Long Term Goals and Short Term Roadmaps

My long term goal is to start my own photography studio. Within this studio I would like to bring in a variety of talented artists to accompany me in creating a brand of photography that's modern, inspired and innovative. The client base for this business could range from independent commissions to editorial projects for magazines and books. The great thing about running a studio is that tasks and projects can be delegated so my creative vision is still in play but there can be so many more hands to make it possible.

The first step in making this long term goal happen is getting a portfolio that showcases my diversity, style and technical skills. Having a great portfolio can be the difference between getting the job and loosing out. It's also important that I have my work accessible via the web.

The second step is getting a job assisting a photographer who is already doing what I want to do. Assisting may not be the most glamourous job, but it's a vital step in learning the trade. With this experience I can learn how to model my own business off of what works well for them.

The next vital step is networking. Over the next coming years as I'm establishing myself within the business as an assistant It will be crucial to get my name out there. Making sure people know my name and work, whether they be future clients or future employers will be important later down the road. So I must network like crazy at events and get as much exposure as possible by displaying in galleries and working freelance for magazines and independent publications.

Little by little over the years my equipment will grow as well my ideas which will hopefully one day fullfill my dreams of my perfect photography studio.

my name is Amanda Kowalski

I'm Amanda Rose Kowalski and I am currently a senior in the School of Art and Design and the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana. For the past four years I have been studying photography and sculpture. Being able to study at such a big university I have gathered many tools to further my knowledge and understanding of the nature of my artistic subjects. When I leave the school come May, I would like to go to a major city full of culture and opportunity and be someone who defines culture.

I am a photographer and have always considered myself one, photography is the reason I got into art in the first place. I enjoy exploring narratives and being able to tell a story with an image. Every part of making an image gets me excited, from getting an idea, refining that concept and then pulling it all together. Propping, styling, working with the models and finding the perfect lighting and angle for the camera creates a perfect storm of joy for me.

All my interests reveal themselves in my art. I love going to museums and looking at all the different ways art can be executed. I am also heavily inspired by my dog Elvis, a little terrier mix with a lot of character. In my spare time If I'm not playing with my dog or taking pictures of him, I'm usually at the movies, watching my favorite tv shows or checking my e-mail and reading celebrity gossip. Anything that catches my eye or gets me thinking I write about in a notebook and use it as a seed for a future project.

In this class I would like to learn how to make what I love to do into what I do for a living. Whether it be working for a magazine as an editorial photographer or owning my own fine arts studio in New York City I need to know how to market myself to the world. That is why I believe that this class will be that perfect tool for furthering myself in the world.

My e-mail is amandarosek@comcast.net