Professional Studies - SWOT analysis

In the last Professional Studies lecture we completed a SWOT analysis which is considering your past learning module and explaining your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. I also completed a SWOT analysis during my first year of university and realized how my strengths and weaknesses have changed after a year.
Below I have listed a few key strengths and also what I need to develop this year to ensure I focus on my weaknesses so that I can help myself to reflect critically on my own progress and performance.
STRENGHS

• Using my blog for inspiration/ work/ ideas
• Reading books - to develop and gain knowledge
• Using the studio 
• Learning to use new cameras properly 
• Gaining confidence in new situations

WEAKNESSES

• Spend more time in the studio
• Spend more time on my blog
• Develop research further
• Gain more experience
• Gain more motivation through inspiration

OPPORTUNITES

• Gain more work
• Sell photographs
• Look at/speak to/E-mail inspiring people

THREATS

• Lack of confidence
• Intimidation from other peoples work
• Self motivation

Professional Studies

Personal Development Planning is vital in preparation for future professional practice, basically PDP helps yourself become better at organizing your work and prepares you to control time management. You also gain confidence in yourself so that you become more effective and independent.

Depth of Field

Understanding Depth of Field

During this Portraiture project Depth of Field is a key issue, my main target is to understand Depth of Field properly; for example learning the correct aperture, shutter speed and focusing distance. Whilst reading more into the subject I realized that depth of field does not suddenly change from sharp focus to blurry but its a gradual transition. Like the photograph below of Muhammad Ali (1966) which we looked at in one of our first lectures on Depth of Field, you can see his large fist in the main focus of the photograph with his arm becoming less in focus, then his face is more blurred than the rest. Depth of field is important to this photograph as Muhammad Ali was one of of the world's most professional boxers - and his fist is the main focus of the photograph.