The main purpose of the internship is to learn, to gain some knowledge. The technical gain in photography was that I learned how to use indoor flash and how to use light to shoot portraits. During the internship this semester, I have a better understanding of my abilities and photography.
Details determine success or failure, and the same is true for photography. A good photograph comes from practicing the control of details. This is the most precious lesson I have learned this semester.
At the same time, as a designer, I also have a deeper understanding and affirmation of my own abilities. I will communicate actively, be able to fully investigate and prepare for the project, in addition, my learning ability is not bad, and I can adapt well to new things and environments. In general, these are my bright spots, and I still need to continue to learn more skills and knowledge to enrich myself.
During my internship, my supervisor is my role model, the creator I want to be in the future. He was a very patient and very friendly person, and when I walked with him in the building of the college, he was respected by everyone. During my time working with him, I have learned a lot from him. The lessons I learned are not just for being a designer or a photographer, but also about how to be a interesting fulfilling soul.
He taught me many aspects, including the layout of the photography studio, the use of lighting, and how to communicate with the models, as well as how to prepare before shooting, how to post-process photos, etc. These invaluable experiences and lessons have been learned through our project shoots on several events. I believe these practical skills will bring me a lot of benefits in the future.
During my internship, the projects I worked on were basically photographers’ work. I participated in some summer activities in the college with my supervisor, and took some photos of the activities to be used as materials for the promotion of the college in the future.
The above photos were taken by me with the permission of the staff.
In this set of pictures, there are interview opportunities arranged by the college for graduates. I filmed after each interviewee came in, trying not to disturb their interview. I stand in the corner of the room and try to capture some moments.
This link is the text animation opening I did for the college promotional video. In this animation, I wanted to highlight the overall lively atmosphere of the school. This animation can be placed in various social media and the white background can also be changed to different themes.
During the internship, I was mainly responsible for taking publicity photos for various departments of the school. I needed to bring my camera to the building of each department, and to take photos to the facilities and students, stuffs, and some events.
After the photo is taken, I resize the photo, adjust the tone and ensure the consistency of the photo, and then categorize the content and filter out the photos that can be used in the promo. Finally submit the photo to my supervisor. At the same time, I’m also working on the idea text animation for a short video opening for the school. All my work files are uploaded to a google folder and finally emailed to my supervisor.
As a designer, I think all of us have used other people’s work in the process of creating. As I finish school projects, I often go to some stock-free website to find some images and mockups, and I always credit the creators name at caption. I think this is the most basic respect for those hard-working creators.
Using someone else’s work may only require a few random taps on the Internet, but if you don’t sign someone else’s work, you are ignoring and disrespecting the hard work behind the work. Only when everyone abides by originality and copyright will creators be motivated and continue to create better works.
Research
Hunston, Tralene. “The Ethical Implications of the Stock Photo.” Platform Magazine, 7 Nov. 2020, https://platformmagazine.org/2020/11/06/the-ethical-implications-of-the-stock-photo/.
Eric. “Why Is It Important to Credit Artists Online?” That Eric Alper, 15 Jan. 2021, https://www.thatericalper.com/2020/12/09/why-is-it-important-to-credit-artists-online/.
(2b)
The article about Fairey’s copyright case was a very typical case about how important to credit the original creator. Using photos without the permission of the original author is unethical in itself. But even after he was prosecuted, he deliberately lied about the source of the pictures during the trial, which is even more absurd. Although this case ended up with some sort of agreement, it must have had a serious impact on his statement. Because no one likes an artist who doesn’t respect the creator.
Research
Memmott, Mark. “Shepard Fairey and AP Settle Copyright Dispute over ‘Hope’ Poster.” NPR, NPR, 12 Jan. 2011, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/01/12/132860606/shepard-fairey-and-ap-settle-copyright-dispute-over-hope-poster.
Kennedy, Randy. “Shepard Fairey and the A.P. Settle Legal Dispute.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Jan. 2011, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/13/arts/design/13fairey.html.
Image & Visual Communications is a department of our college that specializes in image and video processing for various departments within the school.
In here, the staff will be responsible for a series of publicity work for the school, from taking work photos for the faculty and staff to filming the graduation ceremony, and manage various promotional posters and videos produced by the college, etc.
Design ethics means that, as creators, we have to take into account that our work is intended for the general public and will be criticized by others. So in the works with characters, we need to be responsible to the models. The most basic thing is to get the model’s permission first, make sure they know how their image will be used.
For my internship, I’ve been doing photo shoots for some events of people and things. Under the guidance of my supervisor, I will ask and obtain the permission of people and subject before shooting, because some people may not want to appear in the promotional photos, so I must communicate in advance before shooting.
Research
MURABAYASHI, ALLEN. “Are You an Ethical Photographer?” PetaPixel, 11 May 2019, https://petapixel.com/2019/05/11/are-you-an-ethical-photographer/.
After reading O’Connell’s article, I have some new understandings about signing an employment agreement. Signing such an agreement is not only about some conditions and benefits that the company promises to employees, it is a work relationship between the company and the employee that determines the working relationship and clarifies both parties in agreement of rights and obligations. At the same time, the employment agreement is bilateral and can be negotiated. It is binding on both parties and cannot be changed unilaterally after it is signed. Therefore, before signing the agreement, we need to read the agreement carefully. If there is any dissatisfaction, we can communicate in time, and we cannot blindly sign the employment agreement.
During my internship, I did not sign any non-disclosure agreement. First of all, because the department I work in is affiliated to the college, all works will eventually be directed to all teachers and students of the school and the public, so there is no confidentiality of any project. But I believe that in my future career, I will sign a company non-disclosure agreement, because this is the behavior of protecting company property, as a creator, I can understand the preciousness of data and materials.
On the other hand, when it comes to fonts and logos, I follow the college’s Designer Handbook. Because these elements are the basis for the design of the college, they cannot be arbitrarily modified.
Research
Dodd, Savannah. “Photography Ethics and Why They Matter.” Photography Ethics Centre, Photography Ethics Centre, 27 Jan. 2022, https://www.photoethics.org/content/2018/5/31/photography-ethics-and-why-they-matter#:~:text=Photography%20ethics%20are%20the%20principles,person’s%20life%20experience%20and%20values.
O’Connell, Brian. “What Is an Employment Agreement?” TheStreet, TheStreet, 28 May 2019, https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/what-is-an-employment-agreement-14971099.
After half a week of waiting, I finally got in touch with the supervisor of Image & Visual Communications company and got an interview opportunity.
During the interview, my supervisor did not put a lot of pressure on me, so the whole interview process went smoothly. In the interview, I first showed the animation and video works in my portfolio, which reflected my ability to process video materials. Then I showed my photography work and gave a lively talk about the whole image shooting process and processing. Finally, I gave a short speech about my passion for photography. During the whole interview process, it was very enjoyable, I felt that I successfully sold myself as a designer as well as a photographer.
I’ve been a design student for many years, but the truth is I haven’t really had any exposure to any jobs in the industry before this semester started. Since I had never had such experience, I decided to ask my professors for help.
After a few contacts, professor gave me a lot of guidance, not only on how to find internship opportunities, but also on how to create job opportunities for myself in the future, as well as some precautions at the beginning of my career. Finally I decided to apply to an educational institution company.
This is a company run by our college staff that specializes in a range of advocacy and influence handling within the college. I decided to take advantage of this opportunity because I like photography and image processing very much. At the same time, I can really apply what I learned in school to real life. So I started putting together my portfolio and updating my resume to get ready for this opportunity. Hope my first internship goes well！
