Learning the Magic of Photography in UK

A photograph captures a moment in a frame & preserves it for posterity. Quite often, captured by the lens in a fuzzy manner is something which you had not quite realised was there when you focused your camera on that moment. For example, your camera is focused on the moon, but you don’t realise that something flew by it – was it a shooting star or an angel or just a strange alien creature? 

Wouldn’t it be cool to have photographs which moved? Imagine, then, taking that photo of the moon & the photo moving in such a way as to display every second your camera was trained on it, thus showing what flew by. Such is the magic ability of photos in the world of Harry Potter...ah, well, time to get back to the world of Muggles...

As somebody who likes to aim and shoot, it would be great to increase my knowledge of photography. Instead of just clicking, I would be eager to learn both the technical and aesthetic aspects of this art. If I had the chance to learn photography & pursue it in UK, I would choose a college near King's Cross Station. 

Selecting a college in UK

Why near that particular station? Pretty obvious from the opening paragraph, isn't it? That's where you can board the Hogwarts Express of course! As Harry Potter fans are aware, you have to board this magic red train from Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station. While the fictional train takes the student wizards to Hogsmeade station, the real one is at Goathland, where the Harry Potter film was shot. 

In order to have the opportunity to travel (on my days off from studies) to Goathland from King’s Cross Station & relive the fictional experience, I would apply for a photography course at a college near the station. Specifically, that would be Central Saint Martins, located at 1 Granary Square, King's Cross, London (Ph:+44 (0)20 7514 7015 / Email: shortcourse@csm.arts.ac.uk).

 

About Central Saint Martins Photography Course

Central Saint Martins offers a short term course in photography

Photo Studio at Central Saint Martins 

especially for beginners. With a fee of £495, the course has got some interesting features. 

What I would learn is not just how to handle a camera, but also how to develop the film in a darkroom. Super!

What's more, I will learn the aesthetic aspects of photography through lectures on historical contemporary artwork. The course teaches:

• Camera operation
• Principles of exposure
• Film development & printing
• Picture content

While I would need to take along my own SLR camera, the college’s photography department does have its own cameras which can be used during the course learning period. 

Putting the Learning to use

As part of the course, there will likely be assignments & I would get a chance to capture my travel experience from King’s Cross Station to Goathland. After buying my Hogwarts Express ticket from the souvenir shop at King’s Cross station, I would board the train, along the journey enjoying the pumpkin pasties & other delectable snacks from the tea trolley on board (that is fictional though!). 

At Goathland station itself there is a tea room & there are plenty of places in and around the pleasant town to capture on camera. Not to be missed by my camera would be the well known waterfalls at Mallyan Spout and Thomason Foss, not to mention the surrounding woodlands.

Career Scope

Who knows? On completing the course, I just might get hired by Barnabas Cuffe, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet, the newspaper of the wizards. Thus will be launched my grand career as a photo journalist!  

Owl delivery of Daily Prophet

See how knowledge can be truly great even for a short term course in the Uk?

Central Saint Martins...here I come...

This blog post is an entry for the Knowledge is Great Indiblogger contest. 

[Note: The images of the flying cat and the owl are taking from Harry Potter Trading Cards]