Cold and frosty morning

Playground just before dawn

It was up with the birds this morning.  Well actually, it was an early start and a lot of fumbling in the dark - yes I was out early taking photographs.   Wasn't too cold this morning - perhaps -2c - still enough for ice to form on the tripod though.   Anyway I was out in the local park just trying to capture the brilliant moon lit scene before dawn wiped it out.  Well that was the plan but then came the mist and the whole scene changed.  However, as one opportunity was lost another took its place.  Hopefully, the results will be worth while.

its back to university this morning.  Time to hand in essays and seminar papers.   Hopefully mine will be okay but you never know until they are marked.  Here's hoping!

Essay and Seminar Paper printed and mounted - at what cost?

That's it - I have  finally put the two documents to bed.   From now on there will be no changes.  One thought has come to mind - why are we going to these lengths?   My son is also taking a master, however in sustainable development, and he only has to produce his work electronically - yet we arts people still have to print them off - why is this?

Bev, a fellow student on my course, also teaches in the same department as my son and she has brought this up with our faculty - to no avail.   No reasonable point was made to support our current submission policy; two copies, ring bound with with acetate cover and card board back.   This does not seem to be too environmentally friendly - nor cost effective.   

Seminar Paper Finished - I think??

A frozen field

Well I have finished the seminar paper.  I am not sure how good it is as the seminar was not too successful.  Well I have completed the paper as per the presentation and so I will have to see how I get on.  This, however, has made me consider what I want out of the course?

The first thing I am sure about is that I do not want the course to be a stepping stone for a professional photographic career.  If this happens then it happens not because of the course. What I want from the course is to experience photography.  What does this mean?  Well for me it means being with other photographers and hearing their views, seeing their images and trying to understand what their world view is.  I may not agree with what is said or done but I hope that this will broaden my knowledge and outlook on photography.   

I am not driven by what mark I get.  Yes it would be nice to get a good mark but I am not really bothered.  This is for personal rather than  professional development so I would just like to have a Master of Arts at the end of the two years.  Anything that happens after that will happen.

Well that is what I think after one semester - I am sure my views will change as I go on - and no doubt they will be recorded here.

Essay put to bed

That is it!  I have decided I am not going to tinker/change this anymore.  It is finished.  I am not going to make any more changes to my essay.  IT IS FINISH.  Only I now that this is not likely to be the end of the matter.  I am sure that the process will have more twists and turns until the damn thing is submitted in January.

Anyway on a more depressing note I am now writing the seminar paper.  As the seminar didn't go that well this is bringing back bad memories.  The good thing is that it is only 800 - 1000 words.  Lets see how long this takes to write.