Nature is Beautiful.

Nature is absolutely beautiful. The Spring weather continues to amaze us and with a small breeze in the air with the lovely sunny weather, it’s safe to say that this weather is beautiful and that nature is also beautiful.

I used the Camera+ app to photograph the Rose Bush again, and then I made some small edits to this photograph to give the rose-bush more of a friendly approach so that it rings true to the lovely and traditional Spring weather.

Do you love the Spring weather? I’d love to know. Please feel free to comment below. I would love to hear what you think of this wonderful weather :-).

Alex Smithson

Welcome to April!

Welcome to April on Mother Nature! As this month is set to be just as relaxing and as peaceful as last month, it’s safe to say that the weather is set to get better, and this month is also set to be quite the busy month for me, because I will need to travel up to places in London that I can photograph, including heading to certain galleries in London to further my research and development for the Facial Expressionism Final Major Project that I am currently working on.

During the holiday break, I will be doing coursework and revision, as I’ve got my GCSE English exam on the 5th May which I have to prepare for and I also have my GCSE Maths exams coming up soon as well, so I can only apologise in advance if I don’t publish as much on here over the next few weeks.

It’s hard to think, by the end of June, beginning of July, I will have just finished my last year of being in education. The time has flown so fast! I wish it could slow down but time isn’t slowing down anytime soon, so it’s time to make the most of it and make use of the time available whilst I am still in education to work hard and to succeed in my coursework.

Who has been loving this nice and sunny weather lately? I’d love to know if you love the nice and sunny weather that we’ve been seeing more of lately.

Until then:

Alex Smithson

CROYDON / FRIDAY 24TH MARCH 2017

Last Friday, considering we have had such lovely sunny weather lately, I ceased the opportunity to photograph Croydon from different perspectives that I felt stood out the most, and I used the traditional Camera app that comes pre-installed with all versions of iOS.

The weather has been absolutely peaceful lately, and it’s good to see that the weather is finally looking up and it is most certainly shaping up to make the two-week holiday as relaxing and as peaceful as ever!

Below are the photographs I have produced, including two of the same photos that have notable edits.

Edited / 2

Edited / 1

Which photography hotspots interest you the most? Please let me know. I would love to hear which photography hotspots interest you the most.

Alex Smithson

CROYDON / REVISITED

Kicking off 2017 with a bang, I decided to revisit the photographic collection I took on the 15th December 2016 by publishing this more up-to-date collection that will revisit Croydon with more of a positive approach and given the lovely weather in my first few weeks back at Croydon College, I couldn’t have picked a better time to take these photographs. Some of these photographs consist of the Pret a Manger & Caffé Nero, including other parts of Croydon I may have not visited in a while.

I also used the opportunity to snap a few photos of Reeves Corner, considering it is more or less quiet now considering it will be six years in August since the riots took place in Croydon, which saw the bigger half of the Reeves Furniture Store being burned down as a result.

I must admit, I was taken aback by just how quiet it was around Reeves Corner, because I last went down to Reeves Corner two years ago when I was studying Art & Design, and even then it did feel uncomfortable, much like it does now.

I want this photographic collection to help you explore what Croydon is like as a place, including how Croydon is in general. For instance, there are so many stores in Croydon that you cannot exactly miss, including banks, landmarks, restaurants etc. and many more.

As I was lucky to snap these photographs when the lovely weather arrived before the slight snow storm, I was pleased to have achieved much better results this time compared to the previous collection and I wanted to make sure that you saw Croydon from a much better perspective than before.

If you enjoyed this photographic collection of Croydon, please feel free to let me know. I would love to hear your feedback.

Alex Smithson

Recommended App: Camera+

It’s a Beautiful Day.

Lovely Summer weather today.

Here is the downloadable version of the photo. Please feel free to download and use as your Laptop / PC screensaver, and also please feel free to use this photo as a mobile wallpaper or as a wallpaper for a gaming console.

Original Version

Edited Version (as seen in featured image).

Have you all got this lovely Summer weather where you are? Please feel free to submit feedback.

Alex Smithson

The Barbican Gallery | Tuesday 10th May 2016 | Croydon College

On Tuesday, I travelled with my Film & Photography class up to London on a trip to the Barbican Gallery. Because this is the first time I have ever visited the Barbican Gallery, I was shocked to find how massive it was inside. There is so much information available at hand and whilst I was there, I took photos around certain parts of the Barbican where I was allowed, and I must say I was surprised. Despite the damp and dismal weather we had on Tuesday, this didn’t stop me from getting a collection of photos together.

Below are the collection of photographs I was able to get whilst I was on the trip on Tuesday.

I also did some note-taking whilst I was on the trip, as part of the research I’ve been gathering for my Final Major Project. Below are the notes that I gathered from Tuesday’s trip.

Strange and Familiar – Curated by the Iconic British Photographer, Martin Parr.

International photographers from the 1930s onwards.

Edith Tudor-Hart

• Family Group, Stepney, London (ca. 1932)
• Group Reading the Daily Worker, London (ca. 1943)
• Gee Street, Finsbury, London (ca. 1936 – 1937)
• Poodle Parlour, London (ca. 1936 – 1937)
• Kensal House, London (ca. 1938)

Robert Frank

• City of London (1952)
• City of London (1951)
• London (1951)
• Caerau, Wales (1953)
• Wales, Ben James (1953)

Paul Strand

• Mary and John McKinnon, South Uist, Hebrides (1954)

Cas Oorthuys

• Pupils of an Oxford Girls School (1962)
• Car Transporter Outside Balliol College, Oxford (1962)
• Oxford (1962)
• Hogarth Court, Camden Road, London (1953)
• Hyde Park, London (1953)
• Merchant, East London (1953)
• Arabian Merchant, Petticoat Lane, London (1953)

Bruce Davidson

• Woman in Wheelchair, Brighton (1965)
• Hastings, England (1960)
• Teatime in the Car, Brighton (1960)
• Couples on Stone Beach, Brighton (1960)
• Lloyd’s List, London (1960)

Gian Butturini

• Man Walking Down a Street (1969)
• Homeless (1969)
• A Calm Day (1969)

Jim Dow

• Interior, Bert’s Eel and Pie Shop, Peckham, London (15th July 1985)
• Window Display at Khatta-Meetha Vegetarian Take-Away, Leicester (21st March 1987)

Bruce Gilden

• West Bromwich, Debbie (2013)
• West Bromwich, Andy, from Newcastle, of the Bus Station (2014)
• Romford, Essex, Sherry (2013)
• Essex (2013)
• West Bromwich, Peter at the Bus Station (2014)

Overall, I did enjoy the trip and I would love to go again sometime. It’s massive in the Barbican, so I now know what to expect if I plan on revisiting the Barbican Gallery again in the foreseeable future.

If you enjoyed this article of my trip to the Barbican Gallery, please feel free to submit feedback. All feedback is much appreciated.

Alex Smithson

© Croydon College 2016

© The Croydon College Logo is Copyright of Croydon College. Permission has been granted for the logo to be used on here. No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Photo Moment: Wednesday 20th April 2016 – The Bold, Bright & Beautiful Weather of Croydon

As I had the opportunity to take some photographs for my Final Major Project, I headed to the 96 George Street Building opposite Croydon College to snap this photo from the viewpoint space that was free for use.

Below is the photograph that I took on Wednesday 20th April 2016, including the details of the photograph, such as the exposure, white balance, including the F Number etc.

The Bold, Bright & Beautiful Weather of Croydon

Photo Details:

Dimensions: 5184 x 3456
Device Make: Canon
Device Model: Canon EOS 1200D
Colour Space: RGB / sRGB
Focal Length: 18 mm
Red Eye: No
F Number: 5.6
Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
Exposure Bias: 0-Step
Exposure Time: 1/500
Bit Depth: 24
Resolution Unit: 2
ISO Speed: ISO-100
Flash Mode: No Flash, Compulsory
Metering Mode: Pattern
White Balance: Manual
EXIF Version: 0230
Date of Photograph Taken: Wednesday 20th April 2016
Time of Photograph Produced: 12:51 PM

Below is the same photograph in its full Black & White Glory:

The Bold, Bright & Beautiful Weather of Croydon (Black & White)

Overall, I feel pleased with the final result I got from this photograph, and I’m hoping I can produce some more photos like this over the coming weeks.

If you enjoyed this Photo Moment article, please feel free to submit feedback. All feedback is much appreciated.

Alex Smithson

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• A Bright & Peaceful Spring!

A Bright & Peaceful Spring!

As I photographed one of my friends at college yesterday, I ceased the opportunity to take a few photos with the Canon EOS 1200D (provided by Croydon College), including my iPhone 5 and because of the lovely Spring weather, I was able to set the aperture correctly to produce them.

Below are the details of the photograph, which show what the focal length was, as well as the exposure time including the F number, which was 5.6:

Dimensions: 5184 x 3456
Device Make: Canon
Device Model: Canon EOS 1200D
Colour Space: RGB
Colour Profile: sRGB IEC61966-2.1
Focal Length: 45
Alpha Channel: No
Red Eye: No
F Number: 5.6
Exposure Program: 3
Exposure Time: 1/500

Date of Photograph Taken: Wednesday 20th April 2016

Below is the photograph that I took yesterday whilst at college.

Below are some of the photos I also took yesterday, but with my iPhone.

Overall, I loved yesterday’s warm and relaxing weather, and I hope to produce more photos like this again soon.

If you liked this article, including the photographs, then please feel free to submit feedback. All feedback is much appreciated.

Also, before I conclude, it is with such sadness to announce that the Iconic Music Legend, Prince Rogers Nelson, has passed away at the age of 57. Very soon, I will be publishing a tribute article in which I will pay my respects to him and everyone he knows at such a sad time.

Alex Smithson

A Collection of Photographs of Croydon

Last week, I ceased the opportunity to take a collection of photographs around Croydon whilst I was on my way home from college via my 367 Bromley North bus. Recently the 367 buses experienced a major upgrade in its design, which saw the whole bus being completely changed, with a modern look that fits the bill perfectly.

As I was sat at the very back of the 367 bus, I used the time wisely on my bus to snap up to almost 40 photographs, and as always, I used the Camera+ app (Recommended) to snap these photos. Despite the fact the beginning of last week got off to a wet and windy start, it was safe to say that last week did eventually turn out to be nice, considering that the weather started to get nice and warm and also sunny.

The last two photos were taken yesterday and I have absolutely loved the weather we’ve been having this week. I hope this lovely weather we’ve been having this week continues.

Overall, last week was absolutely relaxing and despite the amount of work I had to produce for my course, I enjoyed it and I also enjoyed the fact that I was able to be a lot more productive than usual with my studies. I’ve also been enjoying this week, quite a lot in fact and the lovely weather has made me feel a lot more relaxed.

If you liked the photographs I took over the course of last week, including the two photographs I took yesterday, then please feel free to submit feedback. All feedback is much appreciated.

Alex Smithson

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The Lovely Silhouette Sunset Shift.

As we had such lovely weather today, it was perfect to see a beautiful sunset taking place. I ceased the opportunity to take a photo of the sunset, but in turn, I also ended up creating a lovely silhouette sunset shift at the same time.

The last time I created a silhouette in a photograph was around September & October 2013, when I published the article: “The Silhouette of Darkness, Light & Wonderwebs”. That photograph was of a plant that hadn’t blossomed at all and had practically perished due to a lack of sunlight, given the bad weather we had that month of course. The plant in question was a rosebud, and because I used to use my old Samsung ST200F, that camera took that photograph of the rosebud, but it darkened the rosebud, which also made the sky around it look cloudy and dark like as if a thunderstorm was developing.

Below is the lovely silhouette sunset shift photograph I took earlier this evening, just as the sun was setting.

The Lovely Silhouette Sunset Shift.

I must admit, I was pleased with how the final result of this photo had turned out. Please keep in mind though this photo was edited slightly in the Photos app as I wanted it to show the real appearance of the sunset, as well as the silhouette that the sunset created as well. I wanted to make sure this photo was exactly how I saw the sunset earlier this evening.

We’ve had lovely weather today, and I hope that this lovely weather we’ve had continues for the next few weeks before Summer starts.

If you loved this photograph I took of the lovely silhouette sunset shift, then please feel free to submit feedback. All feedback is much appreciated and if you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share this article around with everyone you know.

Alex Smithson

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