I attended a photography workshop at the Xavier Institute of Communication in Mumbai and am reviewing the course later in the post. First up are some of my pictures that were displayed/selected for the exhibition organized at the end of the program.
As my blog’s readers would know, street photography interests me and a few of the pictures here represent that genre.
Those of you who would like to offer feedback on how I could improve, please feel free to do so.
LIFE GOES ON…
(On the rail overbridge – Mumbai office goers rush to work, not noticing the little homeless boy looking for attention)
TAKE ME HOME?
A pomeranian in Bandra (Mumbai) looks at me with big, limpid eyes
TICKET TO RIDE?
A bus conductor in Mumbai will often remind passengers on the bus to buy tickets
PLEASE STOP!!
Holi, the Indian festival, sets in motion an unstoppable riot of colour
PASSING THROUGH
St. Xavier’s Institute in Mumbai offers just the right contrast of light and shade for a beautiful frame
ALL MINE!
A little girl is lost in the flavor of her ice cream
SOUNDS OF SILENCE
A blind student takes a break from studies at St.Xavier’s College, Mumbai
LOVING YOUR LIVING
A girl makes her monkey perform tricks for a living. In a tender moment, she caresses his cheek
TEXTURES AND FLAVORS
This table top arrangement features a few vegetables used in daily Indian cooking
THE CHEF IS READY
A tabletop arrangement with a pepper grinder and a miniature toy chef
A PORTRAIT
Broad and loop lighting for a portrait of a student at the course
FRESHENING UP
Pigeons seem to spend most of their time preening, isn’t it?
SLEEPING, AT WORK
A street vendor carries on working while her baby sleeps in the background
I SEE YOU
Kids love window seats. In Mumbai’s suburban trains, they often look out the windows – fascinated – at passing trains, stations and people
I hope you liked these pictures.
Now for those interested in knowing about the course, here goes –
Program – Workshop on Photography
Where – Xavier Institute of Communication, St. Xavier’s College, Mahapalika Marg. It’s on the road down Cama Hospital near Victoria/Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus.
Cost – Currently INR 8,500
Duration – 5 weekends (Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings)
When – Batches begin every two months – the latest one is scheduled for May 30, 2015
Faculty – Dr. J.B. Mistry conducts the course with the assistance of Mr. G.V. Ajay.
For more details, click on the link here
REVIEW
This is not for absolute newbies – you need to be familiar with the manual settings on your cameras and the basic concepts of photography. That said, you shouldn’t already be far ahead on the learning/experience curve as well else you’ll be disappointed (this is a basic course).
HITS
Studio photography – This was my first exposure to photography in a studio. The faculty put in quite a bit of effort into setting up the lighting and props. After an explanation of concepts and types of lighting, we got a chance to photograph models (students) and table top props etc.
Access to the library – You get access to the Xavier’s library for the duration of the course. Though the internet offers a lot of information these days, books allow you to get lost in the feel of a good picture – you can see how the set up for a particular portrait was done, get ideas for your own pictures, look at the work of photography greats…
A look at antique cameras – I am fascinated by old stuff and how things like cameras work. You get a chance to see really old equipment (a few new ones too) and observe stripped down insides of cameras in action.
MISSES
Photoshop Basics – Though the course content did not mention it, I assumed basics of photoshop would be covered. My mistake – it wasn’t. Though we were taught a bit of editing to make our photos exhibition ready, I thought including it in a structured way through 2-3 sessions might be a good idea.
Field Trip – It was a little rushed – more time would have helped us compose pictures better.
To round up, the program does cover content mentioned in the pdf on the Xavier’s site (link above), but you need to read up and practise on your own as well to derive more value from the course.
The good thing is – you get time during the week to do that since classes are on weekends.
XIC photography workshop group with Dr. J.B. Mistry- March,April 2015