By Roisin Turner

Starring: Danny Bayne, Carina Gillespie, Mary Byrne

Directed: David Gilmore

Rating: ★★★

We all know the story: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall out, girl changes more or less everything about herself, they get back together and they all live happily ever after!

Since the 1978 film, audiences have been filling theatres around the globe for a chance to hear some of their most loved musical numbers, including Summer Nights, You’re the one that I want and, my personal favorite, Grease Lightening.  The audience was obviously there for a sing-along, with many groups dancing and singing along with the 26-strong cast.

As with many musical theatre productions, there was no real star of the stage, however it’s when the full cast comes together for a big showstopper that they really shine, most notably the opening number – Grease is the Word.

A highlight of the show had to be The Teen Angel, played by former Mary Byrne off last year’s X Factor…and Tesco.  She easily had the best vocal and was the funniest member of the entire cast.  Although the Angel is a secondary character, Byrne received the biggest applause of the night, overshadowing the younger members of the cast.

Unfortunately there were some technical issues, including microphones not working on several occasions.  However, this did not dampen the spirits of the cast or of the feisty audience, who gave the principle cast a run for their money during the big numbers!

Despite being an almost carbon-copy of the original film, it was an enjoyable evening and I would highly recommend any fan of the film to go and see it, if only for Mary Byrne’s stand out performance.

UNIVERSITY of Strathclyde Sport Development Coordinator, Iain Stewart has urged students to keep up their winning tradition at the City of Glasgow Cup next month.

The annual event, this year known as the Glasgow Taxis Cup, between the University of Glasgow, Strathclyde University and Glasgow Caledonian University is now in its eighth year and will take place on March 14th.

In the previous seven year
He said: “We like the fact that we have won it more times than them and we don’t want them leveling it up. It is good event played in a good spirit.s, Strathclyde University have won the event four times and Iain is hoping to add to the winning record.

“This is an opportunity to position ourselves as the best sports university in the city in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games.

“We would like to have that attached to our university. It is going to be tough. It was very close last year and Glasgow were worthy winners. At the business end of the day they did a wee bit better than us, so we are looking to raise our game.”

Over 700 students will take part in athletics, badminton, basketball, volleyball, netball, football, hockey, rugby, trampolining, tennis, swimming and cricket. Two exhibition events – golf and squash – have also been added this year.

UNIVERSITY of Strathclyde Media Communications officer John Beaton was the man-in-the-middle for the Scottish Cup fourth-round tie between Hearts and Auchinleck Talbot last month.

The match saw Premier League side Hearts run out eventual 1-0 winners against the only Junior side remaining in the competition and Category One referee Beaton was delighted with the appointment.

“Officiating the match was the highlight of my career,” admitted the 29-year-old.

“Tynecastle is a fantastic stadium. The fans are right on top of you and it makes for a brilliant atmosphere.

“Scottish Cup day is always special but the fact that a Junior side was involved against a team from the SPL added a little extra bit of excitement and it was a day I will never forget.”

Beaton had a busy afternoon, awarding a penalty to the home-side and producing seven yellow cards in an entertaining clash.

But the referee enjoyed a strong performance, stressing the importance of displaying the correct attitude throughout the 90 minutes.

“When the game starts, you go into autopilot as a referee. Much like a player I suppose,” explained Beaton.

“You just go about you job and take the same approach as you would do for any match.”

And with the new year ahead, the Motherwell-born official is hoping that there is more success to follow in 2012 as he prepares to take part in a UEFA training course later this month.

Beaton said: “It was a great way to start 2012. It was my first visit to Tynecastle as a referee and it has given me an extra bit of motivation to keep working hard through the winter months.

“I travel to Turkey at the end of the month for a UEFA introductory course for new FIFA referees before heading to La Manga in Portugal for an SFA winter training camp in February.

“I also have an eight-day course in Nyon, Switzerland in April. so I have plenty to look forward too.”

Rodge Glass vs Graham Hunter

UNIVERSITY of Strathclyde lecturer and novelist, Rodge Glass will be at the Arches in Glasgow on Saturday 25th February at 12pm to discuss his new novel, Bring Me the Head of Ryan Giggs. The novel tells the tale of a player who manages just one game for Manchester United before his life spirals out of control. Also attending the event will be Sky’s Spanish football pundit, Graham Hunter, to discuss his new sports book, Barcelona: The Making of The Greatest Team In The World. Tickets are priced at just £3 as these two great writers talk football and decide once and for all who is greater – United or Barca.

WALES – The semi-finalists of the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand and arguably the team that have the closest team spirit in the competition. Wales’ fans were united for the semi-final and crammed into the Millennium Stadium to see their loss to six-nations rivals France by a point. The Welsh side may see the return of captain Matthew Rees after Sam Warburton was given the captaincy following the injury of Rees. Warburton was controversially sent off in the semi-final with many fans feeling aggrieved at the dismissal. The bookies have them joint second favourites with England, but with them playing France in the last week of the tournament, in Wales, a packed Millennium stadium could decide where the trophy goes. However, with the retirement of Shane Williams, The welsh may lack an edge going forward.

ENGLAND – A shocking World Cup performance from the English saw Head Coach Martin Johnson removed from his position and temporary coach Stuart Lancaster take over for the upcoming tournament. This is a true transition period for English rugby and their players. Lancaster will be anxious to show he can take on the role permanently, whilst the players will want to eradicate the memory of the World Cup which saw the English put on several lacklustre displays and saw headlines on the back pages for the wrong reasons. Johnson’s lack of discipline shone through with players often out past designated curfews and being spotted in nightclubs. With numerous changes to the squad, it will be crucial to get the campaign off to a good start, although, at Murrayfield many Scottish fans will be hoping that is not the case.

IRELAND – Ireland looked impressive at the start of the World Cup. Wins over Australia, Six-Nations rivals Italy, Russia and the USA were morale boosting with many touting the Irish for at least a semi-final spot. However, they were brushed aside in an unconvincing display against the Welsh. The Ireland squad may have numerous issues to worry about with their all-time top try scorer Brian O’Driscoll not in the squad due to injury. This in turn has led to the Irish appointing Paul O’Connell as captain.

SCOTLAND – It was a historical World Cup for Scotland – the worst in their competitive history. Failing to make it to the last 16 for the first time ever was due to a lack of firepower up top and a string of defensive errors. Scotland scraped by Romania in the first match, and were not aided by the winds that saw Chris Patterson’s usually assured kicking falter somewhat. If games finished in the 78th minute Scotland would have been top of their group, instead a mistake in the last two minutes in a game against Argentina and a weak England team saw them finish third and miss out on qualification. Patterson announced his international retirement earlier in the season, and therefore kicking will probably fall onto the less assured boot of Dan Parks. Andy Robinson, however, has stayed on as coach, but with Scotland being 16/1 to win the tournament and facing an ever-improving Italy in Rome, many pundits argue that the Scots may be on course for the wooden spoon.

FRANCE – The runners-up of the World Cup in New Zealand. The French certainly did not do it in style, but instead ground out results. An easy group was made difficult by the French, and a shock defeat from Tonga was certainly not on the script for the coaching team. The favourites for the tournament may not be the safest bet, with other teams possibly on the rise as France hits a bit of a decline. Only time will tell, however, much depends on the clash with Wales, and the squad selection of the French, and indeed what French team decides to show up. Pundits and fans alikewere left perplexed by the squad selection for certain matches and the serious attitude problem shown by some of the French players.

ITALY- Once seen as the whipping boys of the tournament, there can now be no doubt that teams do not like traveling to Rome. The Italians had a poor World Cup but still looked strong going forward with exceptional pace and attacking play. The kicking of the Italians needs to be improved if they are serious about making inroads into the tournament and often were destroyed by organised teams, such as Ireland.

STEPHENS PREDICTIONS

Predicted Winners – WALES

Dark Horses  – SCOTLAND

Potential Flop – ENGLAND

There is no doubt that Wales will be up for a revenge match against France but it is how they perform against the other teams that could affect their fate. France have a major attitude problem that must be sorted. As well as that, the French do struggle at the Stade de France, especially if things aren’t going their way and the crowd begin to turn. The Welsh on the other hand will be buoyed by the World Cup display and hopeful with the massive interest in the sport to take the trophy home. There is no doubt that it will be close between France and Wales

Scotland were not impressive during the World Cup, but they were unlucky. There can be no doubt that Scotland would have qualified to the last 16 had it not been for a few awkward fumbles and shoddy defending. The simple fact is that Scotland struggle to get it over the time, and with kicking no doubt a lesser weapon with the loss of Patterson, the Scots will have to hope that they have improved their attack. Scotland may get a result against Italy, and possibly England at home. In a tournament many have predicted Scotland may not win a game, I think they may do better. However, there can be no doubt that if Scotland start off badly then the Italians in Rome may be a saving pride game.

England need to come up with the goods but with the squad constantly changing and the lack of experience in coaching, I have no doubt that England will not get near the cup. They have the skills and the players to turn it on, if they choose and they do have a point to prove but I feel France, Wales and Ireland are all potentially superior. The Twickenham atmosphere will be very vital.

February 4: France v Italy, 2.30pm and Scotland v England, 5pm

February 5: Ireland v Wales, 3pm

February 11: Italy v England, 4pm and France v Ireland, 8pm

February 12: Wales v Scotland, 3pm

February 25: Ireland v Italy, 1.30pm and England v Wales, 4pm

February 26: Scotland v France, 3pm

March 10: Wales v Italy, 2.30pm and Ireland v Scotland, 5pm

March 11: France v England, 3pm

March 17: Italy v Scotland 12.30pm, Wales v France, 2.45pm and England v Ireland, 5pm

* All games are live on the BBC.

I’m kidding but if that hit a nerve maybe it’s time I introduced you to FoxFit Personal Training.

Everyone gains a bit of weight over Christmas and as students we don’t always have the time to do anything about it. Wrong. We find time to go out drinking with our mates and we procrastinate better than any other group in society. Keeping fit just isn’t very high on our to-do list.

It doesn’t help that joining the gym is expensive and boring, which is exactly why FoxFit are giving you the chance to win a pair of four week bootcamps at Glasgow Green worth £69 each!

Whether you want to shave off some extra holiday weight, lose your beer belly or just tone up FoxFit will give you the tools you need to get off your lazy arse and do it.

The first bootcamp session is held indoors where you will be weighed, measured and have your vital statistics calculated to allow the team to build a four week programme that suits you.

FoxFit’s founder, Russell Fox, has designed these bootcamps to overcome your personal ‘barriers to fitness’ which basically means he’ll take all the excuses you give to justify not living a healthy lifestyle and educate you on how to get past them.

Canlin appears to be right, this year 200,500 hopefuls signed up to the National November Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) programme, all attempting to have drafted manuscripts by the end. Well, they do say that everyone has a novel in them and, as if to prove the point, Canlin has squeezed out four: Heaven, the tale of a Glasgow strip club, Twisted Love, about partner turned killer, Black and White, which follows a forensic photographer, and Middle Class Zombie, whose plot is self explanatory.

Yet, these are not fruits of NaNoWriMo or of any writer’s group; instead Canlin’s success comes from an Open University course and Lulu vanity publishing. He said, “To be honest Lulu is not a proper mainstream publishing deal; I am still pursuing that, along with an agent…I have a box file full of rejection letters, which one day I intend to paper a room with.  Rejection is just part and parcel of being a writer.”

Once again Canlin’s words ring true, as editor and sci – fi author Tara Harper concurs, “In the United States each year… three out of every 10,000 manuscripts which are submitted in the [mainstream] publishing industry are actually published.”

Harper explains this low success rate as a product of the multiple demands of the industry. Work must be well written, edited and commercially popular, to make it to mainstream publishing. With such low turn around it is no wonder so many writers have turned to vanity publishing sites, such as Lulu.

Kevin Weiss, president and chief executive of self-publishing companies: iUniverse, AuthorHouse and Xlibris, estimated 26,000 books were published through them in 2011, compared with 13,000 in 2007. While Britney Turner, spokeswoman of Create Space self-publishing, told the New York Times their books had increased by 80 percent from 2009 to 2010.

Analysing these statistics New York Times reporter Alina Tugend explained the popularity of these programmes, through their facilitation of print on demand, which allows authors to print their novels as people order them, thus saving money.

Despite this seemingly democratic effect, the revolution has not been embraced by everyone, as author Kristine Kathryn Rusch said, “Vanity presses are called “vanity” presses for a reason. They appeal to the writer’s vanity, not the writer’s sanity. Stay away if you want to be a serious writer.”

Yet, contrasting this opinion is the example of Diane Gabaldon, who posted her first novel, Outlander, free to read online and gathered such an underground readership, as it led to a mainstream publishing deal.

Similar to this is the experience of Canlin, who posted an exert of his self-published book, Heaven, online before being approached by an American producer who wanted to adapt it to film. He said, “I have managed to sell an option to the book to film producers in America, who are currently developing a script, if the film deal works out then the sky could be the limit.”

Another success story of self publishing is that of Catherine Baird, a 47 year old creative writer from Chryston, who replied to Padgett Powell’s book of questions, The Interrogative Mood, with her own book of answers, The Responsive Mood. As well as selling her book on Amazon website, Baird read it alongside Powell in Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts.

While Baird’s work had finesse enough to attract the endorsement of a renowned author, it was rejected by Canon mainstream publishers due to its abstract nature. The exclusion of experimental literature from mainstream publishing is described by Harper, who said, “Most aspiring writers don’t get published because their work is simply not as well-written, polished, appealing, or interesting compared to other writers. However, some writers don’t get published because, even though their work is good or even brilliant, there’s not enough market for those ideas.”

This concept of style dictating success is one Baird is familiar with. Despite editing and writing in Valve, a literary journal, which was commercially published by Freight, she is not optimistic about her solo work getting the same reception. She said, “The stuff I write is never going to be in the genre which millions of people will buy. When it comes to literary fiction or really exciting Scottish literature publishers don’t give it as much of a push. When you go in Waterstone’s its all books like Jamie Oliver’s biography, but I think that is to do with the celebrity culture we live in.”

Marking Catherine’s words is the arrival of socialite Pippa Middleton’s party guide, that received a £400,000 book deal from Michael Joseph, Penguin’s sister publisher. The guide, which launches next year, has previewed some of its excerpts, such as a tip which suggests readers spray paint turkey wishbones to use as canape decoration. With such lavish suggestions, it could be argued, Middleton’s target readership is very slim.

It is no surprise then that the deal has sparked controversy, with author Malorie Blackman commenting on Facebook, “What a kick in the teeth to all those unpublished writers out there with something truly interesting to say but who don’t have the proper connections.”

These connections, it seems, are vital in gaining a publishing deal, as writer and editor of Octavius literary magazine, Samuel Best, shows.  During his creative writing degree at Strathclyde University Best, a 22 year old from Dennistoun, met authors Rodge Glass, David Kinloch and publisher Mark Buckland, who helped him set up Octavius literary magazine. Best said, “I’ve been “lucky in many regards, I’ve made some great friends and contacts through university.  Octavius started as an idea between me and my girlfriend, Charlene, and as we worked through the details we had great feedback from writers and publishers, which gave us the push we needed to launch it. Since then we’ve taken on more staff and had a huge volume of submissions.”

The magazine is open to entries from any Scottish student in higher education, a category which, Best said, aims to bridge the gap between new and published writers. However, it is also worth noting that while this platform may nurture writers within the system of higher education, its submission requirements also exclude those less privileged. The closure of such writing circles to the less educated further tips the scales in favour of students, who may already enjoy connections in the industry made through their Arts lecturers.

In a time of trebling UK tuition fees, it seems more writers could be left out of these literary cliques. But, when examining writing as a profession of the graduate there are exceptions to the rule, and one of the most contemporary is Sir Terry Pratchett. The award winning children’s author left school at the age of 17 and went to work for the Bucks Free Press, rather than going to college. There he interviewed Peter Bander van Duren who later published Pratchett’s first novel, The Carpet People.

Despite his relative ease in getting published, Pratchett continued to work in journalism and PR for years before his novels gained enough popularity to be his sole income. Multi-tasking such as this is an approach which most writers adapt to launch and maintain their craft. As Harper points out only one out of every 10 novels earn enough in sales to break even. She adds, “Most published authors do not make enough money to support themselves. They must create and sustain a career.”

Regardless of his privileged start, Best has accepted the hard graft of writing full time. He works for Cargo publishing, tutors in creative writing, edits Octavius magazine and is completing his first novel, all things considered writing seems less of a job and more of a life choice.

Loss of leisure time seems a recurring theme among writers, as Canlin said, “I always carry at least one notebook with me, and am always writing during my lunch breaks. I know that they are a guaranteed hour where I can get some work done, though it has led to my distinct lack of a social life.”

Baird, on the other hand, has packed in her day job. After 20 years of working in various professions, such as administration and community care, she has decided to become a full time writer. She said, “I’ve done the career thing, now I want to make a go of writing.”

Despite this freedom, Baird, who has a teenage son, has other things to juggle. She said, “It’s hard to get peace to write. I am usually in the house, but even trying to find a quiet corner can be difficult. While I was completing the Valve literary journal and my novel last year I gave up on everything that wasn’t essential I didn’t watch TV, or go to see my sister and friends, I even stopped going to my writers group to concentrate on my individual work..”

This life split between fiction and reality casts authors as sort of superheroes, some of whom even adopt an alias to boot. Yet, with increasing numbers of aspiring writers, is Tina Turner right in singing, ‘we don’t need another hero’, or do we all need something to believe in?

By Julie Shennan

I don’t mean to do it. I don’t want to do it. The thoughts just tumble in, uninvited. Like just now…

At the moment, I’m lying very still in the dark, listening. It’s the noise outside that woke me up. It is wild, wild wind. I’m pretty sure I just felt the house shake. Images from disaster films crash into my mind – burning grass, tidal waves, giant hailstones, the statue of liberty – If I look outside scenes of utter devastation will be sure to greet me. Half of me is trying to be reasonable but the other half is convinced it’s the end of the world! The end is (probably) nigh!

I muster the courage to creep through to the lounge. A dog barks in the distance. I peek out of the window. It’s dark and the windows are smeared with rain. I squint, trying to see into the garden and then I find myself staring at four black shadows. My heart pulses. I can’t make out what they are. Then I realise: trees! Trees have fallen down in the garden! Not small trees, not medium sized trees! Massive, gigantic, humungous trees!

I am incredulous, overwhelmed, terrified.  Then I pause for a minute. Four trees have fallen down. Yes. But it’s not the end of the world! It’s just a bit of wind. The apocalyptic scenes that I was envisioning earlier have not actually come about. Hallelujah!

I spend the rest of the day studying by the window. A collection of men have gathered outside, men in blue anoraks and in woolly hats, men in striped scarves with their shoulders jerked up to their ears. They stand about looking and shaking their heads, and waving their arms about in the general direction of the trees. The wind picks up again and the group disperses. A woman in a purple coat marches past with a poodle. I flick through my notes and, when I look back up, two red umbrellas walk by. The big umbrella, a grandpa, points at different things – the hole in the fence, the telephone pole that is askew, the chunk missing out the wall. The little umbrella, a granddaughter, pauses and looks, and then she runs to catch back up with him. As the sky darkens and we’re setting out dinner, a fleet of men in fluorescent coats arrive to clear the road. Orange light from their van floods through our window. They stay there for hours with rain battering against their helmets, sawing, moving and lifting. Then they are gone leaving the street in silence.

Midnight, and I’m back under my covers. I’m pleased to say that the world is still very much alive. It’s the dog-walkers that testify to this. Dog walkers are a breed with Herculean-type determination. It seemed like every time I looked out the window today, one of them was out there, German shepherd or Westie in tow, battling with the elements. Maybe I should try and take on their mindset. What’s a bit of wind? Nothing to get worked up about! Life still goes on.

For now at least…

By Melissa Reid

It was mentioned on Only An Excuse’s Hogmanay show in the following context; ‘If Edinburgh is Scotland’s Roma, then Churino is Italy’s Cumbernauld. Oh, I tell you… it’s a toilet’.

It’s a shame that Cumbernauld has such a bad reputation. In fairness, the majority of the housing, the newer housing, is of good quality. Unfortunately, the centre of the town, where the original buildings still stand, is an example of what the ‘50s thought would be development genius but was actually aesthetic suicide. As a result there is a concrete jungle riddled with underpasses which literally breed neds.

The town centre is a monstrosity. Any steps which have been taken to improve it have failed for one reason and one reason only. This is a problem to which there is only one solution. Demolition.

If you’re thinking, ‘Eh, that’s an opinion and you’re a journalist, whit d’y think yr daen?’… in 2005, the Channel 4 TV series Demolition took a public vote to determine out of a selection of hated buildings dubbed The Dirty Dozen which should be turned to dust. The Cumbernauld Town Centre won, in fact, it was also suggested that the town of Cumbernauld should be demolished ‘in its entirety’. Regrettably, no action was taken.

Cumbernauld has won a string of other awards which uses the word ‘won’ in the same way as HIV uses the word ‘positive’.

Architecture and planning magazine Urban Realm awarded Cumbernauld their infamous title of ‘Plook on the Plinth’ in both 2001 and 2005. ‘Plook’ being the Scots word for a spot for any exchange students.

In the 2003 book, ‘Crap Towns: The Fifty Worst Places to Live in the UK’, Cumbernauld came in second only to Hull, making it the worst in Scotland.

In 2005, Cumbernauld was declared Scotland’s abandoned trolley capital by Trolleywise, a firm who retrieves stray trolleys for supermarkets. This was only made worse by the installation of magnetic strips on the exits of supermarkets as youths tested their durability, found they were a load of shite and wandered off with the trolley until they were bored of it n shoved it in a ditch, always too deep in the undergrowth to be pulled out but visible enough to be an eyesore.

Just before the Christmas break, around the time of Hurricane Bawbag, I got word from Cumbernauld that the world was ending. It was immediately apparent that this was an exaggeration caused by the bad weather. I looked around me. There was a mild breeze in Bordeaux, the sky was blue but I could vividly remember how Scottish weather could make you feel like the end was nigh. The feeling of impending doom that made you beg your dad to bring your rabbit indoors before it was thrashed, hutch n all, into your neighbour’s wall.

So, I replied, ‘it’s no Doomsday mate, the world’s no ending, just Cumbernauld. No harm, no foul.’ Mais attendez!

You may think you don’t know anyone from Cumbernauld. They tend to move away from the stench of its reputation towards… well, anywhere really.

The truth is many Cumbernauldians choose to refer to themselves as Glaswegians to avoid the dreaded response of ‘Hawhawhaw, whit’s it cawed? Hawhawhaw’. A cringe-worthy one-liner introduced to the world via an advertising campaign in the ‘80s to encourage families to relocate which is now a favourite amongst taxi drivers and folk who try to ‘tap fags’ from strangers.

Dear Reader, only now that I have left not just the town but the country can I admit this to you, but I was raised in Cumbernauld. If you Youtube that advert I can tell you that I have hung out on many of those street corners. I had my first can pipe not far from where those children are playing.

After I received that message about the exaggerated demise of my hometown, do you know what I really thought despite my nonchalant response? Not ‘good riddance’, or ‘get it up yee’, but… ‘aw shit’. ‘Cause it may take living in another country to do it… but I think Cumbernauld’s awright. Yea, I’m giving Cumbernauld a solid and public ‘awright’, its’ best review yet…even if the majority of people that I know there have been jumped there.

By Claire Alexander

These days most people have a camera and photos surround us in our cyber-world, on the Internet, in our inboxes, in magazines and on the streets… However, for me, the simple ability to capture an image doesn’t amount to ‘photography’. Simple snapping a hundred pictures, even with the most expensive professional camera, without any thought of what you’re looking to create isn’t photography, even if it can produce a couple of pretty images.

Anyone can take a nice digital photograph by accident but it’s the creator’s intention that makes an image into photography. Cameras are machines that can be made to see what we see. Taking a photograph requires thought; it’s a way of creating a new world. You can learn to create the exact image you have in your mind by tricking the camera into seeing what you want it to. The use of technique in view of a particular goal makes a good photograph a work of art; it isn’t just a perfect replica image of the real world, it’s someone’s individual vision of our world.

So it’s not the camera that makes an image into a photograph, but rather your use of the camera; the composition of your photo, the angle you choose, colours, lighting, editing… You might even choose to create an unsought for effect like red eye so as to accentuate an animal’s stare into the headlights of a car for example. The expression of your individual perception of the world is what makes a photograph more than just a pretty reproduction of reality.

New Era (George Square) by Narin Chalabi

Once you have technical knowledge, you can take any picture you want because you’ll know how to trick things into looking the way you want them to. Ten people can take photographs of one object and each photograph will be different, with its own atmosphere and its own message. Different angles can make a model look either protective or aggressive, or make a landscape look endless or dominated by the sky. With so much photography around us, it can be hard to know what’s ‘real’ and sincere, and what’s not. Even if cameras can take beautiful pictures by themselves, imagination is what you use to take the photographs.

You needn’t worry about not having a big camera; you can work on composition for example just by becoming more aware of the little things around you. Making up small still life scenes and finding the best arrangements and looking at them from different points of view is great practice for larger design and composition. You can even experiment with angle and lighting with the camera on your mobile. Indoor lighting can give a very intimate feel to a photograph; you don’t need everything to be studio lit.

My best tip is to think about what photography is for you; do you want it to be beautiful or thoughtful or emotional? What makes you want to stare at your favourite photograph for hours? Think about what you want to do and say it with your own photographs. Are they a way of sharing a great memory, illustrating the atmosphere at an event, portraying someone’s emotions, telling a story, giving a political point of view?

At the Strathclyde Photo Club, we encourage people to come together and share their photographs, so that people can see what others are doing and help develop their own personal style. If you would like to get involved and share some of your own favourite pictures, or learn more about photography and editing techniques then we continually organize trips, tutorials, talks and meetings. This semester we’re going to arrange fashion and portrait sessions along with Photoshop tutorials. We’re also going to have a number of exciting trips to places such as Stirling castle, Edinburgh, and Loch Lomond to name a few.

So if you wish to pursue photography then please join us on our Facebook page, the strathphotoclub, where you can sign up to our monthly newsletter.

By Letty David