OVER AND OUT

I passed my degree with 1st class honours and have since pursued a career in Flight Operations.

This blog was created as part of my Professional Development module therefore I probably won't carry on with it. However, I will keep it up as it stands as it may be of some help to students facing a similar type of module. For an idea of standard, on my degree 70%+ = 1st. This blog was a fundamental part of a portfolio assignment which was overall graded at 85%, and the coursework and research documented throughout this blog were graded at 88% (FMP) and 90% (Professional Development).

If you want to follow me further you can find me on social media via my name. I also have a youtube channel which can be found via this link: https://www.youtube.com/dashboard?o=U

EXHIBITION & PORTFOLIO

I made a conscious decision not to exhibit externally. Exhibiting internally was a good way to present my FMP in the way in which it is intended to be viewed. I printed the images on to clear adhesive film before pressing it on to aluminium plates. My reasoning behind this was to give the Gnat back its metallic properties which had been removed through the photographic process. On the MP3 player is a file which plays the sound of a Gnat in flight, the aluminium and sound clip are intended to represent the sheer power of the aircraft that the components belong to.

The prints are in 3 clusters of 4, and since taking this photograph I have added an LED light above each to bring out the metallic elements further.

At the private viewing my work was received well, I am my own biggest critic and can see so many faults with my work, so to have positive feedback was a huge help.

I handed in my final module today - a research file concentrating on my professional progression, and a portfolio.

I chose to use the aluminium technique for my portfolio too, as the use of metal would tie the aviation theme together. The prints are delicate due to the printing method so I mounted them to off-white mounting board so the prints themselves will not need to be touched - I will also include cotton gloves. I presented the work in a metal flight case as this also fits in well with the metallic theme and looks smart, I plan to use the case as the storage method for my work so I also wanted something waterproof and durable.

PROGRESS #4

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

16 modules down, 1 module to go!

My Final Major Project and Dissertation are now complete, leaving me with just the Professional Development module which has been ongoing over the course of the year. This module involved a lot of personal reflection, such as a personality test and a SWOT analysis. I did these at the beginning of the year as I could then play to my strengths and work on my weaknesses. 

A part of the module involved running this blog which has been difficult because blogging isn't really my thing.

Although I plan to keep this blog up for the foreseeable future as it may be of some use to another student, I don't think I'll be doing "Outfit of the Day" posts anytime soon.

PLACES VISITED

De Havilland Museum, London

Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker, Essex (again)

PLAN FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE

I have booked a meeting with the careers team to discuss my career options. I am 100% certain that freelance photography is not for me at this time. 

I've now had 4 people suggest I look into aircraft engineering which would be a wonderful path to take however I am 27 and eager to get on with my career, my degree and experience cannot easily translate to engineering and I would need to start from scratch again.

Finishing the degree also means that I can concentrate more on swimming, badminton and running. 

INSIDE THE FOLLAND GNAT

... And 8 months later I have a book!

Inside the Folland Gnat is a combination of blueprints and photographs, working from the nose and down towards the tail. For certain components I wrote some information about them such as what they are used for and/or how they work, while others are paired with their corresponding blueprint. I wanted to use the medium of photography to take my audience with me on my journey to try and understand more on the workings of the aircraft. Through the use of a wide angle lens and shallow depth of field, I wanted to emphasise the details of the components hidden from the public and put them in the spotlight. 

It was such a cool project to take on. It would have been easier to choose a simple or easy-to-attain subject but I fancied a challenge, and although for the most part it was a pleasure to do, at times seemed like I'd bitten off more than I could chew. It has not been entirely plain sailing, I originally wanted to incorporate a few teams into the project but was rejected by all but 2 (in hindsight the rejections had a positive impact, but to begin with it started to become disheartening), there was a time when I decided that I hated all of the photographs - fortunately that didn't last too long, there was not a lot of information on aero engineering in the library and there were also issues with lack of support from my own year group, resulting in me having to adopt another class for critiques.

Apart from those issues, the project was relatively straight forward. Although distance was never a factor, the close proximity of North Weald Airfield to mine meant that I could jump in my car and revisit the hangar as much as I needed.

My best advice to anyone doing an FMP is to treat at it like a block of cheese, the earlier you start it, the more mature it will be by the deadline. Giving yourself the time will allow for natural development and if any issues arise you will have the time to resolve it.  

Here are a few pages;

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

Until now I have not published any information on my FMP out of respect for the organisation who have kindly allowed me to photograph their aircraft, instead I have kept a private and separate reflective journal purely for my FMP.

When working with a subject as large as aviation, gaining the access takes priority over concept as without access to the aircraft I'd have nothing to work with. It was the same for my Vulcan project where I had a rough idea but before taking it further I gained the access and took the photographs before finalising the concept around what I had. Over the last year I had spent a lot of time in museums looking at static aircraft, but as great as they are nothing beats a working aircraft.

I was going to work with an air display team and that was final, I had a Plan B to fall back on but I was determined to not have to resort to that. I developed a rough concept of documenting the logistics and maintenance which take place outside of air show season, as to stand the best chance of acceptance by a team I needed to present a clear proposal of what I was aiming to achieve. I also knew that it would be in the form of a book as I wanted to provide supporting text to educate those viewing my work.

I contacted The Gnat Display Team and was met by a great reception. The Gnat was the Red Arrows predecessor to the Hawk and was also the original Red Arrow. As I liked the idea of including a few teams, and as I wanted to see how far I could push my luck, I also contacted the Red Arrows as documenting the Hawk and Gnat side by side could have been interesting, but after a very pleasant exchange of emails they could not accommodate the project until after the deadline. It was a shame but in hindsight it was possibly a blessing in disguise as there may have been too many restrictions in regards to security and time.

Last month I visited The Gnats hangar and was greeted by a lovely group of engineers who were great to talk to but more importantly made me many cups of tea! (That is how you win your way to my heart!). I knew from the beginning that I was certainly happy with the subject itself. As I said before, when working with a specialist and external genre, securing a subject is important and I was more than willing to adapt the project around The Gnats. The aircraft themselves are currently in maintenance therefore it would not be possible to document them the way I had planned, however what I was met with was even better! Lots of components!

I had an interesting conversation with one engineer which prompted me to think about why I was interested in aircraft so much, and especially the components. The conversation came up about me becoming an aircraft engineer, and this is a conversation I have also had with my lecturer and my Dad as they both think that I would be suited to engineering. Driving home I kept mulling it over and realised that my fascination with machinery probably derives from a regret of not becoming a pilot or engineer when I had the chance. As content as I am with my current path in life, I do feel as though something is missing and my need to know how things work is possibly related to that. I am not usually such a deep thinker in regards to my own feelings and my work doesn't tend to be as deep and meaningful as it should, but perhaps this was the fuel I needed to bring this particular project together?

Since then I have made 4 visits to the Gnats, 3 for shooting and 1 for information on specific components.

As a result of the change of direction, the photographs are quite harsh in contrast to emphasise the metallic features. It's not my usual style but it is working very well and the feedback I have received during critiques have been nothing but positive. I am going to produce a photographic book which also incorporates factual text about the aircraft and illustrations from the original manual, and I will also produce a series of prints on to sheets of aluminium as a way of emphasising the metallic features of the Gnat.

PROGRESS #3

DISSERTATION

For my dissertation I explored the way in which aerial reconnaissance was applied to operations during World War Two. To do this I looked at the legitimacy of the photograph as evidence and how the organisation of the reconnaissance unit would benefit operations during the following chapters. I then looked at the variation of methods used for interpretation and how they were applied to suit specific operations. I used Operation Biting as an example of how shadows proved of a great use in the identification of a German Freya radar station, and how Ultra, reconnaissance and scientific intelligence had collaborated to provide each other with crucial information.

I next looked at aerial mosaics and topographic relief models, here I explored the benefits of using mosaics as opposed to illustrated maps. Next I looked at how models were used for briefing during Operation Chastise and how viewing a 3D model as opposed to vertical photographs could prove useful in the planning of raids.

For the final chapter I touched on how reconnaissance was used for damage assessment, and how an assessment after the first raid over the island of Sylt led to the realisation that bombers were missing their targets. From this I looked at interpretation of night reconnaissance, and the improvement of aircraft navigation systems. 

In conclusion I found that reconnaissance had made a significant and invaluable contribution to operations during World War Two. During the introduction I had mentioned the claim that Ultra had shortened the war. From my conclusion I claimed that without reconnaissance, Ultra would not have had the crucial support of other intel it required, and vice versa; therefore both, along with all other areas of the war effort, were of equal importance in the shortening of the war. 

It was a great feeling to finally hold 8 months of work, printed and bound in my hands, and I could not have asked for a better subject to write about. I am absolutely certain that my interest will not stop here as I now have a nice pile of books to read!

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

As part of my personal development module I had to determine the career/s I would be suited for.

Freelancing does not appeal to me at this very point in my life, and I have come to this conclusion from having freelanced over the past three years. I don't care much for social media so I'll never have the online presence that I'd imagine a freelancer would need today. Another reason being that although I can work on my own, my preference is to work in a team environment and freelancing definitely does not tick that box.

Photography will remain a passion of mine and I will continue working on my own projects outside of the career I go in to;  I would someday love to document towns situated along the San Andreas fault line. I am also planning a trip to the USA next year to watch the 2017 total eclipse and hope to visit Yellowstone National Park so that will definitely make for a good project opportunity!

PLACES VISITED

Churchill War Rooms, London

Royal Air Force Museum, London

Science Museum (Churchill's Scientist's exhibition), London

Beecroft Gallery ("Into the Light" exhibition by Simon Isaac), Essex

PLAN FOR THE NEXT MONTH

I took some time away from my FMP to focus purely on my dissertation. Finishing my dissertation a week earlier than anticipated meant that I can resume work on my FMP. I start shooting next week and I am very excited!

PROGRESS #2

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

I have been mind mapping for my FMP.

I have learned that it is great to have an idea in place, which I do, however sometimes that plan can overshadow an even better idea which is why I still create a brainstorm for every module. Although my interest in aviation can seem quite narrow, there are so many areas which interest me within aviation. I quite liked the idea of using drones to map the estuary, I am also interested in aircraft restoration and the logistics behind civil and military aviation. Even after brainstorming ideas and researching into the majority of them, I am still going with plan A initially.

PLACES VISITED

Science Museum (Cosmonauts Exhibition), London

Avro Heritage Museum, Stockport

Imperial War Museum (again), London

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

I am pleased with the grades I received for my dissertation and FMP presentations. Looking back I was too strict on myself during my second year and regarded anything below a 1st a fail. Even when I achieved a 1st I would dwell on the percentage and still wonder what I could have done to improve the mark. This year I have been more relaxed and although I am working harder than ever, I am also enjoying the work and taking that angle has in fact improved my grades. 

PLAN FOR THE NEXT MONTH

- DISSERTATION!