Photography Workshops for children in north London, Whetstone

Apr 24, 2019 | Blog

Spring is a lovely time to run a photography workshops for children.

Photography is everywhere. Documenting the special moments that come and go in your everyday life has never been more convenient and social media makes it easier than ever to share and consume photography.

But that doesn’t mean that taking great photos is simple. Truly, photography is an art form. Getting that perfect shot, capturing the light just right, and figuring out how to properly use a camera to its full potential all require certain skills. The good news is, no matter who you are, those skills can be taught. 

This is my second year of running photography workshops for children in north London, Whetstone.

The children had a busy day full of learning how to use the different modes in their cameras, taking shots of the same subject with different view points and telling a story through sequence of photos. Photography workshop for children

photography workshop for childrenchildren photography workshop

Part of the day is spent in the park, applying theory to practice. Over here we were trying out sports mode to capture flying in the air! 

photography workshop for children

Photography workshop for childrenphotography workshop for children

Here are some of the images the children captured on the day and what they said about the workshop. I couldn’t have been more prouder of what they produced! 

Aditi (11 years) said – “Awesome, absolutely brilliant day, I loved it and the teacher is amazing! I never knew cropping photos could make such a difference.”

Her mum said – “Love the way Aditi has taken so much interest in photography ever since she took your first workshop. She really looks forward to the sessions, thank you!”

spring photography workshop 

Charlotte (11 years) said – “I really enjoyed the spring workshop and would definitely recommend it to others. I learnt that you can tell stories through a sequence of photos and how contrasting colours can change the mood of your photo. All the activities were really fun and engaging and we all took great photography and had a great time!

Eisa (7 years) said – “It was an awesome day and loved taking photos of the cake and eating it. The park was a lot of fun.”

   

Ellie (7 years) said – “I enjoyed learning about macro/close up mode and cropping pictures to tell a story. I would recommend this workshop to other children”.

Hayder (9 years) said – “I had a great time at the workshop because you get to learn something new every time. I enjoyed the Mad hatters tea party the most as we got to photograph and eat it after.”

   

Mahdiyya (7 years) said – “I learnt about framing my images and using macro mode. Going to the park and doing the flying umbrella was really fun. I would really like to do it again!”

Her mum said – “Wow, wow, woo! Maddy is bouncing off the walls! What a gorgeous set up and love the pictures!! Thanks so much. She’s already asked to book her in the next one.”

Mahi ( 7 years) said – “I really enjoyed taking photos of nature. It was an exciting, brilliant and fun day.”

   

Olivia (12 years) said – “I really enjoyed the workshop because I learnt how to take really good and clear photos of flowers and plants. Doing the activities in the park was also fun!”

Ruby (7 years) said – “I enjoyed going to the park and taking tons of photos. I would describe this workshop as awesome, amazing, cool and great!”

Ruby’s mum said – “What fabulous pictures, thank  you so much. Ruby thoroughly enjoyed the camp and can’t wait to go back in the summer. You put so much detail and effort in to the day. So wonderful!”

   

Sofia (12 years) said – “I enjoyed the whole day, especially acting out the Alice and Wonderland story (as I got to be the evil queen). It was a fun day taking photos and would definitely recommend to others!”

Zak (10 years) said – “It was an awesome day and I had a great time. I really enjoyed all the close up photos and framing my pictures to tell a story.”

   

Photography is a great way for children to express their creativity. After each activity I always encourage children to look through their photos and choose the ones they love. You will be surprised at the results as children see the world so differently to adults and they are constantly surprising me!

Here is one of me jumping which my assistant captured Photography workshops for childrenPS – You don’t always have to jump with your tongue sticking out! 

If you want to be the first to hear about my photography workshops for children then comment below or contact me and I will add you to my special VIP list.

 by Follow these top 10 tips to take better photos on your mobile phone.

 

  1.  CLEAN YOUR LENS

I know this may sound obvious, but you will be amazed by the amount of dirt and smudges you find on your lens build up from your pockets, handbags and kids.  So, get into the habit of cleaning your phone with a tissue or soft part of your clothes (do not wipe on your jeans or fingers!!).

  1. GET ON THE GRID

The best way of achieving straighter images (especially for landscape) is by enabling the grid feature on your phone. This should be in your camera settings and nine equal boxes will appear when you switch your camera on. Use the 3×3 grid to align your images and hey presto no more leaning tower of Pisa!

  1. RELY ON NATURAL LIGHT

Understanding light is one of the most important factors in any photos. It can transform the mood and atmosphere of the photo. Try to use natural light on your subject and avoid using built-in flash as they are usually unflattering or can be too harsh.

  1. DITCH THE ZOOM

By zooming in too much the quality of your image decreases, and it appears more pixelated. To get better and sharper images try to get closer to your subject or use minimal zoom.

  1. GO PORTRAIT!

Ever wondered how professional portraits stand out? (Well, the “not so very hidden” secret is that we create a shallow depth of field by setting our aperture wide). You can achieve this look by using the portrait mode on your phone. The camera phone blurs the background and puts the focus on the subject. Best used for individual, couple’s portraits and even makes food look good but practice by varying the distance.

  1. SHOW ME THE LIGHT

Light is key when taking good photos so understanding where your light is and how to position yourself/subject is important. Put your camera phone on selfie and do a full spin to see where the light is hitting you most flattering. You may also want to try backlight so when the light source is behind you, it creates a halo effect.

  1. HONE IN ON YOUR FOCUS

Phone cameras are normally set to automatic focus but sometimes the subject is not so obvious, or you may want to change the focus point. To adjust where you want your phone camera to focus, simply tap on the subject and a square icon will appear. This will shift your focus and sharpen your subject.

  1. VARY YOUR SHOTS

Rather than taking the same type of shot over and over again, try changing the perspective (go higher up or lower down). Another tip when photographing building or landmarks is to use the panoramic mode vertically (going up or down). This lets you take a series of photos and stitch them together into one wide or tall image.

  1. READY, STEADY, GO!

Nobody likes blurry images, well unless you are creating a purpose blur! To minimise camera shake use both hands or lean on a surface, wall or even a friend’s shoulder to create stability. For low light conditions, time lapse and long exposure, purchasing a small tripod can be more helpful.

  1. LOOK THROUGH AND EDIT YOUR IMAGES

Taking a good photo on your mobile phone is just the first step and with a few tweaks you can turn your good photos into great photos! Most mobile phones now come with editing features such as exposure, contrast, white balance, crop, sharpness, and magic wand. If you want to further edit your images, there are editing apps such as Snapseed, Adobe Photoshop Express and Instagram offer further features as well as one tap filters. Try converting your image to black and white to create a certain mood!

I hope by following these top tips you will see a difference and start taking better photos on your mobile phone. Practising and experimenting is the best way to learn, so have a play on your phone and see what works for you but most importantly have fun!!

If you want to further develop and compose photos creatively then why not sign up to my adult mobile phone workshop. I will be running them at my home studio in North London, N20 from January 2024. Contact me for further details.

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