The Queen's Gallery: My experience

Photo: My Instagram

I was chosen and given the opportunity to go to The Queens Gallery to do an Arts award. (which was the equivalent to one GCSE)

At the time I had no idea what that meant and was interested to learn more about photography as it's something I'm passionate about and something I hope to base my career on in the future. I was told we would be learning a set of skills from lighting to composition. It would consist of 7/8 lessons that would happen every Thursday from 3 to 5.

Unfortunately I missed the first one as my teacher only told me about 2 hours before that I had to be there, I had no idea how to get there and I had no money on my oyster or on me as after that lesson I was finished for the day.

So I went to the second lesson, it consisted of being taken round the gallery and having a woman explain all the pictures and the journey. There will be be a whole separate blog post on the exhibition.

We then had a photographer,Olivia Hemingway talk to us about her work.

Then we went home and were given homework which I thought was ridiculous considering we all had homework from our A Level courses to complete and probably wouldn't have time to go and take lots of pictures to show to everyone next "lesson".

So from then on every Thursday I had to travel to The Queen's Gallery.

I was excited after the first lesson as I felt I learnt so much and couldn't wait to learn more.

Unfortunately the "lessons" after that went down hill. 

I thought they would be teaching us certain techniques and ways of composing an image. This wasn't the case. We briefly touched on how you compose an image but it wasn't anything we all didn't already know. 

We were told to go round the gallery and take pictures of the exhibition, we also have to pick our favourite and say what we liked about it.

The next lesson we were told to go around the gallery..again..and take pictures of the exhibition. I stayed seated and sat on my phone as I had already done it. Then after about half an hour we were taken through the booklet we had to fill out and give in for the Arts Award. 

The next lesson we played around with light to make shadows and lines which was fun, the girl I was working with and I used the light that was on our phones to do this. (see picture below)

The next "lesson" I attended, we were told to go and take pictures outside (I wasn't pleased as it was winter and absolutely freezing) I took some pictures but I wasn't happy with the way they came out as it was dull. 

I only went to one more lesson after this one as I became fed up of the same thing being asked of us
-go around and take pictures of the gallery- 

The final "lesson" I attended... When we came in we spoke about the homework and how we hadn't put it in the dropbox etc. The first homework we were given was on taking portraits. Now I don't feel comfortable with getting my camera and shoving it in peoples faces. I prefer to take pictures of architecture and nature. So I expressed this, this led on to a discussion about  Photography ethics.
We discussed what Photographers can and can't do and what we thought was acceptable or not. This lead to us talking about War Photographers and one in particular called: Don McCullin, he took a photo of a dead soldier and his belongings which had been rifled though, he himself then moved the possessions so they were together for the photo.
I think War Photographers have a very difficult job, they can either help the people or they can report on it by taking a picture of their pain and discomfort.
After that difficult topic of discussion, that was it, I never went back, I got on the bus and went home. I guess all I can take away from it is the knowledge of new photographers and the experience I had at The Queen's Gallery by being taken round the Exhibition.

~CRR