This weekend I set out to document the official start of Oxford’s Christmas celebrations – the turning on of the Christmas lights in the town centre. Traditionally it’s an exciting time for any town , especially for kids, and provides an opportunity for some great candids. But we missed it. We got there too late and didn’t really know where to go. None of us had actually ever been to it before. The first rule of photojournalism is to be on location, ready and in place, so when something happens you can capture it. A second rule is to have been in said location long enough to get a feel for the place and capture a few test shots so you can get your settings right. Again, I didn’t do this, so ended up with a load of blurry images where I got my settings wrong.
I managed to get a few shots, but it was long after the main ceremony had taken place. Still it was fun and I learned a very important lesson about planning and preparation.
