Summer 2021

Over the summer months, I found myself not wanting to pick up my camera to take any images at all. Although I did make myself venture out on a variety of occasions, I made sure I visited places that I had not been to before. Once I had arrived at the various places, I found […]

Artist Talk – Gary Prendergast

We attended a talk by Gary Prendergast, a designer and image maker from Manchester who also works as an Art & Design tutor. As a designer, he uses different materials as well as photography processes to create images using inspiration from magazines, record and CD covers. He has designed for record labels, collaborating with artists […]

Reflections – Manchester Photography Group Meetup

This was an interesting meet up through the Manchester Photography Group who put on workshops about different aspects of photography. During the session we looked at different ways of experimenting with reflections which included using windows, water and metal railings. We also looked at layering objects whilst looking for reflections. I enjoyed this session and […]

Liverpool – a She Clicks Meet Up

What is She Clicks? She Clicks is a community that supports and encourages female photographers both in the UK and world wide. Through social media (Facebook & Instagram) and a website, She Clicks provides a safe, friendly network that provides information and creates spaces that help women photographers enjoy a creative outlet that is usually […]

The Photography Show 2021

The Photography Show is usually an annual event which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham, although it was cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic. This year, although there were not as many stands as usual, there was plenty to explore including new equipment (cameras, lenses etc), associations, magazines as well as new […]

Artist Talk- Mark Power Landscapes of the Imagination

Whilst at the Photography Show, I decided to listen to one of the talks by a featured photographer. I chose Mark Power as was interested in the projects that has undertaken and wanted to hear more about them from the artist himself. During the talk, Mark Power would discuss two of his projects in more […]

Liverpool – OpenEye/Bluecoat

We visited Liverpool as part of the Degree. We came to see some exhibitions at both the Open Eye Gallery and the Blue Coat Gallery. Open Eye Gallery What is Open Eye Gallery? Open Eye is based in Liverpool and established in 1977, and is the only gallery in the North West that focuses on […]

Whitworth Art Gallery

We came to the Whitworth Art Gallery to view the exhibition Cloud Studies. The focus of the exhibition was how clouds made from different gases and materials were formed and how they affected the environment around the world. These ranged from chemical weapons, tear gas, bombs and air pollution. I found it to be fairly […]

Van Gogh Alive exhibition.

This is a multi sensory exhibition showcasing the work of 19th century French painter Vincent Van Gogh. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I booked tickets to see this exhibition and how they could make Van Gogh’s paintings sensory. Based in a specially built tent in the heart of Media City, it comprises of […]

One to one Studio Session with Welshot Photographic Academy

What is the Welshot photographic Academy? Welshot is a photography academy that helps and brings people together with their cameras. Through one to ones and events, photographers can learn different skills including night, studio, street and various other types of photography with the support of skilled team members. Events include Sunset & night photography, Christmas […]

The Portico Library

I went to visit The Portico Library in Manchester. It is somewhere I have never been before and although have walked past it on many occasions, never knew it was there as it is in the same building as a bar. It has a very interesting history, opening in 1806 as a male only subscription […]

Dunham Massey Meet Up

This was a meet up organised by A Year With My Camera, a group set up by photographer Emma Davies for anyone who has taken her email photography course. She has groups set up on Facebook for different parts of the country. This meet up was one of two taking place over the weekend at […]

Home Mcr/waterside sale exhibitions

Cassils: Human Measure This was an interesting exhibition looking at LGBTQ, the history, struggle and violence they experience, shown in a variety of art forms which included video, sculpture, photography and dance. Although there were only a few pieces of art work on show, each had an different meaning and visual impact especially as they […]

Oxford Road Corridor of Light- Manchester

The Oxford Road Corridor of Light took place over three nights with some installations only appearing on one night. It was spread along Oxford Road in Manchester, starting at St Peters Square with installations at various places along the road from Home to the Contact theatre. The installations covered different aspects from neon signs with […]

River of Light Liverpool

For the exhibition I decided to visit the River of Light installations in Liverpool. This involved several installations around the centre of Liverpool from the docks to the Town hall. Each involved a different form of light along with sounds and music which help them to become immersive and more interactive. This was a fun […]

Photon Exhibition – preparing the exhibition

Before the Exhibition Before we went to the separate art installations, we discussed the exhibition, what we were going to do, where it was going to be held and how we were going to advertise it. For the poster, we all took an image with light involved but that was changed once we had gathered […]

Collaboration – Catering Department

We have been asked to collaborate with the catering students at the Altrincham Campus at Trafford College. The students had been asked to produce a variety of different cakes and desserts which we were then asked to photograph. When we arrived at the restaurant on campus, tables had been set up ready for the various […]

Product photography

We have had a few sessions where we have concentrated on shooting different products , mainly based in the studio. For each shoot we have had to look at lighting and product placement. This is to ensure that we show off the products at their full potential especially if the images are being used on […]

Collaboration -Beauty Department

This session was a collaboration within the beauty department (both nail and makeup courses). They were tasked to design both body art and nails and work together to produce a final product. We met up with both the nail and make up artists to discuss photographing their designs when they had prepared their model and […]

Business Plans & Tax sessions

During our Professional Identity sessions on a Tuesday, we have looked at a variety of subjects that would help us after we have finished our degree including copyright and further study options (which are covered in other blog posts). We also covered topics such as how to set up a business , business plans and […]

Competitions

There are many competitions that can be entered with a variety of themes and entry methods. Some are worldwide and others are more localised. Each can give you more exposure as a photographer as well as offering amazing prizes if your image wins. I decided to enter a few competitions since September. Even though I […]

The Circus House

What is the Circus House? The Circus House is a community interest group based in Longsight, Manchester. They run circus skills workshops and classes for all ages (children & adults) and skills from beginners to professional circus performers. They also put on shows as well as sending teachers and performers to events across the city. […]

Ethics, copyright & more….

Ethics Ethical dilemmas are not uncommon in the art world and often arise from a conceived interpretation or perception of an artworks content or message. Some of our laws related to ethics are linked back to theorists such as Kant who defined the ‘categorical imperative’ as moral laws that everyone should follow regardless of their […]

After the degree……..

We have been looking at our options educationally for when we have graduated with our degrees. There are a few paths that we can go down which include teaching (PGCE), Masters, or even something completely different (but still using photography). PGCE What is a PGCE? It is a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. It prepares […]

Studio 1:1 in Llandudno

This was going to be another 1:1 session in the studio, working with a model and a variety of costumes alongside the help of the photographer who co owns the Welshot Academy in Llandudno. I have participated in a few of their meet-ups as well as a previous 1:1 which I really enjoyed. When I […]

Format Festival, Derby

What is Format Festival? Format Festival is one of the UK’s top festivals which covers not just photography but other aspects of digital media such as film, established in 2014. It celebrates a wide range of photographic practice and features work from all over the world. Works featured include a variety of different types including […]

Rogue Artist Studio

What is Rogue Artist Studio? Based in Openshaw, Manchester, Rogue Artist Studio is a Community Interest Company and one of the largest independent studios in the North West, which was originally established in 1995. It is an accessible studio space housing more than 85 artists (ranging from recent graduates to established practitioners)who work with a […]

Using the Large Format Camera

The large format camera we used is a 4×5. It is the most common out of the LF cameras and was used in early photography by artists such as Ansel Adams.It is a fully manual camera so everything is set up by the photographer. Film holders The film holder is a light proof box that […]

Wet Plate Collodian workshop, Leeds

We have been given the chance to attend a workshop exploring the Wet plate Collodian process. The workshop was held at Lens Lab, based in Leeds. Lens Lab are a creative project who explore the possibilities of photography using both analogue and digital media to make new work. What is the Wet Plate Collodian Process? […]

End of Degree Show

We have been discussing our end of degree show and looked at where we could hold it. Options included an empty shop unit (someone would have to be there all the time), Rogue Artist Studio (already booked up) as well as other places. We knew that we wanted to keep it local to the college. […]

Lensbaby International Photowalk

I am a member of a Ladies only photography group on Facebook. I noticed this post about a meet up at Salford Quays in Manchester. I enjoy meeting up with other photographers as I sometimes feel that photography can be quite a lonely occupation/hobby. The meet-up is part of a world wide photowalk hosted by […]

Designing a event flyer

In my neighbourhood, we have a group ,(made up of fellow residents), that looks after and organises events on the green space that we have access to. We generally have meetings several times a year to discuss anything that is happening in the neighbourhood, from planting bulbs to talks as well as any events. At […]