Exciting last field trips for the Llandovery schools

Ysgol Pantycelyn

Today we went on our longest journey, all the way up to see the young Sawdde river below the source of the famous story about the Lady of the Lake, Lyn y Fan Fach. After a bus trip that took us to Llangadog, then up the mountain road to the Three Horse Shoes, where we turned left, we arrived at the village of Llanddeusant. Turning right and immediately left we carried on over narrowing roads and rugged mountain scenery to finally arrive at our destination, the parking area at the foot of the track up to the lake.



Above: Pantycelyn students by the Sawdde River

The weather was bright and the light good, which suited our purposes perfectly. The tumbling brook with the early spring sun shining on it was a very attractive subject for photography, as were the little streams running down the mountain and the glistening rocks. Making our way up the track, there were lots more opportunities for lovely pictures, with subjects ranging from dramatic landscapes through details of lichens to wonderfully gnarled and stunted trees.

It was a shame that we had to leave this lovely spot, but the wind was a bit too keen and the distance back to school a little too far to allow a longer stay. Later, in the classroom, it was obvious from the quality of the work that the children had enjoyed the assignment. It was also gratifying to see the improvement in standards: everybody has understood the need to look through the camera at the landscape and compose pictures that satisfy their creative urges and promote a greater understanding of the world in which they live.


Ysgol Rhys Pritchard

In contrast to this mornings outing, the juniors went to a very different landscape, one where wildness is actively managed to create parkland of great beauty. Llwynywermod is an outstanding example of a piece of countryside that has been enhanced over centuries to provide a wide variety of environments and visual elements. For the class there was much to get their creative juices flowing: rolling pasture lands with scattered veteran trees and newly planted replacements; a fast running stream with alder carr all the way along; ponds and rush filled rills; an ancient bridge that was on the drover road; a ruined mansion; and dramatic skyscapes that even had wheeling red kites.



Above: Rhys Pritchard kids and staff at the old drover's bridge

There was great excitement about a huge log of a fallen sweet chestnut and we took some group shots of the kids sitting and standing on it. We are very grateful for the opportunity to visit this wonderful place and hope that we might get a special visitor to the children's exhibition.

On the way back we stopped twice to look at different kinds of landscape features. First a stream running through a small woodland where a waterfall played the water into a pool. Secondly, a small quarry next to the road where the stone was exposed as a vertical cliff face. It was a busy afternoon and we just had time in the classroom to view all the kids' best three pictures. They were superb and it was a fitting finale to the field trips. Next we meet it will be after Easter and we shall begin the work on the computers.


Exhibition news

The Carmarthen schools exhibition will be on Tuesday 22nd March starting at 12 noon with an opening by the Mayor of Carmarthen followed by the presentation of prizes and a buffet lunch. It will take place at St. Peter's Civic Hall. The exhibition will be open the next day, 23rd March from 9 am until 5 pm and will be open to the public.

A church in the landscape and a warm welcome for the Llandovery schools' third field trip

Ysgol Pantycelyn

Eager to take a walk with their cameras, the students didn't take much cajoling to get started on their latest field trip. Walking from the school in the early spring sun, we went the back way to Eglwys Llandingat, which is on the south-western edge of town. It has a fine lych gate and stands in the midst of a large graveyard. Because of its situation, the surrounding hills can be seen in a number of directions, giving photo opportunities that were very welcome in landscape terms. Everybody made the most of this by framing some of their shots to include the yew trees, the church building and the distant scenery.



Above: The Lych Gate at Eglwys Llandingat is a nice gathering place for Pantycelyn

Though we were unable to go inside due to there being a class going on, we were able to maximise on outdoor possibilities by exploring the extensive grounds and taking plenty of pictures of gravestones, mosses, lichen and some early flowers. There was a lot of creative thinking happening, with new angles being used to good effect. Examples of this were getting right down on the ground to photograph flowers against the sky and looking up the side if the church's tower to emphasise the vanishing points. After we had taken the group shot in the shelter of the lych gate, we made our way back to school, where looking at their three best shots of the morning was a real pleasure.


Ysgol Rhys Pritchard

In a big bus today, we travelled up the Brecon road a few miles and turned off to go through the hamlet of Pentre Ty Gwyn. Further still up the very narrow road, we stopped at Pantycelyn Farm, where Mrs. Williams very warmly welcomed us. She is a direct descendent of the famous hymn writer William Williams. Not only is our other Llandovery school named after it, but also it is a place of pilgrimage for people from around the world. We timed it right because we had the place to ourselves and Mrs. Williams could devote her attentions entirely to the awed children. First, we took lots of pictures of the farm itself, which nestles in a shallow valley.



Above: Ysgol Rhys Pritchard children and staff welcomed to Pantycelyn by Mrs. Williams

There were many subjects here and it took quite a while before the kids were ready to walk up to the farm buildings where we were allowed in to admire the sheep and their newly born lambs. Trying to be a quiet as possible, the children photographed all they saw. Back outside, we went back to the farmhouse and, taking off our boots, we were welcomed into the Williams' home. Admiring the historic items, including paintings, plates, books and a grandfather clock, we then all signed the visitors' book. It had been a very interesting and educational field trip for us all and the children evidently were inspired, judging by the quality of their best three shots shown back in class.

Carmarthen schools take up the final challenge

Queen Elizabeth High Comprehensive

Working very hard, the students at QE High finalised the work for the project today. As before, we did it in sections and this worked very well, especially as we had buddies from the sixth form to help out. It is always tricky to decide what your best shots are and it's even more difficult to say why you took them.



Above: The class and staff at the last session at QE High

Nevertheless, everyone finished the tasks and we all were satisfied that we had done the best we could. There is no doubt that the exhibition is going to be very beautiful. Judging by the selections that people have made and the comments they have made about them, we will have a star of a show. Congratulations everybody!


Johnstown Juniors

It has been a long haul, but the rewards are very great. The class at Johnstown are stars. There are many fine pictures and, I hope, some very happy children. Today, we worked extremely hard to finish our tasks, which we did in the time limit. Some of the class were unavailable; so they will have to do the last bits in class time. That aside, it was a magnificent achievement.



Above: Students and buddies at the last session in Johnstown

Again, the year six buddies were on hand to offer advice and assistance. Their help was invaluable and it was great to include them in the final group shot. We had a lot of fun taking the portrait pictures and it will be lovely to see them proudly placed on their own boards at the exhibition.

Llandovery schools brave the weather in search of great landscape pictures

Ysgol Pantycelyn

Our second field trip was spectacular. In the minibus we followed the Tywi up through Cilycwm and Rhandir-mwyn to the dam at Llyn Brianne, stopping first at the viewing point. Here, in the distance, the dam itself can be seen, along with the huge ramp of the spillway. Today, we were really lucky in that the water was flowing down the spillway, providing a stunning backdrop. The students happily took lots of pictures of the views in every direction. We were lucky that it wasn't actually raining, but the wind was strong and the light levels good, even though there was no sun. We also photographed details of rocks with lichen, grass and fences before getting back in the bus to go up to the top of the dam.



Above: Pantycelyn class with Llyn Brianne's spillway in full flow

Here, it was altogether different! Being much more exposed, this area was affected by some pretty strong winds, making the experience very funny, while people were buffeted around. Despite this, the class enjoyed photographing this most stunning of mountainous landscapes. Waves on the reservoir itself, the water rushing down the spillway and the very size of this feat of engineering gave the children many creative opportunities. They were certainly inspired, judging by the quality of the images they showed me back in the classroom.


Ysgol Rhys Pritchard

By the afternoon, the light levels had improved, though the temperature still required the wearing of coats and scarves as we walked to the church at Llanfair y Bryn. Stopping off to collect the key, we entered via the lych gate, photographing the outside of this ancient building and the views before entering. What a beautiful church! There was much to take pictures of here, including the roof, stalls, pulpit and lovely stained glass.



Above: Rhys Pritchard kids around the old oak tree Llandovery

Having satisfied ourselves we had taken all the pictured we needed, we moved off down to the other side of town to the river bridge. Here the river and bridge offered plenty of sources of inspiration, as did the huge stump of the ancient oak tree on the far side. On the way back we stopped to ‘film' the train arriving in the station from the Llandeilo direction. The station manager and the conductor were very pleased to have an appreciative audience and were very helpful as the level crossing was operated from the station. Here was something all of us had never experienced.

It was certainly a good day for photography and the three locations provided the kids with different challenges, which they fully exploited. This was evident back in class, where it was obvious that everybody had taken excellent pictures. Roll on the exhibition.

Carmarthens schools soldier on

Queen Elizabeth High

Today, we worked hard at our second session at the computer face. For logistical reasons we had to dived the class into two parts. This meant that we had to work efficiently at making those all to difficult choices about which pictures to put in the '20 Best' folder. The task can be very tricky, especially when there are lots of lovely photos from which to choose.



Above: QE High computer session

With help from staff and buddies, though we were all able to get to the point where we could leave the work for our next and last class. Many students managed to achieve the even more tricky separation of the '10 best'. These, of course, will be the shots that will be printed up for the exhibition.


Johnstown Juniors

All, despite problems with the computer system, today had a great session. This entailed quite long waits for everybody while the files were copied to the individual computers. Nevertheless, buddies from year six were on hand to help out when things got going. Everybody achieved the goal of choosing their twenty best and some did better by getting to the final choices. Well done!



Above: Johnstown Juniors hard at it!

Next session, we will need to finalise choices and name the pictures, providing a caption for each one. Also, the individual portraits and final group shots will be taken.

Llandovery schools’ first field trips

Pantycelyn Comprehensive students go to town

We were lucky with the weather – it was cold, but not freezing and the rain stayed away – for the first time out for the students at Pantycelyn. It's only a short walk to the town from school and there are plenty of exciting subjects to photograph. The first stop was the car park beneath the castle, where we were able to get shots looking upward to the remains of the castle itself and to the stainless steel sculpture. A short walk up the hill and were next to the wonderful statue of the local hero Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan. Martyred in 1401 as a supporter of Owain Glyn Dwr, his shining monument overlooks the town.



Above: Pantycelyn visit the statue of Llewelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan

The children were quick to take lots of pictures of it from all perspectives. Further up, Llandovery Castle has dramatic landscape views of the town and hills around from its massive masonry walls. Pausing to take a group picture at the statue, we then walked to the market square where scenes of townscapes, buildings, the market hall and fountain made a contrast to the previous location. There were plenty of photo opportunities here, ranging from close-ups of cobbles and trees to roofscapes and town buildings. It was a very good example of a built environment and, as proof of the children's commitment to the project, it was gratifying to see the high quality of their work back in class.


Ysgol Rhys Pritchard look up to the Heart of Wales line

In contrast to the morning session, the children of Ysgol Rhys Pritchard chose to make the short journey in the minibus to Cynghordy. Here the huge railway viaduct dwarfs the local landscape. Built in the 1867, it carries the Heart of Wales railway line. It's a dramatic subject for photography and its dizzying height of ninety three feet gave everybody plenty of creative options, both as close-up shots of the monumentally sized stone blocks from which it is made, and as unusual perspective pictures. The viaduct curves away, allowing photos that fill the frame with pillars and arches. The clear but cold weather continued as we walked up the valley.



Above: The Rhys Pritchard team dwarfed by viaduct at Cynghordy

Now the fields by the side of the road were laced with shallow ice-filled depressions, which offered different creative options, especially viewed against the woods and pastures of the valley sides. Afon Brân flows near the lane and we were able to take pictures of its fast flowing stream before turning back and getting images of the viaduct filling the valley. Back in the bus, we made a detour up the mountain, where we stopped to photograph the distant viaduct in its setting of the Cambrian Mountains. It was very pleasing to view the children's work back in class and to realise again the value of this project in raising their confidence.

Carmarthen schools begin work on their pictures

Queen Elizabeth High

Today we started the process of sorting the hundreds of photos the students have taken on their four field trips and their first session in the school. It's quite a task to create folders for each session, plus the two extras for the best choices for printing. Despite some technical problems, we all managed to learn how to make the folders, to download some files and to play with an image on the computers.

Now that the school is getting more flash drives, our next session in a fortnight will focus on making the tricky decisions about which of all those pictures we took will go into the 'Best twenty five' folder and from them the 'Best ten'. These ten will be the pictures that are printed and displayed in the big exhibition.


Johnstown Juniors

The children were as enthusiastic as ever when we arrived and were happy to get started on this second phase of the project. We were pleased to have 'buddies' from year six to help out. As usual in this part of the project, the first task was to make the seven new folders.

This went well and the next job to download images from the cameras was fast, thanks to plenty of space on the hard drive. Thanks to the buddies, everybody had lots of fun at the end of this session altering one of their photos by including text and changing the colours in very radical ways. We ended up with time to spare.

Exciting first day for the Llandovery schools

Pantycelyn Comprehensive and Ysgol Rhys Pritchard

It's one of the most rewarding parts of this project: the look on the children's faces when they open the boxes and get out their new cameras. This morning at Pantyceln Comprehensive in Llandovery, the students were excited and delighted. As usual, it didn't take long for them to work out how to use the cameras and with just the most basic instructions in how to hold the camera steady, they were busy practicing by taking pictures of other people in the class room. Of course, we'd had to make them wait a little while we explained what the project was all about; but that only built up the anticipation.



Above: Students and staff at Pantycelyn on day one

They followed instructions and took at least thirty photos indoors before going into the school grounds to take another fifty of the buildings, trees and other aspects of the landscape. We were lucky with the weather - it didn't rain. Viewing the kids' choices of their best three pictures of the morning, it was pleasing to know that they all had grasped the principles of the project and had produced some good work.

After lunch, we went to Ysgol Rhys Pritchard, which is the main feeder school for Pantycelyn. If anything, the children here were more excited about their new photography project. Even before they'd opened the boxes, their enthusiasm for the idea was a delight. Emphasising the need to take lots of pictures is one of the important elements of the work we do. The children need to have plenty of choices for the exhibition and they will learn from their mistakes more readily.



Above: The class at Ysgol Rhys Pritchard delighted with the new cameras

We all took plenty of pictures indoors, but when it came time to go outside, we found it was pouring with rain. The best we could do was to dodge the rain looking through open doors and even take photographs from under the equipment in the play area. Nevertheless, everybody had lots of fun. Lots of good pictures were taken and I'm certain we will be seeing a great exhibition in due course.

Next time, 24th January, will be the first field trip; so let's hope for good weather.

The Carmarthen schools enjoy their final field trips

Queen Elizabeth High go to the seaside

A fine morning greeted the students from QE High when we arrived at the beach in Ferryside. At the mouth of the Tywi River, we were opposite Llansteffan Castle, where two weeks before the children of Johnstown Junior School had visited. From this side of the estuary, the castle was very dramatic across the water and the village, church and big house made a number of nice scenes. The children were not slow in capturing these landscapes, together with many other possibilities in the shore itself with patterns and textures in the sand, flotsam and seaweed. The jetty and shoreside buildings provided other creative opportunities.



Above: Queen Eliizabeth High students and staff on Ferryside platform

One of Ferryside's significant features is, of course, the railway. The main line between Swansea and Carmarthen runs round the coast and up the Tywi estuary. The trains are quite frequent, though many do not stop here. Taking pictures of the trains, and the station from the footbridge and the platform gave our students some exciting shots. Before leaving, we all gathered on the platform in front of the signal box for the group picture. The exhibition is going to be wonderful, judging by the quality of the images we looked at back in school.


Johnstown Juniors in the formal garden of the Bishop's Palace

A short bus ride from Johnstown is the Bishop's Palace at Abergwili. Home now to the Carmarthen Museum, this fine building has beautiful grounds with mature trees, lawns and shrubberies. The first thing we did was to tour the gardens taking many photos of the magnificent trees in their late autumn finery and on the way making the most of details in the leaves, bark and fungi.



Above: Johnstown Juniors on the grand staircase at the Bishop's Palace Abergwili

Completing the circuit, we made the most of the curators' invitation and spent the rest of our time in the museum itself, enjoying the displays of the history and archaeology of our great county. There was much to see, ranging from mineral samples, through paintings to the great stone frieze depicting the death of General Picton at the Battle of Waterloo. We were allowed to take pictures inside, but not with the flash on our cameras, due to the bad effect that bright light can have on some of the exhibits. It was a real treat for the kids to get this opportunity and thanks are due to the staff at the Bishop' Palace for their hospitality.


Next year

This was the last field trip for the two Carmarthen schools in this part of the project. When we resume in January, we will undertake the three classroom sessions, learning about downloading images, making folders and choosing and naming pictures. This will start on the nineteenth of the month. Prior to that, on the tenth, we begin work in the last two schools in the project, Pantycelyn Comprehensive and Rhys Pritchard juniors, both in Llandovery.

A great day out for the Carmarthen schools

Queen Elizabeth High visit Gwili Railway

We had a lovely morning with the students visiting the Gwili railway at Bronwydd. The weather was fine and the light excellent for photography when we rolled up to be greeted by volunteers at the station yard. The yard was a good place to start and we took lots of pictures of the rolling stock before making our way to the signal box, where everybody except wheelchair users were able to climb the steps and see all the levers working and observe the work going on outside on the rails by the road crossing. Next, we crossed the line and went onto the station platform, which gave new perspectives and lots of photo opportunities for the kids. The enthusiasm for the assignment was a joy to see.



Above: QE High in front of Haulwen at Gwili Railway

Back over the line and to the engines themselves, we were give a guided tour and were able to get shots of both the machines and all the fascinating details of massive wheels, pistons, boilers being refurbished and lots of other railway items. Finally, we got to stand next to the lovely 'Haulwen' saddle tank engine, which was fired up especially for us. Here we were dwarfed by the machine for the group shot. There is no doubt that the students were inspired by the visit to take many excellent pictures, as was evident from the one-to-one sessions viewing the work back in school.

A huge thanks to the staff and volunteers at Gwili Railway!


Johnstown Juniors and Llansteffan Castle

What a castle! And so close to Johnstown. A short journey in the bus took us to the village centre, where we walked up the lanes to the castle, taking pictures of the church, Plas, trees and landscapes on our way. After the final climb, we entered via the gatehouse and spent nearly and hour exploring and photographing the towers, walls and views. The castle's situation on a promontory at the mouth of the Tywi provides magnificent scenes of Carmarthen Bay, the sands of the estuary and across to Ferryside. We could have spent more time there, but before leaving, the group picture taken in the middle part of the Keep, demonstrates the kids' happiness at taking part in the project.



Above: Johnstown kids and staff at Llansteffan Castle

After the walk back to the village and more picture-taking, we boarded the bus back to school. Viewing the afternoon's best three shots from each child, it's obvious that they all have taken on the project with great enthusiasm and have produced superb work.

Swansea schools' photos in the Grand Theatre

Wow! Penyrheol and Penybryn schools end of project exhibition was a fine thing to see. On two floors of Swansea's Grand Theatre, there were hundreds of photographs to admire. Each student had visited four locations, which landscapes ranged from seasides through rivers to city parks, taking and average of 100 pictures each time. Not only were their ten best shots displayed on their own boards, but there were nine shots of each of the eight beauty spots they had visited. It took quite a time to absorb the quantity. The quality, on the other hand was immediately obvious. With no exceptions, each student had produced stunning images, many of which would not look amiss in the pages of magazines. Many of the visitors left comments like, "lovely photographs", "very impressed" and "what a delightful exhibition". Parents, teachers and visitors alike were captivated by this show.



Above: Pen-y-Bryn with their goody bags - and the Lord Mayor

What was also obvious was the children's pride in their achievements. This was no more apparent than when the Lord Mayor of Swansea, Councillor Richard Lewis, presented every pupil with a gift bag to commemorate their participation in the project. In the bag was a certificate, a framed copy of one of their best images and various 'freebies'. Later, they will receive a dvd containing all the work they have done throughout the project, portraits, group shots at the locations and, perhaps best of all, a picture of them with the Lord Mayor. After the speeches, the presentations and the photo calls, there was another kind of opportunity – a lovely buffet, with sandwiches, pies, pizzas and many other delights. It was also a nice to chat with his worship and to observe the pleasure on the kids' faces at other people's acknowledgements of their achievements.



Above: Peyrheol students together with Swansea's Lord Mayor

All this happened on the first day. The next and last day of the exhibition, we had lots of visitors, including some of the students who weren't able to come on the first day. It was another excellent culmination of two schools' participation in this project, one in which we are proud to be involved.

Wonderful light for the trips to Botanic Garden and Carmarthen

Queen Elizabeth High

What a wonderful day for photography! On our arrival at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne, the sun was shining with that distinctive late autumn light. 'Golden' is sometimes used to describe it and we certainly made the most of it in the beautiful surroundings of Wales' own botanic garden. The trees were at their colourful best and there were a surprising number of plants in bloom, making the overall effect extremely attractive. There were landscape views, including the meadows, mature native trees and the stunning Great Glasshouse seeming to rise from the ground itself.



Above: QE High students relax in the Olive Grove of the National Botanic Garden of Wales

On the way up the meandering walk, the feature waterfalls, flower beds and rock beds illustrating Wales' geological history all made for endless subjects for photography. The students were fired up with enthusiasm and took hundreds of photos, snapping away at everything that took their fancy. Arriving at the glasshouse, there were many more photo opportunities, both outside the building, with the dramatic landscapes, and inside, the huge range of world wide Mediterranean type plants. We made our way to the central area known as the Olive Grove and had a fun time having the group shots taken. Later, back in school, there were many stunning shots to view when the children showed me their best three of the day.


Johnstown Juniors

It may not have been the exotic surroundings of the Botanic Garden, but the afternoon we had together taking photos of Carmarthen was a great experience for Johnstown Juniors. The weather was fine and clear as we arrived at the car park in front of the train station and our planned walk first took us to the platform where a train was waiting. Next, we walked to the old road bridge, stopping to photograph County Hall and the Towy Works building across the river. On the bridge itself, we were able to look downstream to the new foot bridge. The clouds were quite dramatic at this point, adding to the creative possibilities.



Above: Johnstown Juniors on Carmarthen's newest bridge

Crossing the road, we made for the vantage point that is the old castle. Not much remains of this medieval structure, but the Round Tower, the Square Tower, together with views of the Old Police Station and Gatehouse presented many captivating views. Looking back, were able to take in a large section of the valley. Completing the circuit, we walked to the new bridge, taking plenty of time to take pictures of the views of the town and the river in both directions. Here, we stopped and took the group shot. Looking at the work in the classroom, it's obvious we lots of talented photographers in the project.

Ysgol Penyrheol

It has been a very successful project with Penyrheol. In fact the students had got on so well with the final tasks that we were able to take time and have fun taking the last of the portraits and the group shots.



Above: Penyrheol pupils and staff having fun

We started a bit formally with everybody lined up a little tensely, but then as we relaxed more, the group interacted in amusing ways and we got some fine pictures. A sense of camaraderie has been a characteristic of this group from the beginning and the photos taken of them in this session reflect that.


Ysgol Penybryn

The students at Penybryn have done wonderfully well. All the classroom tasks have been completed and, apart from some detail work, what had to be done was to take everybody's portraits and to do the group shots. Very much like Penyrheol, the students here are very supportive of each other.



Above: Penybryn students and staff in relaxed mood at the end of the project

This quality was very helpful during the portrait taking, with several of the young people acting as facilitators, gathering in the others and helping with the names. Later, after we'd got the mug shots, there was more fun as they enjoyed the process of lining up, learning to relax in front of the camera and interacting in a natural way. The results were very good indeed.

Everybody is now looking forward to seeing their work at the exhibition in the plush surroundings of the Grand Theatre.

The Big Exhibition of both Swansea schools' work

Please note the following dates and place:

2nd of November, 12.30pm - Grand Theatre, Swansea: Presentation of gifts to all students by the Mayor of Swansea

3rd November, 9.00am to 5.00pm - Grand Theatre, Swansea: Exhibition open

Carmarthen schools have a great time on their first field trips

Queen Elizabeth High

The sun shone on our field trips today, and although there were a lot of logistical matters to sort before we could leave the school in two buses, it stayed fine all the time we were out. It was a relatively short trip to Carmarthen Park, but there was a lot there to photograph, including the Gorsedd Stones, the ornate Victorian bandstand, many trees and the unique cycling track. So we made the most of this opportunity, taking hundreds of pictures. It's fair to say that all the students enjoyed the experience and they took some terrific photos. Back in school, we got into the practice of looking through the day's work and choosing the best three, then showing them to me one at a time.



Above: QE High students and staff enjoying the sun at the Carmarthen bandstand

The habit of looking at all the session's images helps the budding photographers' confidence and, hopefully, the comments guide their future work. Judging by this day's collection, it's going to be a great exhibition.


Johnstown Juniors

What an enthusiastic group! It was difficult holding them back on this, our first field trip. On the way to Johnstown Park, we stopped off at the school's own garden and found some lovely subjects to photograph, including stunning close up shots of many kinds of foliage and even a large plastic frog. A short walk away is the park and playground with the small river running through it.



Above: Johnstown Juniors in the school garden

It is very interesting that in such a small area there can be so many photo opportunities. Two stones bridges, lots of river textures, several different trees and plants on the ground provided ample subjects for the children. We spent an enjoyable hour there. Back in school, it was a real treat to view the kids' best shots – so much creativity unleashed is such a short period. There's no doubt that this project has a beneficial effect on these children.

The Big Exhibition of both Swansea schools' work

Please note the following dates and place:

2nd of November, 12.30pm - Grand Theatre, Swansea: Presentation of gifts to all students by the Mayor of Swansea

3rd November, 9.00am to 5.00pm - Grand Theatre, Swansea: Exhibition open

Heads down to get the IT work done at Swansea

Ysgol Penyrheol

We had another successful day at Penyrheol for the hard working kids. Building on last session's good work, the students completed the tough job of finalising their choices down to the best ten images. Once they'd done that, everybody opened a Word document and typed in the number of each picture followed by a title for it. This is a more difficult task than it might sound. In a very few words, the title has to describe the substance of the photograph, whether it's a simple place name, or perhaps it is more poetic and describes the photographer's response to the scene and its contents. Sometimes, the first thing that comes into your head is the best – however silly it might at first seem. Once that part was done, a separate piece of typing has to answer the question, "Why do you like the picture?” Again, this can be as simple as a few words, or as complicated as you like. What's important, though, is to put it in your own words – and it doesn't matter about the spelling at all.



Above: Penyrheol class sorting through the hundreds of photos

Normally, the kids' portraits are taken in the last lesson (this one being the second to last), but we got on so well that I was able to take them in the last period. Using my brand new camera, the portraits came out really well. Next session we will finish any bits left over and take the group shots, hopefully with all the staff who accompanied us on the field trips.


Ysgol Penybryn

What a good afternoon we had! Nearly all the students had gone through their complete set of work and had made the all important choices. This made the task so much easier and by the end of the session we had even made most of the descriptive documents. Next time we'll have to make sure everything is finished and also do the individual portraits and group shots.



Above: Penybryn students hard at work on their choices

The Big Exhibition of both Swansea schools' work

Please note the following dates and place:

2nd of November, 12.30pm - Grand Theatre, Swansea: Presentation of gifts to all students by the Mayor of Swansea

3rd November, 9.00am to 5.00pm - Grand Theatre, Swansea: Exhibition open

Back to work for the Swansea Schools

Ysgol Penyrheol

After the long summer break, it was great to get back to work on the project and to be welcomed warmly by the kids at Ysgol Penyrheol. In their new IT suite, we had plenty of room to move and lots of lovely computers that worked perfectly. Apart from having to transfer the students' photos to their workstations, there were no hitches and everybody was able to learn the processes of downloading images from the camera and making folders in which to place them. In fact we got on better than is usual at this point in the schedule.



Above: Penyrheol students concentrate on making difficult choices

By the end of the session, we had finished the main jobs for the day and had begun the task of making the tricky choices of which of the hundreds of photos
taken during the five field trips should be put in the folder marked '20 best'. It's always such an important part of the project and one that needs care. What's important is to choose ones that each photographer really likes, whilst making sure the quality is good – sharp, level, well exposed – and there is a range of different subjects. So, there are lots of different things to bear in mind.


Ysgol Penybryn

There was also a warm welcome for us at Penybryn School. It was a pleasure to meet everybody again after the holiday.



Above: Penybryn practice on the computers

Our task was similar to Penyrheol's and all the students were ready to go. However, there was a problem with the IT equipment, which slowed everything down. Some of students managed to see their pictures and others were able to observe, but, in the end we had to make different arrangements. A member of staff, using the new CHRT provided computer, will go through each student's pictures with them, choosing their best 20 and putting them into a special folder. So, by our next session, we should be ready to take on the next stage of dividing those pictures in two for the final selection. Dealing with the class in two halves will also help with the workload, whilst utilising the fastest of the computers.

The Big Exhibition of both Swansea schools

Please note the following date and place

2nd and 3rd of November, Grand Theatre, Swansea 12.30 pm

Carmarthen schools new budding photographers

Queen Elizabeth High

Wow! What a wonderful new school. The combined comprehensive that is QE High is a school fit for a new century and Cheryl and I are delighted to start a new project here. The special unit is full of smiley people and we were made to feel very welcome. Due to an administrative error, we started a bit late, but that didn't spoil the pupils' joy at receiving brand new high spec cameras to use for the project. As usual, there was no delay in their finding out how to operate these amazing pieces of equipment and everybody was soon taking practice pictures of each other.



Above: Queen Elizabeth High pupils and staff in the grounds of the school

A little later we made our way to the school grounds where there was a good range of subjects to photograph from playground structures to semi wilderness. After taking a few fun pics of the group, we went back to the classroom and the students showed me their best shot of the day. I already can see that we have lots of budding photographers!


Johnstown Juniors

What a lively lot the kids of Johnstown Juniors are. The newest group on the project are enthusiastic as can be and paid attention while we went through the boring bits of talking about the work they'd be doing. As soon as the cameras were distributed, they were away taking pictures of each other in the classroom as if they had been doing it for ages, hardly needing any instruction. At first, we took pictures of the landscape through the windows, but quickly the rain eased a little, so we went out to the shelter of the bike shed.



Above: Johnstown Juniors shelter from the rain while taking their first pictures

Here there is a surprisingly good view north to Carmarthen town. We could see the Picton monument, the tower of Christchurch and further on an interesting hilly horizon, as well as groups of buildings. Back in class and looking at their best shot of the day, it's clear that we will be seeing some really good picture taking here.

Llanelli Schools’ Triumphant Exhibition

Ysgol Coedcae and Ysgol Maes y Morfa

It was a triumphant exhibition for the two Llanelli schools. Stradey Park Hotel was the venue and its luxurious surroundings were an apt situation for an event that was attended by so many wearers of 'bling'. By that I mean all the mayors, mayoresses and chairmen of community councils and county council who wore their dazzling gold chains of office. It was very pleasing to see the Mayor of Llanelli, the Chair of the Llanelli Rural Council and the Chair of the County Council there to make a fuss of the kids and to compliment the children's work. Quite rightly, their worships all were extremely impressed by the quality of the images in the show and they all stayed behind after the speeches to add their positive comments. With so much good work on show, it took everybody a long time to get a real sense of what was in the exhibition.

Twenty nine pupils, each with their ten favourites, plus nine extra shots from each of the locations, plus over six hundred smaller pics in the collages adds up to more than one thousand photographs on show. Together, the two schools had taken nearly eleven thousand pictures on eight field trips, plus the initial forays in their school grounds.



Above: Two of the Maes y Morfa kids with the dignatories

Tuesday at the launch and there must have been at least eighty people admiring the photos. Without doubt, every one of the visitors was highly impressed – not just by the beautiful images, but also by the joy on every child's face. The sense of pride in their achievement was palpable. They had endured horrendous weather for most of the field trips to come back with pictures that anyone could be pleased with. The Mayor of Llanelli, Councillor Dyfrig Thomas presented each pupil with a goody bag with a framed print of one of their favourite pictures and various other gifts. Later, they will receive DVDs on which will be all their photographs. The prints at the exhibition will go on show at the schools and the cameras and computer equipment will stay with the schools for continuing projects.

The Chairman of the County Council, Mrs Tegwen Devichand had great praise for both the children's excellent photography and the project itself, which she thought was doing unique work in raising the pupils' pride and self esteem.

On Wednesday, we had a visit from Assembly Member Helen-Mary Jones, who was very complimentary and stayed for over an hour taking in the show and talking to the family members who had come to view their children's work. She said she realised that the project, which involves ten schools from around the region and one hundred and fifty pupils visiting forty locations, has a national significance. Bearing that in mind, she suggested that a final exhibition in 2011 could be at the Senedd in Cardiff. It's a very exciting idea and we hope it can be arranged.



Above: Cheryl Kit with Helen-Mary Jones, AM

Later that day, pupils from Penybryn School in Swansea came to visit the exhibition. It was a good opportunity for them to get a real sense of what they were working towards. Also, we had a visit from one of the teachers at the Rhys Pritchard School in Llandovery, which is one of the two from that town we will be working with next year. This time in 2011 we will be having their exhibition. In September, we work with the Swansea schools to teach the principles of computer work with images and we begin with two new schools in Carmarthen. The dates for the Swansea exhibition are 2nd and 3rd November, which will be held in the lovely surroundings of the Grand Theatre.



Above: What a wonderful exhibition!

This is the end of the school year for the project and it has been a brilliant first half. All the objectives have been met and all the outcomes achieved. The hard work (and endurance of very bad weather – not to mention the loss of a favourite hat!) has, most importantly, brought a grin to lots of kids from six schools in west Wales.

Have a great summer.

Final field trips in Swansea

Ysgol Penyrheol – Caswell Bay

This, our last field trip took us the furthest away from the school to Caswell Bay on the south Gower coast. The weather was a little disappointing at first, with low cloud and a cool breeze from the sea. Being near midsummer, though, the light level itself was good, with even illumination. This meant that shadows were not an important feature of picture taking.



Above: Penryheol staff and kids air surfing on the beach at Caswell Bay

The children were happy to be there and keen to go off and take photos of the coast line, the sand, the rock formations and rock pools. We were lucky that the tide was nearly out, revealing the rocks and caves on both side of the bay. Back in school and looking at their best three shots, the entire class had done excellent work. The exhibition next autumn will be good to see.


Ysgol Pen y Bryn – Singleton Park

What a treat! Our trip to Singleton was very enjoyable and by the time we arrived, the clouds had parted and the light substantially improved. The upper part of the park was a revelation. The first things we saw were the beautifully situated Gorsedd Stones, which provided lots of potential for interesting photos, both as individual stones and as the whole arrangement. It was also a very good spot to take the group photo shot. Moving on, we went through a gate in the high stone wall into the Botanical Garden to see a feast of colour.



Above: Penybryn class on the Gorsedd Stones in Singleton Park

Magnificent describes the floral displays only adequately – there were wonderful flowers in profusion and the kids took lots of photos. Actually, there were many other possible pics here: stately trees, squirrels, a pond, birds and (more fun here) water sprays. There were more photos taken in the Botanical Garden than anywhere else on our previous field trips. It is gratifying to see the pleasure these young people are getting from the project, not mention the satisfaction from making genuine pieces of art.

This was our last session before the end of term and the last of the field trips for the Swansea schools. When we resume in September, we will be doing the three sessions in front of the computers, downloading from the cameras, creating folders and choosing the best pictures for the exhibition. Enjoy the summer!

Landscapes Everywhere!

Ysgol Penyrheol

To the sea at the Discovery Centre

It was just the weather for a jaunt to the seaside with our cameras. The sun was out, it was warm, the skylarks were up and singing and the sea was there in front of us with Gower not far away across the estuary. It was a photographer's paradise. There were landscapes everywhere! Not only were there seascapes, with sand, waves and distant views, but there also were masses of possibilities in the foreshore, the buildings and the other architectural patterns and textures. The Millennium Coast Park is somewhere we came with another school in the depth of that long cold lonely winter.



Above: Ysgol Penyrheol - Gower's thataway!

That time, we had very little time to take our pictures because of the deep freeze; this time, though, it was balmy weather all the way. It didn't take long for the class to realise that the creative possibilities were virtually endless, and they went off to exercise their shutter fingers in every direction. It is fair to say that everybody took some excellent shots here and that the exhibition will be all the better for them.


Ysgol Pen y Bryn

The lake and crowds of wild geese

For those people, like me, who go to Llansamlet just for the shopping and the industrial units, the lake there is unknown; but just off the main road opposite the car main dealers and the repair shops is this haven for wild birds, fish and humans. It's also a place that's ideal for taking photos. What with the views across the water, with its reflections from the sun, its crowds of wild geese, ducks and swans, and trees, bees and wild flowers, it was just right for budding photographers to take loads of pictures. Take pictures they did, enjoying their time immensely. Back in class and looking at everyone's best three shots, it was evident from the quality of the work that the project is succeeding in providing a unique opportunity for these young people's creativity to blossom.



Above: The Ysgol Penybryn class enjoying the lake at Llansamlet

Next session will be our last before the summer holiday and also the last of the field trips. When we get back together in September, we will have three sessions at the computer face learning about the other part of digital photography and getting down to sorting the pictures for the exhibition.