Pricing

£40 per lesson
£150 for 4 lessons

To book the next class by PayPal:

To pay by BACS or another method, or to book four lessons at discount, or for any other variables, please email peteashton@gmail.com with details.

Dates & Themes

Photographing the City is a four module course run on the first Sunday of the month from 1pm – 6pm at The Victoria, central Birmingham.

Mar 4th: Structure – Photographing the urban landscape
Apr 1st: Detail – Abstract street photography
May 6th: Life – Practical documentary photography

Jun 3rd: People – An introduction to street photography
Jul 1st: Structure – Photographing the urban landscape
Aug 5th: Detail – Abstract street photography
Sep 2nd: Life – Practical documentary photography

Oct 7th: People – An introduction to street photography
Nov 4th: Structure – Photographing the urban landscape
Dec 2nd: Detail – Abstract street photography

Improve your photography for business and pleasure with Matt Murtagh and Pete Ashton’s Photo School.

Photography is a valuable skill both for work and pleasure. Professional standard cameras are widely available at affordable prices but having quality equipment isn’t always enough. You need the motivation and confidence to reach a level you can be happy with.

We’ll show you the technical settings that will improve your photography and help you creatively take pictures that uniquely interpret even the most ordinary scene and stand out from the crowd. You will end each day with images that you’ll be proud to take home.

Through a combination of group teaching, personal goal setting, one-to-one mentoring and peer learning, Matt and Pete can help you become a better photographer, whether it’s for photos of your family or as a valuable business tool.

You don’t need a fancy DLSR to benefit from our classes. Understanding the physical principles will improve your photography whether you have a point-and-shoot compact, bridge camera or even the camera on your phone. And nothing is more important than composition.

The Course

Photographing The City is a course in street photography divided into four modules. Each module can be taken alone if required or combined to create a comprehensive introduction to seeing your city through a lens.

1) People – An introduction to street photography

Inspired by the compositional techniques of Cartier Bresson we look at capturing the moment in a perfect frame.

2) Structure – Photographing the urban landscape

A combination of architectural and landscape photography, we take our cue from Ansel Adams and examine Birmingham’s epic buildings.

3) Detail – Abstract street photography

Getting up close to the grain of the city we look for beauty in the ordinary. William Eggleston and Edward Weston are our mentors on this journey into photographic expressionism.

4) Life – Practical documentary photography

Finally we tie it all together and learn how to tell the stories of the city. Sebastião Salgado and the great press photographers help us get that shot that says volumes.

The Format

Photo School is a 5 hour class on a Sunday afternoon in central Birmingham limited to 10 students.

We start with an introduction to the theme that will inform our day, taking inspiration from the masters of photography. Next we’ll set our personal goals and share them with the group.

The meat of the session is a two-hour guided walk through an area of Birmingham specifically chosen to complement the theme. Each student will have dedicated one-on-one time with both Matt and Pete.

Back at base students will choose their best photos followed by an intensive group critique.

After the course students will be given access to a private Flickr group to follow each other’s progress.

Results

By attending our course you will:

• Unlock the full potential of your camera.
• See the world in a new way.
• Improve your composition.
• Answer any niggling questions about photography.
• Explore your city, view it through new eyes.

and ultimately

• Be a better photographer

The Teachers

Matt Murtagh has a degree in photography and has taught students in both street and studio photography. He also has five years’ experience as a commercial and fine art photographer: one of his recent projects was a large fine art piece based on the streets of Birmingham for the Bullring. Clients have included Birmingham Royal Ballet and University of the First Age. Matt has been exhibited extensively in Birmingham, most notably Birmingham’s People at The Drum Arts Centre in Aston and the Contact showcase at Rhubarb Rhubarb in Digbeth. He approaches photography with practical experience of many different environments and a historical appreciation of the art of photography itself.
Website | Flickr | Twitter

Pete Ashton is a photographer, blogger and social media trainer. He started the Birmingham Flickrmeets in 2006 and has worked with many cultural and artistic groups in the city to help people use online technologies creatively. Coming from a fanzine background, his main passion is the culture of Do It Yourself, giving people the knowledge and confidence to figure it out for themselves and create something unique. Most recently he’s been developing the Metapod Connect course with Fierce Earth combining face-to-face people skills to with online social networking. Pete blogs prodigiously and can be found all over the Internet.
Website | Flickr | Twitter

The Venue

For city centre walks we meet upstairs at The Victoria.

The Victoria
48 John Bright Street
Birmingham, B1 1BN
(Map)

Booking

To book the next class by PayPal:

To pay by BACS or another method, or to book four lessons at discount, or for any other variables, please email peteashton@gmail.com with details.

Payment can be by BACS, credit card / PayPal or cheque.

Classes are limited to 10 per session to ensure one-on-one time.

Disclaimers

• We are not responsible for personal loss or injury during the course.
• Due to the nature of the walk, children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult who can attend free of charge if not participating themselves.
• If the weather is bad, we will do something inside / under cover, which may involve changing the lesson plan.

All photos taken in Birmingham by Matt.