Archie Wells, is a alumni of Bath Spa University photography course, having graduated last year. Wells gave a talk online to us about how he has progressed his career in the year since leaving university. 

Focusing on his own personal experience since leaving university, Wells is currently working as an assisting musicians photographer. Before university Wells was encouraged to go into business rather than photography but it was not what he wanted to do. He wanted to go into photography. His third year project was where it all finally came together for him. 

Throughout university he found it tough and had a few wobbles, mainly within his first and second year, which he did not enjoy. He would get annoyed with himself for this. Many of his friends in other courses pushed him down by writing photography off as a degree, which impacted him and his work. 

Knowing he wanted to create images that looked nice, this became his main focus but later realised he focused on this too much and that there was nothing to them they were just one dimensional with no meaning. His third year project on knife crime was the key project in building his confidence and learned to appreciate his own work. 

“Don’t like looking at own work natural pedestal to others, good but dangerous comparing to others, when have own style. Stick at it even if gets tricky. It can make you better, its about how you handle it.” 

Key Tips: 

• Completions 
• Key reflection 
• Communication important 
• Stay inspired
• Create own structure (no longer home university structure)
• Exhibitions - Small and Big 
• Photo Books - Publish own - Read others
• Physical material key
• Save tool Instagram - mood broad (Helps with creative ruts)
• Encourage discomfort 

Recommendations: 

Books - 

• “Ways of seeing” - John Berger
• “Ways of curating” - John Berger

Platforms - 

• C41
• It’s nice that 
• Office NYC
• Pellicola 
• BRICK
• Ignorant 
• 1000 words
• Loupe
• The Fader
• Cherry Deck 

YouTube - 

• Grainy Days
• Wilem Verbeeck 
• Joe Grear 
• Negative Feedback 
• Matt Day