What wonderful uplifting and fun two days I had at a local primary school!

At the beginning of the Autumn Term 2023 I was approached to see if I would help our nearby primary school by taking the photographs wanted for their revised website. My only reservation was that this was rather different subject matter to my usual genre and I was little out of practice with my full frame DLSR camera. However, being happy to see what I could do, I went along to discuss the priorities, aspirations and school values with the head teacher. I learnt the important ethos of this school was its learning, caring and convivial environment and its important special features include its forest school, the Jamie Oliver kitchen and a well equipped music room and library. All this I kept in mind during the two very special days I spent at the school on 31 Oct and 7 Nov.

I had prepared for my visits be revisiting ideal camera settings for indoor portrait and group shots, the ideal lighting directions and the best workable compositions. I made notes to remind myself to take a variety of shots, such as close-ups of desk work, wide angle wall displays, eye level portraits and high angle group shots. This and the excellent preparation by the Head of a schedule of lessons and areas to be visited enabled me to move to where I was expected and the pupils were happy learning, disregarding my presence in their class rooms. I was able to progres around each room’s periphery, not using my my tripod but a higher ISO to keep shutter speed fast in low light. I admit by the end of each day I was mentally exhausted but happy to know I had many of the type of shots wanted – the benefit of digital camera and LCD display! How did the photographers manage in the days of analogue when nothing could be certain until the film developed? (I am about to find out in January. More to come in next blog!)

I was so enchanted by the pupils, their curtesy and hunger to learn. I was in awe of the teachers and the lessons being taught. I am sure I did not know what an onomatopoeia was when I was 7 years old! …And what can I say about the nursery pupils and their mud pies in the forest school – a photographer’s delight!

Back home I spent about 7 days processing my RAW files and eventually sent off 200 web-ready photographs (via We Transfer) to the head teacher. I am hoping I have given her a wide choice of pupils, learning situations and the school environment for their website.

The school has written permission from parents for the use of images on their school’s website.  However, in this blog I have been careful not to include portraits and where any faces might be recognisable I have blurred them. I felt this is the right thing to do for my site….heartbreaking because there were so many absolutely charming portraits!!

Jamie Oliver Kitchen

Forest School

Hopefully some more pictures will be on the school website in due course.