One Day Photography Workshop

The Old Sun Inn is an ideal photographic subject

Today found us enjoying the warmest day of the year so far, and what a day to be out and about in Saffron Walden with my clients, on a one day beginners and improvers photography workshop. Only ever taking a maximum of four people, I like to keep the workshops small so that each person can have the attention they require. Sadly today one client was unable to make it at the last minute, and one place had remained unfilled, which meant my time was divided between these two lovely people. One had been given a gift voucher as a birthday present, the other had been promising themselves a workshop day for a long time. Both, however, had the same aim -  to understand more about their camera and to feel happy about moving off auto.

After spending a while in the classroom getting to know the desires and needs of each of the attendees, then looking into the basics about the exposure triangle, it was time to get onto the real practical nitty-gritty.

First, it was about getting to grips with handling the camera - here, a Sony Alpha 200 which had been put to one side in favour of a point and shoot which "appears to give me just as good results, with less mucking around" but was given a second chance for the workshop.

Here a reflection of the landmark golden bunch of grapes which hang in the market square, was spotted high up in a window and was lined up for a photo on a Fuji M-X1. The strong sunlight caused a slight issue with this otherwise great little camera as it lacks a view finder.

Woaaahh!! Don't lean back any more!!!

As well as trying out camera settings, which today was mostly concentrating on understanding aperture, there were also opportunities to look at different aspects of seeing a picture and the beginnings of the art of composition.

...The art of looking, and simplifying an image.

...The art of looking where perhaps you wouldn't normally look for a picture

...The art of creeping up on the subject.

OK this one wasn't going to go anywhere but gave an ideal opportunity to spend time looking for the best angle to view, and the place which would give the best lighting, given the powerful sunlight creating great contrast.

By following the Town Trail, it provided the opportunity for the local to see and learn new things about Saffron Walden, and the visitor, who was new to the town, to discover what a photogenic place our north Essex town is.

Finishing up at the impressive St Mary's Church, with the clock saying it was time to return home for lunch, this left time to spend the rest of the afternoon reviewing the images from the day, learning from the successes, and valuable lessons from the failures too.

In the words of Magnum photographer Chris Steele-Perkins:

"Study and theory is useful but you learn most by doing. Take photographs, lots of them, be depressed by them, take more, hone your skills and get out there in the world and interact."

The reactions at the end of the afternoon were greatly encouraging...

"Well I think I know which camera I'm going to use from now on. Just a shame I'm working tomorrow and won't be able to take my camera - I'm itching to get going with it now!"

"I shall take my camera out on my dog walk tomorrow and try out all I have learnt today."

Thank you both for being such lovely company - I'm just delighted I can pass on a measure of enthusiasm for the art of photography which I have enjoyed for so long.

And what of these sugary confections?
I actually use them as a teaching aid and clearing up at the end of the day, discovered this lady who was enjoying them so much that she didn't want to fly away home!

If you missed this workshop (and want to find out how the Skittles get brought into the teaching!) there will be further opportunities throughout the year to join another one day workshop. Just keep an eye on my website, Facebook or Twitter.

West Cork Photography Breaks - Young success

For many children, these past couple of weeks have been the school half-term holidays, with many kids either complaining of boredom or spending their whole time glued to assorted gaming or video screens. It was during a half-term last week, that I ran a special and early West Cork Photography Breaks workshop. No boredom encountered here and indeed, one student had reason to be extra happy. Why would that be? After only four days of beginning to learn the art of photography, this young lad became a published photographer!

At just 7 and three-quarters years old (yes, that three-quarters is important at his age although his birthday isn't far off) Sam was my youngest and most inexperienced photographer to come along and take in the new (to him) sights of West Cork. Indeed, so new was it, it was his first time to travel on a ferry, his first time to Ireland, his first time being able to visit beaches AND his first time to pick up a camera. To date, he had snapped a few selfies on his tablet he used to play games on but to start to understand what makes a picture began the day he arrived at WCPB HQ.

Without too much thought, he was snapping away on his tablet, taking pictures of those around him, until a passing suggestion was made.
"Do you focus on the eyes?"
He happened to be left to his own devices for a while and when I returned I was greeted with,
"Look! I have taken a picture of Bullseye* I set him up on the table and focused on his eyes"
(*Bullseye is his 15" tall soft toy of the horse from Toy Story, which currently travels everywhere with him)
Wow! this kid was quick and I had just the perfect camera I could offer him to use in his little hands, in the form of an Olympus E-M10 + 14-42mm pancake lens. He didn't take too much persuading, and with the camera set to auto, as it was his first experience, we set off to the beach in search of new things.

He soon learnt how to hold the camera and how to focus, and he snapped away on each new thing he saw - barnacles, limpets, seaweed...and we all encounter things for the first time at some point. At one end of the beach we came across a piece of driftwood, this flotsam covered in something I had myself, only encountered a few years before on a West Cork beach. Getting into the swing of things by now, I suggested Sam should get down to a lower viewpoint. With an air of confidence, he laid down and rattled off a couple of shots (whilst I snapped him at work!)

Returning back to the house, he was keen to look over my shoulder as I loaded the results of his snapping onto my laptop. I was impressed! Sam clearly had an eye for a picture and had captured a great shot of these strange creatures, which he identified himself by looking up and comparing pictures in a super book by Maya Plass - RSPB Handbook of the Seashore
We later used the same really comprehensive book to identify his other 'finds' too. (More of those in the next blog)

Gooseneck barnacles - Lepas anatifera (Yes, he learnt that living things also have Latin names too, even if he couldn't get his tongue around some of them!) These were what he had found, probably washed up a few days before as they were no longer alive, unlike the live examples I had found back in 2011.

As with all of my West Cork Photography Breaks workshops, I encourage the students to select a favourite image from the first two days, which, on the Monday morning, is prepared and sent to the local newspaper, The Southern Star. This is then considered for their 'Reader's Picture of the Week' slot, with the possible accolade of becoming published, and winning a canvas print too.
...Roll on to Thursday, publication day, and I dashed into the local shop to turn down the corner of the newspaper to reveal the picture on the back page.
'Fist pump'
My novice photographer had impressed the editor, and I was so delighted for him.
How many of his school friends could go back to school with such a great 'what I did in my holidays' story to tell!

West Cork Photography Breaks runs for 4 weekends in the spring** and again for four weekend in the autumn.

**Sadly due to unforseen circumstances, the spring series has had to be cancelled.
However, the autumn weekends are still going ahead as scheduled...with the autumn being peak season for whale watching (subject to weather conditions)

Wedding of Charlotte & Dale - Preparations

Every bride wants the perfect wedding day and when I got an out of the blue phonecall on the 3rd September, it was from a bride who was staring disappointment in the face.

"Our photographer has let us down. Can you do our wedding on 17th September?"

Two weeks later, there I was, squeezing into the home of Charlies' parents-in-law-to-be, along with a host of family members, the make-up lady, a veritable menagerie of pets, including her lovely and huge German Shepherd dog. Despite the initial impression of chaos that greeted me, everyone was amzingly relaxed, none more so than the beautiful bride. She calmly sipped her glass of prosecco through a straw as her makeup was done, and whilst the music channel TV played hits of the 80s in the corner of the room. Her response to "How are you feeling?" was:
"I can't wait!!"
Charlie was truly happy and her plan for a perfect wedding day was clearly on course.

Bridal preparations are such an important part - the weeks of planning finally coming together in the hours before the ceremony, and yet it is just the ceremony that all the guests get to see. They and indeed the groom, would probably never see what went on behind the scenes if it weren't for the photographs. So, Dale, here is a little black and white insight into what went on before your gorgeous bride walked down the aisle to marry you.

Just before 2.45 on Saturday afternoon, a pensive Miss Charlotte Bone left home with her father, soon to become Mrs Dale Hatt in a 3.30 ceremony in Braintree Town Hall.

Congratulations and may I wish you both a wonderful honeymoon on the Maldives!
There will be a full gallery of colourful pictures ready for you and your guests to view in a few weeks time.

Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Butter Wouldn't Melt...

Over the years, many of you have come to know Mutt - my trusty photographer-assistant and to look at her now you would think butter wouldn't melt.

Sadly, the old girl is now nearing 15 years old, and with it has come traits that one would expect from a puppy. The long and the short of it is, she has a form of doggy-dementia. She has started bin dipping (ugh!), redistributing the contents of the recycling box and recently, she was caught stealing a sandwich from the work surface in our dog-sitters kitchen - oh the shame of it! She has never done this in the 14 years she has been part of our family, just as she has never run into the main road when walking her on The Common...until last week. Now that was a heart-stopping moment! However, one of the things she has always done is, if we leave her for a spell, she would find something of human ownership, often a slipper, and carry it off to her bed - her little den. This was quite an endearing trait of hers, although on one occasion it was himselfs phone, and another, his wallet, both manageably moved and yet both undamaged. On both occasions there were some perplexed expletives as to who had moved them?

Mutt asleep next to my camera bag - so tired after her little escapade!

Roll on to this morning and I had had to leave her downstairs whilst I carried out some tasks upstairs for about an hour. On returning to my study, I found mutt happily asleep on her rug which is snugly situated between my desk and the radiator. I noticed she had chosen to make a pillow from my lovely leather and canvas Olympus camera bag, which also happened to be temporarily next to my desk. I jokingly passed comment to her that it surely couldn't be very comfortable (Yes, we do talk to our dog!!) and I thought nothing more of it.

Time had now come for me to sit back at my desk to tackle the edit from the theatrical shoot I'd had in London yesterday, firstly loading the few hundred images off the memory card from my Olympus E-M10, then the memory card from the Olympus E-M5ii...wait! Where was my E-M5ii?!! It wasn't in my camera bag, where I thought it should be...maybe I was suffering temporary dementia? Had I left it on the kitchen table? As I walked into the kitchen my heart sank. There, next to mutts little doggy-den was my E-M5ii + 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens - all 1.5kg (and £1.5k+) of it! Eeeek!!!

I had presence of mind to snap a pic of it to show himself later, as he probably wouldn't believe me if I told him, and then I swiftly scooped it up from the floor, checking it over for teeth marks - not one!! The only mark I could find was a scratch on one edge of the lens hood, consistent with it being dragged the 10 metres or so along a quarry-tiled floor. I can only assume she had carried it with the strap in her mouth (she does something similar with her own lead too). A quick switch on and everything appeared to be in order - thankfully.

All I can say is that Mutt the Assistant must also be delighted with the lightened load that the OM-D offers - I couldn't have seen her managing my DSLR equivalent in the same way!  Tomorrow I fly back to Ireland to host my last West Cork Photography Break of the spring season. Gone are the days of the whole of my hand luggage allowance being used up with my much larger DSLR kit. I will travel, as I often do, with just hand luggage. This will include all of my OM-D cameras and lenses, as it has done for the past year or so since switching kit.  My back is loving the much lightened load and the bag has room to spare.

Expecting...

This weekend I took on a portrait shoot with special significance, not least for the couple. It is their first, and long hoped for child and so they asked me if I might take some pregnancy portraits for their baby album.

As with all the portrait photography I am asked to do I work informally, and where possible, utilising natural light.
No studio and flashing lights here, just the natural light falling through a netted window, where, by over exposing by a couple of stops, a soft light was able to subtly show the beauty of these natural female curves. Conversely, by under exposing, a much stronger image was achieved, which was ideal for the shots including the dad-to-be, with the reflected light just catching his eyes looking lovingly up to the two beings he loves most.

All being well there are plans for another shoot, a few more weeks further into the pregnancy. Meanwhile, I wish all three of them well.

Painting with Light - A Photo Walk

The big Christmas lights switch-on happened in our pretty little north Essex town of Saffron Walden last weekend,
so what better time to dust off the cameras to make the most of the seasonal light display?
Now how many times have I heard...
"But I dont seem to be able to get the colours right and they end up blurred!"

Well here is where I can help...

 

Do I need to say more? Only that there are just a couple of places remaining as I write and this will be the only walk I will be able to lead with the Christmas Lights as a feature - so get in there quickly!

But fear not if your calendar is already booked and you would like to come along on a photo walk, I will be leading more come the New Year, covering different topics. Kicking off on Sunday 20th (TBC) with a re-run of the popular 'composition' walk, first held in November. As before, tickets will be available soon from Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre and (hopefully) online. Otherwise, email me at contact@celiabartlettphotography.co.uk to register your interest.

I do look forward to meeting my 'ambling photogs' on Sunday 13th!

...it's been a long while coming

...and at times it has been like climbing a mountain road but finally I can say:

Welcome to the new Autumn Season of West Cork Photography Breaks!
Four weekends of residential photography workshops for beginners and improvers, in stunning West Cork.

It has been a while coming as there was a little piece in the jigsaw that I was still waiting to fit but finally I can announce that I am delighted to be running these Autumn workshops...

 

So what does that mean?
Firstly, it means that Olympus UK have been kind enough to agree in sponsoring me, by providing a range of the great little OM-D cameras for all the workshops.
Second it means that my shop window has enlarged from the small back-street outlet I had last season, to a High Street position, with a place in their Olympus Image Space website.
Thirdly it means, for you, my potential student guests, there will be cameras for you to try out, without any obligation.

How cool is that?!

Just think - You want to get into photography but you don't have a camera and don't know where to start? You have a camera but not sure it is really going to allow you to do what you want? You bought a big DSLR a few years back because you thought it was the thing to do but now resent having to carry around a heavy, bulky camera? Well then, this is THE break for you! All your questions could be answered during one of the weekends, AND you will be learning all about photography whilst enjoying a holiday in the South-West of Ireland. Now isn't that something you have been promising yourself for ages?
Do go and take a look at what is on offer via the West Cork Photography Breaks entry page. All the links and  information you need should be there, and if you can't find the answer, just get back to me and I will gladly respond to your query.

There will be a maximum of just four places on each of the four weekends, so don't hang back, they could all fill up in one booking!

Saturday 26th - Tuesday 29th September
Saturday 3rd - Tuesday 6th October
Saturday 10th - Tuesday 13th October
Saturday 17th - Tuesday 20th October 

The first and the last of these weekends will be completely dedicated to the Olympus OM-D. If you already have an OM-D, and want to explore more of its capabilites, then this is the weekend for you too - just bring it along!

What's that? You have your own non-Olympus camera but still want to learn? No worries! The second and third weekends are open to all-comers, so whether it be a smart phone, point-and-shoot or DSLR, the principles of photography remain the same - and it is a fact you don't need fancy gear to achieve stunning results! It is how you use it, and my fellow tutors and I will do just that - guide you in the how. So there is a weekend suitable for everyone. All you need to do is decide which weekend and click the BOOK NOW button.


Hear from you soon!


(PS So now you may understand recent blogging silence - I've had this exciting development in progress, and now I've made it!!)

Quality Assured

I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!

You probably won't believe the sweat and tears that have gone into me being allowed to publish the above logo on here, and also to be allowed to use said logo, elsewhere on anything to do with - 

West Cork Photography Breaks
(Just have a holding page for now, full website in progress!)

So drum roll and a woo-hoo...
I am delighted to announce that I have finally received notification that I am amongst the first to be awarded recognition within the new Fáilte Ireland Welcome Standard

Yaaaaaay!!


Ok, so what does that mean?

The long and the short of it is that this homestay accommodation located on the Wild Atlantic Way and used in association with West Cork Photography Breaks has been checked by the Irish National Tourism Development Authority and I'm delighted to say that they deem it to be "Quality Assured". Not only does it mean I can use the little shamrock logo on all of my documentation and on the house itself, it also means that any potential guests/students have the reassurance that these photography breaks will offer a full Irish welcome and integration into West Cork life too.

This recognition allows West Cork Photography Breaks to be found on the Discover Ireland website (very soon), and will be listed under the B&B heading, providing special home-from-home accommodation coupled with photography tuition. Thus guests will gain the special valuable photography experience as well as an unforgettable Irish holiday experience in West Cork.

So now I have this (not so) little logo I can use, I can get on with completing the new West Cork Photography Breaks website and I will certainly be announcing that with a flourish!

In the meantime, if anyone is interested in reserving/booking a place or two (bring your partner/friend!) then it is already possible here

Dates are
Saturday 26th - Tuesday 29th September
Saturday 3rd - Tuesday 6th October
Saturday 10th - Tuesday 13th October
Saturday 17th - Tuesday 20th October

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Irelan

Fáilte IrelanF

 

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte

Fáil

FáiIreland

Looking Forward - 2015

With 2014 now having been consigned to memories, Facebook, Twitter and blog pages, I am looking forward to 2015 with equal measures of excitement and fear.

Why?

Well, I have had a plan in mind for a couple of years now, and a whole long series of events and circumstances have finally aligned in eclipse-like fashion, and January 2015 is the time to take off the UV specs and see the aura of this solar-eclipse moment in its' true light.

In simple terms, I'm going for it!!

Many of you have been scratching your heads thinking and asking - what?
Well, regular blog readers and media followers know that I am fortunate to be able to split my life between two beautiful parts of two countries - East Anglia, UK and West Cork, Ireland. You will also know, that as a freelance photographer, work in the form of commissions and assignments can be rather up and down, so it is always in mind as to how to supplement and secure a steady living. What many of you may not know, is that I have also been tied to a particular work commitment for 19 years, albeit just a Friday for the past 16 of those. However, circumstances will change from this weekend, maybe temporarily, maybe permanently, I have yet to see but what I can see is that I won't get another opportunity like the one that is facing me now. Six months leave to try a new venture but with the security that there will still be the original work opportunity waiting for me at the end of it - should I want it.

The venture? I will keep you in suspense no longer. On Friday night (the forecast high winds permitting :-/ ) I will be sailing into Dublin on route to spending the next four months (until mid May) in West Cork, putting my all into my new venture. From our cottage overlooking the Atlantic in the far corner of Ireland, I will once again be running weekend photographic workshops and short breaks, following the successful trial back in the Autumn. As the breaks are residential, I will also be turning my hand to playing hostess, and whilst I have my white pinny starched up, I thought I may as well continue with the hosting by offering B&B during the slots when I'm not passing on my photographic enthusiasm to beginners and improvers.

Sadly, following a few personal issues and set-backs over recent weeks, it has meant that my websites have not gone fully on stream quite yet but do check out initial details of the photography breaks on www.celiabartlettphotography.co.uk

For information about the B&B, please drop by www.theyellow-house.com in a few days time, when details of the rooms for half term, a Valentines weekend package, the St. Patricks weekend and the Easter dates will be available for booking (or message ahead with your interest.)

And what of himself and mutt? Well, if it wasn't in part for himselfs encouragement I wouldn't be giving this venture a try, with the view to rolling out shorter blocks of workshops and/or B&B breaks on into (dare I say) 2016. This will mean I will only abandon him for short bursts of domestic duties then, rather than the long spell I will subject him to this time. Yes, of course I will miss him but not as much as I will miss my little walking companion!!! Mutt will be staying here in the East to keep himself company. As I sadly realised yesterday during my regular walk with mutt, it will be the summer before I see the familiar skeletal landmark tree again (in the picture above) but those four months will fly by and I am looking forward to charting the progress of spring again, this time in West Cork.

Snapshots from Castletownshend

It is only a matter of days before my first guests / photography students arrive here in West Cork to absorb the whole feel of this special corner of Ireland, whilst enjoying the opportunity to widen their knowledge and practise the art of photography. It was with this coming weekend in mind that himself and I took a walk around the nearby village of Castletownshend on a lovely October Sunday evening, and although I have visited many times before, I used this visit to pay close attention to details. This is just one such exercise I will be encouraging my students to carry out in their quest to understand and put into practise the some of principles of exposure and composition, light and colour.

For those who will be arriving this weekend, here is a taster of what you might find. For those who couldn't make any of the weekends this Autumn, here is a taster of what you could do if you book onto one of the workshops or weekends which are planned for the Spring! Watch out for more details soon.