Photo Workshop fun!!

Bells & Whistles

Deep in the gorgeous Hampshire countryside, intrepid adventures armed with their cameras and a great sense of humour last week explored their locale as we got to grips with our F-stops, shutter speed, ISO + the ingredients which go in to creating a photograph.

"good fun and we have learnt lots, and feel in control of our cameras again" Nelly

Cris + Nelly were super students as we spent the day improving skills and enjoying "Haleluya" moments :-) AND we got to work amongst a super beautiful setting with amazing details and plants!! 

Sometimes it's reconnecting the dots + allowing ourselves some space + time to reconnect with the process + then the craft of using our cameras, our eyes + thinking in a different way. Sometimes it's concentrating on what's right in front of us without distraction + allowing our subconscious to feel - "I know this! I know this...Ahh I got it" OR "ahh thats how it works!!" (Even if that process can feel like walking throughtreacle)

Cris created this awesome video below of some of her footage and pictures from our day + I just love it, so please take a peek! She's very clever!

Cris created this awesome video of our photography workshop - I LOVE it!! so fun that we're hiding from the camera lol ©CrisBlack2017

With Cris + Nelly we tailored the day specifically to their experience, level + aims for the day + all my photo workshops are tailored to each student and more often than not the handbook that accompanies a new camera or old camera that's being rediscovered, feels like it's written in gobbledygooke and until you get out there in the field/city/beach (delete as appropriate) the bits don't quite fit together.

Each location I teach in provides different gems and different challenges and is really exciting as we work our way through picture taking and the recipe involved in enabling us a greater understanding of our camera + pushing us out of our comfort zone + through boundaries.

I even managed to sneak a few pictures from our workshop below! :-) Enjoy xx

“I have had so much fun taking stills since Friday and I have the confidence to try now! Thankyou”

London is POPPING right now with Photo inspiration!

Friday turned out to be a whirl of visual inspiration and delight. Amongst the rain drops I whizzed between Bethnal Green, Tottenham Court Road, South Bank and finally over to the V&A for an "In Conversation with...." Saturday morning and I'm sitting here aglow, head slightly spinning and feeling like a sponge that just got dipped in a crazy colourful watercolour rainbow..........

First STOP......

4th - 21st November 2016

I popped in to this exhibition on the South Bank en route last night to the V&A + whilst there are tough subjects to look at I was intensely moved by the diversity and inspired by the stories which visually unfolded in front of me. These are stories which are in all of our subconsciousness's (I may have just made a new word up! I apologies).

Farming and deforestation in Borneo is having a HUGE impact on our fragile eco system and the Orangutan's who live there - these images big and bold accompanied by the text was really humbling and the whole wildlife section was really beautiful but tinged with an edge of sadness yet after viewing all the other incredible, humbling and moving stories I returned to this area to soak in the colours of the amphibians and peacefulness of the whale swimming with it's cub.

All of the stories are harrowing, don't get me wrong I don't live in a bubble oblivious to suffering or what's happening in the world but there are times when it feels like we are only seeing bad situations and awful acts of human brutality but this is a relatively small, concise exhibit (it's split in two + spaced either side of the auditorium). The winners stories here depict our every day lives over the course of the last 365 days. It's current and beautifully, beautifully put together. The size of some of the pieces - bold and large stop you in your tracks, whilst the smaller pieces encourage that intimate connection with the photograph. As you would expect, the consistency in layout and descriptions ensure maximum information delivered quickly.

There were two projects in the area displaying the refuge crisis projects which have stayed with me too. I found the images really powerful and stood shaking my head to myself thinking.."what year are we in - we're not in the dark ages yet sadly it feels in many ways we are".

*****Go see this exhibit!! It's FREE

Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall

Belvedere Road, London, United Kingdom

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

~In Conversation with Cathleen Naundorf at the V&A Image©CathleenNaundorf

Breathtaking and mesmerising.........firstly I'd never been to the V&A Lecture theatre before and was in awe of the design and space, secondly it was fantastic to listen to Cathleen's life story and how her work evolved and unfolded. From travelling to Mongolia and capturing tribal portraits to Brazil and then to Paris and the Haute Couture scene.....obviously my description is extremely brief!!! Using only Polaroid since 2003 Cathleen has created exquisite works of art and I loved hearing of her persistence and connections and workings of a fellow photographer. It was really enjoyable, refreshing and stunning to look at the slides projected behind her. (my camera phone doesn't do it justice + for me they are reference but I'm sharing here :-)).

This Friday Photofrenzy was just what I needed..I've been asked a lot recently what personal work I'm working on and in truth...just ideas...I'm searching, I have a list of projects I'd like to do, a book idea which I'd LOVE to bring to fruition but I just need to focus. The dust is settling on a whirlwind of a year and with winter approaching it would be great to have a hibernation project to work on! :-) I'm off to get a fresh sketch book and begin....the hardest part is starting...I'm off to do just that!

Have a great weekend everyone xx

PHOTOMONTH - Jane Bown, An Influence

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19th - 6.30pm - St.Margarets House, Bethnal Green

We are all mega excited for this event tomorrow night, Luke Dodd discusses Jane Bown's work and panel guests discuss who has inspired them! 

Panel members include Dan Gaba, David McCoy, Jackie King Photographer, PhotoVoice, Shutter Hub, Photomonth will share who have influenced them and their careers! Free to attend & all welcome! #GirlTown

Come along, please RSVP, free entry!! Be there!! x

SHOPEN 16 - An extravaganza of Photography!!

For the WHOLE MONTH OF JULY!! (mega exciting) I'm part of the @SHOPEN16 an extravaganza of Photography in Cambridge - my image (here) is part of the  Shutter Hub OPEN Private View at Stir - Friday 24/06 + I'll be giving a talk Novi, Cambridge July 5th with Kate O'Neil from Metro!!

Come along!! My Talk (appropriately) is in a super cool Cocktail Bar...I'll be testing them AFTER I've talked lol xx

XMAS MARKET - December 2nd 2015!!

FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!!!!!!!!
DECEMBER 2nd!! 5pm-9pm AT Victoria Market, 42 Francis St, London SW1P 1QW (Map Attached xx) I'll be exhibiting at this awesome XMAS MARKET + possibly freezing my touche off lol xx

This is super close to Victoria Station - so pop in on your way home!! The market is full of amazing artist makers with TONS of gorgeous presents for xmas! Some of us are QEST Scholars who specialise in traditional crafts and were fortunate in being awarded scholarships to pursue training in our fields (the quality is super high!!)

I'll be displaying my gorgeous photo packages, selling vouchers for sessions next year, running a competition and promoting ‪#‎SmallBusinessSaturday‬‪#‎thiscan‬'tbemissed!! please share with friends and family and DEFINITELY come say "HI" grin emoticon

OH! + it's outside so please bring warm hugs and hot water bottles lol grin emoticon

‪#‎qestscholar‬ ‪#‎artistmaker‬ ‪#‎photography‬ ‪#‎smallbizsaturday‬‪#‎familyphotography‬ ‪#‎weddings‬

A beautiful morning in the Bluebell Woods

One - 2 - One Photo Workshop

Have I mentioned HOW much I LOVE working outside?? Wearing a pair of wellies and exploring?? Well, it makes my heart sing when I get the chance to teach outside, especially first thing in the morning, with beautiful soft light, with students who have a passion for wild flowers :-) The images above are ones I captured whilst my student set about her photo challenges x

Photography Workshops, Teaching and One 2 One's

I do love this time of year, that nip in the air of inspiration and hope for the year ahead and a list of considered aspirations and achievements that are firmly on the 'To - Do' list.

My list has all sorts of things on it and as the end of January approaches I feel a small panic that if I don't complete my list then well, it's not set in the stone and the other things on that list won't happen - silly I know! But it's almost like it's become a little superstitious....and as I don't want to hamper my year ahead and the things I'd like to smile about in 12 months time, I am putting it out there through my blog

1. Take a Paddle board lesson
2. Buy a wet suit and USE IT! Preferably in Open Water!! (I know, bit mental considering the water temp in the UK)
3. Do more yoga
4. Take an Alt Pro class - IMPORTANT **MUST do!!
5. Run a long weekend workshop in Devon 
6. .....

So the list goes on, a wonderful mix of photography and fun and life and incorporated in to all of this is teaching, my students range from wanting to 'get to grips with their cameras' through to 'Adobe Lightroom' and 'Mentoring' and I'm super delighted to have started this year with students who were given workshop or One2One vouchers as Christmas presents. 

If you've been given a new camera or treated yourself and the accompanying guide book feels like it's in Russian, or if you've hit a 'plateau' - (it happens to all of us!) then have a think about shifting out of that pickle and booking yourself in to a workshop or course with me. Fun is guaranteed!!! :-) + if you come down to Devon, wine is definitely included!! :-) xx

Planning Photo Workshops 2015

A couple of weekends ago I was in Devon for a couple of family occasions and made the trip up into Dartmoor. When I was small, mum, dad and I spent holidays in Widecombe. They knew the landlady of the Rugglestone pub and had friends in the area. It was divine and has always had  a special spot in my heart.....so......it was with huge smiles that I drove merrily around Dartmoor recently and was just ridiculously excited by the light and all the fantastic colours. 

The images above were taken on my phone just to capture the essence and give me a brain jog when I returned home! It's worked! I haven't stopped thinking about it and one of my students in particular (mention no names :-) ) has been teasing me about my workshop plans for next year...so, here it is...I'm planning 2, yep TWO.

DEVON - LATE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 date TBA 

IRELAND - MAY 2015

Get in touch if you'd like to be added to my workshop mailing list and want to be kept in the loop as details are firmed up x

Wildlife Workshop

I've been working with a student organizing her workflow and introducing her to 'Adobe Lightroom' to streamline her time and image management. She's a fantastic wildlife photographer and getting out and about with her to hold our workshop in the field recently was the perfect start to a September morning! 

There were no spectacular sunrises, no streaks of colour illuminating the horizon or slow moody mists BUT there we were, hiking up a Hampshire hill and I was introduced to a rare british butterfly, the first sniffs of Autumn and the first colors of a new season. What a joy! There is nothing this country girl loves than donning her wellies and getting out in the fresh air. Whilst Donna set about fulfilling her challenge (I like to set a challenge or two) I came across wonderful colours and berries, cobwebs and unusual looking plants - my macro lens was in heaven! :-)