Arts & Culture
8 November, 2026
Quality of photography amazes participants
Two members of the the Southern Highlands branch of U3A (University of the Third Age) have recently just concluded a photography course hosted by local photographer Richard Batterley.
Two members of the the Southern Highlands branch of U3A (University of the Third Age) have recently just concluded a photography course hosted by local photographer Richard Batterley.
Called ‘Four by Four Creative Photography’, the course used the four most popular genres of photography.
These genres were landscape photography, people photography, nature photography and city and street photography.
“This post-beginners course will look at the four most important aspects of photography,” the course outline stated.
“A different genre will be outlined each fortnight giving members a project, and putting it into practice in their own time.
“Then the members will have an opportunity to show their work to the other members on the course, telling everyone what they learned through the ever popular ‘show and tell’ medium.”
“And the aspects of photography will be: selecting your subject, composition, camera settings and post processing or editing,” the course outline added.
Mr Batterley explained that he had 18 people who undertook the course and was amazed at the quality of the photos that they took.
“Eleven members of the 18 on the course submitted a total of 119 photographs,” Mr. Batterley told The Southern Wire.
“The first time we did a ‘show and tell’ session at the end of the course, we had 5 members out of the 20 on the course submitting 20 photographs.
“So, the popularity of the ‘show and tell’ session is increasing, as is the confidence of the members to talk about their work.
“Mainly because the members say they learn a lot from having to think about what they have to say, and listening to other members talking about their experiences.”
Carla Bosch and Martin Flaxman were just two of the people who undertook the course to help themselves improve their photographic skills and to also make great friends in the process.
“The Four by Four photography course (as were the previous U3A photography courses Richard has given that I’ve attended) was very informative and certainly most helpful in improving my photography skills,” Ms. Bosch told The Southern Wire.
“Not only did we cover the theory pertaining to each topic, but were shown examples of good and ‘bad’ photos to illustrate the theory.
“Importantly, the reasons why a photo was good or ‘bad’ were thoroughly explained and discussed.
“To me, this was very useful and has increased my understanding of what makes a good photo.
“Keeping in mind that opinions are subjective, I felt the overall quality of the photos submitted for our final session was very good.
“The photos of those who had adhered to the “homework project” brief each session were, in the main, excellent.
“While we were not compelled to adhere to the brief, I felt that in doing so, I learned to put into practice what we’d be taught and discussed.
“There are several skills I learned through this (and the other courses) and that I now try to put into practice:
1: A stronger focus on composition;
2: The harshness/softness and direction of light on the object to be photographed;
3: Giving more consideration to the background, and in the case of landscape photography, the fore and middle ground as well; and
Advertisement4: Where relevant, the story in the photo; i.e. what’s the photo telling the viewer.
“As well as following the brief, I really enjoy the challenge of close-up photography, in particular native flora (and especially those that have an interesting architectural structure).
“Also a delight for me to photograph are natural objects such as shells, small pebbles and coral fragments that provide texture in a photo.
“The photos I submitted were those I was happy with, and thought complied with the brief despite some presenting more of a challenge to do than others.
“That’s the way to help improve my photography skills.
“Finally, I’d like to say that Richard is an excellent teacher who presents well-structured sessions, and is always open to questions. When he provides critique on photos, it’s always constructive and informative. He is also generous with providing support. If you are keen to improve your photography skills, and prepared to put in the effort, then Richard’s photography courses are very well worth attending.”
Fellow course attendee Martin Flaxman agreed and felt that the skills he gained will put him in good stead for the future.
“I have attended many of Richard’s U3A courses over the years,” Mr. Flaxman said.
“I learned many skills from his previous courses, and these were reinforced in each genre. I found creative photography the most challenging, as it prioritises artistic story telling over all genres covered.”
Mr Flaxman also felt that each participant's images were very well thought out to respond to the genres Mr. Batterley presented during his professional Power Point presentations.
“I became a better photographer by combining technical skills taught in Richard's previous U3A courses with my own creative vision,” he said.
“For example, the ‘Rule of Thirds’ became the ‘Guideline of Thirds’.
“Also, learn the rules so you can break them, as stated by Picasso.
“I learned observational skills and understanding the importance of light, and the use of negative space for emphasising the main focus of the story.
“I liked the sunset at the Botanic Gardens at Mount Annan for the colour, reflections and calm water featuring the swans.
“I also enjoy black and white photography for the atmosphere it creates, so I took the image at the Wingello train station with a title of ‘Waiting Patiently’.”
U3A is a not-for-profit volunteer organisation providing learning experiences for retired and semi-retired people throughout the four terms of the year.
The Southern Highlands branch of U3A is just one of many U3A groups throughout Australia and the world, with the concept beginning in France in 1972, since spreading around the globe.
For more information on courses or how to join them, contact them on (02) 9990 6650, email them at secretary@sohiu3a.org.au, or visit the website at https://sohiu3a.org.au/.
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