Second of 2 studio photography days.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Four five minute shoots with 2 different models. We were left to our own devices today with supervision. Props were used, lighting was moved, tips were given, lots of check shots were taken. I an absolutely knackered! That is partly due to the anxiety the shoot created and the flushes which tend to tire me out anyway. The models were brilliant, obviously done it before and their help in what I was trying to achieve was invaluable. Initially they took the lead in posing and I and others didn't know how to do it or/and didn't have the confidence. They were brilliant. What did help was realising they were in role as a model and.I was a person with a camera. Experience and getting into role as a photographer began to be more helpful.
I will go again next year but will stay closer to the studio, the £8 taxi fare was a killer!

RPS 2-day studio course

Day 1
Absolutely brilliant! I am learning so much scout portraiture and lighting and directing models. Getting there this morning was an ordeal though! First the Harvester restaurant was short staffed and only Had one waitress on so it took 10 mins to order, and another 10 to bring it. Then I ordered a taxi. It was late due to the driver needing to pay  a call. However, he was a brilliant driver. When I Told him I wanted to go to photo studios he asked if I was filming. I said not, photography. Then he said the film studios were close by and took me on a tour! Then he pointed out something close by, what a fascinating place that looked and felt reassured at its function.
Got to the studio late and it had already started. A were being shown the effects of lighting placement. It was really interesting. We were told about the inverse square law, how to light the model, how to direct the model and liase with the model so, they know what you want to achieve and work to it. They were very obliging to us novices.
The audio was brilliant, it was was massive. It had lots of lights, lots of backgrounds. Very versatile, really good. The model brought his own props as did the tutors which was really helpful. I noted the model was more relaxed if gee had something to do which might help in the future for me.
The afternoon we had a nude female model. She was very confident, well I suppose you have to be if you get your kit off in front if 10 people. The tutor gave us the ground rules for dealing with nude models and the model herself chipped in which was very useful and informative.
I have for some good shots in spite of the difficulties trying to get the lights to work with a Sony camera. I will be writing to them. Because Sony don't have a genetic shoe on the camera things got difficult. The problems were solved by the RPS tutor who was really good.
I am looking forward to tomorrow.

RPS Studio Photography workshop

Reading around the subject as I leave for the course on Tuesday. The 'Portrait Photographer's Handbook', 3rd Ed. By Bill Hurter is good.

Vagjazz, The Menopausal Photographer

I have given myself a pseudonym name to reflect my current personal, physical and social  situation as a photographer. Weegee did it in the 19th century. I have just tweeted and due to the phone using predictive text changed his name to Refer which isn't so bad but Weegee is,better!

Get up and go has got up and gone

Struggling with my Mojo. Just can't get motivated to read, return books, write or take pictures. The Masters restarts next month, don't know when. The start date won't make any difference to me anyway as there is no taught component to the course. I have a Royal Photographic Society studio course in a few weeks. It may help to get me going. Shutter fingers crossed!

Studio Photography Course looming-and its back to the Masters.

I am going on a course with the Royal Photographic Society next month. In some respects I am looking forward to it, in other respects I am not. It will take me outside my comfort-zone, thats the good thing....its also the not so good thing.

I find studio photography pretentious, I actually don't see the point of it so maybe this course will shatter those forgone opinions. I am hoping it will help me with portrait photography. I have borrowed a book about Studio Photography by way of preliminary homework and I hope it will give me some pointers


On the Master's front, it starts again in a couple of weeks. I am not really looking forward to it, I have procrastinated alot over the summer.

Damien Hurst exhibition at the Tate Modern-uugh!

I went to see this earlier in the week. I was on the South Bank and have been thinking for some time how seeing galleries, art, photography might help me to understand it more, that it might have an impact on my own photography as art. 

Well, it just wont do! After seeing this it is unlikely I will visit another artist's work ever again! What a load of old tripe! Having said that, if you like dead stuff, flies, death, attrition and a bloke with frozen animals to which a chainsaw has been applied, you are in good company!

it seems to me that, these days, because everything has been done to death, death is the only thing left to make something of. Its gross. Humans must have more creativity to them. Someone somewhere must have a different perspective on beauty that doesn't involve death and decay. It isn't beautiful, but it is necessary.