Before my final year, I decided to complete a placement year to help me on my professional journey as a photographer. I did my placement year at Wild Ginger Photography (WGP), which is a family-run photography business, with a key focus on family and children photography. This studio is also part of a franchise called Baby Art Studios (BA), where I did most of my work. BA is a franchise that focuses on a baby’s journey from maternity and into early childhood. I photographed sessions such as maternity, smilers (3 months), sitters (7 months) and milestone birthdays. At every photoshoot, we offer family portraits, so this was a skill I have been able to continually develop.

I began placement year as a studio assistant, then moved to doing photoshoots and being paid on a shoot-by-shoot basis and midway through placement year, I was hired as a photographer. I began the year by doing tasks such as studio prep, client hospitality and shadowing shoots, which then developed into preparing viewings, doing photoshoots, handling admin and selling images. I also got the opportunity to go to baby show events where I promoted photography packages, which significantly helped my confidence and communication skills.

Key experiences include photographing nursery days, which were long days with themed setups and lots of children to photograph. These jobs particularly helped me to develop time management skills whilst being patient with the children. I also photographed fairy shoots, which required same-day edits and sales. All of these aspects of placement year encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and do shoots outside of work in people’s homes with unpredictable locations and lighting.

As a photographer within BA, I recieved extensive sales training and also attended conferences with training from Kelly Brown, Lindsay Adler and Magdalena Sienicka. These allowed me to not only develop my photography skills but my business and client communication skills. I also learnt skills through shadowing and assisting with a variety of shoots, for example a twin newborn photoshoot.

Overall, my placement year was extremely beneficial. I’ve grown from an assistant to a professional photographer, built confidence, improved technical and soft skills, and gained insight into the industry, all of which I used within my final year and will use as I move forward into my career.