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.

Final sessions in Llanelli

Ysgol Coedcae

It seems a long time ago that we started the project here in Llanelli, but looking back over the blogs, I see that it was on the 9th of February – so only four months. A lot of good work has been done by everyone since then and today we saw the last session at Coedcae, where the class finalised their choices for the exhibition and wrote the titles for the images and what was special about each one. Using those brilliant new laptop computers, the kids made short work of these final tasks. Meanwhile, in the next classroom, I took a portrait photo of each pupil, a print of which will be centrally placed on their individual exhibition board. With a few minutes to spare, we took some group shots, including some funny ones of the staff.



Above: Ysgol Coedcae class and staff at the last session


Ysgol Maes y Morfa

The class at Maes y Morfa also finished their work today, heroically working hard to complete the final tasks in front of the computers. At the same time, as we were racing the clock to help them, I set up the camera for the portraits, taking the kids' pictures between the computer sessions – and between the two end computers! Anyway, we made it, apart from a couple of absentees, whose work will be completed in normal class time. Mr. Crawford, their class teacher kindly volunteered to take the group shot, too, because we ran out of time to do that item. However, the pupils have all taken some brilliant pictures and we're all very excited to be seeing them at the beginning of July up on the exhibition boards.



Above: Maes y Morfa kids doing a great job at the computers


The Exhibition

So, the big next big thing will be the exhibition, where all the kids best photos from both schools will be printed and mounted on special boards. This is where the mayor and lots of other important people will come to admire their work. It will be on for two days in the Stradey Park Hotel on the 6th and 7th of July. On Tuesday the 6th at 12.30 the Mayor of Llanelli will officially open the exhibition and all the pupils will receive a prize from him.