Southdown Studio Blog

My name is Kate and I’ve been doing work experience at Southdown Studio. When I was first told by my teacher at school that we had to go out and find work experience, I got quite worried because I had a slight idea in my head what I wanted to do as a career in the future but there was more than one idea and none of them were really that clear, so I didnt really know where to look for work experience.

A lot of students in my year found work experience that actually had nothing to do with the career that they were looking into for the future which seems a bit pointless seeing as the whole point in work experience is to experience work that you actually want to do. A lot of my friends did something to do with child care, like being a teachers assistant for a week or working in a playgroup, even though they wanted to do something completely different. They knew what they wanted to do and obviously this whole week was a bit of a waste of time for them.

I knew that I wanted to do something involving photography or fashion, and when I found the Southdown Studio website I knew that I wanted to do my work experience week there. I filled in my placement form at school, after finding out if I could or not, and everything worked out perfectly. Between finding Southdown Studio on the internet and coming here for a week, me and my mum came to meet Jon Silver. So obviously, before coming here I wasnt too nervous because I’d already met who I’d be working with.

Throughout the week, I’ve been taking photos of basically anything- taking something boring and making it look interesting. Also, I have learnt how to actually use a camera to create better photo’s, I’ve learnt different terms that can affect the pictures that I take for example I have learnt about aperture, field of depth and more terms just like those. Jon’s a great teacher, it was really easy to pick up on different things, when usually at school its hard to remember anything my teachers say!

After this week i have a clearer understanding in photography and I have a proper idea of what career I do actually want to do. I’ve really enjoyed spending this week in Southdown Studio and I think that going back to school, I’m going to be one of the only students that has actually learnt something in this week and wanted to persue the work experience to a future career. Its gone so fast and only feels like I’ve been here a couple of days, I don’t Want to go back to school!

Kate Dewdney

So far this year our work experience programme has once again been enjoyed by several students from Sussex schools, some of whom have demonstrated great natural flair for photography, and potential as future professionals. One of them has already taken a paid job, though still in full-time education… she’s Kate from Steyning Grammar, and as she has expressed an interest in writing a blog, perhaps the next post will be hers..! Kate…?

Get in touch if you’re interested in a Brighton/Sussex work experience placement or personal photography tuition in Brighton.

Lots of people seem to like to get portrait photographs taken of themselves and their families in the lead-up to Christmas. Some people do it because the only time they manage to get the family all together in one place is around Christmas time. Others like to give their Mum & Dad or grandparents a nice portrait of the kids. Whatever your reason for wanting Christmas Portrait photos, Southdown Studio in Brighton serves the whole of Sussex and can offer a wide variety of portrait photography packages to suit everyone, including photoshoots in the studio or at home, makeover photoshoots, and items such as loose prints, framed prints, canvas prints and photo books. We offer gift vouchers for portrait shoots too, or indeed any of our services, which also make perfect Christmas presents.

Full details at www.southdownstudio.co.uk/portraits.aspx

Southdown Studio offers a great many photographic services, so we tend to break our web site into sections covering broad photography topics. If your business needs photography for advertising, marketing, food, public relations, web site headshots & portraits, product shots, pack shots or catalogue photos, we can provide an economical, cost-effective solution for you. Specialities include food, jewellery, business portraits, product catalogues and corporate brochures. In conjunction with our sister companies we can even provide full-service e-commerce web sites with photography, web design, copy writing and hosting.

Take a proper look at Southdown Studio’s Commercial Photography Web Site, including a variety of photo galleries.

My name is Lucia – I’m aged 16 and I live in Brighton. This week I’m doing photography work experience with Jon Silver at Southdown Studio. I get to spend my week here with Jon, asking silly questions, eating left over Chinese and taking a few photos every once in a while!

This place is immense, as long as Jon stops nagging me to step in front of the camera.

I’d definitely recommend this place to everyone, customers and work experience students… I don’t want to leave on friday!

Thanks to Jon & co for everything! I’ve really enjoyed it so far.

Byeee xxxx

Day 3:

Today we went out by ourselves with Jon’s camera and took some portraits of eachother  in different locations. We then came back to the studio and viewed all of our pictures and Jon taught us how to edit them and do airbrushing and so on. There was a Photoshoot during which we had to leave and go and take some textural photoz.

DAY 4:

We looked over the pictures we have taken over the week so far and used constructive criticism to help us learn about how to be better at photography and composition and so on.

DAY 5…last day EVAAA:

Today Sylvie (a pro make up artist) came into the studio to do exravanganazaza make up on us and then Jon took pictures of us for the first time. Ella had streaks put in her afro and me and Jaz had some lovely rainbow colours done.

Ps the food is greeeeat.

We are proz at maken hot choccy now and mocca

From Jazza Ella and Ellie -

x

Hello, this is Ellie, Ella and Jaz.

We’re doing work experience at Southdown Studios for the week. And so far it’s been GREAT! (more…)

Here at Southdown Studio we place enormous importance on education, and we’re just about the only photographic studio or photographers in the Brighton & Sussex areas who offer placements to school work experience students. So far we’ve played host to students from loads of different schools around the area, including Hattie, Alice, Adam, Alice, Charlotte, Sam, Sophia… and this week, it’s the turn of three students from Cardinal Newman School – Ellie, Ella and Jaz. So far they’ve been lovely, and they seem to be enjoying their week. Hopefully they’ll write about their experiences here…

If you’re considering modelling as a career or just a fun hobby, it’s important to know what it all entails. Many people think modelling is just standing in front of a camera looking pretty (or manly) and having your photo taken, but to be a good model there’s so much more to it. Good models are worth more because there are simply so many people (especially girls) wanting to be models; so to be competitive you need to have better skills than anyone else.

So what are these modelling skills? (more…)

Women want to feel beautiful. That’s different from being beautiful, looking beautiful or being seen as beautiful. It’s also different from feeling, looking or being seen as “sexy”. Feeling beautiful is something that comes very much from within.

(more…)