On Don McCullen essays

On Don McCullen essays HND Design Photography I intend in this following essay to show how much of Don McCullins work, throughout his career, represents pictures of people rather than pictures of war, as Edward Steichen said, " the real mission of photography is explaining man to himself ". I feel that a lot of McCullins work is more often about the social circumstances of people, with war and suffering, often, simply a background to the subject of people making the most of things, even though the lions share of these social situations do happen amongst the wars and famines that have blighted the twentieth century. 1 - The first shot I intend to look at is called The Guvnors, a striking picture of post-war youth. This picture started McCullins photographic career. At first glance the picture seems instantly recognisable, Gangsters, catching that rugged style of 50s London that film has often tried to recreate. Although the Guvnors themselves are posed, you instantly see that this is real, sensing that these people are real gangsters. The fact that these young men are pictured not in a nightclub or in the back of a big black jaguar, as is the common stereotype, but in the remains of a bombed out building, with its fallen timber and burnt mattresses, completely stripped of all metals or indeed anything else of any worth, shows a gritty reality which isnt often associated with this kind of person at this time. However, on researching this photo you will find that it is perhaps more significant due to the events surrounding the photo. Don McCullin although not involved in gang life, was friendly with most of the local lads who were. This picture was taken just before a murder in a London nightclub, as it turned out the men in the picture werent directly involved in the murder, but it was published in the Observer anyway. This picture is to me is a pic...

Informational Interviews

Informational Interviews Informational Interviews Informational Interviews By Mark Nichol So, you think you want to work for a certain company or in a particular profession in a specific position or department. How do you know for sure? How do you find out? Conducting informational interviews is a good place to start. What’s an informational interview? It’s a meeting with someone in a position, department, company, or profession that intrigues you. You’re not certain whether you are suited for or interested in that career, so you ask someone who knows what working in such an environment involves. (Equally important is what an informational interview is not: It is not a stratagem for finagling an opportunity to ask for a job under the guise of merely obtaining information.) How do you go about setting up an informational interview? Brainstorm, and check with friends and family, to find someone who works in a position or a company in the profession you’re interested in learning more about. Ask for an introduction, or contact the person directly. If you can’t identify a friend of a friend to interview, search online for contact information for a likely candidate and make a cold call (or, better yet, send a cold email, and then follow up with a call if you haven’t heard back from the person within a few days). To get the interview, write or say something like this: â€Å"I’m exploring new career opportunities, and I’m intrigued by your job description/your company/your profession. Before I seek employment as a (blank), I’d like to make sure that it’s the right fit for me, and I’d appreciate the opportunity to ask you a few questions about your work. â€Å"Could we meet for coffee, or at your office, for thirty minutes? This is not a stealth effort to ask for a job. It’s premature for me to seek employment in (job area) until I’m certain I have the aptitude and skills, and I am not deceitful. I’m genuinely interested in benefiting from your knowledge and insights.† If the recipient declines (which is unlikely most people are willing to share their professional know-how with a newcomer), thank them for their consideration and reply with a request for the name of someone else in the same company or profession who might be amenable to an interview. Here are questions to ask (but find out what you can through your own research first): 1. How do you spend your workday, and what are the weekly, monthly, and yearly cycles, if any, of your workload? 2. What is the balance of routine and novelty in your job? Does your work largely follow a set pattern, and does that appeal to you, or is it mostly unpredictable, and do you like that? 3. What type of skills and knowledge did you bring to your job, and what have you acquired? What skills or knowledge do you apply most often? 4. (Briefly outline your educational/work history.) How would one start out in this profession, and what other coursework or job experience would you recommend or would you consider indispensable? 5. Are there any other qualifications, such as union or association membership, tests or examinations, or certification or licensing? 6. What are the advancement opportunities, and are there any external requirements for advancement, like certification or advanced degrees? 7. What are the challenges and rewards in your position? 8. How would you describe the workplace culture? 9. What do you wish you had known about this profession when you were exploring it like I am now? 10. Is there anything else I should have asked you? 11. Do you mind if I follow up with other questions or requests for clarification? 12. Who else in this company, or in the profession, do you know who might be able to help me explore further? The most important thing to say, of course, is â€Å"Thank you I appreciate that you took the time and effort to help me in my research† and to do so again in writing (in a mailed note or postcard, not an email message). If you promptly set up an interview with one of the people your interviewee recommended, you can share that news, too a tangible sign of your initiative and persistence. Be sure to follow up, as well, if you decide not to pursue work in the person’s profession or to send your contact information when you do get a job in it (an achievement you managed in part, you’ll certainly emphasize, because of the information and advice the person gave you). The most important thing to do is to honor your pledge not to exploit the person’s offer to meet with you as a pretense for hinting about employment. However, if you are professional and polite, and show a genuine interest in the person’s responses (and don’t just recite your questions the interview should be more of a conversation), the person may ask you to email a copy of your resume â€Å"in case anything comes up.† If not, you’ll use the response to item number 12 to keep the chain unbroken and continue your investigation. So, where’s the writing tip? Please forgive the deviation from the format, but this career-research technique is so useful, and so many people are (surprisingly) unfamiliar with it, that I had to write a post about it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Punctuate References to Dates and TimesList of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and AdultsCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups