Half way through the Course

I have now completed approximately half of the Course "The Art of Photography" and thought it an appropriate time to assess what I have gained.

At a general level I am more aware of the nuances of photography at the basic level. When explaining to friends and colleagues why I embarked on the Course I tell them that, in common with many others, I picked up photography as I went along with very little idea why some things worked and other things didn't. The only problem with this is that you are not in a position to analyse your mistakes and avoid them in future or indeed to repeat your successes. A 'back to basics' approach has made me think more about what I am doing. Certainly I am more aware of the facilities available on the camera, what to look for when composing an image in the viewfinder and why some times I am successful.

At the specific level part one of the Course 'The Frame' was largely reinforcement of my level of knowledge at that time. Elements of design was an eye-opener and made me view things in a different way. Colour was useful and will probably be more so as I progress through the whole degree course. I am only just beginning to wrestle with light but a quick glance through the notes suggests that here is something I have a lot to learn about having taken it for granted in the past.

The one thing left to do is to slow down and stop taking umpteen photographs of one subject just because I have found a good example. I need to think more about what it is I want to achieve and to think about the wider context in which the subject matter exists.