Have you left your Christmas Shopping to the last minute? Do you need ideas on what to buy for your loved one? Do they love Photography?

We have the answers for you! Heres our Top 5 gift ideas for the Photographer in your life!

1. Photography Course London Gift Voucher

Give the gift of knowledge with a Gift Voucher towards one of our Photography Courses or One to One tuition, whether that’s on DSLR, Photoshop, Darkroom or Lighting, we have Photography courses for everyone and receive 20% Off if you use code PCLGVX2 before 22/12/12. Buy now

2. Nifty Fifty –  50mm f/1.8mm PrimeLens

The 50mm f1.8 lens is arguably an essential for any camera owner, and its available for less than £100! Great in low light and lightweight! Perfect for taking those Christmas portraits! Buy now

3. Photography Book 

Why not inspire them to get out and take more photos by giving them a beautifully crafted Photography Book full of inspiration and incredible photography.

4. Gorillapod

These compact bendable tripods are great for any photographer! Not only are they lightweight and small meaning they can easily fit into your rucksack and can be taken anywhere, but they can be picked up from as little as £20! Perfect for any landscape or timelapse enthusiasts! 5. Extension Tube

Extension tubes are the cost effective way to get into Marco Photography without breaking the bank! Starting from around £30 upwards they are a great gift for anyone interested in taking close up photos!

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15 second exposure portrait, taken on a homemade pinhole camera by Richard Sheaves.

This hauntingly beautiful portrait was taken this week by one of our students, Richard Sheaves, using a homemade Pinhole Camera

In this post we will show you how to convert your DSLR Camera into a Pinhole Camera, so that you can step back in time and take wonderfully unique and nostalgic photographs.

For this fun project here’s what you’ll need:

• A spare body cap for your camera

• A power drill and drill bit (about 5mm)

• Fine sand paper

• Aluminium drink can

• Scissors or craft knife

• A small sewing need or pin

• Black electrical tape

Make sure to ask any necessary adult before using tools.

Step 1 – Drill a hole in your body cap

First measure and mark the centre of your body cap. Place the cap on a secure surface that will not be damaged (the drill was pass through the cap very quickly and will spin after), make sure it is tightly grips and use the power drill to maker a hole in the centre.

Afterwards clear any debris out of the cap and use the fine sandpaper to sand away any loose bits, leaving the hole clean and smooth.

Step 2 – Prepare the Aluminium Hole

Carefully cut out a square from the clean empty drinks can (about 1inch by 1inch) and flatten it.

Using the electrical tape secure the aluminium square to the back of the hole on the body cap, ensuring its flat.

Without applying too much pressure use the the tip of the sewing needle to make a pin sized hole in the middle.

Remember

The smaller the pinhole = smaller aperture = less light, sharper photo.
The bigger the pinhole = larger aperture = more light, softer photo.

Step 3 – Attach and shoot!

The pinhole is now ready to be attached to the camera and take photos!

Use you camera in manual mode and remember that it your pinhole camera now has a tiny aperture, with an f-number probably larger than f/100!

Keeping that in mind you’ll want to start off with at least an exposure of 5 seconds! After that take it from there, be creative and have fun!

Send in your examples to info@photographycourselondon.com or share on our Facebook

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Tariq Zaidi, one of PCLs tutors,  has fast become one of the leading fine art travel portrait photographers of recent times, with his photos winning major international awards.

His photographs document social issues and perfectly capture the essence and soul of the individuals, whilst set against a backdrop of their own natural environment.

Having travelled to areas such as Cambodia, South Korea, Indonesia and Ethiopia, he has recently returned from El Salvador, commonly known as the deadliest place on earth, plagued by gang violence.

In a gripping article published today in The Guardian, Tariq documents with his photographs the troubles and difficulties faced in every day life by the locals in El Salvador.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/22/el-salvador-a-nation-held-hostage-a-photo-essay

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Ahead of the news that next year the National Portrait Gallery will be closing for 3 years whilst undergoing refurbishment we were keen to check out this years Taylor Wessing Photography Portrait Prize, a yearly tradition at PCL.

The TYPPP is the leading international annual portrait photography competition, open to everyone. Showcasing of the best contemporary portrait photography from around the globe,

The diverse range of images and subjects often display an array of gender, race, class, sexuality and religion.

We won’t contain any spoilers yet for those who want to head over to the NPG and check out the exhibition, but what we will say is this year does not disappoint!

Check back later in the month for an in depth look and review of the winners!

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‘Back to School’ Facebook Competition

Take part in our ‘Back to School’ Facebook Competition today. Like our Page and Post and comment with your favourite photo to enter. The prize will be a ticket to our Digital Photography Crash Course. The winner will be announced on 1st October 2019.

Link to our Facebook page:

Terms and Conditions apply. See Full Terms and Conditions below:

1. The promoter is Photography Course London – 7 Printing House Yard, Hackney, E2 7PR.
2. The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 18 years or over except employees of Photography Course London and their close relatives.
3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
5. Only one entry will be accepted per person.
6. Closing date for entry will be 30th September 2019 at 23:59GMT.
7. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
8. To be entered into the prize draw entrants must Like our Page and Post and comment with your favourite Photo.
9. The prize is as follows: One ticket to our Digital Photography Crash Course. The prize is as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered.The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
10. The winner will be selected at random and announced on 1st October 2019.
11. The winner will be notified by direct message on Facebook within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
12. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected / is delivered.
13. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
14. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current [UK] data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
15. The winner’s name will be available 28 days after closing date by emailing the following address: info@photographycourselondon.com
16.  Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
17. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Photography Course London and not to any other party.

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This weekend Photography Course London went to check out the new multi-media exhibition ‘Kiss My Genders’ at the Hayward Gallery.

This brand new immersive exhibitions features over 100 pieces of artwork, from more than 30 international artists, including one of our tutors, Holly Falconer, and is a celebration of Gender and Sexual Identity.

Together the photography, films, sculptures, paintings and other installations colloborate to create a profound, mesmerising and thought provoking experience which chapters 50 years of non-binary, trans and intersex identities and experiences from across the globe.

Amongst the vast media capturing and exploring the fluidity in sexuality and gender, the photography and portraiture of LGBT+ and queer individuals really stands out.

One of the first major pieces of photography is a portrait of Amrou Al-Khadi shot by Holly Falconer, the triple exposure brilliantly explores the different aspects of their identity, being a drag performer with Muslim heritage.

The first floor is dedicated to a room of broad and rich photography, displayed on pastel coloured boards, that mirror the transgender and bigender flags.  The earliest example of photography is Pierre Moliner’s eroctic montages and ranges from Peter Hujar’s portraits of drag artists Ethyl Eichelberger and The Cockettes and transgender actress Candy Darling to Martine Gutierrez’s bright and colourful study of beauty standards and stereotypes.

At a time where hate crimes are still current in London and the meaning and purpose of Pride is still not fully understood, ‘Kiss My Genders’ is a welcome and important addition to Londons exhibition scene.

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International animal welfare charity Brooke is excited to be hosting their first ever online Photo Competition this year!

The competition will be open to submissions from photographers at all levels from 1 May – 2 September 2019, and Photography Course London is proud to be supporting this new adventure!

For your chance to win some amazing prizes all you need to do is donate £10 to the charity and submit a photo of an equine (that’s a horse, donkey or mule!)

Full details on eligibility and how to enter the competition can be found on the Brooke website, here.

Win incredible prizes to support your photography development! 

The selection of incredible prizes up for grabs include:

- a one-on-one masterclass with acclaimed professional photographer Matthew Seed

- a two-week loan of a top of the range Hasselblad camera

- a Photography Course London beginner photography course

- two tickets for your choice of any WEX event across the UK.

These truly are fantastic prizes, and this competition is a great excuse to practice your photography skills whilst also supporting a truly worthy cause.

There are two categories in which you can enter:

Photos taken with a smartphone or tablet
Photos taken with an SLR camera

And there are two themes:

Best portrait of a horse, donkey or mule
Best action shot of a horse, donkey or mule

About Brooke

Beginning life as a hospital for ex-warhorses in 1934, Brooke is now an international animal welfare charity dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules.

With offices in London, UK Brook operates  in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, reaching over two million working horses, donkeys and mules – more than any other organisation. They employ around 900 staff worldwide, including vets, animal welfare experts and development specialists.

For full competition details, and to participate, please visit: www.thebrooke.org

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Earlier this week, we went to see the first ever major UK retrospective of renowned German photographer Andreas Gursky.

Andreas Gursky, ‘Les Mées’, copyright Andreas Gursky/DACS. Courtesy: Sprüth Magers

Spanning his career from the early ’80s, the exhibition of sixty or so photographs reopens the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery following an exciting two-year refurbishment project. It is a real showcase for some of Gursky’s signature large-scale photographs that take in our contemporary world with exquisite detail. A spectacular exhibition in the amazing Hayward gallery!

Andreas Gursky 99 Cent II, 1999/2009 C-Print, diasec 207 x 325 x 6.2cm (Andreas Gursky/DACS, 2017 Courtesy: Sprüth Magers) Andreas Gursky, VG BILD-KUNST, Bonn.

It’s heading into its final few days, so make sure you catch it before it closes on Sunday 22 April. More information and tickets available here.

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