I really enjoy photography and I work with Mr E as his assistant photographer on some of his wedding shoots which I always enjoy! I always use a long range lens when I do and take ‘candid’ style shots like this:
It’s much easier with a long range to get the blurred background and focus on the object than complex macro shots and I’ve found myself struggling with light and perspective. So when Joes Bloggers invited me to a photography workshop with Going Digital hosted by Millennium Hotels at the lovely Copthorne Hotel in Sheffield, I replied straight away!
We were welcomed with drinks and cookies (nom!) and the hotel manager talked to us about the hotels history and its relationship with the Sheffield United Football Team (sorry Owls fans) and how we’d be going to practise our new found skills in the stadium next to the hotel later. Pandora was our teacher for the day, and we focussed on shooting in aperture priority. I’d stolen Mr E’s lens for the day as I wanted to learn to use his amazing lens more , plus my usual would have been no good for close ups! I also took my kit lens but ended up just taking pics of it! I can’t talk about everything we learnt about as I’d be here for ages, there were some things that I automatically used (the numbers inside when you look through the viewfinder-tick, changing ISO – tick) and others that I hadn’t (changing white balance and reviewing data on the back screen). There’s a great summary guide here with tips on that appeared on the Millenium Hotel Group Blog which explains it better than I can!
You can really see the difference on the above 2 photos and how adjusting the white balance helps.
Once we’d gone through it all it was then time for lunch, of course we all practised our new found skills on the food which was definitely photo worthy and so tasty!
After that it was then time to go to the Sheffield United grounds to work through the practise sheet we were given.
I partnered with Faye of Lace, Louboutins and Leather and completed part 1: A Portrait shot. I also couldn’t resist this shot of the stairs. I also managed a quick shot of Dash from Mode Lily and another lovely blogger (hands up if it’s you as I can’t find your details!)
The other challenge was a landscape shot, I soon realised I much prefer taking photos of people over places!
The third challenge was focusing on different parts of a photo : here’s my three combined.
Overall it really did help me and made me realise what type of photography I prefer and what I’m better at. I’d recommend (and have already!) Going Digital for great photography courses and I’m tempted by a few other courses they provide too!
Thanks to the lovely Copthorne Hotel Sheffield as well for their lovely hospitality and scrummy food, as well as lovely goody bag with a camera cleaning kit and Hendersons Relish in it!