Learning to look, really look, and to move out of ‘automatic’ mode takes a mixture of technical know-how, creativity, patience and an eye for an image. That’s what happened at the the photography club at the Dartmouth Community cafe.
The aim was to build the vocational skills of the budding snappers. And to take increasingly powerful, intimate and unique images.
Photographer Seb helped 6 photographers, ranging from 14 to 70 move beyond the auto setting of their camera to take more control over the images they present.
“Learning more about your camera is a chance to stand out from the crowd with photography,” said Mike Jackson, of Dart Valley Bushcraft School who organised the event, supported by the TQ6 Community Partnership, Dartmouth Community Chest and Lottery UK.
The free course was combined with a trip through nature to observe and understand the environment as well as the technicalities of the machine in the wild.
“It ties in quite well with what we are doing at the bushcraft school,” said Mike. There’s an aspect of taking a fresh, photographic eye to natural surroundings and merging mechanical skills with nature-based skills, like animal tracking. “Instead of following an animal and shooting for food, the aim is to shoot for photography,” he said.
“It was a friendly, happy, fun atmosphere where we learnt about cameras and had a walk in the woods.”
The TQ6 Community Partnership is supported by the National Lottery