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Activities and Events
Guest Lectures and Events
A regular programme of evening illustrated lectures and talks by some of Ireland's leading professional photographers in varying fields of photography.
Exhibitions
A year-round programme of photography exhibitions of the work of the students on our various courses complimented by national and international touring exhibitions.
Field Trips
Facilitated field trips to some of Ireland's most picturesque locations under the professional guidance of experienced nature and landscape photographers.
Establishment of Photographer-in-Residence Scheme
Photographers with a proven track record of acheivement will be appointed from time-to-time to work with photographers in groups and on a one-to-one basis.
Longford Leader Photographer of the Year Competition
An annual competition to discover the best emerging photographer in the region.
Photographic Bursaries
To support the continuing photographic development of our students.
Longford’s Young Snappers
Young people in Longford are taking to photography in greater numbers that ever before. Teenagers who are rarely intimidated by technology to begin with are exploring the creative, manual functions of their DSLR’s to stunning effects.
The first structured steps in teaching photography to teenagers in Longford were taken by Ard Scoil Padraigh in Granard when they applied for dormant account funding to fund the imaginative “Capturing the Community Through the Lens Project” and Exhibition. This project was so successful that the school decided to programme photography as part of the visual arts syllabus of the Leaving Cert. Applied Course. Professional photographer Luke Danniells takes the students for lessons in all aspects of applied photography and the student skill base is now developed to the point where they can begin to explore other aspect of multi-media arts such as animation.
Following the success of Arts Scoil Padraig, Longford County Arts Office in 2009 secured Arts Council funding for a Photographer in Residence to work with young photographers in Longford and to assess the relative levels of interest in photography among teenagers through the county. Following a very successful residency by photographer Luke Danniells it was decided that a very significant proportion of Longford youth are interested in photography.
In 2010 Longford VEC and Longford County Council through the Midland College of Photography have put in place a comprehensive support structure for the development of youth photography by establishing a Camera Club in every secondary school in the county. Professional photographer Paddy Phipps has been appointed to support the teachers and students. Each school is working towards their own individual year end exhibition and the young photographers are also preparing portfolios for submission to the Longford Young Photographer of the Year Competition which will be held in December 2010. Plans are being drawn up to expand the Schools Photography Initiative to include primary schools and training and education centres that are outside the formal education structures.
Environmental Photography Summer Camps
One of the most enjoyable aspects of photography is strolling through the countryside trying to capture the beauty of the Irish landscape using your camera, your talent and your technical skills. Combine that with people’s ever-growing environmental awareness, locate it in the beautiful midlands countryside and you have a guaranteed recipe for a wonderful experience.
This is what the Midland College of Photography proposes to provide this summer through our Environmental Photography Summer Camps. Each morning students will leave by mini bus from Templemichael College Longford, their destination – either the beautiful Derrycassin Woods near Granard, a typical midland raised bog or the Shannon Callows at Lanesborough Commons. There they will be greeted by a local environmentalist who will talk to them about the unique landscape, flora and fauna that they are about to photograph, they will then be briefed by an experienced photographer on the techniques of landscape/environmental photography. The photographer and environmentalist will be on hand to advise the participants throughout the morning.
In the afternoon the participants will return to the Computer Suite in Templemichael College for some post-photography editing of their morning’s work in Photoshop. Participants will be grouped according to age and photographic experience.
Bookings for The Environmental Photography Summer Camps will not be taken until later in the Spring. Please check this website for further information on fees, booking procedure and any other information.
Portfolio Evaluation Sessions
Photography is essentially a solitary pursuit therefore one of the most difficult things for any photographer to do is to evaluate how well they are developing as photographers and how can they access information on career development opportunities, if that is indeed their ultimate ambition. Camera clubs and photography course can go some way towards addressing these needs however as this is not the primary objective of either clubs or course they are ultimately inadequate in this area.
To attempt to address this gap in supports for the creative and professional development of photographers the Midland College of Photography proposes to schedule a series of Portfolio Review Sessions. We will assemble a board of experienced professional photographers who will evaluate portfolios of work submitted by aspiring photographers from a technical and creative point of view. Photographers will have to submit a portfolio of work in advance they will then be given an allotted time to meet with the evaluator on a one-to-one basis where they will discuss the individual photographs and exchange professional development advice and information where required.
Bookings for Portfolio Evaluation Sessions will not be taken until later in the spring please check the website www.midlandcollegeofphotography.ie for booking and all other relevant information.