Photography Exhibition on Brighton Seafront

Last weekend I was in Brighton for a day trip out of London. It’s an interesting place to take photos as there is both the seafront, the pier and the Lanes to explore.

There was also the surprise of a wildlife photo exhibition along the sea front. This exhibition is run by NHM and Wild Planet and shows various photos from across the years of the wildlife photographer of the year competition. It’s there until 26 September and is lit up at night!

There were also a few billboards with beginner photography tips on them. I enjoyed seeing these as the photography group are off in September to the London Wetlands Centre to learn how to photograph wildlife, so it was good to read the tips and get a head start!

So Brighton is well worth a visit at the best of times, but definitely until the 26th September if you like photography as the outdoor exhibition is a great chance to learn. As it says in the shot above, pick out your favourite photos and work out what makes them a great image.

Crazy about wildlife? Join a photography masterclass for beginners!

This year our masterclass will be a full day out learning all there is to know about wildlife photography at the London Wetlands Centre. Led by Iain Green, author and photographer of ‘Wild London’, this is a practical guide to achieving great images of your favourite wildlife.

Where: London Wetland Centre
Who: Beginners interested in wildlife photography
When: 10am-4pm
Price: £55 (payable via Paypal when you sign up)
Getting There: Barnes rail station or Hammersmith tube

Masterclass: Wildlife Photography

During the largely practical day, professional photographer Iain Green will cover composition & lighting, ideal approach and best equipment for wildlife photography. He will include specific wildlife photography techniques with his top ‘pro’ tips, for achieving stunning images of fauna and flora.

Tuition will be outside on the reserve as there are plenty of interesting spots where technique can be practiced including the hides and observatories to photograph from. Due to small class numbers (maximum no. is 12), individual tuition and attention will be paid to each student.

The London Wetland Centre

The 42 hectare London Wetland Centre is the best urban wildlife site in Europe. Located next to the Thames it is close to the heart of the capital but as noted by The Times, “When you enter, you leave London behind”.

Take the opportunity to encounter wildlife up close and spot wildlife such as beautiful kingfishers, the gregarious lapwing, the undeniably cute water vole and a whole host of wildflowers.

About Iain Green

Iain has worked as a professional wildlife photographer since 1997 and runs regular wildlife photography courses. He has:

• Presented wildlife feature for BBC London/Springwatch
• Published three books including Wild London
• Sold photographs to famous names & royalty
• Led wildlife photography workshops on the Isle of Skye
• Exhibited at events such as Hampton Court Flower Show

Book now at www.meetup.com/the-photo-school/calendar/14178370/

Photography Class for Beginners @ Kew

Where: Kew Gardens
When: 10:30am-1:30pm
Who: Beginners looking to enjoy garden photography
Price: £5 + £13.50 entrance (payable via Paypal)
Meeting: Victoria Gate, Kew Gardens
End point: Pavilion Restaurant for Garden POTY

This “focus on” event concentrates on garden photography and in particular, composition and framing, in relation to plant portrait photography.

Kew Gardens is absolutely beautiful and a photographer’s dream if you love taking pictures of flowers, trees, wildlife and stunning vistas. It’s very easy to get to (on the District line) and there will also be the chance to view the best images taken from gardens across the world at this year’s Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition.

The event will take place whatever the weather – please come prepared for rain, cold or blazing heat! It’s suitable for SLRs and compact cameras, costing £5 plus an entrance fee of £13.50.

Focus On: Garden Photography

Concentrating on just a small area of Kew - inside the Palm House and around the Rose Garden - I will show you how to photograph plants in various ways. We’ll discuss:

Finding a viewpoint: Kew’s glasshouse walkways will help with this!
Using macro: how to use depth of field and your macro setting/lens
Plant portraiture: using compositional skills to really capture a portrait
Shooting vistas: looking at techniques for shooting landscapes at Kew

We’ll meet up after an hour to discuss how we are getting on and a chance to ask any questions. We will then continue onto the Temperate House before finishing the session at the Pavilion Restaurant.

The meetup will officially finish at 1:30pm but there is the chance to have lunch together and view the Garden POTY exhibition before exploring the rest of Kew as we wish.

“Thanks for a very nice day. Very friendly group. Lots of tips and advice.” Nathalie, Previous Kew Event (2009)

Be Inspired
Photos from our trip to Kew in 2009
Flickr photos of Kew Gardens
My Flower Photos

Further Info
More info? Go to Kew Gardens website
Queries? Give Natalie a call on 07773 819053
Prefer email? Send it to thephotoschool@gmail.com

Photo Exhibition This Friday!

If you find yourself shy when taking portraits or even shying away from taking people photos, then Friday night’s exhibition on at the Tate just might help!

“Exposed offers a fascinating look at pictures made on the sly, without the explicit permission of the people depicted. With photographs from the late nineteenth century to present day, the pictures present a shocking, illuminating and witty perspective on iconic and taboo subjects.” Tate

Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera

Our next Friday night social will be to see the Tate Modern’s current exhibition ‘Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera’. The tickets for this exhibition cost £11. This is a chance to learn from professionals about photography and share your thoughts with other hobbyists.

We’ll go for drinks after looking round the exhibition, giving us a chance to get to know each other. I encourage you to bring and share your own ‘Exposed’ photos; just 1 or 2 prints will do!

Photo Exhibition Details

From the Tate website, “The UK is now the most surveyed country in the world. We have an obsession with voyeurism, privacy laws, freedom of media, and surveillance – images captured and relayed on camera phones, YouTube or reality TV.

Beginning with the idea of the ‘unseen photographer’, Exposed presents 250 works by celebrated artists and photographers including Brassaï’s erotic Secret Paris of the 1930s images; Weegee’s iconic photograph of Marilyn Monroe; and Nick Ut’s reportage image of children escaping napalm attacks in the Vietnam War.

Sex and celebrity is an important part of the exhibition, presenting photographs of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Paris Hilton on her way to prison and the assassination of JFK.”

Location & Meeting Point

We’ll meet inside the Tate at the top of the Turbine Hall. Please buy your ticket online and let me know via email once you have purchased it. Buy your ticket for the 6:30 entrance. If work keeps you late, you’re welcome to join us later, but please do text/phone to let me know.

On Spring Bank Holiday 30th May, a group of Londoners interested in taking photos will be joining up to enjoy themselves at Southend’s Air Festival. This will be a chance to get out of London and enjoy a bank holiday by the sea. And take a few photos if you wish! Register for your free ticket.

Beginner Photographer Practice Event

May will be the 25th year that Southend-on-Sea has held one of Europe’s largest free airshows. Staged against the backdrop of the Thames Estuary along almost 2 miles of seafront, over 40 aircraft displays will be featured from across the ages. As a big fan of the Red Arrows and their displays, I can’t wait!

If you are interested in improving your photography, photo opportunities will include:

• Landscapes down by the beach
• Action photography capturing the Red Arrows who will be giving a terrific air display
• People photography - people sunning themselves, people eating ice-cream…
• Close up photography of the planes (all 40 of them!)

Photography Trip Details

From London Fenchurch Street trains run to Southend-on-Sea at 10 and 40 past the hour. It seems there are normally trains from Liverpool Street too, but I think they might be affected by engineering works. A return is £10. Please email me if you have any questions.

Book your free ticket here and I’ll keep you posted with further travel details.

My Two Passions: Photos & Food

Give that two of my passions in life are taking photos and eating food, I just had to blog about this photo cookbook “Say Cheese?”!

Launched this month as a limited edition, Say Cheese? is a fundraising student publication created to support Falmouth photography graduates fund their 2010 final year show.

In the students’ own words, “Guaranteed to become a cult item for any kitchen, Say Cheese? is a unique collection of favourite recipes from contemporary photographers. The ideal gift for photography and food lovers alike!”.

Famous Photographers’ Favourite Recipes

The book is full-colour, 100 pages long, and comprising of favourite recipes from photographers:

• Martin Parr
• Rineke Dijkstra
• Simon Roberts
• Anthony Luvera
• Toby Glanville
• Elena Brotherus
• Spencer Murphy
• Gina Glover
• and many more….

Recipes include:

• Lank Shank Tagine with quince
• Strawberry and Lavender Jam
• Chocolate Almond Cake
• Indian Style Masala Omlettes
• and many more….

I think this book it is a great entrepreneurial idea, an ideal fundraiser and can’t wait for my book to arrive. If you’d like to purchase your own photo cook book to support the students they are priced at £9.95 and can be ordered at http://l3photographyprojects.falmouth.ac.uk/

How To Create A Good Landscape Photo

Earlier this month I was on a photography retreat up in Balquhidder, Scotland. Out of all the photos I took (nearly 1,500 of them!), this photo at Loch Voil on the penultimate day seems to be all my friends’ favourite.

As a beginner photographer I am also very pleased with this photo. It is a culmination of getting up at 5am everyday and practicing everything I had been taught on the week away!

Please leave me a comment on flickr if you like this photo.

What Can You Learn From This Photo?

I’d like share some photography tips with you in how I created this photo:

• To be a good landscape photographer you need to get up early! I was in position by 5:30am for this photo, which involved climbing over barbed fences in the dark!
• You need to be in possession of some gradient filters, I’ve since learnt! These help with achieving slow shutter speeds to achieve ‘glass like’ water which nicely reflects the sky.
• You need to search for a foreground interest and marry this with a stunning background.
• Focus a third of the way into the image. I found focusing difficult whilst using the filters as there was a lot of switching between auto and manual focusing, so that the camera didn’t focus on the filter itself!
• Wait for the right lighting. And I mean WAIT! You’ll need patience and good observational skills. There were only a few seconds when the sun had lit up the trees before it had moved and lit up something else.

The Enjoyment Of Landscape Photography

To get up early and see the sunrise everyday was one of the highlights of my week away. It was also very beautiful to be in silence a lot of the time and immerse oneself fully in the surroundings. I also liked combining the large vista shots with the close-up plant photography I did. I’ll post more on this another time.

If you would like to know more about going on a photography retreat you can contact the Dhanakosa Centre.

On Sunday, a group of beginner photographers will be joining up to photograph the London Marathon at Canary Wharf from 1pm. Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs covers miles 14 to 21 on the Marathon route, so we will have plenty of places to mix with and escape from the crowds.

Beginner Photographer Practice Event

The aim of the Photo School’s monthly practice photography get togethers are for them to be semi self-organising! To help you get the most out of our time together, I would like to suggest that we each share:

- A photography tip related to photographing the Marathon AND/OR
- Local knowledge you have researched or a historic fact that you know about the event

Notes For Photographing The Marathon

- It looks like the Jubilee is working on Sunday and the DLR is its normal reliable self
- The forecast is 21 degrees, so suncream and water will be pretty much essential
- There is a suggested £1 donation for the event which I will forward onto one of the charities
- I’ll have a grey hat on & a light greenish/beige rucksack with my camera around my neck!
- Out of Canary Wharf tube there are some docks in front of you and the group will meet there
- So far there are 11 YES and 9 MAYBE people attending with The Photo School

I always find watching the Marathon a humbling event and I’m looking forward to photographing it with you if you can make it.

Join here to receive your ticket (although you don’t need to print it out).

I wish it were Spring everyday!

Keeping an eye ……open on Nature..!!

Originally uploaded by Nicolas Valentin

Photographing The Alternative Fashion Show

Tomorrow (Wednesday 20th April) Spitalfields sees East London’s major fashion event – Alternative Fashion Week - host to the most original and creative collections by a fresh crop of new designers with truly innovative ideas.

Join the Photo School tomorrow as we will be photographing the models as they walk down the catwalk at 1:15pm.

Improve Your Photography

Alternative Fashion Week is where all the best new designers are to be discovered. It provides a genuine alternative for them to present their work directly to the press, public and the fashion industry.

Designers come from all over the UK and other parts of the world including Russia, the USA, Europe, India and Japan.

Over 70 designers will be selected to show their work. Hundreds of applications are received from independent designers aiming to establish their labels to recent fashion and textile graduates. Expect anything from elegant to edgy.

Photography Event Details

The Photo School will meet at Liverpool Street Station at Bishopsgate Exit at 12:30, to give us enough time to walk over to the Market and find a spot for the catwalk show. If you are running late or are lost, please call me on 07773 819053.

There are 6 beginner photographers attending so far. Will you be the seventh?