Teaching Greg Photography : Second lesson Part 1.

Photography Course for Young People by Geoff Thompson

Update:This course was held today 27/4/17. We had 7 young people take part and they showed much promise in photography.
Thanks to Jennifer Mann of the Burnside Council for organising this and thank you young people for being a most attentive group and best wishes for your photography endeavours.

In the upcoming school holidays in Adelaide I have been asked to teach photography to
 young people in the 12-25 age bracket.

Thursday 27 April
12 pm – 4 pm
Burnside Civic Centre and Hazelwood Park

Time is running out. There is a low cost of $15 only.

If anyone is interested they can book their space by clicking on the following link:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/burnside-youth-photography-workshop-tickets-33030607436
 

In the upcoming school holidays in Adelaide I have been asked to teach photography to
 young people in the 12-25 age bracket.

I have many years experience in photography including Wedding Photography and teaching photography. I started weddings in 1975.

There is an online place where you can book your place and take part.

https://www.burnside.sa.gov.au/Whats-On/Youth-Events/Burnside-Youth-Photography-Workshop-12-25yrs?BestBetMatch=photography|d13b95b2-5146-4b00-9e3e-a80c73739a64|4f05f368-ecaa-4a93-b749-7ad6c4867c1f

If you are coming below are some questions I would like answered before the event and you can do this through Jennifer Mann at the Burnside Council through the above enrollment process.

I look forward to seeing you there.

-->

Teenage Photography Course at Burnside Council

Questions in advance for students:

1.What is it you like about photography?

2.What type of photos do you like to take?

3.As a photographer, how do you rate yourself from 1-5?

           1= absolute beginner

           5= Very good or competent

4. Do you put pictures on face book or similar?

5. Are you interested in old cameras and film technology as well as digital?

6. Do you have a camera of your own?

   Digital compact camera

   Digital SLR camera

   Phone Camera/iPad

   Film Camera

TRAINING IN DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS (Those over 65)

Myself at Breakaways near Coober Pedy South Australia

No digital camera in sight but well exposed and able to be enlarged almost ad infinitum

I am at week four now of a course I am conducting for people over the age of 65.

I have a group of interested and intrigued, but at times bewildered students.

I say bewildered not because of  whether they can grasp the fundamentals of Digital Photography(Photography in general) but because the cameras they have purchased that may have been recommended by a family member or zealous salesperson, are often too confusing to use to their creative capacity.

There is simply too much  choice on even the simpler mirrorless or compact digital cameras.

If they want to use  all the great features on some of these cameras the symbols,touch screen and hidden menus are a maze to work through.

We did an exercise today to take a light meter reading( I did so with a hand held meter) and then set an array of older film cameras to the correct shutter and aperture settings.

Even though they had not seen these cameras before, and some were pretty ancient, (the cameras I mean) they managed to do that with not too much trouble.

The earlier digital cameras such as my first Digital SLR, the Pentax *istD, were so much more like a real camera and so easier to learn photography on.

Maybe the camera manufacturers should take note as the ageing population is living longer and going on overseas trips and wanting to take photographs and unless someone gives them some clues they can come back with over exposed and under exposed and blurry pictures.

The phone cameras are really useful for the main part but they also have their limitations.

Not withstanding the above it is a great time for any one to get into photography but I reckon everyone starting out should use a film camera with appropriate setting alongside their digital camera to really appreciate the fundamentals and what their modern camera is trying to do and capable of.

That was long sentence.

Photography Training for Community Groups

This past week I started teaching a 12 hour course at 2 hours per week at the Burnside Council for people in the over 65 age group.

It is an introduction to the basics of photography.

I am open to approaches from similar bodies to engage me for similar courses.

See also my Photography Training Blog and also numerous posts about Photography on this Blog.

http://geoffthompsonsphotographytraining.blogspot.com.au/

Darryl Kelly-Emerging Photographic Talent

Occasionally I am able to pass on some of my experience and knowledge as a photographer to others.
One such person is Darryl Kelly who lives in my neighbourhood.
I spent a little time  with Darryl helping him take photos of food for his wife Debbie's catering business.
We went through some of the basics of photography over a few hours and some casual discussions.
Darryl had been struggling to grasp what the camera was actually doing and how it all came together.
I found him to be, out of all the people I have taught over the years, to be the quickest learner I have come  across.
The other day he showed me his photos on Flickr and some of his favourite landscape photography.
It is really outstanding work.
Take the trouble to follow the link below to photos taken, many within an hour from where we live.
South Australia and Adelaide  is a great place to visit and enjoy your photography.

https://www.flickr.com/people/130981345@N02/

Photography for sufferers of Parkinson's Disease

I am in May scheduled to spend some time with a Photography Group that is run by Parkinson's South Australia.
This is for people who suffer from Parkinson's disease.
The group has been running now for some time under the co-ordination of Anne Heard.
I have put together some thought starters for ideas that people might like to pursue in photography,not withstanding the limitations of Parkinson's Disease.

-->

WAYS TO TAKE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHS FOR SOMEONE WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Here are some suggestions re techniques and projects that should not be hindered by an unsteady hand or movement.

1.     A bit obvious: use a tripod as much as possible .

2.     Choose subjects that really need you to use a tripod.

3.     Use your flash creatively to freeze action and thereby overcome camera shake.Indoors at night or outside in daylight with high speed flash and high speed flash synchronization.

4.     Use a remote control device.

5.     Extend your photography to video capture.Video is best done utilizing a tripod.

6.     Utilise anti shake lenses and/or anti shake camera bodies.

7.     Choose shutter speeds and lenses that will minimize shake.

8.     Experiment with time lapse photography.A tripod is needed.

9.     Use your disability creatively.Take deliberately blurred photography.There are many examples where this is pleasing to the eye.

10. Create picture books on a mac or at Harvey Norman etc.

11. Create a blog to share you photos and/or sell them.

12. Start your own youtube channel. Share short films and your story to encourage others.

13. Some cameras have focus trapping. Learn how to use it.

14. Investigate wildlife photography with radio triggering cameras.

15. Learn how to use a scanner to resurrect old slides and prints.

16. Prepare slide shows so you can visit places like elderly citizens nursing homes to entertain and inform.

17. Join various online photography groups or start your own.

18. Learn how to paint with light at night using a hand held flash. 
19. Have a small wheat bag or bean bag with you on photography excursions that can be rested on a post or car door to steady your camera.
20. Use the piece of string or rope trick. Attach the string to the bottom of your camera via the tripod socket with a suitable screw(maybe the leather looped grip from an old camera). With string all the way to ground with large washer or piece of wood attached, pull upward on the camera and string to steady your camera.   A "tripod" that fits in your pocket.  
21. Purchase a "gorilla" pod that can wrap around posts etc.

The Family Photo Historian.

Are you your family's photo historian?
At this point in time I think I certainly fill that role.
Not something I deliberately set out to do but just happenned as I am and was a passionate photographer.
I have always wanted to document events.
Family occasions
Weddings
Sports
Funerals
Holidays
Vehicles
Babies
Pets
Birthdays
Baptisms
Sermons
The list of human events in families is endless of course.
I have done this for many years with still photography,movie film and video,film and digital,audio recording(cassettes,reel to reel,digital).
Of course before that my father,father in law and uncles did the same with the technology of their  day.
I have recently been going through all my film collection of negative and prints to put together a farewell album for one of my wife's employers spanning more than 25 years.
I am staggered at the extent of the collection.
When you are a blogger with a collection like that your blogging topics and potential articles are endless.
It has been and still is an emotional experience reviewing my collection.
Many loved ones have passed on.
Sadly there are also relationship breakdowns that tug at the heartstrings.
Many of my wedding customers from past years have also experienced both joys and heartaches.
With the accessibility of today's amazing technology many of the younger ones are now doing similar things.
I guess it means I have plenty to do in my old age and some of the collection, as it ages, becomes useful to others.
It's not a high paying job but can become a labor of love.

Image use from this Blog

USE OF MY PHOTOGRAPHY
Please note most images on this blog are copyrighted to myself and are not made available for commercial gain unless agreed to with me.
Where I don't hold copyright I will say so or it will be obvious if linked to another internet site.
I do get approached from time to time about using images and usually, if I agree, a donation to an agreed charity is my normal practice rather than a personal payment to myself.
If appearing in a publication I would usually like my name as author of image published.
I do have a large archive of images dating back to the 1970's when I started taking photographs and some before that.
I have a very good scanner and can produce digital files from all my past negatives and transparancies.
If you can't find what you are looking for on my blog posts I may have something that fits your bill so email or call by mobile  0417867476.
I am happy to take on a limited number of commercial photography assignments on a freelance basis.
Also one on one or small group training in photography is available.