2 Jul 20'
"I completed the part 1 beginner photography courses with Sid Smallman from Going Digital Devon and Cornwall.
Part 1 was held at Dartington Hall, Devon, and was a combination of classroom (mainly theory) and on location (practical). As a complete novice to DSLR photography, Sid pitches the course at the right level so all key beginner aspects of the camera and photography are understood by all. I will mention that there was a mixture of student ability on the course. What I mean by this is that some students were complete beginners, like me, and some students were already keen DSLR photographers but wanted to improve their photography skills and/or knowledge. Camera and photography theory was well delivered in PowerPoint and via handouts; the handouts were very handy to make notes on and take home for revision. The theory was then reinforced with good practical exercises, a few exercises were in the classroom but the majority of the exercises were on location at Dartington Hall. On location, Sid was always around to give handy reminders and tips, but he also gave us all enough photography freedom to begin to develop our own photography style. He would make suggestions as to how we could improve, and give technical feedback on how to use our cameras in the right way to get the results we were looking for.
The end of the day was summarised with Sid reviewing the students photographs. Constructive feedback was given to each student in turn, highlighting both our strong points and then making suggestions as to where improvements could be made. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable day with lots to take in and put into practice."