Context and Narrative (CAN) is my third course with the Open College of the Arts (OCA) and the first since I decided that I would not follow the Creative Arts pathway but concentrate on Photography.

It was great to begin this morning with a video chat with my new tutor. With the previous two courses I only met with the tutor for discussion of work I had submitted for assignments, so I appreciated the opportunity to get to know one another a bit and get some early direction and feedback on where I might go with CAN.

We discussed my experience of completing EYV and submitting the work for the July 2019 assessment. Robert indicated that A4-sized prints would have been acceptable for Level 1 but that submitting in A3+ was a good indication of confidence. I think it might be more accurate to say that it was an indication of ignorance, but I will hope that the assessors are more inclined to Robert’s view of things. I also mentioned the cost of shipping materials to the UK from Canada (CAD $188 this time) and how the narrow two-week window set by the OCA complicates things: it becomes necessary to choose a more expensive shipping option to ensure that the work arrives neither too early nor too late.

I indicated that I would need to follow a fairly tight schedule for submitting work for this course because I must complete Level 1 by the end of February 2020. This will require some real discipline on my part, but I believe it is doable.

We also talked briefly about what I wanted to concentrate on in CAN: visual storytelling, greater facility with developing concepts and more consistent planning in my work. I am also interested in strengthening my critical approach, particularly in connection with my own photography.

I was pleased to hear that Robert is looking for a sense of enthusiasm and engagement from his students, as well as a desire to share work and enter into dialogue about it. I think I can manage all that. He also encouraged me to engage with writers I like, since positive response could be a sign that those writers are articulating something that I may not have been able to express as yet.

So, with my first CAN tutor discussion under my belt… we’re off and running!