Posts Tagged ‘photographic training’

It wasn’t advertised as an extreme photo workshop, but that’s what it evolved into.  However I’m getting ahead of myself.

This was the second of my photo workshops, and the first in Devon.   Everyone met, and indeed most people were staying for a few days at Steve Lundy’s lovely Home Farm Hotel & Restaurant.  There were 5 photo tourers (Pete, Sheila, Denise, Ryan & Peter), myself, and our driver and tour guide Russ Hewer from Tailored Tours UK.

After we’d established the level of humour everyone was at by Denise suggesting my Little Black Book of Scantily Clad Women should have wipe clean pages (if you don’t get it, I’m not explaining it!), we enjoyed a lovely meal cooked up by Home Farm’s master chef Dennis.

Our first stop was Haldon Belvedere (Lawrence Castle) where we had a slightly breathless climb to the top of the hill from the carpark, and then an even harder climb up to the top of the tower.  The views were fab, but the weather was not in our favour, the cloud cover was making everything look kind of bland and uninteresting.

After a quick stop at a pretty stone bridge over a river the next proper stop was in the village of Chagford.  It was maybe the most important stop of the day because it was time for a Devon cream tea.  What a tea it was.  We found a cute little tea place, and had the most amazing scones (still warm), clotted cream (heart attack think) and strawberry jam.  It was just perfect.

With everyone on a sugar high we hit the road again, this time heading onto Dartmoor proper with the aim of finding somewhere cool to photograph the sunset from.

We stopped next at Postbridge Clapper.  This is a bridge which is older than the earth itself (this may or may not be true).

While we were driving everyone in the car was shouting out whenever we saw, “SHEEP”, “HORSE”, “COW”, or “CAR!!!” (when one was heading straight for us down a single track road).  We almost lost Ryan on a couple of occasions due to him nearly choking himself to death on his own laughter.

With a little bit of help from an old fashioned map, and a little bit of guess work we worked our way around some tiny single track lanes, almost breaking Russ’s car on several occasions, until finally the roads stopped and the dirt tracks took over.  This is where the extreme photo tour started.  In Russ’s specially prepared 2 wheel drive Ford (driven over 400,000 miles) Galaxy we ventured onwards up this track that even a 4×4 owner would have thought twice at.  A hundred metres and several shrieks of “we’re all going to die!” later we decided it was probably best to stop and walk the rest of the way to the top of the tor.

Most of the group elected to climb the 10 minutes to the top of the tor.  I decided to stay by the car.  Why?  I’m too fat to climb / I’m too lazy to climb / My camera bag has wheels but wasn’t going to roll over rocks very well / I thought I’d get better sunset photos where I was / To keep Denise company (delete as applicable).

The grey clouds had started to break a couple of hours before sunset, and with an hour to go I had a feeling we were in for a treat.  I wasn’t wrong.  The sunset was one of the best I’ve seen in England.

The drive back to Home Farm was a bit of a trek.  We missed getting food at a Little Chef by just 45 seconds (which some might say is a blessing in disguise), and ended up stopping at Burger King on the M5 services.  They short changed me and only gave me 12 of their tasteless stupidly tiny chicken ball things instead of 14, but we’d eaten.

Back at the hotel everyone headed to their rooms and to bed, while Russ and myself both faced a 2 hour drive home.  On the plus side there was no traffic on the roads at midnight.

It had been a special day.  Thank you to everyone involved.  Photography doesn’t get more fun than that.

Must concentrate.

A rare photo of the lesser spotted Sheila.

A long way down.

Russ trying to figure out where we are.

A sheep and my pupils up on the tor.

A self portrait of my legs.

In the countryside around Brill, 9 budding photographers, 2 dogs, 1 tour guide, and myself met and spent the afternoon roaming around for the afternoon taking photos.

Although it didn’t rain, the weather wasn’t so kind.  It was sunny all morning, cloudy the whole time we were shooting, and then there was the most brilliant sunset that we all missed because were in the pub eating.  D’oh!

Oh, yes, while we were shooting we saw some rather impressive flying machines.  The first being what I’m reliably informed is the only Vulcan bomber that still flies – we saw it flying to and from the Goodwood Festival of Speed.   A little while later, 6 Apache helicopters flew over.  Cool!

People had come from all over, from as far away as Wales, Bristol, Birmingham, Blandford, Bedford and myself from Southampton.  Age ranged from 16 to 50 something, and people had all types of cameras.  It was great to see such a wide variety of ages and kit.

So enough words, and on with some of my snaps of the day.

Short notice this one, but I’ve just been asked if I can put on a training workshop closer to Southampton, and the only Sunday I have free before September is Sunday 27th June.

So…

You’ll be using your own equipment and I will be on hand to advise how to get the best possible results with the kit you have at hand.

Bring everything, lens, filters, tripods…

Come rain or shine the day will happen.  Often you only get one chance to do a shoot and postponing / rescheduling isn’t an option.  So be prepared.  Bring sunblock and wet weather gear just incase.

To make things more interesting we’ll all have our own individual themes to shoot, which we’ll pull at random from my hat.  So as well as the normal landscapes you will have your own specialist subject as it were, eg man made, flowers, grass etc

The event will start and end at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel in Lyndhurst.

Limited to 5 people, there is a special introductory price for the first of these training workshops of just £65 * (normal price will be £95).

FREE DOUGHNUTS FOR EVERYONE INCLUDED IN PRICE!

* Food & drink at the pub not included!

http://phototraining3.eventbrite.com/

Update: I guess I should mention the date – Sunday 8th August 2010.

With my first workshop selling out it seems like the perfect time to get a second one moving.

Russ Hewer of Tailored Tours UK & Michael Palmer of Michael Palmer Photography are teaming up to offer a photographic training afternoon.

Quality digital cameras have never been more affordable. Yet most people only use them on P mode and probably aren’t getting the best results.

We will start the day at my friend Steve Lundy’s Home Farm Hotel & Restaurant just outside Honiton.  They do this amazing burger there that is one of the biggest, and best I’ve ever had.

From there Russ will take us on a specially crafted tour.  However the route we take is flexible and fluid.  No two tours are the same, if we see something of interest, we’ll stop.

You’ll be using your own equipment and I will be on hand to advise how to get the best possible results with the kit you have at hand.

Bring everything, lens, filters, tripods…

Come rain or shine the day will happen.  Often you only get one chance to do a shoot and postponing / rescheduling isn’t an option.  So be prepared.  Bring sunblock and wet weather gear just incase.

To make things more interesting we’ll all have our own individual themes to shoot, which we’ll pull at random from my hat.  So as well as the normal landscapes you will have your own specialist subject as it were, eg man made, flowers, grass etc

The evening will end as it started at Home Farm in Honiton.

Limited to 10 people, there is a special introductory price for the first of these training workshops of just £65 * (normal price will be £95).

FREE DOUGHNUTS FOR EVERYONE INCLUDED IN PRICE!

* Food & drink at the pub not included!

To book your place click on the link below

http://phototraining2.eventbrite.com/

While I was in Oxfordshire last week I took a few photos around the windmill at Brill.  This was to later give me the inspiration to do some photographic training there and in the surrounding area.

Hopefully these photos will inspire you to book on, or even just to go and take some photos by yourself.

For more information on my debut training event, please visit the below link.

http://phototraining.eventbrite.com/

A couple of months ago it was suggested to me that I share my photographic knowledge through some training courses.  What they were suggesting was more of a sit down in a room thing, with cameras, and I help people learn that way.

However that wasn’t quite me, I wouldn’t be very good standing in front of a room full of people and to be honest it sounds kinda boring.   A couple of days ago, while trying to get to sleep on a sofa bed at Russ Hewers house, having spent a couple of hours earlier that evening doing some photography for fun in the wonderful landscapes around where he lives, it struck me.  I should do “on the job”, or maybe more appropriate “in the field” photographic training.  With Russ in the business of organising tours around the UK and Europe it seemed like a winning combination.

We discussed things over breakfast, and the first photo day out is on Sunday 4th July.

So I would like to officially announce that I am teaming up with Russ Hewer of Tailored Tours UK to offer a photographic training day.   It will take place in some of the best countryside England has to offer in and around the rolling hills of the Oxfordshire countryside.

We will meet and start the afternoon with a light lunch at the Pheasant pub in Brill.  From there Russ will take us on a specially crafted tour.  Although Russ will have a plan for the route, we’ll keep things flexible and fluid.  No two tours are the same, if we see something of interest, we’ll stop.

Quality digital cameras have never been more affordable. Yet most people only use them on P mode and probably aren’t getting the best results.

You’ll be using your own equipment and I will be on hand to advise how to get the best possible results with the kit you have at hand.

Bring everything, lens, filters, tripods…

Come rain or shine the day will happen.  Often you only get one chance to do a shoot and postponing / rescheduling isn’t an option.  So be prepared.  Bring sunblock and wet weather gear just incase.

To make things more interesting we’ll all have our own individual themes to shoot, which we’ll pull at random from my hat.  So as well as the normal landscapes you will have your own specialist subject as it were, eg man made, flowers, grass etc

The evening will end as it started at the Pheasant in Brill where we’ll be able to photograph the windmill and undulated landscape at dusk.

Limited to 9 people, there is a special introductory price for the first of these training days of just £50 * (normal price will be £95).

TIPS!  Make sure all your camera batteries are fully charged, and you have plenty of memory cards available.

* Food & drink at the pub not included!

To book yourself please visit click here.