Clearing out my documents and I stumbled across my Folio Proposal from my final year at RMIT. The cover letter gave me a bit of a chuckle - I remember s%^8ting myself with nerves when I handed this in.

I was sure I'd be laughed out the door, dismissed by serious artists and commercial photographers as I tried to explain why I wanted to photograph puppies! They were actually very wonderful and I wouldn't be where I am today without that initial support.

Anyway, it's funny to think back to a time when my direction in life was so different, so I thought I'd share the cover letter with you all . . .

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FOLIO PROPOSAL : A LITTLE PREFACE

Dear Pauline, Bronek and Alex,

If you know the path that my work has travelled towards during my first and second years at RMIT, this folio proposal may seem a little out of the blue. Or maybe not?

I spent the majority of last year trying to come to terms with the disparities between my moral viewpoints and the world of fashion photography. After attempting to resolve my unease by exploring the potential for fashion photography specialising in plus-size models, I finished 2010 still uncomfortable with the path I was heading down. I spent the break between second and third year re-evaluating my photography and, as pretentious as this may seem, my life. I decided to get back to basics and re-discover what makes me happy outside the RMIT-bubble. The answer was working with animals - it’s something I always thought I would do, before I got into photography.

After a lot of sleepless nights and arguments with myself, I’ve decided to completely change my direction and spend my third and final year at RMIT exploring animal portraiture. It’s random and it’s a bit scary, but I’ve honestly never felt so motivated and happy. One day I would love to become a professional pet photographer!

CJ McColl

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Moral of the story? Always, always, always follow your heart

xx