What is required to work as a curator?

 In researching this question, I looked on numerous websites. However, the most reliable was The National Careers Service which shows pay scale, hours worked a week and qualities needed.

Museum, Art Gallery Curator. 

Museum curator | Explore careers | National Careers Service

In terms of qualifications, a degree in photography is helpful. However, ideally, it is better to gain a masters. I have been looking at the role of a curator and what is expected if you work in a museum or gallery. According to Curator Job Description, Skills, and Salary - NigCareers

"Museums, libraries, and other historically significant sites have collections curators. They are usually responsible for the acquisition and research of new items as well as the display and presentation of these items for private or public viewings. A lot of curators also have administrative roles, such as promoting and organizing special events. A curator must have extensive knowledge and experience in his/her specialty to be able to perform important tasks.
Curators often work in museums that are focused on a specific subject, such as engineering, natural history, or art. They are responsible for acquiring, authenticating, and displaying important pieces of art. For example, an art curator might be interested in starting a collection. He/she might research the movement and identify the favorite pieces available. Then he would find out where they can be permanently acquired or borrowed as part of a cooperative with other museums. The curator determines the location and format of pieces and provides information for visitors through programs, descriptive signs, and tour scripts"
" An assistant is usually needed to assist a more experienced curator when they start a new job. To learn as much about the collections as possible, she may need to spend several months in training before taking on the role of head curator"

Curator Job Description, Skills, and Salary - NigCareers
The be a head curator, you need to have taught, worked as a field researcher or archivist for many years. Therefore, a more realistic aim is to be a assistant curator. 

I have created an LinkedIn profile and added some organizations which are involved curation such as Curator Space where different curators add their areas of experience onto a search engine. Browse curators | CuratorSpace 

Reading about the different curators and their experience gave me an insight into what is required and areas I need to understand. The website also shows organizations and what they do in their local community. Such as  

• Browse curators | CuratorSpace

  Artcore

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  Artcore supports and promotes the work of contemporary artists and uses art to bring about positive changes to the lives of people of all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds. Its main activities include exhibitions, residencies, screenings, talks and festivals alongside daily workshops for adults and young people. The organisation is led by Executive Director Ruchita Shaikh and Artistic Director Zahir Shaikh, supported by a team including Programme Producer David Gilbert.

• Browse curators | CuratorSpace

My evolution and understanding curation.

 As the year as progressed at university, so I have evolved. My taste have changed as I have been introduced to more photographers and artists. This is normal for any sort of education. Therefore, my practice has changed and so have my ideas and outlook. I read this blog when I started and I was struck by how I have become more specific what I wanted to do when I leave in 2026. I now want to concentrate in working in a museum, historical society or gallery-depicting historical events. This marks a change when I started this years course where I wanted to teach. 

Therefore, focusing on what links I need to create and researching the route into this avenue is important. Also. I need to focus on how to create a curation from an academic viewpoint. In researching this, I will refer to the website 4 ways to curate an art or photography exhibition like a pro! | theprintspace. This article looks at ways an art or photography exhibition can be created like a pro.

1. Themes or the concept behind your work is important and should be the guide to all the preparation you do as you are telling a narrative to the viewer. According to  4 ways to curate an art or photography exhibition like a pro! | theprintspace. "With themes, the possibilities are endless. For example, they can be social, political, philosophical, aesthetic by nature, or based around an art movement or medium. They could be more linear, such as the chronology or progression of the artist or artists, subject matter or body of work being shown. And narratives embedded in the curation can, for example, be linear, explicit, abstract, subliminal or non-existent"

2 Space is important in any work which is shown to the public. Space isn't just giving people room to view work, it allows the work to communicate to the viewer. The space available can guide the public through the works.

According to  4 ways to curate an art or photography exhibition like a pro! | theprintspace."Take two exhibitions held at the Hayward Gallery; Carsten Höller: Decision (2015/16), and Diane Arbus: In the beginning (2019). Carsten’s show was about perception and decision making which he incorporated into the space. At the start of the exhibition visitors were given a choice of two different entrances, which lead to separate routes through the gallery each with different choices and interactions along the way. Diane Arbus’ show was a collection of her early rare works presented in a more traditional layout. Each photograph was framed and hung on the wall with equal space and severity and there was one entrance and exit to the show. On both these occasions, the space was manipulated to guide the visitor through the exhibition in a way which mirrored the artist and their work. Had Carsten’s show been displayed in a ‘white cube’ setting the impact of the show would have been different. In contrast, the curation of Arbus’ exhibition was designed to put the focus purely on the content of the images" Space is also digital and has to be thought of in the same way as space in a galley. Different platforms show images differently. Take a website, this will show images often in isolation where Instagram will show them in a grid format. According to 4 ways to curate an art or photography exhibition like a pro! | theprintspace."This may mean you alter your sequence on Instagram to appeal to aesthetics. For example, photographer Benjamin Hardman who has over 600K followers told us that he uses social media as a “timeless portfolio as opposed to a day to day journal.” What’s important to Ben is how the images work visually together. “Perhaps I’ll have a summer image with a green mountain. I may have to wait until it’s surrounded by monochromatic images, snowy scenes. That green image could then slot into the grid so that it doesn’t clash with other colorful images.”

4 ways to curate an art or photography exhibition like a pro! | theprintspace

3 Presentation is everything when it comes to displaying your work. The technical understanding of presentation can lift the viewers understanding of the work and make the e4xperience enjoyable. According to 4 ways to curate an art or photography exhibition like a pro! | theprintspace "For example, Olafur Eliasson’s 2019 exhibition at the Tate Modern included interactive installations that used light, sound, shadows and reflections. One room was filled with a flavored mist to the point you could not see beyond 30cm in front of you. It was overwhelming. One of the themes of the work is sensory exploration, so the concept work itself goes hand-in-hand with the ways it is presented and the space it is presented in. There are many ways to make your work immersive or multi-sensory. For example, artist Tanya Houghton’s project ‘A Migrants tale’ is a 2017 series of photographs about the concept of home and nostalgia, told through the language of food. To coincide with the launch of this exhibition, Tanya organized a food events series of lunches or supper clubs. These were meals for up to 20 people inspired by one of Tanya’s migrant subjects and their memories of food from home. Through this sensory technique, Tanya was able to go beyond showing her project through images and instead allow people to experience it, through taste"

A way around this was created by artist Tanya Houghton’s project ‘A Migrants tale’ in 2017 where Tanya Houghton held food events to evoke memories of food from their homeland. This contributed to the success of her show.

4 Context A good example of reinforcing the context behind images is a caption which outlines the story behind the image. Better known as the who, what, where and why. With information supplied, there is no room for misunderstood. Alex Soths retrospective of work has a film on a loop to explain his works to the public. 

"There are also less explicit ways of adding context, such as the common technique of guest essays found in photo-books. For example, Magnum photographer Alex Webb’s celebrated street photography book, Istanbul, leads with an essay written Orhan Pamuk. The essay is not about Webb’s work, but rather about Istanbul, the place, the smells, the culture, the history. It sets the scene for the work that follows, ultimately enhancing the curatorial experience. Other contextual things to consider may be the decision to show prices if the work is for sale, the time of the year you show the work if that has some contextual relationship with the content of the work, and whether an exhibition catalogue is required"

4 ways to curate an art or photography exhibition like a pro! | theprintspace

Marketing martials needed and ways of getting work disseminated.

I read an article on 16 MUST-KNOW Ideas for Photography Marketing (shotkit.com) about materials needed for a photographer. 

I have considered the online footprint and got myself a LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook account. However, I need to think more intrinsic and consider business' cards, flyers and price menu. 

"Most photographers’ target markets are online – social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, etc. However, it’s still worth the effort to invest in certain physical photography marketing materials"

When it comes to business' cards, according to  16 MUST-KNOW Ideas for Photography Marketing (shotkit.com

When considering business' cards:

" investing some of your money into a graphic designer is usually a better idea – they’ll do it much better than you, and you’ll save lots of time and frustration.

If you don’t have the budget for it, another great option is to use templates – everything has been laid out by a designer, and all you have to do is replace the various elements with your own text and photos"

However, the photographer can use Adobe Illustrator for graphic design of cards and logo ideas. This can be given to the printer to create the final outcome. When creating something to disseminate your work, the options are a zine, brochures, flyers, price menu with images. I think I will go for a zine which is cheap and allows a lot to be said in a small amount of space. 

Target audience 

When considering this, I see my work as having an historical and factual element which uses photography to create periods in history. I have thought about my audience who may be interested in this work and come to the conclusion it would be museums, historical societies, gallery's and  local authorities who promote areas of historical meaning. For this reason, I have added councils such as Lancaster, Preston and Lancashire County Council to my LinkedIn profile. Also, museums in Preston, Manchester and Lancaster, also, heritage train lines such as Our History - The East Lancashire Railway (eastlancsrailway.org.uk)

Build a network

This can be other photographers or in my case, historians, model railway enthusiasts or artists for example. According to  16 MUST-KNOW Ideas for Photography Marketing (shotkit.com "When you build a network with other professionals, you can create collaborations and partnerships. For example, let’s say you’re a wedding photographer. Every bride-to-be looking for a wedding photographer will also be looking for someone to do her hair and makeup. Look for local businesses to become co-marketing partners with, and you’ll see how your clientele will grow organically"

Create a blog

It is common for some people to make a living out of creating a blog. You can direct potential clients, friends and businesses to your blog. Over time, this will create an organic friendship where you will be respected and your views absorbed by the readers-it could secure you work. Especially if you add images to your blog. The following website helps you with starting a photography blog How to Start a Photography Blog in 2023 (EASY Way) (shotkit.com)

Build a social network presence.

This I have been doing for many years but the subject has always been myself and not a bossiness. However, I have featured my images online. The difference however is keep the presence professional and make sure the images featured are up to an excellent standard. As before, the platforms to consider are Instagram, Facebook, Tic Toc, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Get Features. 

This means getting your work out there. Through social media, competitions and explore magazines which feature your niche. Wedding photography, then consider wedding magazines. In my case, magazines which feature historical events or museums which feature historical narrative imagery.

Use Google My Business.

This is a free service where you can create a free account online. If anybody requires a wedding photographer in Blackpool, one will come up. You can create a website and keep up to date of how many "hits" you have had online. Google Business Profile – Get Listed on Google

Build an email list. 

According to 16 MUST-KNOW Ideas for Photography Marketing (shotkit.com "That’s why an email list can include news and updates about your business, discounts or a free gift, a referral program, or even season’s greetings during the holidays. Segmenting your emails is more effective – this one of the keys to effective online marketing. To encourage people to subscribe, you can have a landing page, a pop-up on your website, posts and advertisements on social media, or you can offer a freebie. Make sure you’re clear about your privacy policies and try to offer quality content instead of spamming people – otherwise, they’ll unsubscribe right away"

Encourage word of mouth with referral discounts. 

Word of mouth is priceless advertising because it comes with a guarantee from the person suggesting you. With this word of mouth, offer discounts on the next time the customer uses your service.

Keep you website updated. 

According to  16 MUST-KNOW Ideas for Photography Marketing (shotkit.com

"Whether you have an elaborate photography website or a simple online portfolio, you should regularly update the content to keep popping up in search engines.

Also, because both photography and website designs are subject to trends, if your style of photography or the overall look of your website becomes outdated, you’ll be less appealing than other photographers.

Even a small change can make a huge difference. If you add a blog section, you can post regularly to refresh your website and encourage visitors to come back often.

If it’s completely image-based, then you can add a new gallery or change the main image on the landing page to change looks"

Take part in charity events. 

This is giving back and making opportunities for yourself. Your work will be featured in magazines or website and create free advertising. In my case, museums are always having fund raisers. This would be ideal.

Develop a long term and short term strategy.

Simple, where do you want to be in a year. Where do you want to be in 5 years. Call it a five year plan-Like Stalin maybe...

Participate in targeted events. 

According to  16 MUST-KNOW Ideas for Photography Marketing (shotkit.com "A great way to network with other professionals and get new clients is to attend fairs, conventions and other targeted events"

For example, fine art photographers can participate in art fairs; wedding photographers can visit bridal fairs, and so on. This is a great way to connect with potential clients that are actively looking for what you offer.

Also, regardless of your field, you should attend photography conventions. This will keep you updated on new trends and the latest technologies"

Exploring LinkedIn as a resource for work further

We live in a society where being seen and noticed online is vital. I am old enough to remember if you wanted a job, you had to go to the Job Centre and apply for work. However, the world has moved on significantly. 

People now promote themselves by being seen online and use resources such as LinkedIn to secure employment. LinkedIn has employers, employees and prospective employees all on the same platform. I have used LinkedIn in the past to gain employment in social care and keep informed of what is occurring locally in terms of funding for third sector charities and how this may help service users and myself. Whatever the sector, social care or photography, the same applies. 

I have started to add photographers and photographic businesses in my area to my LinkedIn profile. According to Why Photographers Shouldn’t Ignore LinkedIn | Fstoppers

"LinkedIn is not just a platform for jobseekers; it is a powerful networking and marketing channel for entrepreneurs, such as photographers. If you ever serve other businesses with your photography, then LinkedIn is a great place online to find and connect with the right people in your niche. As they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know

 It has over 900 million members and, according to the company’s statistics, three new members sign up every second. Even actors like Ryan Renolds are on there! Sure, it has fewer members compared to Facebook or Instagram, but they could be the right members for your business"

"In case you’re completely new to it or hardly ever log in, here is a breakdown of what LinkedIn offers in 2023:

• A free profile with a banner and a profile image
• A showcase for your experience, skills, and education
• List which professional services you offer and a link to your website
• Post images, videos, and text, create polls, organize events, and write newsletters
• Option to have a “creator" profile
• Courses on the paid subscription"

Why Photographers Shouldn’t Ignore LinkedIn | Fstoppers

The objectives of LinkedIn are 

"The aim of your posts should be to get the right people to stop and view your profile, and of course, direct them to your photography website. Regular updates of photography work are a must, and creating text content can help you to connect with your audience on a deeper level. If you write a blog on your website, LinkedIn is the perfect place to get traffic and eyeballs to your content on your homepage"

Once you have a base of followers on your profile, you can "display on your profile that you offer services. Currently, you can choose from the likes of “commercial photography,” “food photography,” and “event photography.” You can also tell potential customers about your pricing and where you operate. Completing this section of the profile can help to get you discovered, as the search function on the website lets members search for specific services".

Why Photographers Shouldn’t Ignore LinkedIn | Fstoppers

Experience has taught me in any field of work that being too forward gets you nowhere. Sending your services as soon as you connect will result in them ignoring your request. The best thing to do is build a rapport over time and be in for the long game. According to the website above " I tend to stay away from pitching my services to someone as soon as I’ve connected with them, as it rarely works. The better way is to build a rapport and then sell in a much softer way"

LinkedIn has 810 million uses globally. It is available in 25 languages. Other interesting facts available here....(1) 37 LinkedIn Statistics You Need To Know In 2022 | LinkedIn

Why Photographers Shouldn’t Ignore LinkedIn | Fstoppers

A typical job photography job on LinkedIn looks like below. 

According to this advert, the job is full time at entry level. The organization is large with more the 200 employees. Based on this information, a further search on the internet to find out more about them would be advisable. What sort of photography do they do? What is their mission statement? What do other businesses say about them? etc. It also says this job is popular with 318 applicants applying for this position so far. This means that using LinkedIn as a recruitment platform is advantageous for employers and prospective employees. However, all this exposure means there is a lot of competition for employment. This means your content needs to be eye catching, professional and stand out from the other competition. 

In terms of my expectations in the future and the kind of work I want to do, I had a talk with a tutor recently and we spoke about me considering work in museums and galleries as a curator. I have began to form an interest in reenactment of battles and taking still life images of items to form a narrative. This is clear through working with Slinkachu and my recent assignment concerning empire. 

Exploring the notion of Empire past and present. 

I have started to connect to museums and galleries in my area and slowly promote my work. This niece has just occurred to me while doing the course. Therefore, it would be a good idea to follow this avenue in the future.  

In researching the success of LinkedIn and its ability to create jobs for photographers-I cannot find these statistics. However, statistics exist of all the creative industries experiencing a boom in the current climate. According to the Gov website. 

"

• Jobs in the Creative Industries have increased three times faster than the UK average
• Diversity in the Creative Industries workplace up by almost 45 per cent - more than double that of wider jobs market
• Creative Industries now generating almost £10m an hour for the UK economy.

What a performance! Stellar employment boom continues for the UK’s Creative Industries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

However, statistics exist of the number of photographers, audio visual and broadcasting equipment operators are currently in the UK. According to  Photographers and audio-visual operators in the UK 2022 | Statista

" There were estimated to be approximately 73,300 photographers and audio-visual operators working in the United Kingdom as of 2022, compared with 65,500 in 2010, an increase of around 7,800"

Photographers and audio-visual operators in the UK 2022 | Statista

The stats show an increase of photographers etc. since 2010 of 7.800. This shows the creative industries are doing well. 

The best way to get a foot in this particular sector of employment according to Is LinkedIn Overlooked by Photographers? Six Tips to Get More Out of It | Fstoppers is join groups which will expand your opportunities. " If you are a travel photographer, join groups like Travel and Hospitality, Tourism, and Travel Bloggers. You have to get creative and join the groups that will have discussions you can participate in but also have people who might need your skills. Some groups you can freely join, others you might have to ask. In addition, if you join groups that have people not in your network that you want to speak with, you can bypass the first-degree messaging rules"

In my case, I want to work in museums or galleries so joining groups which are of an historical nature such as one I joined recently on LinkedIn called "Medieval and Renaissance Art, Antiques, Architecture, Archaeology and History and Museum and Art Gallery Exhibitions & Events"

As well as joining relevant groups, it is important to use hashtags as a way your work can be linked to a certain niche subject. LinkedIn uses hashtags and algorithms like any social networking platform-so it is important to use them. The perfect profile is important also. The following is relevant when it comes to profiles 

"Getting as much info as possible filled out on your profile should be simple, but close to half of all profiles never do. Considering that LinkedIn’s algorithms give a lot of weight to complete profiles, this is the easiest way to get ahead of the crowd. Create a detailed headline with lots of keywords,' don't just put "Photographer." Instead, try something like "Freelance Photographer and Owner of XYZ Studios Specializing in Editorial and Commercial Photography." Add and remove sections to emphasize your strong points. Do you have a blog? Then add a publications section with links to your most read articles. Awards and Honors? Add that section. There are sections for all kinds of info that you might not think of adding, but will help get you to 100 percent: interests, volunteering, certifications, courses you’ve taken, and projects you’ve worked on. All these things may seem unimportant, but could just be what gives you an edge over another photographer with a similar skill set. Often, the person who gets the job when equally qualified is the one that has something in common with the person doing the hiring. Create a gallery of your work. LinkedIn may not be Instagram, but they still have several great ways to add visual info to your profile. You can place images in just about every section that is relevant, so take advantage of it. You can also add links, video, and more"

Is LinkedIn Overlooked by Photographers? Six Tips to Get More Out of It | Fstoppers

As I have stated, my LinkedIn account has been completely rehashed and updated. I have followed the advice above of adding myself to groups that are relevant to my interests and aspirations. I have also added photographers from all around the UK. I have used numerous photos that explore my technical abilities in light painting and appropriation on Adobe. Also, still life, nature and hopefully, portrait photography. I hope that this shows I understand many genres of photography and demonstrates my flexibility. 

My LinkedIn profile.

Photocrowd competition x4

 4th image for competition. The Robin is my image. Category was spring. 

Ranking of all images.

LinkedIn (update)

 I have updated my LinkedIn account to include my change in situation and my desire to get into a new profession. I had my account geared for social care. However, I have updated it to include my photographs and added the university as a contact.

Critique of my work By Richard Oughon

 I sent Peter Kennard an email to look at my work. Unfortunately, he did not reply to my message. I then racked my brain's and thought of asking my old photography tutor Richard, who was there at the start of my journey learning photography. Richard taught me the basics when I did night school in 2020. His work is moody and varied. He photographs events such as Northern Soul events. This appeals to me because he is documenting life for groups of people who are part of a subculture, I am inspired by his work as I am interested in sub-cultures such as punks.

It's very difficult to pigeonhole Richard because his work is varied in content. 

I sent him a message on Instagram today. 15th March 23.

Hi Richard, I hope you well. I wonder if I could ask a bit of a favor from you regards my work? I'm on my second year doing a degree in photography. I need a critique of my work for the exam. My context has become dystopian and I've been dabbling with appropriation and manipulating works of art and giving them a contemporary twist- a bit like Peter Kennard. I've moved away from nature shots all the time and have learned varied technical styles. Anyway, if you are okay with this, I can send you some pictures to look at and write a brief crit. Many thanks Richard.

Good evening Mark I hope alls well. Great to t from you & I hope the course is going well.
I’d be honoured thank you for asking me you can send on here or via email
rjoughton@gmail.com
Look forward to seeing them

Extract of Conversation. 

18th March 23

Spoke to Richard today to check if he has received my work via email. He stated he had and he's aiming to give feedback next week (week commencing 20th March 23) 

 

22nd April 23

I have not heard from Richard for a month now, I can only assume he has changed his mind.

Competition entry x 3

I entered a competition today. The category was sunsets or sunrises. My image can be seen top left along with the other entries. The website was Photo crowd. 
 

‘Stanley Park Blackpool’ by Mjb1969 | Photocrowd photo contests

Actual image

    My entry and other entries. 

Another competition entry x 2

 I submitted another competition entry with the category specifically being bokeh photography. I became interested in taking images with a 50mm lens with a high aperture. I therefore used one of my images in a competition with Photocrowd. 

Image is of lavender in the spring. 

 

My image above with other finalists. 

Join LinkedIn and Instagram

 Being known in the cyberworld is important when we all live in a world which is connected by technology and the internet. Your work can be viewed thousand of miles away from your base and get a new audience. Your work is accessible for all and perspective employers to see in advance. 

Due to these reasons, I have an Instagram account. I find Instagram is concise and reflects an artists work without all the irrelevant commentary of Facebook. 

LinkedIn is for the express goal of getting a job and securing employment. Therefore, I created an account in 2012 when I was trying to get into Health and Social Care. I started following organizations, charities and governmental organizations in this sector. I eventually secured employment and I still use LinkedIn to keep up with the changing world and up to date with news and policy changes that are on LinkedIn. However, I need to create another LinkedIn account that reflects my photography ambitions very soon. 

Mark Baigrie Instagram. 

Critique of my work-Peter Kennard

During a lesson recently, I asked the tutor would it be a good idea if I contacted Peter Kennard via Instagram and ask him if he could do a critique of my work-especially my appropriation. I was influenced by PKs work and I have always had a social conscious when it comes to music, art and literature.

I sent him a message on Instagram and am hoping for the best.