First Steps

Over a week gone by, and although not a lot of photos were taken I've made a fairly decisive move towards my ultimate goal by taking one of the courses offered by Belfast Exposed.

I was basically sitting in work on Friday there feeling really uncomfortable with the lack of direction and not having taken any pictures the entire week, when it just struck me that it was around this time that the introduction courses were starting in Belfast Exposed, so I just hit up their website and saw that the first one was actually the following day (today)!  So I called up with my fingers crossed that they would have a space and by chance, someone had just dropped out that morning, so that was me in.

I didn't have my card on me at the time so I had to use my lunch break to scoot home and pay for it otherwise I wouldn't be able to enrol.

I landed there this morning early and had to wait outside for 10 or fifteen minutes before anyone showed up.  But it was worth it.  Chris Barr is a brilliant teacher and really easy to get on with.  At the start of the workshop I was starting to worry that I had chosen something a little below the ability that I felt I am currently at, but that soon changed when we went out onto the street and were given an objective.  One group had to photograph someone with a pram, another had to capture young people.  My group?  We had to find an old woman.

Basically after building up the courage to actually ask someone, I got a couple of good shots of these 3 women who turned out to be three generations of the one family.  Mother, daughter and grandmother.  I don't know why but it sort of meant something to me that I just happened to ask them to take their picture.

Anyway, we have been given an assignment for next Saturday.  We have to create a project between six and 8 pictures and they have to tell a story.  It can be anything from your route to work, dilapidated buildings, prime colours you name it.  I'm probably going to do something with people in the city.  Maybe the life of one day on a street.

Finally, I get paid on Monday, so it's 'new lens' time.  I just went into Jessops today and tried out the Tamron 70-300mm Micro lens on a 1100D body and it was immense compared to the kit lens I'm shooting with at the minute, so I think that's the one.  £149 until Wednesday so saving about thirty quid.  Not bad for a starter really.

I'll be out this week starting my project, and I intend on spending all of Thursday in the city.

Stay tuned!