Sample Photography Personal Statement
Photography has been my passion since childhood, but it has only been in recent years that I have been able to pursue it as a professional activity. Growing up in communist Czechoslovakia offered very few opportunities for aspiring photographers to gain access to the necessary equipment or the training, and the regime in its final years hardly encouraged professions that are grounded in freedom of artistic expression. And for many years of my adult life, professional photography equipment and film processing was simply too expensive. However, the revolutionary changes brought on by digital technology and the more general decrease in the price of advanced consumer electronics have meant that over the past few years I have finally had the chance to indulge my passion. Having spent a number of years carrying out some freelance photography work, and having also taken a diploma course in photography, I now feel that I have the skills and the portfolio to be able to complete a bachelor’s degree in photography.
My first introduction to photography came as a child, when my father allowed me to use his film camera. I was hooked on photography from the first moments that I learnt the basics of shutter speed and focal length, and whenever I had the opportunity I photographed virtually everything, relishing the opportunity of experimenting with different lights and types of shot. The majority of my training in the basics of photography came about through experimentation and self-study, a process which I feel has ultimately helped me to develop a highly intuitive approach to photography. However, I have always been eager to gain formal and professional training so as to benefit from the wisdom and experience of photography experts. In the Czech Republic such opportunities were limited, but since I moved to the United Kingdom I have taken several different courses. Initially the classes I took were more informal and self-contained. Later, however, I took the First Diploma in Art and Design in Photography at Southwark College, an experience that really helped my understanding of different techniques and principles come on in leaps and bounds. I have also avidly read a wide range of books and magazines on photography, and I am a subscriber to both the British Journal of Photography and Digital Photo.
Over the last few years I have become increasingly committed to pursuing a career in photography. It has been a joy to set up my own website and develop a portfolio that contains a wide range of different landscape and portrait shots, in areas ranging from fashion to travel. I am pleased to say that I am also beginning to develop substantial experience in carrying out professional shoots, and have provided photographic services for a number of different individuals, organisations and events. In some ways my main day job of being a driving instructor has been a good preparation for the freelance life; through this work I am familiar with the importance of developing and maintaining good relations with clients, seeking out new opportunities for work and handling the financial aspects of self-employment.
It is my firm aspiration to become a full-time professional photographer. I believe that by studying photography at university I will gain a broad and deep understanding of photography as an art form, a profession, and an industry. My current philosophy of photography is based around a desire to capture the atmosphere at the moment through paying attention to the details of the shot, whilst also retaining a simplicity that ensures that my photographers have a powerful visual impact. I hope that through taking an advanced-level course in photography I will gain the skills that will allow me to fully realise this vision and in turn equip me for the demands of a career as a professional photographer.
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