Yesterday I embarked on level 2...
We have a new tutor, Joe Partridge, (mentioned previously July 23rd 2010). I will miss our old tutor, Kim Lucas, who due to demand, is running another level 1 course, but Joe is also a brilliant and well respected photographer, so it will be good to have a new and different perspective. Previously they worked together in their own business for about 20 years. Both of them have had considerable success with their students' exam results this year. This course will last for a whole academic year rather than 4 months. This all takes place at CALAT, Croydon's Adult Training department.
I'm terrified! The composition of the class was almost completely new, only 4 or 5 of us from the old class, and at least 16 in the new class. Most of them seem to be in a different league - far more experienced! Looking at the work produced by the students last year made me take a deep breath - I don't believe I can achieve that standard! So, I'll just have to wade in and hope for the best...
I'm still at the stage of slowly reciting the camera requirements every time I take a photo, then double checking in my mind that the decision is correct. By that time, of course, the thing I wanted to take a picture of has moved or changed in some way. I only used my camera on 'manual' for the first time this summer holiday, although I haven't used it on fully automatic since the day I joined Kim's class. My default has been 'aperture' priority, with a few experiments with 'shutter' priority thrown in. So I feel a little out of my depth... Alas, I'm doing the course to learn, so I just hope I don't drown - watch this space...
On the plus side, it all seems very exciting. Joe seems very dedicated to teaching and we have a great photographic studio with lots of equipment. We will be doing a photographic project for homework each week and researching a photographer/artist also. Of course we have portfolios to prepare too... two of them, but not yet...!