Reaction Paper One

After sitting in on the panel with former Suffolk students and listening to their stories and experiences, I can definitely say I took a lot away from my time there. The biggest take away from the panel was how in spite of the fact that each member went on different paths, they all stressed the point that starting out at Suffolk was greatly beneficial to them. It’s always easy to put down community college, but hearing that the members of the panel were able to move on to do work in different states and even countries was both reassuring and eye opening. It was also nice to hear about how one of the members transferred to a different university, still didn’t have a clear plan, and switched between a number of majors. It’s easy to stress about being on some set path, so it was once again reassuring to know that nothing has to be set in stone beyond SCCC. Two other important things I took away were about writing about your work, and how everything with art is a risk. With concert photography being my main interest, I’ve learned that to get into bigger shows, you most likely need to be partnered with some sort of publication or online magazine. A lot of these publications don’t want just the pictures of the band, but also some sort of write up about them and the experience at the show. Being able to convey emotion and detail in writing to accompany your pictures is an important and necessary talent. With risks and concerts, I believe that you should always try and reach out and strive to get into bigger shows, and with that comes the risk of being shot down or just ignored. You can’t let these setbacks keep you down or stop you from trying to get to that next level. Overall, the panel was a very positive experience that gave me reassurance and some guidance in pursuing a career in photography.