I’ve started getting interested in taking better pictures, and back in the summer I saw an advert for a photography workshop in August at Kimmeridge which is only a few miles from home (and incidentally I booked up right away!  I could hardly believe the cost of only £30 for a whole day workshop with Ben Osborne, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009, who worked on BBC’s ‘Life on Earth’ series.  The workshop was backed by Dorset Artsreach making it affordable, and said it was for ‘anyone interested in photography whether they use a mobile phone, compact camera, dSLR or Hasselblad H4D’ – yes, I definitely fit in there somewhere!

We were a mixed bunch who met in the classroom, but maybe because of that we all got on rather well, and Ben’s enthusiasm soon had us all fired up and wandering round outside the Marine Centre taking pictures we might never have tried – well certainly I wouldn’t, I had a new digital compact camera that I didn’t really understand and had only ever used the ‘auto’ and ‘kids and pets’ settings.  The weather was kind to us in spite of a less than encouraging forecast, and when it started drizzling we went inside to see some of our photos projected on the screen and hear comments not only from Ben but also from the other students – it was really interesting to hear about the different ways people saw the same pictures.

After lunch it was more of the same but further afield, round the other side of the bay.  Kimmeridge is so picturesque that you can hardly help but take attractive pictures, but it’s really exciting when you know you’re improving the quality of the photos you take!  The day went far too quickly and in his summing up Ben asked each of us what we thought we were taking away from the workshop – for many of us the answer was “Confidence! “.  I know I need to learn more about the basics, exposure, depth of field etc, and ideally I’d like a better – or different – camera to go with the little compact I have.  I’ve always taken pictures that other people actually enjoy, partly because they have an interest in the subject – relatives and friends love family pictures, fellow bikers unsurprisingly like bike and rally pictures, and I love capturing those magic moments that pets present – but now I have the confidence to show my pictures to anyone!  I’ve found a new hobby –  and even when the time comes to give up triking and camping I’ll still be carrying a camera everywhere I go!

For the full set of pictures, click on the image below