My name is David Gardner.
I am a mature student at 64 years old and I have a background of previous employment in the conservation and environmental field and self employment as a dealer in art and antiques. With the demise of the art and antiques market locally and the impossibility of getting significant gainful employment in West Wales, I am looking to get creative to fill my time and create some income, hence my enrolment on the course.

Living in West Wales as I do, I am surrounded by wild scenery and a wealth of wildlife as well as the usual range of photographic subjects. I have a B.Sc. in Zoology / Physiology and an M.Sc. in Marine Ecology by thesis submission but these were a long time ago. I have not taken any courses in photography but have some amateur experience with information gleaned from books, magazines, DVDs and practical experimentation. My current principal areas of interest are wildlife and landscape subjects, but I am also very interested in photographing people in non-formal situations. I very much enjoy travel photography whenever I can get away. I currently possess two Canon 7D bodies with a range of Canon and Tamron lenses and other equipment.

My aim is to complete the Photography BA course as soon as my progress will allow.   There are a number of reasons that I am choosing to do this now, including : –

to explore my creative side with a view to engaging more with my surroundings in a meaningful way; engaging in some projects with the intention of giving myself a focus and of creating some worthwhile outcomes; helping me to see the world in a different way; and, generating some income through a self-employed business based on photography and writing. I will be looking for some encouragement in what I do, but more particularly I will be wanting clear and detailed criticism of my work so that I can be as good as I can be rather than settling for second best or ‘good enough’.  I would like to create work in which I can take pride and have a sense of achievement, and also more importantly that will move and influence others.

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