Critical evaluation of professional practice

In the future I intend to become a freelance practitioner due to the liberty offered by this position. That way I would be able to focus on both portraiture and concert photography. My work tends t be divided between these two fields and I do not wish to give up on one of them in favor of the other. Regarding concert photography, being a freelancer is probably the hardest thing to do. Obtaining photo passes simply because you are just that good and people recognizing your work is achieved through years of hard work and experience.

The starting point for that would be to shoot for small online magazines in the  beginning and then hopefully move up to bigger publications which enable me to attend larger concerts held by world wide famous artists. The music genre I aim to focus on is rock because it matches my personality and it is my favorite style. I can relate to it and that's the reason I photograph live performances whenever I get e chance to do so. Copyright tends to get quite tricky when it comes to concert photography because the publication one is shooting for might want exclusivity for the images. These would be used by them alone and perhaps by the photographer on his/her website. Festivals also tend to be cautious with copyright for the images shot during the event disabling photographers to use the images for their promotion and portfolios. At the moment, I collaborate with metal forces magazine in the uk. This has granted me the opportunity to attend some excellent shows in London, Bristol and Norwich. It was an excellent launch ramp. I have also started my own website dedicated to concert photography entitled multichrome-music.com. I hope to be able to gain access to concerts based on that website alone. Instead of shooting for a publication I wish to ask for accreditations as owner of multi chrome music. In June 2013 I will attend HellFest taking place in France where the headliners are bands such as kiss, zz top and def leppard. Including these bands in my portfolio will be a major achievement. My highest aim is to have as many famous rock bands in my portfolio as possible. Hopefully, that will bring me collaboration opportunities with rock bands and related publications. regarding the location, both Romania and the united kingdom are places I want to develop connections with. There are festivals and concerts taking place in these two countries on a regular basis. At the moment I have to get in touch with the organizers of these concerts and try to obtain accreditations.

The hardest part of being self employed and shooting concerts is the fact that until people get to know you, the responses received are likely to be negative. However, I have nothing to lose when trying. Funding is another tricky aspect. The collaboration with metal forces has not brought me any income. Travel expenses and accommodation for the shows attended have been paid by myself. I didn't have to pay for the concert ticket and that is better than nothing. Apart from that, my portfolio has developed considerably thanks to metal forces. In the case of HellFest taking place in France, the situation is similar. I shall pay for transport and accommodation in exchange for the 3 day festival ticket. Yet again, I shall be shooting for metal forces. I intent to continue the collaboration with this website because I appreciate that it was the first one to offer me such opportunities. Not being in a certain place all the time makes things difficult when talking to event organizers. They tend to give photo passes to the people who are likely to be present at all the events they organize.
I have considered applying for funding but that shall happen later on when I have a portfolio which is strong enough to ensure that I obtain the money I apply for. The funding would be used to cover travel expenses and accommodation.

Portraiture has proven to be very rewarding because it has allowed me to photograph amazing people, collaborate with excellent artists and meet talented photographers. The reason why I want to be a freelancer is that it gives me the freedom to travel and create projects in any place of the world. I could be shooting a concert in the evening and then flying to Bucharest the next day for a studio shoot. Until I manage to get commissions paid well enough, I'm likely to support the costs of traveling to the locations and the accommodation. In the case of portraits, copyright shall belong to me and clients wishing to use the images would have to ask for permission  to do so.

The quote which has proved to influence my entire practice so far belongs to Annie Leibovitz. It says something along these lines: "When I say I want to photograph someone, what it really means is that I’d like to know them". I'd gladly engage in portraiture projects whether they are in the studio, on location (indoor/outdoor) as long as I feel that I can establish a connection with the model. There has to be something which creates the feeling of confidence between myself and the person I am photographing. Failure to do so will result in portraits in which the character and personality of the model has not been well captured. 

Similar to the case of concert photography, I would like to have collaborations in both Romania and the United Kingdom. In the future, I intend to set up my own studio in order to have access to lighting kits, backdrops and any other studio equipment whenever I desire, as opposed to renting spaces or asking other practitioners if they are able to lend me equipment. It is not fair nor professional to do so. In addition to that, having a space which belongs to me alone means that I can create my working space however I see appropriate. This creative space will most likely be in the UK and when it comes to Romania, I shall seek collaborations with other photographers and renting studios whenever required.