CAMINADA CREATIVEissue three

laugh//love//learn

Learning has always been an important part of my life and career. Never a day goes by

when I don’t acquire a bit more knowledge and I am always inspired by seeing others who love to learn. For that reason, this issue of Caminada Creative is all about education. From infants through to primary, secondary and adult learning, I’ve taken pictures of scholars of all sizes. These photographs only represent a small part of the work that I do. Watch out for future editions featuring corporate and editorial portraits, fashion and documentary photography. To get the full flavour, visit www.caminada.co.uk

CAMINADA CREATIVEissue three

laugh//love//learn

June 2014

produced and published byAlexander Caminada Photography ©

www.caminada.co.ukalex@caminada.co.uk

01453 75829007836 571145

Front cover/1/3/4/5/6/9/10/17/18: Maidenhill School 9/10: Calder House School 9/10: Readathon 2/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16: Crypt School 7/8/9/10/Back cover: The Ernest Cook Trust

CAMINADA CREATIVEissue three

laugh//love//learn

June 2014

produced and published byAlexander Caminada Photography ©

www.caminada.co.ukalex@caminada.co.uk

01453 75829007836 571145

The best shots are often the result of spotting a moment or a situation. To me, it’s all about being aware and people often remark that I do a lot of looking. I’m constantly curious and want to know what’s around

the corner. When I see something, I quickly take a shot then see if it can be improved. Sometimes it can’t, like this picture of four girls in a science lesson at Maidenhill School. All the elements were there from the start: the smiles, the colours, the shapes, the props.

Jump! You may be thinking I’m running with a theme but that was not the intention when

doing these shoots a few months apart. Lighting is such a critical part of my work – it influences the final results so much that it is one of the most important elements when doing this kind of picture. Controlling the lighting can get very technical and these two examples show some variety of what can be achieved. Although I used flash for both, I used a ringflash for the picture on the left (a circular flash tube around the lens) which gives the girl a unique halo as she jumped, freezing her action and showing fantastic detail. The basketball shot was more about showing the setting of the hall so I used a mix of available light and two flash heads. A slow shutter speed creates a slight blur effect, adding to the sense of upward movement.

When teenagers meet, they like to have a laugh. A field trip organised

by the Ernest Cook Trust meant that these teenagers of the pig variety from Eastleach Down Farm were ready to have a good nose around their visitors from Farmor’s School. The Trust is one of the UK’s leading educational charities and encourages people to learn from the land by getting up close and personal with all it has to offer – which certainly happened with these friendly pigs!

It’s normally best to avoid black backdrops in photographs. They soak up all the light (as they are designed to!) and can be a challenge. However in this photograph it works a treat by allowing the children to stand out.

Creating images with clean space around the subjects is also appreciated by magazine designers who like to be given room to drop in text or other pictures. These boys are improvising drama and clearly getting into their parts. It didn’t take much encouragement from their teacher to get them involved – though I must admit to being slightly puzzled by the plot. Perhaps I should have paid more attention…

Schools are always keen to show different age groups working together. The sense of cooperation and friendship and being a good role model is very important. This kind of shot only really works when the subjects have a genuine rapport so there is nothing forced about the smiles or the fun. Mind you, the

combination of paint and a missed maths lesson probably helped.

A moment in time, captured. These boys were waiting for me to set up another shot in almost exactly this position. Years of conditioning make it impossible for me to ignore a good composition when

I see one. The urge to capture it is irresistible. It’s funny to think that I was not much older than them when I got my first job as a freelance photographer...

Great education is nothing without great teachers. Even in today’s media-aware

society, I still find many that are reluctant stars in front of the lens despite their impressive confidence and presence when they’re in front of their class. Bringing out that spirit and engagement is what sets a strong portrait apart. It really helps to find a setting and setup with which they feel comfortable. Sometimes the focus of an activity works but at other times a good relaxed pose is much more effective.

LAST LOOK Peter Murray is a coppicing apprentice and his benefactor, the Ernest Cook Trust, needed a

series of pictures of him to publicise their work. I nearly missed the writing on the tool box - a small detail but one that makes the shot. Having him walk away from the lens, and unusually for a portrait, not showing his face, adds to draw attention to the words, the tools and the green surroundings. By the way – he does have a very handsome face. Have another look through this magazine if you’ve not already spotted it!