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lauren_t
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Lovely DoF on #5 and #2, and I like how the cat is on the 'prowl' in #6 
Help needed for college entry
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This is a course where the entry requirement is GCSE Art !! and NO photography experience required. He is only having to submit a project because he couldn't take Art with his other GCSEs when he was 13/14. I would be gob-smacked if they are not rather happy with this set to be honest!
Mrs Cowasaki
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Lovely DoF on #5 and #2, and I like how the cat is on the 'prowl' in #6
Thanks Lauren.
Mrs Cowasaki
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Yes, there was plenty of research and writing involved too. Hence 55 pages - although most of it was composed of images, but every image had writing along with it, and there were a couple of pieces which were just research based writing.
sketch145
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Congrats Cameron 
I've just finished my photography A level, had my end of year show a couple of weeks back and am awaiting the results.
I must admit I was a little suprised with the entry requirements for you're course, I live in a very rural area so round here all courses are undersubscribed and it's more a case of 'show up and your in!'
I've just finished my photography A level, had my end of year show a couple of weeks back and am awaiting the results.I must admit I was a little suprised with the entry requirements for you're course, I live in a very rural area so round here all courses are undersubscribed and it's more a case of 'show up and your in!'
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Congratulations!
Darren - I do think a D200 would suit his developing talent and requirements. Oh well matey you may have to have the D300
Although... Don't forget to *borrow* the student discount when buying
I agree, I really would like to get him a D200 whether it is me upgrading to a D300 as part of it OR just getting a D200. With him doing the A level having the creative buttons easily accessible would be an advantage.
There is always the idea of getting a D300s for Mrs_C, me having her D300 and Cam having my D200 then Chloe having cam's D40x
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Congrats Cameron
I must admit I was a little suprised with the entry requirements for you're course, I live in a very rural area so round here all courses are undersubscribed and it's more a case of 'show up and your in!'
It is a very good college and they are choosey about who gets on what course!
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Well done Cameron.....
Thought you would get in with those pics....... 55 pages was going some.....
I think you need to have a word with your dad and tell him you need full unconditional access to his camera bag and it's contents!!!
Looking forward to seeing more stuff from you - you have a natural talent and enthusiastic 'togger parents........
Thought you would get in with those pics....... 55 pages was going some
.....I think you need to have a word with your dad and tell him you need full unconditional access to his camera bag and it's contents!!!
Looking forward to seeing more stuff from you - you have a natural talent and enthusiastic 'togger parents........
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Well done Cameron.....
Thought you would get in with those pics....... 55 pages was going some
I think you need to have a word with your dad and tell him you need full unconditional access to his camera bag and it's contents!!!
Looking forward to seeing more stuff from you - you have a natural talent and enthusiastic 'togger parents........
He is a very sensible lad and looks after his stuff. He already has access to the camera equipment that he needs. He was using my D200 with the 80-200 f2.8 for all the long shots of the cats anyway. By the time he gets to college in September he should know his way round the D200 and a studio.
I would love to be doing the course with him. I was going to do a degree in Photography but the cost would mean less kit and I suppose I don't actually need it
sketch145
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Yeah, I guessed that it may be an establishment with a little more prestige than the poor excuse we have for a college here.
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Yeah, I guessed that it may be an establishment with a little more prestige than the poor excuse we have for a college here.
It is a really good college actually. I was quite impressed with their photography department. They have a nice studio (its better than mine!), product photography tables, a multitude of lighting options etc etc. They run Macs which is handy because we do to. Also being hard to get on the course means that people cannot get on to it as a filler subject and drag others down with them.
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Well done Cameron. Good luck dude. Enjoy!
sketch145
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That sounds awesome, I'm sure Cameron will thoroughly enjoy it. The sum total of our college's photographic gear was 3 Canon AE-1s and a couple of sony P&Ss (they've just got funding for a couple of DSLRs but they're buying sonys
) and the computers were thin clients networked with an archaic server, you'd be lucky if you could even open a picture on one let alone edit it. There was also a lot of people using it as a doss course as you mention. I was very lucky in that I had most of my gear before starting the course and the tutor was great despite the gear limitations, still can't wait for the chance to use some real gear at uni though.
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That sounds awesome, I'm sure Cameron will thoroughly enjoy it. The sum total of our college's photographic gear was 3 Canon AE-1s and a couple of sony P&Ss (they've just got funding for a couple of DSLRs but they're buying sonys
I was very lucky in that I had most of my gear before starting the course and the tutor was great despite the gear limitations, still can't wait for the chance to use some real gear at uni though.
The college he is going to is one that will happily chuck you out if you do not behave. They only accept 95% attendance without asking questions! They don't accept people being late and homework has to be done on time and well. It is a really good college with brilliant results. They have decent sized classes with each person having a 27" iMac with Photoshop, a scanner and a graphics tablet......
My daughter won the art/graphics prize for the entire college last year getting a nice cheque too
They get the best out of you which is why they wanted so much for the entry requirements.
Sparkles33
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Well done Cameron! I'm well pleased for ya! You'll love it!
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Currently doing Alevel Photography at the moment and just finished the AS waiting for marks back now. If its the same course then feel free to PM me any questions about it and i will be happy to see what i can do for you as well as show you some of the stuff i did for last year.
Just a small tip is if its the same course then even though the 5 hour exam sounds very frightening its not actually to bad just make sure you get photos mounted early as near the end everyone is trying to.
Just a small tip is if its the same course then even though the 5 hour exam sounds very frightening its not actually to bad just make sure you get photos mounted early as near the end everyone is trying to.
Rovers_Andy
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Hi Cam, good to see you playing around with different composition.
Try and keep the backgrounds in all of your shots like in 2 and 5, with the background along distance from the subject and use of a shallow depth of field (f/2.8-f/4 etc) you will keep a nice clean smooth background, much more pleasing to the eye.
Unless your going for a close up shot like 2 and 5 try to keep all of the subjects body in the frame, for wildlife this is a must really. and if parts of the subject are obscured by trees or long grass make sure you leave enough room for "virtual feet"
Finally ignore all the rubbish from people about shots of pets, in the time available you used the resources you had
Keep at it mate
Try and keep the backgrounds in all of your shots like in 2 and 5, with the background along distance from the subject and use of a shallow depth of field (f/2.8-f/4 etc) you will keep a nice clean smooth background, much more pleasing to the eye.
Unless your going for a close up shot like 2 and 5 try to keep all of the subjects body in the frame, for wildlife this is a must really. and if parts of the subject are obscured by trees or long grass make sure you leave enough room for "virtual feet"
Finally ignore all the rubbish from people about shots of pets, in the time available you used the resources you had
Keep at it mate
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Well done Cameron. I was just about to send a PM to Darren to see if you had got in. A hectic 6 days no doubt getting the portfolio ready but now you have the opportunity to really study and 'out-do' dad!! I can see there won't be much talk of anything else other than cameras in the house now.
mastertrinity
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actually the comments that have been made about pets not going down well with tutors i highly agree with!
a few months i had a college interview and i shown him my flower photography, he was highly impressed and gave me the placement on the spot. he also said that my presentation was best and my images were the best he had seen from all interviewees and the main reason was that most of the other people had submitted pictures of mobile phones on tables and pet pictures and said to me on the spot that half of them that they weren't even presented well and so they never stood a chance.
sorry to be hard on you but these aren't really college material didn't you have any other pictures of wildlife or flowers or portraits etc that you could have submitted. how did you present the images when you shown the tutor because like i said its a big thing.
a few months i had a college interview and i shown him my flower photography, he was highly impressed and gave me the placement on the spot. he also said that my presentation was best and my images were the best he had seen from all interviewees and the main reason was that most of the other people had submitted pictures of mobile phones on tables and pet pictures and said to me on the spot that half of them that they weren't even presented well and so they never stood a chance.
sorry to be hard on you but these aren't really college material didn't you have any other pictures of wildlife or flowers or portraits etc that you could have submitted. how did you present the images when you shown the tutor because like i said its a big thing.
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He said that "half of them weren't presented well".... That will be why they didn't get in then !!
Most pet pictures would have likely been a picture of the dog sat on the settee etc.... Cameron's were not like that as you can see from the images he has posted.
His images demonstrate good control of depth of field, good composition etc and fulfil the brief.
It is not 'pet pictures' per se but the rubbish "not bothered to think about it" ones that are the issue.
The college were very happy with his well documented and very well presented entry to a highly over subscribed course.
I am sure some rubbish flower pictures wouldn't have got in either but you clearly put thought into yours as did Cameron.
Clearly they were good enough, as he got in and they said they were very happy with his entrance project. Pictures of flowers would not have fulfilled the brief which was to take pictures in a style of a photographer that inspires you. He does not get inspired by any flower photographers.
I would suggest that they took a lot more patience and skill than pointing a camera at a flower that is not even moving.
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mastertrinity
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its debatable saying that taking a flower shot is easier than a cat shot, there is a lot of thought needed for flower shots, and it can easily upset some flower togs on here being told that its "a lot more patience and skill than pointing a camera at a flower that is not even moving".
my flower shots for example are different, i have a "style" for my images compared to some average looking down on the flower head shot.
all i was trying to say to the OP is that you need to make you first impression the best and show them your images to the best of your ability and even though they were accepted due to technical acceptances it still needs to show your style that has had a lot of care and thought and presentation.
camerassassin
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well clearly he succeeded - or he wouldn't have been offered the place
Doh.....
Looks like I need to find a D80 for him.............. or maybe a D300 for me and give him the D200
I think you may have just hit on an acceptable upgrade path that won't land you in the dog-house...lol
Get a D700 for yourself though...you know it makes sense...
mastertrinity
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of course he succeeded im just saying that even though he did it would have been better to exceed success after all thats the tutor he'll be working with for the next two years and you have to show true potential, they could have just took him on because they had spaces to fill.
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Jeez Luke. could you be any more disingenuous? You're serious saying they only took him on because they had spaces to fill? Just be happy for the guy and move on.
TriggerHappy
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:shake: You can't take his success away from him. As Cowasaki has said, the course was over subscribed and is highly selective. Furthermore, the lad seems to have had an interest in photography for far less time than you. 'Style' takes years to develop from a process of trial and error. I'm amazed you consider yourself to have a strong style at 16, let alone condescend to a lad who's only recently picked up a camera.
This thread has actually amazed and disappointed me. I can't believe so many cynical comments have come from a thread started by the son of 2 influential members here (especially Cowasaki, no one worked harder for Julian and now Nat than him)!
Cameron, full marks for getting into your course and working so damned hard to get there. 55 pages is more than most projects I've worked on despite coming to the end of university (dissertation remaining though, that'll be HUGE)! Please don't be disheartened by the comments this thread has stirred. It's brought out the worst of online networks and isn't truly representative of the community we have here. Keep posting and engaging in this forum and you'll learn so much, as I have - after all it gets boring listening to your old man go on (sorry, Cowasaki
).Best of luck with your course, and indeed on to your career. Sky's the limit!
littlemonster
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Well done Cam! Glad you got in
Don't worry about someone who couldn't do better that taking shots of flowers that happened to be sitting around, animals are much harder to get well composed pictures of!
I do have 1 major criticism though - I've not yet seen a link to the rest of the pictures!
Don't worry about someone who couldn't do better that taking shots of flowers that happened to be sitting around, animals are much harder to get well composed pictures of!
I do have 1 major criticism though - I've not yet seen a link to the rest of the pictures!