Extreme photo tour / workshop in Devon

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 4x4 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.

Photographic training with a model

About 15 years ago when I was first getting into photography I went on several organised model photoshoot days, where a number of photographers met up and photographed some pretty models. At the time I honestly never thought I'd ever be confident enough to photograph a model by myself without the protection of a group of people around me.

Now it's the easiest thing in the world to me, and even if I'm photographing several models at the same time I'm still very chilled about it all.

Since those early days I've photographed hundreds of models, and had my work published numerous times.

This training afternoon will be all about how best to get photos of a model. Although this time the model(s) will be a pretty girl, the same skills can easily be translated into taking photographs of your kids and loved ones.

Lighting and location are the key factors for me, so that's what we'll be concentrating the most upon.

We'll be shooting at various locations around the New Forest, and the model will be modelling a variety of lifestyle outfits. Exactly what we shoot and where we go will depend on the weather on the day. As you know the English summer could bring us just about any conditions. So be prepared with sunblock and umbrellas just incase.

This shoot will take place on Saturday 19th June 2010, and we'll meet at the Lyndhurst Park Hotel at 14:00 where we'll meet and greet each other over a light lunch.

We'll head out to start shooting at around 15:00. How long we stay out for depends again on the weather. If its nice then hopefully we can keep going till later into the evening to catch the best of the sunset, but if its cloudy then we'll finish a bit earlier.

Depending on the time we finish we'll head back to Lyndhurst and find somewhere nice for an evening meal where we can discuss and compare results.

The price for all of this is just £77.

To book your place please follow this link - http://photomodeltraining.eventbrite.com/

I'm limiting the numbers on this event to just 10 people. If I get more than 6 bookings I'll try and secure a second model.

Photographic training workshop in Devon

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/

Photography training in the Oxfordshire countryside

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.