Getting to Grips with Technology

Milford Haven Comprehensive

This morning was spent in front of computer screens practising how to create folders, move files and then working with pictures. As often happens, we had a few unexpected problems with the system, making things a bit challenging. However, we triumphed over adversity and worked through the plan very successfully. When we had completed our tasks, we learned how to download from the camera. Then we opened one picture we had taken on a field trip, one with some details and various colours. With that image on the screen, wording – usually it was the name of the place where the pic was taken - was added and then we had fun changing the colours in the picture by using different tools from the school’s photo imaging software.


Above: Milford comp kids get to grips with IT

And fun it was! The creative possibilities are endless and everybody had a very enjoyable time making their photos look completely different. For the first time, the children were joined by ‘buddies’ form the sixth form. As part of their Welsh Baccalaureate, they came to part of the lesson and gave our students the benefit of their expertise in IT by helping out occasionally. In this class there was one sixth former to two of our students and they were very helpful indeed. We then started the process of making the tough choices about which photos should go into our top twenty favourites.


Milford Haven Juniors

The juniors did pretty much the same work as the comp, though we had a full complement of sixth formers to help out and a technical officer present to sort equipment or software problems as they arose. It was just as well he was there because there was less time than with the older group. However, today we had plenty of buddies from the sixth form – one per student, plus a couple extra – on hand to help and to encourage. I must say that they did a great job and I look forward to them taking part in the future. Nearly all the kids managed to choose their twenty favourites, no small job considering the sometimes hundreds of shots that needed to be examined carefully and the best put into the new folder ready for next week’s final tasks.


Above: Milford juniors and sixth form buddies tackle the tricky choices

When we meet next week, we will continue working by firstly, cutting the twenty favourites down to ten, then giving each one a title (which will be on the display with the photograph at the exhibition) and finally saying why we chose that particular image. Also, we need to take pictures of all the students, which will be on their display boards next to the ten best shots.

Ken Day, photographer

Thank goodness for the sun!

Llanelli Coedcae Comprehensive

Thank goodness for the sun! I began to think it would never return, but today it was brilliant for our second field trip. A quick run in the minibus took us to Kidwelly Castle, where Cheryl had arranged, with Cadw, free entry for the class. Very few people were about, despite the fine weather; so we had the castle mostly to ourselves. It was a great opportunity for the children to take photos of one of Wales' important castles. The light was very clear, giving strong shadows, which helped to bring a sense of drama to the pictures of the towers, walls and masonry.



Above: Coedcae comp taking their shadows in Kidwelly Castle

There were lots of chances to take interesting compositions through windows and in dark corners. We tried to make sense of why the castle was there and what it was for. Castles, especially in west Wales, are important parts of the landscape, and our assignment for the day was to think about this as we took our photos. Back in the classroom looking at the children's three best pictures of the day, I was very pleased at the quality of their work. They all had images that are good enough to go into the final exhibition.


Maes y Morfa Juniors

What a change in the weather! At last we were able to go on our field trip and not shake and shiver after a couple of minutes. The light was still good for our trip to Machynys golf club, where the owners had kindly let the class take pictures by the main building and of the landscapes along the road. Some excellent work was done here of the greens, the road and environmental features such as ponds, ornamental plantings and trees.



Above: Maes y Morfa juniors at the Machynys clubhouse

Jumping back in the bus, we went a mile west to the new housing development at Pentre Nicklaus, where the views to Gower and along the estuary are beautiful. The children were inspired to take lots of good images of the sea, sky and beach. Again, everybody has taken some superb photographs, some of which, I'm sure will go into the show.

Ken Day, photographer

The Biting Wind

Llanelli Coedcae Comprehensive

In spite of the biting wind, we decided to carry on with our field trip to Burry Port, and what a time we had – short and shivery, that is! The minibus took us to the harbour, first to the east side and we thought it best to do the training part in the bus, which was just as well because, despite all of us being well wrapped up, we couldn’t stay out for very long. And nearly the first thing that happened was that my hat flew off in a gust of wind and landed in the harbour! Even I had to laugh.



Above: Coedcae kids braving the weather at Burry Port

It was good hat, though and I really missed it for the rest of the day. We took lots of pictures of the boats, the railings, the buildings and the sea (not to mention my hat in the water) before nipping back in the bus briefly to go round to the other side of the port where the old lighthouse is situated. Here we took as many photos as we could before making it back to the bus before we froze. Back at school, I did the normal thing of looking at the children’s three best pictures and was very pleased indeed at the quality of the work, even though some were obviously taken with shaky hands.


Maes y Morfa Juniors

A trip to the Elli Centre for the juniors was a really good idea. Lots of interior shots of corridors, details of fruit on show and other goods made for some interesting compositions. On the way back to the minibus we also took pictures of some of Llanelli’s most important buildings including Eglwys Elli, Ty Elwyn, the old cinema and the newly refurbished town council building. Great pics were taken today and I’m very pleased with the work as we looked at it on our return to the classroom. I’m certain we’ll get some very fine work next time we go out on our second field trip.



Ken Day, photographer

Llanelli Coedcae Comprehensive and Maes y Morfa Juniors

Once again, it was a great pleasure for me to start a new project in different schools. This time, we're in two Llanelli schools, starting in the morning with Coedcae Comprehensive, then going on to Maes y Morfa after lunch. The class were so delighted with their cameras and couldn't wait to start snapping each other in the room. As usual, I introduced the ideas about landscape, with which we will be working, such as 'don't forget the big things'.



Above: Half the Maes y Morfa children happy with their cameras

That means, of course, the sky, the sea, the ground; and then there are all the things in the landscape that make each one special, like trees, roads, buildings, cars, people. We've got to think about why the things in the landscape are actually there. Why was the castle built on a hill? Why did they put the road in the valley? What do the hedges do? These questions will help us to take better landscape pictures.



Above: The Coed Cae class with the new cameras

Then we looked at how to hold the camera when framing and shooting. What are the important things? Keep it steady, hold it in two hands and squeeze the camera to operate the shutter. This way you help to stop blurry photographs. So, we practiced that by taking pictures of each first, then going out to the school grounds and snapping the trees, walls and buildings – not forgetting the people!



Above: The other half of the Maes y Morfa class with their new cameras

I was very pleased to see everybody's best three shots at the end of each session. It was a very good start to the project, with some interesting work. Next time we will go on our first field trip. Let's hope for nice weather!

Ken Day, photographer

Time in the Classroom

I never thought I'd be happy to spend time in the class room, rather than go out and take pictures; but today was the exception. We spent the day doing the first day of the computer training sessions at Milford Haven in both the comprehensive and the juniors, and while the weather did its worst, we were snug indoors.

Starting, as usual, with the comp kids, we learned how to download from the camera and how to create and name folders. This is very important to know, otherwise finding our work later will be nearly impossible. Once we had created the relevant folders for all the field trips we made, there was time to have the first go at looking closely at the pictures we have taken. There are so many that it will take quite a time to choose our best twenty. Once we have them, we will make the final choice of ten, which will go into the exhibition.

Having spent the time with the comp, Cheryl and I did the same thing with the juniors in the afternoon.

I must say that everybody from both schools did very well and taking a first peek at some of the images the children have made was very encouraging. I'm sure we will have a cracking show.

Next time we meet, we will continue working on the computers, making those first all too difficult choices about which pictures we think are best. The added challenge when we make the final ten to be exhibited will be to name the pictures and to say why we have chosen them.

Ken Day, photographer

What a nice change!

What a nice change! It’s January, so it won’t be warm, but today the sun shined for us as we explored Pembroke Castle with the kids from the comprehensive this morning. It really is big, with thick walls overlooking the river and town and a huge central tower that is nearly eight hundred years old. With lots to see and explore (and photograph) we went all round the castle taking many pics of everything from details in the stones to the mysterious underground cavern where stone age people lived. Having explored the towers and the buildings and looked at the views, we spent time at the gatehouse, where there is a museum and exhibition.

We saw waxwork tableaux of royal banquets, scenes of life in the castle during late medieval times and many other interesting exhibits. We learned that Henry VII was actually born there. Most of the kids liked the scale model of the castle and the grounds as it would have looked in medieval times. In fact, when it came to looking at the pictures back in class, quite a number of the children chose photos of the model as one of their three favourites for the day.



Above: Comprehensive class outside Henry VII%27s Tower

Apart from taking great images of one of Wales’ most impressive castles and having a nice morning out in the rare sunshine, we did learn how important it is to keep checking your work by looking at the photos as they are taken.

Unfortunately, for staffing reasons, we were unable to go out with the juniors in the afternoon, but we hope to make a new arrangement very soon.

Next time we meet, we will start work on the computers, downloading the work and beginning the process of choosing the best work.

Ken Day, photographer

A Bigger Picture in Wales: Experiencing the Landscape

I seem to concentrate on the weather a lot recently, but with some justification as far as field trips with the kids from Milford Comprehensive and Junior Schools are concerned. Today is not going to be an exception. Low cloud, drizzle and cold followed by real rain – that was our lot today. However, my disappointment at the quality of the light was not shared by the children. They are happy to be out and about with their cameras, whatever the weather.

After about half an hour we drove to St. Anne’s lighthouse, where we had another walkabout, this time on the paths around the old lighthouse and near the new one. This gave us a different perspective on the sea, especially when a tanker passed below the headland. Some good pictures were taken of the pasture with sheep in the foreground and the passing tanker behind.

Back in school, we again looked at the children’s best pictures in the back of their cameras. This is the bit everybody likes – reviewing the morning’s work and making those difficult choices. This time the challenge of deciding the difference between natural and man made added another dimension to the process. The next time we meet will be the first Friday back at school in January and we will have our last field trip. The added challenge will be to take more time over the picture taking by looking at each shot as it is taken in order to check the focus, framing, blurriness and levelness. We should be able to ensure that even more good pictures are taken that the kids can be proud of.



Above: St. Annes Head with the comprehensive kids

After lunch Cheryl and I met the juniors at Gelliswick, a small village with a shingle beach near Milford Haven. It is ideal for this field trip, with its theme of looking at the landscape and seeing what might be natural and what man-made. The shore itself with plants, sea and shingle was easy to identify as part of the scenery that was almost purely natural, while most of what we could see – the jetty with its pipeline, the road, houses and even the fields, we decided were either actually made by humans or at least altered. The children had a great time taking pictures of almost everything around them: on the foreshore with stones, shells; the sea with boats and the pipeline; and the houses by the shore.

It was good to get back to the classroom, though. Some of us took a bit of warming up!
Looking through all the children’s work that day was a great pleasure. They had done some brilliant work and everybody was keen to point out what they thought was nature and what was changed in the landscape.

Next time we meet will be the last of the field trips and we will be concentrating on taking the very best pictures we can by checking each frame after we have taken it. Then, if there is a mistake – maybe the horizon will be not level, maybe we missed the thing we were trying to picture – we can take the photo again. This way we take more care and pay more attention to what we are trying to achieve.

Ken Day, photographer