AfricaWelsh News and Cardiff Council Butetown Youth Development Project have teamed up to create opportunities for 18-24 year olds to learn the basics of photography.
This week long workshop was designed to give the participants a basic taste of the technical aspects of the camera and typical photographic work. It was not, and would be impossible to create a photographer in one week but it is hoped it would give those involved a vision for the future of possible employment as a creative.
All participants were given a professional camera to use throughout the week.
They were given lessons on the use of speed, aperture, and ISO – The exposure triangle - to obtain the correct exposure. Also, the aim was to start a thought process of what is required to use professional equipment and away from the mentality of snapping with their phone and also the importance of photography in capturing the history of today’s world
Tyra, one of the participants said” I found it really interesting, learning how more complex taking a photograph really is. You need to think about the settings and balancing them out to create the image you require”.
The first day was a free day to explore the camera and try to grasp the exposure triangle. This is difficult for all students to grasp but the participants all tried and seemed to enjoy the process. They looked at stopping action eg a moving car and the effects of aperture and depth of field. At the end of the day participants studied the work and discussed.
The second and third days were spent telling stories with pictures. Tyra added, “ I really liked going out and about and capturing what catches your eye. I found out for me personally the thing that always caught my eye was dogs, but overall it was amazing. It definitely got me interested in doing something like this again”.
Valuable time was spent looking at the work. Unless you make the mistakes you are not learning. The group worked well together and made good use of the time with the equipment.
Not everything sticks regarding the exposure tri angle, which is understandable but the group created images to be proud of considering the lack of experience. It was also noticeable that some had a confidence in approaching people while others preferred to stay in the comfort zone of photographing each other. This was not an issue as the mistakes were made and learned from. Participants worked around Cardiff Bay and at a prearranged football tournament.
Time was spent on portraiture both environmental and studio. This is probably the most common commission for any professional.
A studio flash set up was created in the classroom and was invaluable to show the creativity we can have with simple lighting. This was the most beneficial and enjoyable section of the workshop and the group were totally engaged in making a portrait that meant something and also helping each other at the same time.
Elvis, another participant said,” it was really interesting to use professional cameras. I found myself really focused in taking a variety of images. I particularly enjoyed the studio session working with lighting equipment. It has made me think of future opportunities”.
The group learned about engaging with their subject. Talking to the sitter and sharing and exploring the experience to create a portrait of the person that had a story.
Glenn Edwards, Trainer, photojournalist and Media Editor at Africa Welsh News said,” The participants were excellent with their commitment throughout the week and seemed to not just have fun but had fun in learning. Some had an obvious eye for a photograph that could be explored in the future and took the subject seriously. I know from experience that given a camera again the things learned in the short time we had ref. technical, would need re-evaluating but I am hopeful that some of the things told about the practical such as lighting and composition will benefit them in future picture taking in any form”.
Look out for more workshops in the future.
