Max Ferguson: Photographer, Photo Editor and Lecturer
Attending a talk from Max Ferguson was a really good experience and helped understand what a ten year journey in the industry can look like. Ferguson graduated 10 years ago and since then has been steadily building his career until his current position as a photo editor at Granta Magazine. He talked about how building a community in photography is very important, everyone is able then to help each other with clients and general advice on creative jobs. In the industry a big thing to come to terms with quickly is how to handle rejection and silence, however this should not to deter you from applying to different jobs or submitting work to magazines and catalogues- a refusal isn’t a personal thing. Keep submitting and making work and you’ll get your work accepted eventually.
There’s no shame in researching fiction to find your inspiration- research and inspiration can come from anything and one is no more valuable than the other, researching by practice is also important. Ferguson has a recent project called “whistling for owls” that was inspired by fiction originally, it is also an example of the impact of different sequencing techniques. Bookbinding can also be a useful tool to hold your project in your hands and connect with it in a different manner.
