Amateur Photographer & What Digital Camera: Guidance on notes to include in module submissions

Apparently there has been a rumour on the Forum that students are no longer required to keep notes. Students certainly are required to make and keep notes and should include them with each Module. I believe the rumour started as a result of asking students not to send every module completed to their tutor at the end of their course - there is really no need – the tutors have all their reports to look back over and the cumulative effect of the postage can be staggering!

Hopefully then here is the last word on this matter…

Notes to include in module submissions :

Most students score an average or low score in this section. Points to remember are...

- Set out your creative goal
- Analyse whether you achieved it - if yes why? And if not why?
- Suggest the next step

Quite a lot of students simply list the technical details - pretty pointless most of the time - or describe the picture - also pretty pointless as I have it!

Secondly doing all this succinctly is important - 100 words max, so that rather than waffling you get to the nub of what can be learned from looking at a particular picture.

Here are three good examples all less than 100 words...

‘In this picture I set out to emphasise the depth of the space, Unfortunately I used a standard lens and stood further back and this has not created the perspective I need to do this, Next time I tackle such a subject I will try a shorter focal length and get closer to my subject.’

‘I was aiming in this picture to get detail in the sky and the beach but as you can see the beach is quite dark and the clouds are burnt out. Obviously my camera cannot capture both. Next time I will experiment with a graduated neutral density filter to see if that will balance the picture.’

‘My aim with this picture was to show a little of my subject’s character. I realise that the picture could have been better had I asked them to pose in their own home as there would have been more clues as to their taste and style.’

Each around 50 words but telling me what the thinking is behind the picture and the lessons learned,

Garry
Senior Tutor

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