Get rid of dust! Picture framing tip.

Over the week, I was preparing pictures for my next exhibition. It took me so long just to make sure the frame is free of dust.

It is easy if the frame with glass, just use vacuum with brush head will do the work nicely (just remember to pull the frame and glass up vertically or tilt while doing the vacuum).

But this time, things change. Since glass is heavy and easy to break, manufacturer are replacing them with "Perspex Sheet" or acrylic. Normally, it come with plastic cover with both side, once you pull off the cover, the static draw all dust in nearby to the surface of the Perspex sheet. After that, it is not easy to get rid of dust from the Perspex sheet. It is not a good idea to use vacuum with brush head – because acrylic or Perspex is so easy to “scratch” or make damage to the surface. No brushing, so what I should do? People recommend me to use “anti-static brush for record”, it has two type: vinyl or Carbon Fiber, it this case vinyl work better.

“Anti-static brush” is a good idea, but when I try to order one, I came across a new stuff which I think is better, it is called “cyber clean”. Basically, cyber clean is a jelly rubber thing which is sticky enough to get rid of dust. Sometime it is different for people framing the picture because you don’t see the dust until you put the picture in, and also you cannot sure where the dust is. With this jelly cyber clean, you can peel some bit off and mark the dusty area and turn the frame over to clean it.

(P.S. there are different type of cyber clean, I thing for framing, automotive version is better as the other is too sticky.)

(The “Cyber Clean”)

(Make it like brush to brush the Perspex Sheet)

(Peel a “bits” to mark the dust)

Research an artist – Roger Ballen

Roger Ballen (1950 – ?) – born in New York but lived in Johannesburg, South Africa since 1974.
Ballen completed a psychology degree and PhD in mineral economics. He establish himself as a geologist in early 1980s.
As a geologist, he always travel around the home and residents of white people in South Africa’s rural area with photograph shoots. He started to publish and display these photos since 1990s.
Ballen’s photograph is like a screenshot of dreams. It is compelling, inspiring, intriguing with sense of montage, exquisite and black humor. His work indistinct the boundaries between the documentary and conceptual photography – it is a powerful social statement as well as a complex psychological study.

Use dark / dirty background with a lot of funny face to present our world? Use Juxtaposition to present two different situation / class. The bottom kid with cartoon mask represent the bottom class people in the society. Carton mask = life is a joke / game?

Roger Ballen’s photos use a lot of semiotics to represent something meaningful.

Rat sit of the top of a frame – upper class people / rich people – they are bad but in-charge (frame is our society / system)

Dove mean peace.

Hands represent what people wants / wishes.

Body bag on the bottom – sacrifice.

The top human face and animal face represent the normal relationship between human and animal.

The real human head and dog represent a real situation / relationship of human and animal – we cage them to observe them or for fun, but who is master, who is pet? who know?

Human mind is twisted and complicated.

Something is happening to human race?

Research an artist – Erwin Olaf

Erwin Olaf was born in the Netherlands in 1959 and begin photographic work at age of 22 - which is 25 years ago. In these 25 years, he also has worked on many different type of media, such as print ads, TV commercials, movies, MTV, newspapers and magazines.

Erwin Olaf is a unique photographic artist; he was able to shoot a photo full of commercial style, and he also created an avant-garde or classical style art work at the same time – it draws my attention to do more research into his work.

Mostly, themes of Erwin Olaf’s work are: fantasy, sex, gender, body, bondage, loneliness, desperation and human lust (Figure 3-6). I think his concept of photo layout is a staged photography simulated documentary photo (Figure 7) – enabling the unspeakable, neglected and taboo subjects to be visualized in a low-key manner. Olaf always presents his work with a distinctive style and artful lighting, to reflect various events, taboos, customs and social conflicts in the community. However he knows how to use formalism photographic techniques (emphasis on the appearance of things, form, beauty and the pursuit of perfection though a picture's composition, lines and colours) to cover up the theme and contents of the picture to make the viewer initially attracted by the aesthetic aspects of the image. “Erwin’s point of view is at once formal and psychological, so surface and meaning have a complex relationship” - Bottega Veneta Creative Director Tomas Maier stated. If the viewer is willing to take a deep look at his work, they will be impacted by the visual aspect and the meaning of the image. His works reflect that he paid a great deal of attention to the background and lighting design to complete the rigorous composition and the plot.

Les Derniers Hosneurs Rendus Aux Infortunes Illustrisismes Comtes d'Egmont Et De Horne
It is a recreation of a classical painting or a photo work that used ideas from classical painting.
Olaf used a lot of digital manipulation technique   

Also, a lot of appropriation used, it give me some inspiration for my present work.

CV updated!

Have asked an expert(Chris Raw from Next personel term) to review my CV, he said that my CV generally is  good but need a small improvement, which he think that:

1. it look too busy, need to give some space between sessions.

2. delete some lease useful award from achievement.

3. move the sessions experience and achievement to the left because people or client are more interested in these area.

4. Education is better at the right hand side of experience.

So, after his review, I have change my CV as below:

Say Hello to my lovely friends...

Was doing some portrait + fashion type shoot in the last two week, the result was good and I love it. (Just cannot imagine my friends was so sexy and lovely in photographs :>)

Some notes need to drop down and remember (and recap).

The light setting:

The front-right strobe:  500W with beauty dish

The back-left strobe: 500W with Honeycomb filter

As the background is black, the back strobe is 1-2 stop lower than the front strobe (if it is white background, it is 2 stop higher than the front strobe to get the shadow out).

As the room were small, cannot get the shadow out of the backdrop (ideally, the object is two metre away from the backdrop to get the shadow out of /at the edge of the backdrop with 45 degree lighting).

Use honeycomb to make a light circle behind the object. 

Business Case Study – Tom Joules (from Joules)

Business Case Study – Tom Joules (from Joules)

Seminar in Leicester College GP Hall in 21/01/2015 at 11:00

website: http://www.joules.com/

Tom Joules began his business like a one man with a van.

At the 1^st year of his business in 1989, the overturn is 70k per year.

In the 2014, his business has an overturn of 70k every 5 hours.

Tom Joules describe his business at the present is a 24/7, 365 days retailing business, which is not a traditional retail business – it is because the benefits of using internet.

In the Christmas period of 2014, the online sale figures of Joules is over 154K.

The overall sales number of 2014 is over 100M.

Tom Joules think that his business is a design leading business, but work closely with buyers.

At the present (1^st quarter of 2015), Joules has employed 2000 people.

The business story of Tom Joules:

Tom Joules’ father do business and owed a local shop, he watched his father and learn how to do business. When he grew up, he started to work for his father, which he found that work for his father is not easy and he quit after 6 months. After that, he become a car sale man but then he found that he didn’t like selling car, he wish to do something else which about clothing because he love it.

While he work as car sale man, he also do horse show or farm fairs with his father – which lead him to stop selling car and start his own business. He pledged his house to buy a business which sell hat and accessories in stow / road shows at the beginning. “At the beginning, the business also produce for branded company.” Tom Joules said.

“But it didn’t work out.” Tom Joules think that it wasn’t a good idea to make product for branded company, so he started to do product design for his own business and giving up working for brands.

At that time, his sale’s channel are stow / road shows, which he did make a good success from it. As the business grow, he re-pledged his Properties to get more money to produce more. “Accident happens.” Tom Joules said. After a while, stow / road shows company contacted him and told him the shows have stopped due to the animal virus (foot and mouth) spread out in the country. They have to stop the show because their show is about farming and animal, they can’t do it without them.

This problem cause him a lot of difficulties because he just invest a big money into the production and now he has no channel to sell. For him, it is no way back, so he need to put himself forward to think and start something else.  

He started to wholesale products to retailers.

When he begin the wholesale channel, it wasn’t easy. It is not just because the retailers is hard to deal with, it is because they don’t believe in new products. It takes time to build up trust and relationship. Secondly, the retailers only pick up the products that they interested in the sales channel.

“They just want small amounts of kid’s wear, it is because the bestselling products is children clothing, then woman’s, shoes, accessories and last the man’s wear.”

“At the beginning, they just want small amount of products to try, but after 12 months, they want more and more, and when they want everything we produce.”

“It is because we believe in our products and our products is good.” Tom Joules stated.

In 2001, Joules’ overall sale is 1.5M, and 2003 is 2.5M.

Even Joules had a good wholesale channel, but he still keep the event channel running.

“It is important as a lot of business don’t know about their customer and have no connection with them.”

Tom Joules understand customer’s information and review is valuable for his business. In 2003, his start taking customer’s details and produce catalogues.

In 2005, he received ECMOD award and at the same time he started selling products online and catalogues.

From the research, 18% of people received their catalogues from event will shop from Joules – it is because customers have met them and been treated comfortably, it makes them have good memory and believing that they are belong to the branding, the branding can represent them, it is why they buy.

During that period, Joules have three sales channel.

Tom Joules mention that networking and social channel is important, it is because they follow social trend instead of fashion tread – that making them a lifestyle brand.

His design sometimes were inspired by TV program – specially the program about countryside. He like these program and love to do something to response to that kind of lifestyles.

“I am not selling clothing, but a lifestyles.” Tom Joules said.    

At the present time, 95% of his customer buy products from online and catalogues platform.

When Tom understand the publication is important to both customer and business, he start making magazine for the goods of customer and product promotion, but the main purpose of the magazine is to give customer information which is helpful and about lifestyles.

At the same time, he opened the 1^st store – which making a overturn of £11000000, tome think it is a good result but cannot compare with online and catalogue sales because the rent is expensive.

The main reason he opened a shop is because he got the money and needed to invest into something, a retail shop is good as it can get more market share to the business. While he open shops, he always select the metro area instead of high – because metro area match their styles and more classy, also the rent is cheaper. The rent contract is 5 years, he don’t like long term because anything can happen in retail business.

 

In the business side, Tom Joules has deeply influenced by John Lewis and he always observe how they do business.

John Lewis is one of Joules’ wholesale customer. At the beginning, John Lewis buy kid’s wear from Joules, when baby, man, nightwear and accessories.

The reason he work with John Lewis is because John Lewis understand customer and they provide good quality service.

Tom Joules believe he is successful because he is good at design and marketing, furthermore he is creative, but most important is he understand customers.

He is weak in sourcing, warehouse, stock management.

Joules has 5 channels to sale, which are retails, online, catalogue, wholesale and show.

After the success, he and the people in the company were lost – numbers of people quit the jobs, because they lost the mojo, start to think over and not sure what to do next. Lack of version will be a big problem. It is important to do research and get inspiration and keep yourself into something – which he get inspired and start a new campaign called “right as rain”. As Tom said “You always need to push yourself and try things which is new.”

 

In 2013, Tom Joules has sold 31% of company shares to investor – he no longer the boss but he think it is good idea as he need to meet and work with outsider which he can always learn new things.

He is now trying the international market, but it is not the main target of the company – Tom said it is fun to try and understand different market, as understand different area and culture, customers have different needs and wants.

Joules have tried to use online selling platform such as amazon as well (in US).  

The recommendation and interesting point from Tom Joules:

He always have competitions, try not to compare but walk in your only path with your vision.

While work, involve with people, surround by people and work with good people.

Be yourself and do things that you enjoy.

Do things that work and always move forward.

Only sign rent for 5 years, not long term.

Understand the show before attending it.

Always to research.

Tom Joules don’t manufacture product.

Sourcing small run manufactory / production factory at beginning in your business.

Tom Joules always have problems with manufactory for QC, price, schedule etc… use your own QC and make check list.

The social network/channel is amazing. When people buy, they have feeling that they are being a part of something or a group.

People around Tom inspired him, also customer inspired him.

Joules have their own glamour and textile technology / department.

Men’s wear is 12% in total selling of his business, woman is the main target.

Stay connect with customer, keep understand and predict.

By looking the WGSM to understand the trend of fashion.

Follow the trend too much will fail.

No. 1 rule is do fashion maths.

Try and work hard to get yourself in front line.

Be creative to get yourself more competitive.

Don’t let yourself down by mistake, everyone do make mistake, learn from it and move forward.

Have positive thinking and be rational.

Tom Joules like business is simple and have one iconic product, he recommend people do / make something simple in business.

Do things is profitable and think how much you get from the product – if to make the product cost £5 and sell for £16, he won’t do it, but if it cost £5 to make and sold for £29, he will do it.

 

In the future, Tom Joules wish to:

Targeting US market and continues to grow online.

Work 3 days instead of 5 days a week.

Be tough and believe in yourself.

Want to see more, please go to: http://www.chilam.co.uk