March St Lucia Photography workshop - Smoke and Water

We’ve just come to the end of a really enjoyable week of photography in St Lucia. I had a great group of students from Scotland (Alison and Lesley – apologies that I could barely understand you), the US (Ray and Chris), Germany (Timo) and Australia (Kelly). I am constantly amazed at the ability of people who are passionate to pick up the skills start to learn how to master light, and this week was no different.

A unique opportunity presented itself to us on the first day of the course as in the form of a plantation being burnt for replanting and clearing of dead wood. Careering down a dirt track in African Impact’s Toyota Condor we soon came across the plantation owners and were able to secure permission to shoot the fire and the plantation workers who were sweating in the stinging smoke. We were soon doing the same...treading where tivas and sneakers were not designed to step. Some smouldering soles later we emerged, smelling of wood smoke and armed with memory cards of ghostly images shot through thick white smoke.

The second day of the course had us travelling to a usual photographic haunt of mine, Mission Rocks in Isimangaliso Wetland Park. Here interesting tessellated patterns in the rock along with great cloud formations invariably make for wonderful long exposure studies of the incoming tide. We almost missed the light, being waylaid by a large herd of buffalo towards the entrance of the park. Later, a night shoot had everyone scurrying around after crabs on Jabula Beach, as well as learning painting with light techniques on the rippled patterns along the dunes.

The three day course came to a finale last night with the photographer assignments being presented. Each photographer was asked to produce a small portfolio of five images along with a background story, text or rationale behind the project. Chris, an aspiring script-writer took honours with his clever blending of humour and imagery.

All in all a wonderful week with some great images created by the students.