News

Autumn Newsletter

WORKSHOPS




The first weekend in October was spent over in Jersey, running a two day workshop, followed by private ‘one to one’ tuition, (except that it was a ‘one to two’). Part of the trip included me alone, judging the Jersey v Guernsey photographic club competition. When the scores were totted up, the splendid host club, Jersey had lost! Thankfully I wasn’t lynched. It was an interesting evening as I had to describe what I thought of the pictures onto tape, so that Guernsey could show the pictures and hear my judging the following week. Any way, it was good fun and they have invited me back in January – mad fools.

The following weekend saw me with my PhotoNewForest hat on, running three PhotoTreks with colleague Barry Whitcher, two at Exbury Gardens, home of the Rothschild family on the edge of the Solent, followed by the final Mottisfont PhotoTrek of the year held at the National Trust property, near Romsey. The Mottisfont event was full (again). It really is proving a popular venue as all the PhotoTrek events have been full there this year. For next year, Barry and I are devising new routes which will include exclusive areas of the estate including parts of the rivers and woodland. Also next year we are running a couple of PhotoTreks at The Vyne, another National Trust property near Basingstoke so that should be exciting.

On the last weekend of October we were back at Mottisfont for the final two days of our exhibition being held there and on the Sunday, the prize giving of the photo competition took place. All those that had attended the PhotoTreks that we have run at Mottisfont Abbey throughout the year have been invited to submit their five best images from their day. We had nearly 500 entries and a few heated discussions between Barry and I that’s for sure! Any way, we ended up with a winner, Roger McCallum, runner up Derek Murrells and third placed Jennie Walker together with five ‘Best of Day’ winners. Canon provided the 1st and 2nd prizes of Canon 1000D for Roger, an Ixus 90IS for Derek and Lowepro provided a Fastpack 350 for Jennie. The other prize winners won PhotoTrek vouchers to spend yet more time with us!


Mid month saw me taking a group on a workshop covering Portland Bill and Durdle Door. I really enjoy the all the workshops I do and this day was no exception. It was brilliant. On the way over we had torrential rain, leaving at just before 6am with all the guests fast asleep while I drove, but arrival at Portland for daybreak saw blue skies and wispy clouds as the weather front departed. Once I managed to drag everyone away from the ‘Bill, we had breakfast and then down to Durdle Door further east along the coast. This part of the day was more about planning and composition, but it didn’t stop a lot of pixels from being exposed! The steep climb back up the cliff kept everyone quiet for a time, before journeying back to the Ringwood pick up point, around 6pm. A full, but judging by the feedback, enjoyable day.

Part of the month saw me sorting out the final details of the two, one day workshops that I am running with the world famous photographer David Noton in September next year. They are both two, full days including early morning starts, with the base being the barn at the Royal Oak at Fritham in the New Forest, which has just been voted ‘Country Pub of the Year by the Good Pub guide, so well done to them. The days have been planned to coincide with the glorious New Forest heather, which should be at its peak around this time. We’re calling this a Phototrek Workshop and will include mainly workshop topics and level with a little feel of PhotoTreks for part of the day.. The groups are small, being a maximum of only 10 each day, and thankfully starting to fill up already.

The month ended with a trip up to Bolderwood for a PhotoTrek, blessed with more fine weather and the colours of the forest getting pretty good by this time. Just to clarify, PhotoTreks are designed for beginners to intermediates with my workshops moving to the next level.

SHOOT SCHEDULE

Some time was spent at Winchester covering some new angles, as well as researching possible locations along part of the River Itchen. Whilst there, I had a long conversation with a wading fly fisherman stalking his way up river – bizarre. The Isle of Wight was also on the agenda, covering numerous locations for a project that I am working on and making a number of forays into the New Forest capturing the colours in their various stages before all the leaves are blown off.

AOB
Interspersed with all this I have been planning next years’ Workshops and Phototreks, writing my monthly photography article for the Southern Echo, as well as printing the images and vouchers that have sold along the way. Talking about vouchers and prints, Christmas is coming up, so if you are short of a present, I can supply vouchers for workshops; and prints in various sizes of any image on the website and a great deal more besides.

The final few days of the month saw preparations for the Eye of the World Exhibition held at Hillier’s Nursery in Romsey, which is on display until 6th December, and also the Kaleidoscope Exhibition at Highcliffe Castle which is on until December 23rd. At the Highcliffe Castle event you will see some new images that have been directly mounted with a gloss film onto a 12mm thick wooden board negating the use of glass. I had this carried out for a customer and liked the effect so have tried it for these exhibition prints.

Funniest moment of October? Colleague Barry modelling, dressed up as Father Christmas with his feet dangling in a hotel swimming pool – one of a series of shots I was taking for a Christmas card.

COMING UP
November sees me running a few more workshops at Purbeck and Keyhaven; a Reader Workshop for Digital Photographer Magazine; finalising details for 2009 workshops; a few more shoots on the Isle of Wight and hopefully get down to some serious processing which is woefully behind. On the afternoon of Saturday 29th, I shall be in Southampton at London Camera Exchange alongside Canon if you’re passing. Also, Julia and I are planning my trips for next year. France and Spain in March, Italy in May and Provence in July for starters, hopefully with a workshop in Tuscany on May, (provisionally 8th – 11th) and Provence (provisionally 3rd – 6th July 09)

Have you been to the website recently? I’ve just started a blog – whoever thought up that name?