Third Year of University Pt. 1

Third Year

So my third year of university started with me moving into a lovely house, with wood panelling, and a big garden. It was the best place we had lived so far and it made al the difference as I would be spending a lot of time there, working on the massive amount we were expected to do in our third year. Unlike other courses, Photography is all based on your third year, the other 2 years are not taken into account. This was terrifying! We were required to complete our dissertation by January, and hang an exhibition by May, meaning all work needed to be ideally competed by Easter.

Of course working really hard, means we were able to party much harder too! I had the best nights out in third year, we didn’t go out nearly as much so when we did we made the most of it. We also had three awesome house parties, one resulting in having to replace a rug!

My 22nd Birthday Party 🙂

Luke’s Birthday party, Imogen kindly modelling the Easter bonnet we made!

Some of my housemates all in bed together! haha

Boys dressing up!

California Gurls, dress up!

Summer barbecues in our lovely garden.

Sometimes all the partying got all a bit too much!

This year I wasn’t out numbered by men, it was a even out, 2 boys and 2 girls 🙂 my fellow female housemate Letitia also did photography. We turned the bathroom in a darkroom and the lounge into a studio, and luckily the boys didn’t mind. We also some how managed to justify two work related holidays into the year! One to Berlin and the other to Devon.

Berlin

Berlin was cold, but really fun. Letitia and I stayed in a awesome hostel with a really great friendly bar on the top floor full of friendly travellers. The reason we went was because they were holding a large photography festival all over the city. It gave us some great inspiration, not only photography wise, but also we took tips about holding a exhibition. It was all in all great procrastination for our dissertation which we were suppose to have been writing at the time.

We got a bit lost, while trying to get the train to the airport we ended up in the middle of the German Country side..oops

So after all the fun of Berlin, we had to knuckle down crack open the red bull and finish our dissertations, much to y surprise it wasn’t too bad, once I got into it I soon racked up the 10,00o words, and before I knew it is was bound and handed in.

The Magazine

It was now time for the harsh reality, I had to pull something really special out of the bag for my final photography project. Now I knew what I wanted to do, I wanted to do a fashion project, but my tutor sat me down and told me that due to the course being very art lead, they didn’t consider fashion photography arty and contextual enough, and if i wanted any hope of anything above a 3rd I had to pull something amazing out the bag. Scary stuff! So I sat and thought, and I decided that I would shoot and create my own fashion magazine, uni thought I was mad and to be honest I really don’t think they thought I could pull it off, which made me more determined.

I started by making a plan, and finding people who would help me put it together, and thinking up a name! Dot.Dot.Dot. Then I started shooting, I didn’t stop to think what I was really doing I didn’t have much time, I just need to work as hard as I could. I put the plan up on my wall and made note and moved post it notes around, I found this the best method oforganization.

Errmm yes my room is a mess and yes I do have gin a tonic on my bed side table, what can I say 3rd is stressful!

The First Shoot

The first shoot I did for the magazine was a nature inspired woodland shoot, I made antler hair bands for the shoot, which where a little more complicated then I first thought. I basically had to saw them off the three skulls I brought on Ebay, then drill, screw and glue gun, them onto hair bands, after 2 broken drill bits and a broken saw I was done! I also took with me a battery powered glue gun to the shoot encase we had any mishaps.

I am not going too put all the shoot up on here as you can see them all in the magazine, but I wanted to add this other very speical shoot I did for Dot.Dot.Dot Magazine. I was very lucky to shoot in a lovely location Langar Hall which is in Nottinghamshire, and was kindly lent clothing from heritage brand Henry Hunt. We had a great day shooting and these where the results.

Behind the scenes – Photos by Aggie my glamourous assistant.