Focus On: Night Photography

This ‘Focus On’ event is a chance to get to grips with night photography whilst photographing some amazing views across the Thames. You will need to bring a tripod. In the series we have:

• Fri 3 Feb: Southbank & Hungerford Bridge
• Tue 7 Feb: St. Pauls & Millennium Bridge
• Wed 15 Feb: V&A Embankments & Westminster Bridge

with repeats on:

• Mon 20 Feb: Southbank & Hungerford Bridge
• Thu 23 Feb: St. Pauls & Millennium Bridge
• Wed 28 Feb: V&A Embankments & Westminster Bridge

It is an ideal practice event if you have completed the Explore Exposure, Switch to Manual or Night Photography workshops and wish to experiment with what you have learnt with hands-on professional help. It is not suitable for complete beginners.

Throughout the evening, I will recap on settings for night photography, offer 1:1 time with exercises to try, and answer any questions you have. We’ll be looking at:

• Short shutter speeds: make people become ghost like
• Long shutter speeds: motion blur of cars and river traffic
• Using M: adjusting our metering to get a correct exposure

• Dates: 3, 7, 15, 20, 23, 28 Feb, all 6:30-9:30pm
  
• Meeting Point: see below
• Price: £15 which includes 1:1 time
• Group Size: maximum 12 participants
• Prior Knowledge: Explore Exposure, Switch to Manual or Night Photography

Meeting Points – My mobile 07773 819053

For Southbank & Hungerford Bridge meet at Embankment station. Take the left exit. Meet outside Costa (on the left) under the bridge (near to Starbucks).

For V&A Embankments & Westminster Bridge meet at Embankment station. Take the left exit. Meet outside Costa (on the left) under the bridge (near to Starbucks).

For St. Pauls & Millennium Bridge meet at St. Pauls station. Take exit 1. Meet outside Cafe Nero (on the left).

“It was a really good night. I learned loads of new techniques from Natalie. I am now much more confident about taking night shots.” Sandra

“Great session. I learnt so much but really need to practice more with the tips that were given to me. Let me know when the next night session is :o) ” Claudine

“Great location; great tips – thank you.” Gail

Make Special Photo Gifts This Christmas

There are lots of online options now to make affordable gifts with your own photos. So if you fancy making a photo book, a Christmas card, a calendar, a diary, a notebook, a portfolio or something else creative then come along to this relaxed and social photo-gift-making session!

You will need to bring:

• Your laptop
• Your photos in digital format
• An idea of what you want to make

If you want your photo gift delivered in time for Christmas, then keep the idea small, as you’ll need to upload your project by the end of the weekend ready to print.

I will start by outlining projects possible in just 2 hours. Then I will show you the gifts I have previously made to help inspire your ideas. There will be demos on how to use various software (all available for free to download or over the internet; you just need your laptop and the Southbank wifi).

Throughout the rest of the session, I will be available to help you with whatever you want help with e.g. book design, basic photo editing, IT issues whilst you are able to get on with making your project and chatting/sharing it with others.

Typically we will be looking at and using sites such as:

• Blurb – the best book making software around
• Moo – great for mini portfolios and stickers
• Photobox – excellent calendars and other gifts
• Moonpig – make customised greetings cards

Example prices of products: Photobox prints are 5p each, a Moonpig card starts at £2.00 and for a Blurb photo book at £4. Quality excellent. Post and packing extra.

The event will run 10:30-1:30 and there is a maximum of 8 people. Call me on 07773 819053 or send an email to thephotoschool @ gmail.com to book. Cost is £15. Meet at the Royal Festival Hall on Southbank.

Night Photography For Beginners

On the Night Photography workshop you will learn how to get the most out of your digital camera in the golden hours, low-light and at night. If you don’t have a tripod and need to borrow mine, please just let me know.

All take place after work at 6-9pm. New dates added: 13, 19, 24, 31 Oct

The workshop is aimed at beginner photographers with a SLR who are looking for an intro to night photography. Do you want to:

• Learn to capture movement and create light trails?
• Know how to capture photos in low-light?
• Understand when and how to use a tripod?
• Discover helpful night-time equipment and tips?

Then the Night Photography workshop will put you in control of using your camera at night, both for stunning scenic shots and for keeping you safe. You will learn how to:

• Select shutter speeds: learn how to use shutter priority and manual
• Scene modes useful at night: how best to use the landscape and night portrait modes
• Choose a white balance: understanding tungsten and custom white balance

Photography Trip To Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

Every year, thousands of visitors make their way to Westonbirt during Oct and Nov to experience the climax of colour before the winter sets in. We’re hoping to go on Sat 15th Oct.

Autumn for them is described as “starting with a bang with one of the best natural fireworks displays in Britain”. The famous Japanese maples in particular are ablaze in reds, oranges and yellows.

I went last year and it certainly was a festival of colour! The day provided some awesome photography opportunities which you can see here on flickr.

If you’d like to capture some stunning photos of your own, join me for the day with tuition provided by Cotswolds photographer Sarah Howard. Details on the day’s workshop are here and her beautiful photos can be found here.

The Day’s Itinerary – Saturday 15th October

• Meet at Paddington Station at 8am
• Train to Kemble arriving at 9:30am
• Taxi to Westonbirt arriving near to 10am
• Tuition & photography from 10am-1pm
• Lunch at 1pm until 1:30pm
• Tuition & photography from 1:30-5pm
• Taxi back to Kemble with train departing at 5:48pm
• Arrival in Paddington at 7:15pm

Updated 9/10/11 with more info re. costs.

Weekend Workshops in Photography

This weekend we start our popular photography workshops once again. For September, if you book two workshops (either for you and a friend, or both for yourself) each workshop has £5 off. We are an affordable, social and supportive school/club to join.

All our events are designed in bite-size chunks so you can manage your learning at your own pace. Drop-in on as many or as little as you like. Join other members after the workshops for social, practice events such as walks, challenges and club days out.

Beginner Photography Workshops

Ideal for complete beginners and those looking to build up confidence or refresh their knowledge, these three workshops are suitable for both compact & SLR cameras:

• Camera Settings
• Creative Composition
• Street Photography

“A good place to start a new hobby!” Therona

“Really useful and very helpful – didn’t mind me asking all my stupid questions! Thanks.” Becca

“Very nice group of people, very nice venue. I learned more then I expected to learn at a beginner’s course. I will enjoy practicing what I learned and will be back to learn some more.” Maja

Improver Photography Workshops

Ideal if you comfortable with the basics and wish to take your photography up to the next level. Suitable for SLR cameras and some compacts (just enquire if not sure):

• Explore Exposure
• Switch To Manual
• Flash Photography
• Night Photography

“Really helpful for getting to grips with my SLR. A good balance between instruction, practice and review. I really liked seeing other people’s photos and getting feedback on mine.” Mark

“Another really great workshop. I’m looking forward to using my manual controls more and finally understand the relationship between f-stops and shutter speed.” Alisha

Photo Walk: Regent’s Canal

Join a group of beginner photographers for a picturesque photo walk along a beautiful stretch of Regent’s Canal. The walk covers photographically diverse areas.

• Date & Time: Sat 27 Aug 2-5pm
  
• Meeting Point: WHSmith (Praed Str.) at Paddington overground

We start at Paddington Basin which is currently being redeveloped on a scale to rival London’s Docklands. Moving on, we will pass Little Venice, the point where the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal meets Regent’s Canal. Crossing over the blue bridge, we follow the towpath 2.5 miles to Camden Lock passing by Regent’s Park and London zoo.

The walk provides multiple photographic opportunities including:

• Abstract and modern architecture at Paddington Basin
• Birds and other entertainments around Little Venice
• Macro photography through the canal ‘villages’ and atop residents’ barges
• Street photography at Camden markets and high street

It’s all there for us to snap, share and enjoy!

The walk is a fun way to practice your photography skills with like-minded people. It lasts three hours which includes time to ask questions about your camera, as well as stops to discuss, share and review technique. Natalie will also introduce future learning events with a spot of photography tuition.

The cost of the walk is £10 which includes the chance to receive feedback on your photos post-walk. The walk ends at Camden markets (near to Hampstead Road lock) around 5pm. Camden Town tube is 10 minutes walk away through the lively markets (also great to photograph!).

“The pace was leisurely with well planned stops for catching up along the way. There were plenty of opportunities to to practice several types of shots, thereby getting to know learn about our cameras.” Shirley

“Brilliant day and not just because of the sunshine. Lovely people, Natalie was great, just enough theory and encouragement without going over the top. Well worth every penny. I’ve signed up for another walk as I enjoyed this one so much.” Janet

“Thanks for the feedback on my photos Natalie. Sunday’s photo walk has encouraged me to invest more time (and invariably money) in photography. Looking forward to another walk soon!” Rory

“This was my first photo walk and I had a good time. The weather was fine, the company was genial and I had a chance to ask questions about photography. Walking along the canal gave us many wonderful photo opportunities. Couldn’t have asked for a better first time photo walk. Thank you!” Audrey

“Relaxed atmosphere. My first walk and I’ll definitely attend future walks of interest.” Julinie

“If you like exploring London and taking photos in a non-judgmental environment, then this is for you.” Cameron

“It’s a good chance to get out of the house and meet some other people interested in photography.” Radek

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for photographers of all ages and abilities to get together and share their love of photography :)” Linda

Sign up for other photo walks and read about the benefits of attending.

Bringing Bow & The Olympics Into Focus

Last Saturday 7th May, Graham Barker of Walk East and Natalie Clarke kicked off a course of photo walks to the Olympic site.

The course explores different walking routes from Mile End Park to the Olympics site using photography as a focus. It is aimed at local Bow residents and has been made possible thanks to funding from Action for Bow.

“When dashing about by car, bus or tube, it’s easy to miss interesting landmarks and green spaces on our doorsteps,” explains Walk East director Graham Barker.

“This course offers a closer look at what’s around, and a chance to re-discover the local area through photography. By following different routes each week, there’s always something new to see and photograph, whether it’s local history on the Bow streets, wildlife in Mile End and Victoria Parks, architecture on Fish Island or the latest developments on the Olympic site.”

The 5 week course of photo walks was first trialled in October 2010 and due to its successful completion, including the production of a photo book, the course is running again throughout May with over 10 new participants.

Photo Walk Week 1 – Learning To See, Not Just Look

In the first walk, we started at Mile End and made our way along the Regent’s and Hertford Union canals to the View Tube.

Graham delivered many fascinating stories about the East End and the sights we saw along the way, whilst I talked about the basics in being a better photographer and how to move away from beginner’s mindset.

In the next 3 weeks, I will be introducing the group to camera settings and composition to help them improve their photography. Participants had been asked to leave their cameras at home in week 1 to help them concentrate on spotting the ‘extraordinary in the ordinary’ and to get a sense of what they might want to photograph in the following weeks.

High Street 2012

Also on the same day, we ran another photo walk which took in the interesting places off the main route from the City to Stratford.

During the next five weeks this course will take in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, Mile End Park, Grove Hall Park, Queen Mary’s University, Bow streets, Three Mills.

We’ll pass by old and new architecture, cemeteries, green spaces, canals, river… the photographs will be great! Keep an eye on the photos below to see what the group gets up to!

Learn About Street Photography

This month at The Photo School, we’re launching a new set of people focused workshops aimed at beginners: street photography, indoor portraits and outdoor portraits.

Going alongside that, the month’s photo competition theme – to win a £45 workshop – is ‘people’. So whether it’s photos of children, posed portraits, candid shots, people abroad, people showing strong emotion, it would be great to see your photo.

Street Photography

Each week, I’ll be introducing in this blog a beginner workshop taking place at the end of May. Today we’ll look at the street photography workshop.

There’s no fixed definition for street photography but essentially a photo that meets some of the following criteria could be classed as ‘street’:

• The image should be unplanned
• The scene takes place in a public environment
• There is minimal or no interaction between subject and photographer
• The image elicits an emotion in you e.g. happy or laughing
• The photo is spontaneous with no posed people in it
• There’s a sense of juxtaposition or quirkiness in the image; like a ‘play on ‘words”

Street Photography Workshop

Focusing on the area around Tower Bridge, the street photography workshop on the 28th May will give you a chance to practice photographing people in the company of professional portrait photographer, Jon Mortimer.

Jon will show you how to photograph people confidently and the best lenses and accessories for candid portraiture. They will also be a discussion about ‘what is street photography’ as well as the legal issues involved.

After the tuition, you’ll get a chance to go out photographing around the lively Tower Bridge area before showing off your new talent to other participants in a photo review.

Street Photography Festival

If you are keen to know even more about street photography, check out the London festival that is taking place in July. There’s a brilliant selection of events, exhibitions, talks taking place with tickets being launched next week 9th May.

Start To Take Stunning Portraits

This Sunday professional portrait photographer Jon Mortimer will be sharing his skills on how to take a great portrait. It’s a chance for beginner photographers to become acquainted with a studio environment whilst learning about flash, daylight, props and lens for portraiture.

Jon will share his approach to taking a great portrait which includes how to tell your subject’s story through one image and how to best use your subject’s environment.

During a full day you will learn how to:

• Use daylight for a flattering portrait
• Set up your camera to use a studio flash
• Best use camera and studio flash for portraiture
• Use depth of field in portraits to draw your subject out of the background
• Select the best lenses for portraiture
• Pose people and make them feel comfortable in front of the camera
• How and when to use props

Jon has photographed John Malkovich (below), Ralph Steadman, Beth Ditto. He’s not only a great photographer but an excellent teacher too (see our workshop testimonials)!

Join Jon and other beginner photographers this Sunday 27th March 10.30am – 5.30pm.

Photography Class for Beginners @ Kew

Where: Kew Gardens
When: 10:30am-1:30pm
Who: Beginners looking to enjoy garden photography
Price: £5 + £13.50 entrance (payable via Paypal)
Meeting: Victoria Gate, Kew Gardens
End point: Pavilion Restaurant for Garden POTY

This “focus on” event concentrates on garden photography and in particular, composition and framing, in relation to plant portrait photography.

Kew Gardens is absolutely beautiful and a photographer’s dream if you love taking pictures of flowers, trees, wildlife and stunning vistas. It’s very easy to get to (on the District line) and there will also be the chance to view the best images taken from gardens across the world at this year’s Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition.

The event will take place whatever the weather – please come prepared for rain, cold or blazing heat! It’s suitable for SLRs and compact cameras, costing £5 plus an entrance fee of £13.50.

Focus On: Garden Photography

Concentrating on just a small area of Kew – inside the Palm House and around the Rose Garden – I will show you how to photograph plants in various ways. We’ll discuss:

Finding a viewpoint: Kew’s glasshouse walkways will help with this!
Using macro: how to use depth of field and your macro setting/lens
Plant portraiture: using compositional skills to really capture a portrait
Shooting vistas: looking at techniques for shooting landscapes at Kew

We’ll meet up after an hour to discuss how we are getting on and a chance to ask any questions. We will then continue onto the Temperate House before finishing the session at the Pavilion Restaurant.

The meetup will officially finish at 1:30pm but there is the chance to have lunch together and view the Garden POTY exhibition before exploring the rest of Kew as we wish.

“Thanks for a very nice day. Very friendly group. Lots of tips and advice.” Nathalie, Previous Kew Event (2009)

Be Inspired
Photos from our trip to Kew in 2009
Flickr photos of Kew Gardens
My Flower Photos

Further Info
More info? Go to Kew Gardens website
Queries? Give Natalie a call on 07773 819053
Prefer email? Send it to thephotoschool@gmail.com