Photography Class Homework: Week One - Nature

Last summer I wanted to join the Summer School at the Walthamstow District and Photo Society, unfortunately I took my sweet time about signing up and in the end was too late. Instead I joined the society in November and have been attending each Monday since then.
Now summer has come around again and the Summer School is back! This Monday past was the first lesson, and covered the basics, exposure, focus, camera types, shutter speed, focal length, aperture and all that. There were a lot of numbers thrown around, f-numbers, millimetres, fractions of seconds... and despite that it was quite entertaining.
We have homework! Homework! I don't do housework let alone homework... fortunately it is only a bit a photo taking, unfortunately the first week's subject was 'nature'. I have nothing against nature photography, I just can't get all that excited about it. I imagine that all the great photos of photography have been taken, and they're lovely but I'm going to struggle to bring something new to the table with only a week. So I've augmented the challenge, instead of taking a great, original and mind blowing photo of nature, I'm going to take a decent one with a mobile phone!

I can only choose one to 'enter' for my homework, not sure which one yet:

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from stephen walrond

Photowalk: Brixton

Took a photo-walk from Brixton to Herne Hill and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Brixton is a place of interesting culture, fascinating recent history and picturesque sites, thankfully.

Flickr Set.









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Angel in Southwark

Last month, or maybe the month before that I revisited a spot in Southwark that I had first been to on my very first Photowalk. The place is an underpass where people are invited to grafitti and do so without fear of prosecution. There is some great work there, it's diverse and interesting and I really do suggest you take a look some time (find the map at the bottom of this post).

I visited with my cousin, Angel and she was gracious enough to let me take some shots of her.

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Poetry: Withdraw to the Edge (Poetry Workshop)

I was invited to a poetry workshop on Tuesday. It was a great experience and of course, involved writing and performing poetry. So, for the first time in my life I performed a poem I had written in front of an audience.

Before writing and performing the poem, there was an exercise to "get us loose" where we had to give our own eulogy. I have to admit that I didn't take this as seriously as others, deciding that I could fill for the allotted minute instead of saying anything honest or revealing. However my ad-lib skills weren't quite up to the task and a few nuggets of authenticity threatened to appear.

For the poem itself however, I wanted to be very authentic, and indeed was under instruction to be, so I wrote about where I am right now, hopefully you can relate in some way.

This is the poem I wrote and performed during the workshop:

I often feel like I'm on the periphery
The M.C. but not the main act
I step out on stage and welcome the world
Then slink away to the back

I often feel like an outsider
The one who is left out
I try to find my place amongst you
But end up lost without a route

I think I'm capable. Likeable. Loveable
I know what I'm about
But communicating this, it's tough
It's a skill I feel I'm without

I can spin a yarn
And flash a smile
And act like I have no doubt
But eventually I'll withdraw to the edge
What the hell is that about?!

Withdrawn, introverted, within my own mind
A space that's my personal hell
I second guess, I hesitate
And on each negative thought I dwell

I think I'm capable. Likeable. Loveable
And can free myself from this cell
I'm the author, auteur, director
And I value the story I have to tell

I often feel like I'm on the periphery
And perhaps that's just as well
I know I'm likeable
Loveable
Capable...
Of coming out of my shell

The workshop was organised by ONETASTE, and their website can be found here.