I am really happy with my website and the changes I have made. I am also glad I chose a platform that was quite hard to learn but has taught me a lot about website creating and user accessibility. My website leaves viewers space to observe and divulge in my images, i want them to be able to think and reflect and hopefully this is obvious through the spacing.

If we look at my website in January you can see there is still an emphasis on negative space and having a slideshow, which I have stuck to. However, I was advised that my spinning logo was distracting in the corner, so have changed this. I did try using a handwritten header but it was unreadable and distracting still so I opted for simple text but in a slighter larger size. I wasn’t a fan of my menu before, and that you had to move along the slideshow to access any projects. The about and blog menu being to the right hand side also seemed odd.

This is how it looks now. I opted for a left hand menu which appears on the homepage and can be accessed again by clicking on ‘Bryony Merritt’. I like the serif font as its formal but also meaningful, which relates to me work. I have also added a thumbnail link at the bottom which allows a viewer to observe all the images of the slideshow and be taken straight to each page. I didn’t layout my main homepage like this as I didn’t want to emulate instagram and that layout, or tumblr and the blog i had as a teenager. I wanted it to be clean and concise. I have put a lot of effort into making my website easy to access and navigate, hence why there’s a slideshow with links to access the work as well as the left hand menu. I enjoy the space between images and when you go onto the website this is filled as the slideshow moves.

This was an example of one of my project pages before, which split the page evenly between text and image. I feel this isn’t that great as the image is the main part of the page. I also opted for a more formal font so it doesn’t take away from the images.

As you can see I have reduced the column size, so the images take more of the space up. I like the pairing of images alongside mock ups of books etc that I have created. Overall I think the pages are a lot more full and interesting for readers, theres far more to look at and explore.

About Page

This was my previous information page, which felt fine and was easy to access and understand. However, the statement didn’t really say anything about me as a photographer and the image was a little strange as it isn’t shot in a way that relates to my work or I feel reflects me.

This is my new page. It’s a lot more simple and gives more information. Users are also able to click on my email to begin writing one and can access my instagram by clicking on it.

I would maybe like to get an image at some point but I think my work itself should illustrate me as a person and not what I look like.

Overall, I’m really happy with what I’ve achieved with my website. I never thought I would be able to create one on my own. The process has also taught me a lot about writing on my own work and being concise and clear. Many people won’t spend long on a website so I put my main and favourite projects at the top of the side bar so they are visited first. The slideshow also allows a preview of all the work available. After a talk with Alexander Mourant and his emphasis on buying domain I decided to find one. I went for Bryonymerritt.com as it establishes me as an artist and its a simple url to remember and access.

I have been altering my website today and trying out a few new additions to my layout. I wanted to make my website more personal and so decided to try using my name handwritten as the header on every page. I wrote my name and then removed the background on illustrator.

I really like the way it looks, although I’m aware it’s quite hard to read. My name is mentioned in my domain and on the ‘About’ page though, so people would be aware who I was.

On Cargo its also very hard to change the sizing of images, especially once placed in a slideshow. I was frustrated with the size of my images and decided to take a look at the code and attempt to alter it this way. It did increase some of the size but not to the extent I wished. I finally found myself placing my homepage images on separate plain documents on Photoshop, but in different places, so that I could increase the size and they appeared bigger as they moved around the slideshow, instead of staying stationary and central. I could definitely tweak the positioning but this has made a difference to the way the images appear on the page and moves the eye across the white space.

On my ‘About’ page, I also removed the image I had put of myself, as it didn’t represent me as a photographer very well and people should be judging me through my images, not through what I look like. I have also added elements of my statement from CHS into the personal statement part, as I felt it told a lot more about me and my practice and gave viewers a little more context, whereas before it was simply a sentence.

I mentioned before how I struggled using a separate instagram for my images, as I wouldn’t remember to post and tended to prioritise my personal instagram. The decision to merge the two was one that I felt worried about, as i find it hard to share and like my own work anyway, but doing this to family and friends felt even harder. however, I have received a really positive response which I am thrilled about. I am also posting more consistently and merging personal and professional work together in a more natural way. I can see my own style evident in each post, regardless of how different they are subject-wise and this to me is really important and a step in the right direction. Throughout this process I have also received more followers and interactions with people in the art and photographic world which I wasn’t getting when I had my half hearted photography account.

My posts may not be as conventional as most art posts, as I don’t tend to use hashtags or do lengthy caption, but this is how I work anyway. As I discussed in my last instagram post review, I have been using my instagram as a platform that launches anyone interested to my website. I have added the link in my bio and it allows people to visit for more context and more images, as well as access to my CV and other details. I am enjoying using my instagram as more of an aesthetics page as the platform itself was created for that reason.

I have also made more of an effort to make my profile more professional so have added my website and changed my profile image to a more professional one taken by a friend. I have also stated my current education at KSA and my profession as a visual artist. I used to have emojis in my bio but this no longer seems appropriate. Overall, I think my instagram still have evidence of my personality, of a love of colour, nature, gallery visiting etc, but there is also evidence of my university work and projects I’m proud of. I will continue to add to this profile as I made my exit as a graduate.

This post brought my up to my total of 50. I was really looking forward to sharing this work as it’s one of my strongest and most personal. I feel proud that a year on i still thinks its good as that’s something I tend to struggle with. I chose the more blue images to put together as it was aestehtically pleasing and is a notion towards memory and emotion. I didn’t give lots of context as I’ve recently developed my website and want people to view my work through there, with full descriptions and more images. I’m using my instagram as more of a preview of the main body of work and I think this work in followers favour. Many people don’t tend to read captions on instagram, or avoid the post entirely if there is a paragraph. I have considered this and hence why I’m simply posting images with short captions and pushing my website as the main space for work and context.

I got these rendered with some assistance from a friend as I can’t seem to find my original book that I made. I think these make my instagram look more professional and the work itself, so this is something I have done with other works on my website. I received some greta feedback already even though it wasn’t posted too long ago which is useful. I like how my instagram is a mix of personal images, projects and mock ups like this. it feels like there a variety of presentation types but my style shines through. Hopefully this is obvious to others viewing my profile.

**** Edited. My sister made me remove the post as she didn’t like the image of herself. I was really disappointed because i love the image but it all brought out the subject of ethics and permission. I do need to consider whose portraits I’m sharing with the world, as they are my images but the people in them, especially my family should have an opinion.

This is my latest post. It an image I took in first year but have always been really proud of, as its not been edited and was taken as I was getting to grips with Medium Format cameras. I think its nice to post my progress on instagram to allow followers to see that perhaps I have gone full circle with the subject of my work, returning to a focus on family and portraits. I want to use this image as a goal as I have never taken anything I’ve liked as much as this image.

I had my artist presentation today over Skype, which usually I would feel extremely nervous about as i don’t enjoy speaking in front of others, especially about my own work. However, I think throughout presenting in second year and third year I have grown to become more confident when speaking in front of others and definitely felt this through my presentation. I rehearsed frequently, so my words would appear natural and that it was clear I knew what i was talking about.

I was actually quite shocked at how short 5 minutes is to try and speak about ones work, so rather than worrying about lacking in words I actually had to cut down. I split my presentation so it was clear which sections I would be discussing.

My feedback, which I expected, was that it was all very concise and well said, but I needed to try and weave my inspirations into my work, as oppose to focusing a whole section on them. I could’ve also spent more time talking about my work, which I agree with and will think about when applying for jobs or doing online reviews. Overall, something that I was so worried about ended up being a great practice of presenting my work and being confident about what I have created. It’s definitely changed my attitude towards speaking in front of others and I’m very grateful for that.

I posted this image as I wanted to add a little more colour to my instagram and illustrate the different palettes I photograph. I also enjoyed zooming into an archival image to capture the details and colour contrast. This image went down well with my followers, perhaps as its more casual and bright than my other post that contain a white border. I want to try and keep mixing up what I’m posting.

We recently gained the opportunity to send our work to Revolv photography agency and have it reviewed by some of their clients. I was really excited by the chance as I have struggled putting a portfolio together before and to have someone in industry review our work seemed like a great idea just before we graduate.

Ibby was very friendly and easy to talk to so it felt less formal which was lovely. I have found it difficult selecting a range of my images which illustrate all my skills and interests and was put at ease when Ibby simply said that your best work should be in the portfolio, work that you are proud of and feel best represents you. He also said that you can tailor your portfolio for different clients but it shouldn’t change too much as your style should be running through. The first three images are also the most important as most people are very busy and perhaps won’t have the time to look through all work so these really have to illustrate your best work.

When looking through my ‘Father’ project I was really surprised at how much he liked it and how I had overlooked so many details which have only come to light now. Theres a theme of blue and white which runs through all the images, which I’d never noticed. Ibby pointed out the significance of blue as a colour for memory, sadness, and thoughtfulness which all feel so relevant. He also helped me narrow down some of the images so my strongest were on view. I had also never thought about install shots and how clients can sometimes as you how you would display them in a certain space, so he said its always interesting to think about this when making and posting work.

With regards to my current FMP he suggested having a look through some phonebooks at home and noting the different sequencing, some more traditional whilst others are more sporadic. This would hopefully help me find what layout I want to move forward with and how to display work in my portfolio and website. Overall it was a really useful chat which I got some valuable knowledge from, I would now feel more confident to submit my work to agencies etc for others to review.

This is my website at the moment. I have taken a more minimalist approach as I felt my images needed space around them and I’m not too keen on copying the instagram grid layout, although it works for some people. An image from each of my projects is on a slow slideshow, allowing viewers to watch and then click on one they would like to view. They can also visit the projects using the side menu. There is an option at the bottom of the page that allows viewers to see all he images in the slideshow at once, by clicking ‘Thumbnail’ which then feeds into the instagram presentation slightly more. This essentially give the viewer more choice over how they want to view the work.

Over the next few weeks I want to make further changes, as it definitely isn’t where I’d like it to be yet. I am going to make the homepage slideshow images larger, so they are more prominent on the page. I also want to spend some time writing in more depth about my work for the project pages, so viewers have enough context and understanding of the series. I will also purchase a domain such as bryonymerritt.com, as we have been told by many visiting photographers that its professional and far easier for people to access your work by having simply your name as your url. I’m feeling positive about proceeding and am really happy with how its going so far.