On Location: Hay Winter Festival 2013

Why go to Hay in the winter?  Well, even without a festival going on, Hay on Wye is definitely worth a visit. Known for its Literature Festival every summer, you might not realise that this small border town also hosts a Winter Festival.  As well as offering a number of seminars and workshops relating to books, as you would expect from this world renowned 'book town' the Winter Festival 2013 included a Food Festival on Saturday, and 'Hay Does Vintage' on Sunday.  So with masses to see and do I packed up 'Tonks', my tiny camper van, and set off for a festival weekend.

A camper van is ideal for attending this festival.  Powys Council is one of those much appreciated authorities which permit motorhomes to park overnight in their car parks, provided you only stay 1 night in any 7.  As the main car park in Hay is less than 10 minutes walk from the centre of the festival activities, it is a perfect location. You do however need to arrive early if you want to find any space at all!

My plan to was do some street photography, as well as attend some seminars and buy some books.  I did some of that on the Saturday.  A seminar on women in business was interesting and informative, and the food festival provided a bag of tasty looking provisions… but an increasingly bad headache and a very crowded town meant I retreated back to the van for pain relief and a couple of hours sleep.

Feeling a bit better in the early evening, but not up to hauling my DSLR kit about, I picked up my 'van cam' - the light and excellent quality Panasonic Lumix  LX5 which is always in my van - and set off to do some low light shooting.  

Not far from the van is the Hay Cinema Bookshop.  The floodlighting was illuminating more of the trees than the shop!  

Lots of the Hay shopkeepers had made their windows striking, but I think this display was my favourite.  

'7 swans a swimming, 

6 geese a laying, 

5 go-o-ld rinnnngs' 

All lovingly knitted!  

Aren't they great?

And yes, the entire knitted cast was on display!

Sunday meant an early start to beat some of the crowds up to the 'Hay Does Vintage' stalls. Once again I had the LX5, as I was Christmas shopping as well as photographing, which meant juggling hands and gear!

On the way I noticed this 'stairway'.

The first stall was nearly ready, and looked very inviting - despite the back-to-front Union Jack…

Both on the stalls and in Hay's own shops, there were all sorts of treasures to be found!  

Rocking tractor, anyone?

What a great address!

In short, Hay's Winter Festival is an absolute delight of a weekend.  Lots to see and hear, interesting shops to visit, wonderful second hand book shops, and quirky streets, details and shops for the photographic eye.  Put it in the diary for next year.  I'll definitely be back!

(There's lots of information about Hay's Festivals on their very comprehensive website.)

And I can definitely recommend the Oxford Road car park as a great place to stop for the night for anyone with a camper van - and it isn't often you can recommend a car park!

On Location: Sark 2013

Those who read my blog (or follow me on Twitter, or who have looked at my website) will know that I love Sark.  Many of us have a few of those special places where our souls feel at home, and Sark is one of those places for me.

I was once asked what on earth I find to do on Sark for a week.  So I thought I'd post about a few of the fantastic photographic opportunities this small and friendly island offers.

A week on Sark is often one of mixed weather, and that was certainly the case on my recent visit. An advantage of Sark's small size is that you can always get to the lee side of the island, or the area with the best light at a given time of day.

In the case of the picture below, I went to the viewpoint at the Pilcher Monument, right in the teeth of a gale! Not the best conditions for photographing in as there was nowhere sheltered from the wind, and water was splattering on to my lens, but very exhilarating.  Given that I was on a cliff path, I did take care to ensure the wind was blowing me away from the edge...

A few days later, the weather was much calmer, and one evening the sea mist came rolling in.  I grabbed my camera bag and went rolling out to see if I could capture any atmospheric images.  These vines caught my eye as the mist made the lighting soft, and I liked the ghostly trees at the ends of the rows.

The speed at which the mist changed to fog was surprising!  Within half an hour, what had started out as wispy and atmospheric became dense and spooky.  I took this photograph from above La Coupée, and although I could hear the sea I couldn't see it.  I posted the image on Twitter, and it became the most responded to image of the trip.

A misty evening was followed by a brilliantly sunny day.  Below, the ferry 'Sark Belle' is heading towards Guernsey on a flat calm sea.

Although Sark is small, there are miles of coastal walks.  Some of them are steep, but the views are always worth it.  This was taken from the cliff path above Maseline Harbour, and shows the ferry arriving from Guernsey.

Heading north takes you across Eperquerie Common, towards Bec du Nez.  I'd heard about a Buddhist stone there, and I wanted to see if I could find it so I set out to hunt.  After a considerable amount of 'sheepdog' walking (casting back and forth and hence covering a lot of extra ground!) I found it!  

Also known as the 'Monk's Stone', it was carved in 1999 to celebrate the Millennium.  

There are lots of other rocks, big and small, for geologists and those who like looking at closer detail, shapes and patterns!  

There are also lots of plants and trees, and I enjoyed seeing them in gardens like the beautiful 

La Seigneurie Gardens, as well as along the footpaths and roadsides of the island.

Day to day life on Sark is full of interesting opportunities for a photograph:

Tractor Crossing La Coupée at Dawn

It's often worth getting up early, or waiting around late, for sunrises and sunsets...  

...and in my case, there is always the pleasure of being welcomed and spoiled by the folk at the fabulous Stocks Hotel.  After several hours out tramping with my camera gear, it's lovely to return to a little luxury - a hot bath and a (very) good meal! 

So as you can see, there is plenty to do on Sark!  

Review: Lowepro Photo Sport 200 AW

I bought this ahead of a week long photo holiday and it worked out perfectly.

It is very comfortable to wear. The hip straps are well positioned and make a big difference to the comfort when they are fastened. The sternum strap is also comfortable and adjustable. The fact that it's not a huge bag works well for me as it means it doesn't get too heavy. (I'm 5'4", in case that's relevant to anyone!)

The interior compression section works brilliantly with my D7000 & 16-85mm lens. I can carry a flash or second lens alongside the main camera, or often my smaller flash plus a loupe.

The compression section leaves a space behind it which can be accessed through the main bag. I've found that a Think Tank Cable Management 10 case fits this space perfectly. In it, I keep spare batteries, small torch, lens hood, cables, and I know that I can pull that one little bag out and all those bitty things are held together, saving much rummaging about at the bottom of the main bag. In the front open pocket I keep another Think Tank bag. This time the small and thin Think Tank Cable Management 20 case. This bag holds an Op/Tech rain cover and a couple of other thin things! In the various pockets on the Lowepro bag I keep filters, spare memory cards, cable releases and a spirit level. In this way, I can easily access any of the elements of my camera gear with no wasted time trying to find things.

Even with the above stuff loaded, there is plenty of space for a jumper or jacket, purse, lunch, snack etc. There's a drinks bottle holder on the side, but I usually use this to hold two legs of my tripod, which then straps securely to the main bag.

There's a pocket for a water reservoir.  I never carry water in this way, but the pocket holds my iPad perfectly when I occasionally need to carry it.  (As that pocket isn't padded, I make sure my iPad is in a sturdy case and the screen is facing away from the support struts built into the Photo Sport, but I've had no problems with the iPad after carrying it there, even on flights when the bag has been stuffed into tight spaces.  However, this isn't a designated iPad pocket, so if you're going to put your iPad there, be careful!)

In theory, because of the side loading, you can access the camera without putting down the bag. In practice I find this a bit of a fiddle. Because it's a backpack (2 straps) it feels insecure on my shoulder when I'm trying to use this 'sling' approach. So I often end up putting it down, but it's nice to have the option not too when the ground is a bog! I have the sling version too (Lowepro Photo Sport Sling 100AW), which is great for short-medium walks and local use, but the 200 is FAR more comfortable for long day use with more gear.

So, would I recommend this bag? Yes, absolutely. It is the first backpack I've ever bought which I use regularly.  I've had it for 18 months and it still has no rips, tears, holes, broken zips or any structural failures.  Apart from a little mud, it's a good as new, despite being my main bag and the one which gets the most use.  If it got damaged, I'd buy another one immediately.

Will My Kit Fit In It?

Three weeks ago I made a very significant addition to my camera kit. Most photographers acknowledge that it is easy to spend a lot of money on their kit, but I think I REALLY went for it this time. Here is my new bit of photography support equipment:

Yes, after much consideration and a couple of false starts, I have bought a camper van!  The van is a Romahome R10 Solo, the smallest of Romahome's range.  As the name implies, it is strictly a one person vehicle.  It is also (for a camper van) very small.  A fact which caused me quite a few concerns as I was worried about whether I'd be able to fit my gear in it, both for camping and for photography.  I was able to contact some R10 owners, who gave me some useful advice about using the van.  So I took the plunge, brought the van home, and then laid out the kit which needed to go in it. 

Considering the fact that the stuff above had pretty much filled my kitchen for a week prior to collecting the van, the pile actually looks quite restrained!  It doesn't look like it, but there are about 40 items on that rug.  Everything from bedding and cutlery to a heavy duty tow rope in case of needing a tug from a muddy field.  As well as the gear above, there are a couple of water containers - fresh and 'grey', silver insulation screens for the cab windows (which come in a huge-for-an-R10 bag), and my 'van cam' (my vehicles always carry a compact camera because you never know when you'll want one). An advantage of kitting the van out from scratch is that I know exactly what is in it, and I plan to keep it that way. 

When I was reviewing what I would need prior to collecting the van, I found two very helpful sources of information. One was Freeborn Motorhomes'Ready to Roll' list, geared up especially for Romahomes, and another was a blog post titled What Do You Take in Your Camper Van? These two lists gave me a lot of very useful information and helped me to create my van's inventory list.  Two other factors were in the front of my mind all the time: 'Is it essential?' and 'Is it small and/or collapsible?' Given the size of the R10, these are key questions, but even when/if I move to a bigger van, who wants to haul lots of clutter around if they don't have to?

I'll find out how right/wrong I got it with my choices when we take our first camping trip together shortly.

You'll notice that there is a conspicuous absence of camera gear, food, or clothing in the above picture, and that's because all of those things will be moved in and out of the van on a trip by trip basis.  No camera gear or other high value stuff will be left in the van between trips.

So, did the kit fit in it?

Yes!  The tiny R10 swallowed everything up, and I also found space for food, clothes and camera kit although you do have to be a careful packer, and ruthless about leaving behind unnecessary stuff.  

A quiet afternoon on my mum's drive organising things and relocating various items mean that the van is now fully prepped for our first photographic foray.  I'll let you know how we get on.

On Location: The National Memorial Arboretum

Sometimes trips are planned well in advance, and sometimes they just happen.  My visit to The National Memorial Arboretum was one of the latter situations.  I was on my way to Derbyshire - for reasons I will talk about in a post next month - and on the way I passed a brown sign saying 'National Memorial Arboretum'.  So on my way home, I took a detour and paid a visit. 

I knew about the main circular memorial.  Set on a mound in the centre of the Arboretum, it's made up of a series of sweeping curved stone walls bearing the names of over 15,000 people who have died in service to their country.  

A large expanse of stone is empty.  Each year the names of those who have fallen during the previous year are hand carved onto the walls.  

There is space for several thousand more...

I hadn't realised until my visit that as well as the central memorial, there are many smaller memorials to specific regiments and organisations.  Some are small and discreet, some far larger.  

They are being added to all the time.  The statue of Bellerophon riding Pegasus, leaping from a plinth behind a soldier of the Parachute Regiment pulling in his pack is one of the newer additions.

It was a blazing day, and I was there when the sun was strong, and the light harsh.  While walking around the 'Paras' memorial, I noticed that the shadow of Pegasus was falling in such as way that it looked as though the shadow of the soldier had somehow formed the shape of the flying horse. 

There are many beautiful and striking monuments, but one of the most beautiful is not stone, metal or wood.  It's the Royal British Legion's Poppy Field.  A mass of red, white and blue wild flowers, with some interloping yellow splashes of sunshiny brightness, this speaks to all who see it, with little need for signs or explanations.

A superb location for photography, but one which should not be viewed only through the camera.   Moving and thought-provoking, time should be allowed for pauses and reflection.

Aiming for an 'A' - Part 5. Assessment Day (But Not Mine).

8 May dawned fine, but I didn't.  I woke up feeling grotty.  So perhaps it was just as well that this day, which should have been my assessment day, was not. 

Although I had deferred my assessment, and in fact was now not even sure which category to apply within (haven't I been here before...) I  planned to attend the day as an observer.  I had already taken the time off so it seemed a good idea to go along and see the other panels, and hear the comments.  Another training exercise for me, in effect!

I settled at the back of the room, where I could stand up to view the panels without being in anyone's way and keep out of the view of the large camera with which the RPS were filming this assessment day.   My tiny 'handbag' camera (Panasonic Lumix TZ6)  was a fraction of the size, but came in handy to take a few record shots from time to time.

There were 20 panels put forward during the day and the standards were high and strictly kept to.  Only 4 were recommended for the A.  A couple of others went on to the referral process.  One was moved to another category since it clearly fitted 'Travel' better than 'Professional and Applied'.

Things started off well with the first two panels presented both passing.  Then things got tricky, with quite a run of 'not recommended' panels and a bit of an air of rising tension.

I made notes of as many comments on each panel as I could, both the positive and negative, and afterwards (because I'm sad) transferred them to a spreadsheet and assessed which were the most common problems so that I could try to avoid replicating them in my own panel.

In the lead by considerably more than just a short head was what the judging panel called insufficient photographer input.  Around half of the presented panels received variations on this comment.  It's clear that this area needs careful consideration during the shooting and selecting process of producing an A panel.  I've asked about 'photographer input' before, and my understanding of it is that it means presenting something more than a series of 'good' images.  It's demonstrating use of different focus points, shutter speeds, camera angle, perspective, position, depth of field, inclusion or exclusion of the environment and so on.  To me, it means showing that I am using my camera as a tool to make an interesting picture from what is in front of me, and not simply snapping what is literally in front of my eyes.

A lack of photographer style also affected some panels, which is important since the RPS considers that ARPS candidates should be at a stage where they are developing their own recognisable style.  The comment that there was not enough variety was also made a number of times, and this seems to me to tie in quite well with the photographer input issue mentioned above.

Some panels had colour problems.  Some of the colours looked a bit aggressive, and some of the monochrome tones were either flat or too dense!  Because of this, some of the panels didn't look as cohesive as they might have because the variations were usually not across the whole panel.  It interrupted the 'flow' (IMHO!).  Those old favourites from 'L' days - 'over sharpening' and 'blown highlights' made an appearance again, reminding me that I can't afford to forget or disregard what I learnt putting together my 'L' as I work towards my 'A'.

Some post-processing was referred to as being 'a bit ordinary' and some as 'over processed'.  That's a tough one in some cases as it's a bit of an 'eye of the beholder' issue, with some people liking plainer approaches and others preferring more 'worked' results.  For me, I think I learnt that if I were to use a particular processed look, I would need to be cautious.

A quarter of the panels were affected by print quality problems.  I was quite shocked by this actually and it does worry me.  So I will ensure that I check and then order my prints all together, and well ahead of my assessment date in case I have to do it all again.  (I have no large printer at home, so have to have them professionally printed).  I will also ensure my monitor is kept correctly calibrated!

So there were a wide range of things to think about.  Problems flagged through the day came from  right across the entire process: the planning, shooting, processing, printing and final panel selection stages.

Which just shows that the level of the challenge of producing well conceived, well shot, well  processed, well produced and well selected images cannot be underestimated for the 'A' candidate.

Aiming for an 'A' - Part 4. Advice, Then More Advice

Back in April, I posted a rather forlorn note on the RPS Forum.  I was really struggling to get my 'bell pictures' to the necessary standard for a ARPS panel, due in no small part to the technical challenges of photographing bells.  I was perfectly prepared to accept if necessary that my panel might fail if I submitted it, but I wanted the submitted panel to be as good as I could make it, and that was proving very difficult indeed.

I therefore sent into the ARPS the 'advice form', duly completed, and with several sample images.  The results were rather discouraging.  Not because of the comments on the technical shortcomings - I had expected that sort of feedback and it was useful.  But because some comments were made in terms of suggesting some additional images which I just couldn't see how I could achieve, and I was concerned that the assessment panel would have an expectation of what they might see which it was not realistically possible to shoot safely.

Given that I was already struggling, I found the feedback a bit crushing initially.  And so my 'forlorn note' (link to the thread here!) was posted on the forum, asking for comments from others who had also hit a bit of a black spot in their ARPS journey.  There were a number of kindly comments!  As well as the forum responses, I received a message in response via my website, from two very kind people with much experience of RPS distinctions, offering to chat to me on the phone and see how they could help.

I snapped up the offer, and after speaking on the phone we arranged to meet up.  Looking at my still incomplete panel with people who didn't have the same emotional connection as I do, it was sadly obvious pretty quickly that my bells images were not going to be the right path for the 'A'.  I had taken some of my other work with me, and it was interesting to see how some pretty quick changes changed some of my images from 'ok' to 'possible ARPS candidates'.

A couple of sample images, after tweaks:

This is what they looked like before:

This was encouraging, as was the wider conversation about photography in general, and going for RPS distinctions in particular.  Unsurprisingly, looking through my work and talking about options meant that the old issue of which category to apply for came up again. These two images would suit a Visual Art panel, whereas my current slot is for Professional and Applied!

You often hear negative comments about the rift between professional and amateur photographers, but this experience certainly counters that view.  In all I took up a good couple of hours of the time of two busy professionals, and it was really valuable, and very much appreciated.  

So I am now starting again AGAIN! :)  This time I've started from a little further forward though.  I have a couple of ideas and am working with them both at this stage to see which progresses.  As previously, watch this space!

A Canon and a Clock Weight

Like many a photographer, I generally like to have a camera close to hand as much as possible.

Which means my Canon G11 is usually in the car, 'just in case'.  Tonight it came in useful again.

* * * * * * *

This is the (large and VERY heavy) clock weight which broke free from the clock at the top of the church tower in which I was ringing bells tonight.

It crashed through the base of the clock casing, broke three planks, fell two floors in between six ringing bells without hitting any of them (almost a miracle!), and then caught the rope of the five, which I happened to be ringing at the time.  A large length of rope was pulled through my hands, which meant the bell began to 'ring down', and I got smacked in the face with the extra rope!  Fortunately the rope was not pulled right out of my hands, and another quick reacting ringer caught the sally and we thus avoided breaking a stay, and the bell was rung down while the crashing from above subsided.

A lot happens very quickly in bell ringing when things go wrong.  Even while something was obviously breaking above us, and I was struggling to regain control of my bell, we were all trying to work out what on earth was happening.  

As I knew I hadn't done anything 'odd' or stupid, but also knew that the something which had gone wrong had clearly involved my bell, I thought something on the bell had failed.  My home tower has a bell which has twice lost it's counter weight so I thought that might have happened tonight.  It wasn't until someone went up to investigate that we discovered what had really happened.

We were very lucky indeed that no-one was injured, and none of the bells or their fixings were damaged. It was interesting (for me at least!) to be able to grab a record shot of the offending item.  It adds something to this latest addition to my personal collection of bellringing stories!