It's been a while....

It has been a while since my last proper post. My recent(ish) posts haven't been about anything particularly photographic anyway, hopefully this will change as from today, I am on summer break for 6 weeks. I have an enormous amount of homework, plus I am taking on a lot of extra shifts at work to get myself some money, but I will hopefully be updating fairly regularly again.
Part of my ginormous pile of homework includes taking photos and visiting exhibitions, so you can expect to see some posts about these things. I might tell you about some good exhibitions in England if I find any, I'm hoping to get up to London if I can, (might be difficult given the Olympics etc).
Another thing on my very full plate at the moment is Universities, I have to start making decisions about Uni's, but I am really stuck and this is where I need help probably more than I've ever needed it from you all! I need your opinions! University is a HUGE step and potentially life changing, at least for now, but I just dont know what to do. I have a couple of questions to ask you all. Please respond, it would really mean a lot to me, I know I ask you a lot but I can't stress enough how much this might help my decisions etc... So here are the questions, to all you photographers and artists...

Q1- Did you go to University to study art or photography?

Q2- If you did, would you say it is worth going? I can't help but feel there isn't a lot more that can be learnt about photography, apart from the history. After that is it not just practice, which I can do without paying £21,000+?
                          Q2(b)- Would I be able to learn the same things without going to University and start myself off earning money, or are there vital things I need to learn through higher education?

Q3- If you did not go to University, can I ask Why? and has it affected your career, is there anything you have been unable to do, due to not going to University? Do you regret not going?

Q4- Which university, if any, did you go to?

Q5- I want to take a gap year, should I travel and build a portfolio of images to sell, or find work experience. What is the best way into the photography business, solo or as part of a company?


If you have anything to say that I haven't mentioned I'd be so eternally grateful! Haha! It's a really scary and stressful time for me and I need all the help I can get. I don't know anyone studying photography at University or any kind of art course so I am struggling to find answers.

Please reply by commenting below or emailing me at- becky-iblog-becky@hotmail.co.uk
If you tweet a response, your answer will be limited so I'd greatly appreciate a more detailed reply or I get confused. :D


Thank you all in advance!

Bye for now

The olympic Torch

Well it is just under two weeks until the Olympics officially start! I wasn't really planning to get involved, I don't have any tickets and I'm not really a sports fan, but I did find myself getting a little bit excited at the the thought of the torch coming through my home town. As I waited in the crowded streets with hundreds of other cheerful people, I started to get even more excited. Camera at the ready, free bottle of coke from the huge coca cola van that squeezed it's way through the streets, I was prepared to get some great shots. The torch was running late which gave me an opportunity to get some candid shots of the crowds, and capture the atmosphere. I'm not sure I'm allowed to use those photos though because I don't have permission from the people in them!
Anyway, I set my camera up and also put it onto a burst mode, so that I could capture the fast movement of the runner. I lined it up perfectly, and got my finger ready to press the button and..It didn't focus! Typical hey? It kept re-adjusting and focusing on the bodyguards and security members around the torch bearer. I couldn't believe it! I desperately tried to flick it on to manual focus, but the runner was too fast and before long, all I could see was the back of her head as she ran towards the park. I wasn't too disappointed, I'd seen her, I'd witnessed history and it was really cool, but I was a bit frustrated that I'd missed a shot I'd been waiting an hour and a half for! I guess this kind of thing comes with time, I'm still learning how to capture those moments but maybe in another four years I'll catch the torch.
They are not terrible photos, just not as clear as I'd hoped! :)

And if you compare it to my brother's photo (admittedly taken on a mobile phone) it doesn't look too bad! Haha! Sorry Dave! ;D

 

My Brother's Photo.