The Photography Major has welcomed a number of visitors to class this semester, each bringing interesting and valuable insights about this classic genre.

The roll call of guest speakers this semester is already long and illustrious: in August ex-PSC tutor Melanie Faith Dove and veteran shooter Andrew Chapman stopped by to talk about their survival tactics in the rapidly-changing world of PJ, and discussed their current tag-team book project on working dogs. They are scheduled to return later in the semester to talk to a wider cross-section of students.

September visitors included landscape specialist Tom Putt, architecture/interior/food/lifestyle photographer Brad Hill, and 2010 PSC Photojournalism graduate Libby Jane, whose work is a mixture of corporate, nature and editorial-style portrait photography. Each talked about how they have carved a niche for themselves and how they are navigating up the ladder of success.

Last week we welcomed a panel of experts from the editorial side of the fence: Jeremy Bourke and Lisa Luscombe, respectively Editor and Art Director of the RACV’s Royal Auto magazine, the largest circulating magazine in Victoria, with a print run of around 1.5 million copies; The Big Issue editor Alan Attwood; and Craig Platt, Digital Travel Editor for Fairfax Media, which publishes The Traveller section weekly in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times, WA Today and the Canberra Times.

The four conducted a group discussion about the current state of print and online publishing, with special reference to how to get published in the current climate. Their advice? Same as it has always been: develop good technical skills and constantly practice them, have good ideas, think of new and different ways to express those ideas, network, be reliable, and have a good work ethic. No surprises there.

Guest speakers still to come this semester are Getty Images staff photographers Quinn Rooney, recent winner of the Sport category in the 2013 Canon APPA Awards, and PSC graduate Darrian Traynor.

Royal Auto Art Director Lisa Luscombe and Editor Jeremy Bourke, Fairfax Media Digital Travel Editor Craig Platt and The Big Issue Editor Alan Attwood visit the Photojournalism class - photo by Bill Bachman

Lisa Luscombe, Jeremy Bourke, Craig Platt and Alan Attwood talk about how to get published - photo by Bill Bachman