Daniel Gray

Photographer and Creative Designer - Victoria Station and Kate Hill

Graduated in:

2006

Course completed:

Bachelor of Contemporary Arts: Media Arts

Currently working for:

I work for a corporation who own 2 retail brands: Victoria Station travel-goods and Kate Hill handbags.

How long have you been working for this organisation?

3 years

Position title and short job description:

Photographer and Creative Designer. This role involves product photography and graphic design for a wide range of projects including catalogues, lookbooks, magazines/editoral publications, websites, new product development, in-store signage, email marketing... even logo design for a rally car we sponsor!

Working highlight so far:

The first lookbook I shot got great feedback and secured placement for our products in numerous fashion magazines, that gave me heaps of confidence.

What are the things you enjoy most about your job?

Being the specialized creative person within a team of buyers and marketers gives me a strong sense of purpose, I don't have to compete with anyone else - it's a solid team environment. Sometimes the feedback is harsh but everyone is accountable for their project input, they take responsibility and are often rewarded for success.

An area in which you have needed assistance:

I'm not well organized by nature, but we put some strategies in place to keep me accountable and focused while juggling multiple projects at once. I'm also not comfortable haggling with suppliers over price, I'm too nice to argue!

What do you intend to do in the future?

Launch my own business specializing in commercial and product photography. I currently have a couple of private clients and am slowly building contacts and working out a business plan.

#1 tip for current students studying your course:

Use your time at uni to explore different styles, stretch your creativity, build confidence in your work and soak up the feedback. The workplace is a very different environment where your creative instincts will always come second to the clients desires - at times their response can be brutal, you just have to suck it up and move on... self-confidence and a friendly attitude will take you far!