Unit 31: Specialist Location - SWOT Analysis & Types of specialist location photography

Completing a SWOT analysis is not always something you think of when it comes to photography.  It's normally something that's completed in a business environment for a project or particular venture.  However, it can be applied universally across the board in relations to a product, place or an individual.  

Carrying out a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis will help me to identify my key skills and areas for development when it comes to completing my specialist location unit.  It's a great planning tool and will help me to anticipate and put in place any necessary measures to aid my progress with this unit. 

 STRENGTHS                                                                                              

• Good communication skills                                                                           
• Positive, adaptable with a friendly attitude
• Willing to go that extra mile to achieve a good result
• Keen to develop and expand knowledge
• Good experience of specialist location photography such as seascape, landscape - urban/rural, weddings, events, portraits etc.    
• Happy to experiment and explore different photographic methods
• Willing and able to travel to get to various locations to carry out the shoot 
• Have the necessary equipment (camera, tripod, remote shutter release, spare batteries, SD cards, etc.) for the shoot and borrow other equipment from college if required

WEAKNESSES 

• Lack of experience in abstract landscape photography
• Could be a matter of trial and error
• Using ND filters for the first time so not sure of their effectiveness
• Not enough variety in colours, textures and tones in images
• Not adding enough variety to my style of photography

OPPORTUNITIES   

• Research abstract photographers to get a good knowledge base 
• A good starting point for developing my work in fine art photography
• Prints can be marketed to sell with various online retailers 
• Try and find a niche market for my images       
• Opportunity to show my vision and produce something truly unique by offering a different perspective to landscape photography                                                                              

THREATS                      

• Shoot can be weather dependent
• ND filters not working as well as expected and producing poor results
• Colleagues choosing to do the same subject area 
• Not dedicating enough time to plan and execute the shoot

Types of specialist location photography

Specialist location photography could cover anything that takes place outside a studio.  The different specialist types of photography could be portraiture, food, travel, advertising, nature, architecture, landscape, seascape, industrial, photojournalism, sports and documentary, to name a few. 

The many genres and sub-genres within specialist location photography are inter-connected, such as weddings and portraits or landscape and industrial.  The main difference between genres of location photography is whether it takes place internally or externally.  Some of these differences are pretty obvious such as landscape photography, either urban or rural, it must take place outside.  Architecture photography could place outside and inside.  Whereas a wedding will predominantly take place inside, with some shoots taking place outside.  There are many variables to consider here, such as internal lighting, suitability of equipment, permission to take photos during the ceremony, identifying relevant people for the shoot and the list goes on!

There are also a number of differences to the types of risks involved when you're planning a specialist location shoot. When doing a model or advertising shoot, depending on the location, you would have to consider risks to health due to lighting, lose cables, exposure to any chemicals etc.  Doing a shoot at a sporting event will have its own set of risks, however different to the ones associated with an advertising shoot.

Doing a documentary photography will vary greatly to doing street photography.  For a documentary the photographer may spend a lot of time with the subject matter, building up a relationship and a rapport based on trust.  They try to get close to the subjects in a non intrusive way, to make them feel at ease whilst documenting their lives.  Whereas, street photography usually involves catching a fleeting moment and relies on good judgement and timing on the photographers part.

The good thing about my specialist location shoot is that I will not have to rely or depend on others for the shoot to go ahead, as it does not involve people.  In my experience whenever there's people involved there are many risks and issues to consider, reliability being one of the major factors.  I will need to consider where I will be doing my shoot in terms of private or public property/land and consideration needs to be given to permission requirements for photography on private land and whether I would be contravening any trespassing laws.  I will work independently but will be heavily reliant on the weather for producing a good outcome.