This month there was a lot of action, adjustment of ISO, cute animals, fast cars. You name it! There are even more to see on our facebook page.
The bigger picture: why study photography at university?
If you’ve an interest in photography, it’s important to nurture that interest because you never know where it might take you, from blogs to fashion shoots, from exhibitions to the forefront of cutting-edge media: in fact, to anywhere you want to be.
Why do a photography degree?
Photography is intertwined with every aspect of our lives, and taking the chance to study it can open doors to a deeper understanding of communication, marketing and – as clichéd as it sounds – a of people and the world around us.
But what if you have a more specialised interest in a certain aspect of photography? Degrees such as the one at Middlesex University focus on editorial photography, which often offers much more creative freedom in a real work environment than commercial photography would. With in-depth study of photo-journalism, studio and fashion photography for magazines, newspapers, books and exhibitions, as well as photography for new media, the course is a good demonstration of the varying paths you can take to further explore the subject.
What results will you see?
Since you’ll be in an environment that is both encouraging and critical, your work is sure to progress. You’ll also get the opportunity to think more critically of the work of your peers, as well as studying and learning from the work of experts in the field.
Studying photography will allow you to become skilled at highly professional techniques, so your work can benefit from the latest practices out there.
It’s a great opportunity to experiment with your styles and techniques, as the guidance you’ll receive will allow you to grow.
After studying photography at university level you’ll have a far greater understanding of the theoretical debates that surround the subject, and will be able to engage confidently with these debates.
Becoming a skilled photographer will provide you with a new creative outlet to express yourself and your view of the world.
The future:
After your course you could go on, as many alumni do, to win awards for your photography work, to have your work published in photography magazines or to embark on a successful career in the creative industry.
Another varied group of students took to the river at Henley in order to brush up their photography skills. This particular class was particularly good at landscape composition, and managed to frame some lovely properties along the river while excluding some of the rubbish in the foreground!
Henley is one of the coldest places we visit when the sun is not out, but when it is it is gorgeous! The River and rowing Museum is a great venue and never fails to treat us well. The cafe is a particular highlight! We try to get a Henley at least once a month, and thoroughly enjoy teaching photography courses there.
We had a lovely group at Sheffield Park Garden, and despite the forecast fantastic weather. The geese and the ducks were much in evidence, with cute babies and slightly defensive parents. More than anywhere else we found that the white balance was an issue – the various shades of green could easily be lost if the camera went for auto white balance and tried to correct the non-existent fluorescent lighting. These pictures give a flavour of the day – there are many worse places to spend your time than around the lakes and reflecting pools at Sheffield Park Gardens.
As is often the case with National Trust landscape Gardens, the real trick here is to get shots that haven’t been designed hundreds of years ago. Your pictures should in theory be specific to you, and not to Capability Brown!
