 For the first exercise, think about one possible story at your project site. First, write down the who, when, where, what, how and why. Second, write down a possible beginning, middle and end to your story. Practice setting up your equipment before going into the field. You have to test your tripod and add your equipment and also make sure that you recharge all of your batteries. If you are working in an area where it rains a lot, then pack waterproof bags and cases. Find a nearby scene such as a building or trees and shoot it at different times of the day under different light conditions. You will be amazed by how the photograph changes and what it conveys. Explore and test the focus and exposure functions on your camera or smartphone, outdoors and under different conditions. Familiarity is the name of the game. In harsh outdoor daylight conditions, a simple maxim for exposure is to expose for the highlights and the shadows will look after themselves. First, take three photographs using the rule of thirds and then take three photographs using leading lines. The photographs can be of landscapes, animals or people. Then experiment and have fun trying lots of different compositions. To practice, develop a photo story on someone you work with or a community representative at DSWM project sites. Photography character with the following four angle in mind which I am illustrating with the example from the Guyana project site. Landscape, show your character outside their home or in the landscape where they work. Portrait, this is where you can get up closer and show the face of your character from waist upwards. Try taking the portrait from below or above. Action shot, try and capture the tension, movement and energy involved in whatever your character is doing. Close up detail, here you can move in on important details. It could be their hands, a piece of hunting equipment or their food. Try and film these six shots with a colleague. A wide shot, extreme wide shot, mid shot, a close up of hands, a close up of the faces and over the shoulder. Remember, each clip should be at least 10 seconds long. It's also a good idea to look at some of your favorite videos and write down the order of shots used in their sequences. From the wide shots to the extreme close ups. With a colleague, set up a simple interview with one of you working the camera and asking the questions and the other responding. Try and follow all the suggestions given here. Then switch roles so that you both practice being the interviewer. Make sure you print out at least 10 consent forms before you head into the field. Once you're back in the office scan the consent forms so you also have an electronic version.