Universal Truths – a presentation on a journey and a project

Universal Truths – a presentation on a journey and a project by Alexandra Prescott FRPS

I began the F Distinction journey in July 2019 – nearly 2.5 years of work. The project went through 3 major iterations (although the intent of presenting a conservation panel never changed). I learnt a lot during the F journey – there is value in sharing some of this

One question that I asked myself - should you be at the peak of craftsmanship when you apply for your F? This implies that there is nothing left to learn. During the 2.5 years, I learnt more skills (including non-photographic ones) and developed others until they all became evident in my images.

The journey from zero images to an F submission with the Conservation Project ‘Universal Truth’ ended on October 27th 2021 when the Contemporary Panel gave the project the F endorsement but my learning and development journey is far from over – which is another Universal Truth.

I look forward to sharing some of the highs, the lows and lessons I learnt on my journey with you on the 21st March.

Some facts about me
Prior to 2016, my business life revolved around IT based Customer Service System Design within transport. For most of my life I have been an adrenaline junkie - I have held an RAC Rally License and run my own Rally Team. I am also a retired Scuba Diving Instructor, I can ski with reasonable competence and carry out basic dressage exercises with an equine partner. Photography was a way of documenting my experiences.

However, for the last few years, nothing has given me as much satisfaction as my volunteer work with a Local Wildlife Trust, WWT and a hedgehog hospital. My photography still encompasses wildlife and pets but with an ever-growing desire to support conservation. I use photography with both traditional and contemporary slants.

My first photographs were taken with analogue point and shoot cameras: 110’s and then 35mm including a Sea and Sea MX10 – a robust underwater camera system. For a long long time, the exposure triangle baffled me (I have mild dyspraxia) but I finally moved to a proper DSLR with a long lens in 2011 and to manual in approx. 2012. I did it because the wildlife, even with painfully acquired field craft skills, were always too far away and my images portrayed what the camera auto facility saw not what I wanted to say.

In 2019 I graduated from Falmouth University with an MA distinction pass in Contemporary Photography. Two years of studying the Contemporary genre have added depth to my NH work.

I am also the founder of the F Distinction Peer to Peer support group – an unofficial group which co-ordinates self-help to photographers on the F distinction journey.

Alexandra Prescott MA, FRPS