 30 images of my time of Portugal by the end of July, this is to be a combination of street photography and portraiture of the local people.

2. To re-shoot my Time and Place final idea by September and have A3 prints made of the 5 image series.

3. To produce 3 separate zines, each featuring a different photographic subject matter. The images are to be shot by the end of August and the zines are to be produced in September ready for the return to college.

They all seem rather uncomplicated and for me perfectly accomplishable but I am notoriously shite at finishing what I start. I am in some aspects determined to complete them just to prove my tutor wrong but I struggle to work to what other people expect of me. I just make things harder for myself I guess.

However I do really like the idea of doing the zines and I'm looking forward to completing those. I've held an interest in zines for a long time now and when we had some MA students come in to assist us with the book cover design, they set us a mini brief of producing a zine. Of course me being me and being unable to focus on more than one work project at a time I didn't give it much attention. I came up with several ideas for it and I've still got those listed in my little notebook. So some of those ideas will come up to life and no doubt I'll think up others as I go along. Hopefully they'll be a mix of my film images and my digital images. Of course the ideal outcome of these is to get my work out there in a different way and hopefully generate a bit more interest in what I photograph. I'm planning on leaving some copies around Manchester and seeing what becomes of them.

And now I can't publish this post without mentioning the 4th objective that was set for me. My darling friend Jack kindly made up an objective for me when I asked for some inspiration. My tutor actually read it back to me during the tutorial as well.

4. Take a Portuguese husband come September. I shall make him my muse. He shall be my parlour servant and my lover - depending on performance in all areas. Results pending.

Truthfully I wouldn't say no to finding some Portuguese hunk whilst I'm over there but I don't think I should be so hasty to marry him. So thanks Jack, I'll make sure I work on it.

Laters,

P x