Photo Tuition Gift Vouchers

Merry Christmas to you all and wishing you a very happy New Year.

Many of you will have received One-to-One photography tuition gift vouchers for christmas, and may be wondering about the best way to go about using them. Now, assuming they're for tuition with me, here's what you do...

The voucher entitles you to a 4 hour tuition session, at a location of your choice. If it's in the Brentwood/Chelmsford/Romford area, there are no further costs involved, if you'd like to meet outside these areas, I will make a small charge for travelling.



Have a think about what you would like to cover during your time with me, and start making notes of any questions you may have, to ensure you get the most from the session. Decide what time of year would suit you best, don't feel you have to use the voucher straight away. If you want to wait until Spring or Summer, that's fine - there's no expiry date for the voucher.



Give me a ring, or email me, to arrange a date, time and location for your session. Feel free to discuss anything at this time, as it's better that we both know what you would like to get out of the tuition before we get started. I am available any day of the week, but please be aware that I run workshops and also work for Essex Wildlife Trust on certain days, including weekends, so you may need to be flexible with your chosen date.



I can cover all sorts of requirements during these tuition sessions, whether it's getting to grips with the basics of your camera, or how to approach composition, or more specific themes like close-up or macro photography.



The whole point about 1-2-1 tuition is that you should get as much as possible from the time you have with me, so make sure you ask lots of questions, take lots of notes (even if they're just taken mentally), and above all enjoy yourself!

Just so that you are aware, my wife and I are expecting a baby in mid-January, so I'm not taking 1-2-1 booking until into February, and depending on the actual arrival date, this hold on bookings may be moved some weeks either way.  No doubt I'll start posting baby pics at some point, and updating my availability once I do.  Thanks for your understanding! :-)

Billericay Christmas Market

Just a reminder that this Sunday I will be at the Billericay Christmas Market, which is open from 11am to 6pm, and my gazebo will be at the north end of the High Street, near Subway.

Pop in and see me, have a chat about my photography tuition, or just a chat - anything to keep warm, the more hot air the better!

Anyway, here's a pic of a Sea Holly I took up at Beth Chatto's Garden near Colchester in the Summer.


Pentax K10D, Sigma 105mm macro @ f/4.5, 1/125s, ISO200, handheld

See you Sunday!

Promoting Myself

Apart from the tuition day at Cameraworld on Saturday 27th November, I will be at a few other events in the area promoting my tuition and generally being there to chat to. These are as follows:

Sunday 28th November - Essex Wildlife Trust, Hanningfield Reservoir, Christmas Crafts Day.

Sunday 5th December - Billericay Town Christmas Market.

Saturday 11th December - Friends of Brentwood School Christmas Fayre.

Sunday 12th December - Essex Wildlife Trust, Bedfords Park, Family Christmas Event.

At all these events I will be able to chat to you about tuition and take orders for Gift Vouchers, so just pop along and say 'hello'.

Here are a few photos of fungi that I've taken during this Autumn, which has been especially good for toadstools, and many of the workshop and 1-2-1 tuition participants enjoyed grubbing about on the floor taking their pictures!


Pentax K10D, DA*300mm f/4 @ f/6.7, 1/2s, ISO 100, Tripod, Polariser.


Pentax K10D, DA18-55mm @ 28mm, f/9.5, 3s, ISO 100, Tripod, Polariser.


Pentax K10D, Sigma 105mm Macro @ f/11, 6s, ISO 100, Tripod, Polariser.

Hope to see you at one of the above events over the coming weeks!

Hugh's Fish Fight

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is campaigning to end the senseless waste of fish caught in the North Sea - half of all fish caught are thrown back in the water, dead.

Whilst I rarely eat fish these days, I'm happy to support this cause, as such an unsustainable way of fishing has got to stop at some point, whether it's out of choice or not...

Cameraworld Tuition Day

I'm going to be at Cameraworld in Chelmsford again on Saturday 27th November 2010, for another free advice and tuition day. If you've got any questions you'd like to ask me in person, come along and ask away! Details are here. As an added bonus, there will also be a presence by Canon with demos of their cameras and printers.

And as I haven't posted any photos for a little while, I think I should now. On Sunday I was at Thorndon Park giving some 2-to-1 tuition with Tony and Simone, a lovely couple of Pentax users who were delighted to discover just how weatherproof their cameras are. We came across some beautiful pines amongst the dead bracken, and the soft lighting which accompanied the rain was perfect for allowing all the texture to be captured.


Pentax K10D, DA*300mm f/4 @ f/4, 1/15s, ISO 100, tripod.

The weather-sealing has come in handy recently. ;-)

Workshops!

I'm now booking up workshops for 2011, but there's still a chance for you to attend one or two this year.

This Saturday sees me at Bedfords Park near Romford running my last 'Photography in the Park' workshop for 2010. There are still some spaces left, so ring the Visitor Centre on 01708 748646 to book your place now.

On Sunday I'm at Hanningfield Reservoir for a Close-up and Macro Nature Photography Workshop, you might be able to squeeze in there if you're quick. Ring 01268 711001 to speak to Essex Wildlife Trust and book on.

Then on Sunday 24th October I have my last workshop of the year, another Close-up and Macro one at Thorndon Park in Brentwood. Ring the Visitor Centre there on 01277 232944 to secure your place.

All these venues are great at this time of year, with autumn woodland offering a wealth of subjects, from insects to toadstools, golden bracken to rutting Red Deer!

Recently I've run some private workshops for camera clubs and other small groups. If you'd like me to run one just for your group, get in touch and we'll book something up for you.

Whatever you're doing over the next month or so, make sure you get out and enjoy the Autumn, with or without your camera.

New Pentax Cameras

Well, once again it's an exciting time for Pentax users, and of course anyone who's in the market for their first Digital SLR.



Today saw the official unveiling of the Pentax K-5, the new top of the range APS-C sized DSLR, which is based on the current K-7, but has higher resolution, higher frame rate, ISO range up to 51,200 and improved autofocus. It may well tempt me to upgrade from my K10D, but I do feel so at home with that, and I can't complain about the image quality. We'll see...

Also announced recently is the new lower range model, the K-r, which again takes the current K-x model and improves that too.

If you're looking for a new DSLR, I'd always urge you to try out all the ones in your price range, not just the ones the sales person thinks you will like. You may find one of them just feels right, and that one may well be the Pentax.

Recent photos

This post is receiving an unusual amount of traffic, and I have no idea why!  Please leave a comment just to let me know how or why you came here.  Thank you! :-)

The last couple of weeks have been good ones for toadstools, so I've been out and about getting photos of them, as well as giving tuition, both as 1-2-1 and one-day workshops. Below are a few pictures taken recently.


Toadstool - Pentax K10D, Sigma 105mm macro, f/5.6, 1/10s, ISO100, polariser, tripod.


Leaf - Pentax K10D, Sigma 105mm macro, f/11, 1/2s, ISO100, tripod.


Grass - Pentax K10D, Pentax DA*300mm, f/4, 1/250s, ISO200, tripod.


Boardwalk at High Tide, Fingringhoe Wick - Pentax K10D, Pentax DA18-55WR @ 18mm, f/9.5, 1/90s, ISO100, polariser.

I'm looking forward to even more fungi as the season progresses.

Hanningfield Again

I was at Hanningfield again today for some 1-2-1 tuition, and got a nice macro shot of the gills of a toadstool (which had unfortunately been knocked over since I saw it yesterday), and then stopped on the way out to see Phil Eckett from Owl Wise who had a display of his owls there for the Family Fun Day that was also taking place.


Pentax K10D, Sigma 105mm macro, 2s @ f/13, ISO 100, tripod


Pentax K10D, FA50mm, 1/350s @ f/2.4, ISO 200, handheld


Pentax K10D, DA*300mm, 1/180s @ f/4, ISO 200, tripod

Hanningfield Today

It was an enjoyable day today at Hanningfield Reservoir, with another successful Close-up and Macro Nature Photography workshop. The weather was kind to us, and we tackled the tricky subject of dragonflies in flight when we were at the pond in the afternoon.

Here are a few photos, including a toadstool that was loitering by a logpile. Lit by off-camera flash, it was one of the few we saw today, a contrast to my findings over at Bedfords Park recently.


Pentax K10D, DA*300mm, 1/350s @ f/4.5, ISO 400, handheld


Pentax K10D, DA*300mm, 1/350s @ f/4.5, ISO 200, handheld


Pentax K10D, Sigma 105mm Macro, 1/10s @ f/4.5, ISO 100, tripod and diffused flash

Macro Workshop Spaces

I was at Hanningfield today giving some 1-2-1 tuition, and checked the numbers for next week's macro workshop, and saw there's still a few spaces left. So if you're looking for help with your close-up and macro nature photography, get yourself booked in at Hanningfield Reservoir on Saturday 28th August.

Ring the Visitor Centre there on 01268 711001 today!

Norwich Cathedral

I've been having a play with a photo of the interior of Norwich Cathedral, thinking it might make a nice candidate for a bit of 'ageing'.  Basically, I've tried to make it look like an old photo from a 6x6 camera, hence the sepia tone, white border, slight blurring of the corners etc.  Click through for a larger version.

Original taken on Pentax K10D with DA16-45mm lens.

Cameraworld Tomorrow

A quick post, with just two things.  Don't forget I'm at Cameraworld tomorrow, with a free advice day when you can drop in and ask me anything.  If it's about photography, I should be able to help you.  About anything else, I can have a fair stab at it. :-) Details here.

Secondly, although I don't usually take much notice of magazine reviews, it seems someone has actually seen sense, and has awarded the Pentax K-7 'Group Test Winner' in the August 2010 issue of Digital SLR User magazine.  You can read all about it here.

Oh alright, one last thing - a photo from the Essex Wildlife Trust AGM this year, of Chris Packham during his very entertaining speech.

Marks Hall garden

I popped into the Marks Hall Estate in July, and enjoyed a late afternoon walk around the various areas of the gardens there - it's well worth a visit if you like exploring woodland and more formal gardens in one location. There's also a lovely walled garden overlooking the lake, and a friendly cat who'll probably come and say hello.

Here's a shot of a very clean silver birch amongst the bracken (or are they ferns?) in the Millennium Walk.

Cameraworld Tuition Day

I'm running another free tuition day at Cameraworld in Chelmsford on Saturday 14th August 2010.

See more details by clicking the poster below.



Hope to see you there!

Colchester Zoo

With a visitor staying with us, and birthdays to celebrate, we took a trip up to Colchester Zoo last week. Knowing that it would be a long day of walking about, I decided just to take my K10D and the Sigma 105mm, which would allow me to take macro shots if needs be, but also allow for plenty of cropping to frame the shots as I wanted, as this is an incredibly sharp combination.

Here are a few shots from the day.









Well worth a visit!

Penshurst Place

We had a trip down to Penshurst Place in Kent last week, a mediaeval house with lovely gardens, surrounded by beautiful countryside.  Well worth a trip if that's your sort of thing.

Unfortunately photography's not allowed inside the house, but the exterior and gardens more than made up for that.  Here are just a couple of shots that I took there, but there are plenty more subjects there, so make sure you pop in and see for yourself!

Orchid

Thought I should get into the habit of posting more photos, so here's the first, an orchid taken in the field (Hatfield Forest), with my ring flash and 105mm macro lens. Processed in Capture One with desaturation and increased contrast, just because I liked the look of it like this.

Blurb Photobook

I've produced a book to go with the display of images I now have on the TV in Cameraworld, Chelmsford. See a preview of the book below, go through to the Blurb website for more details about it.

Portfolio 1 by Daniel Bridge | Make Your Own Book

Cameraworld Tuition Day

Once again I'm running a free photography tuition day at Cameraworld, Chelmsford, on 22nd May 2010, full details are on my website here.

Just come along and ask me anything!

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Cameraworld Tuition Day

Just a reminder that this Saturday I will be at Cameraworld in Chelmsford to provide free tuition and advice for anyone who wants it!  You can also take the opportunity to ask me about my workshops and one to one tuition.  Full details here.



Hope to see you there!

Workshop spaces...

Just a quick one to let you know my workshops are getting booked up already, my first of the year, at Bedfords Park, has only 3 places left.

So if you want to come along to one of my workshops, make sure you book yourself in quick!

London Camera Exchange

I'm going to be at London Camera Exchange in Colchester this Saturday, promoting my tuition and answering any queries.  It will be a great opportunity for us to have a chat if you've been thinking of booking me for some tuition or coming along to a workshop, so pop in and say hello!

It's also a Pentax Day in store, so if that's your brand of choice, or you just like playing with nice cameras, Saturday would be the best day to visit LCE Colchester.

Hope to see you there!

Photography is like Porridge

This time of year, my mind often contemplates porridge.  Not everything's got to be about photography, right?  What better way to start the day, especially when it's cold like this.

So, I thought I'd let you know how I like to have my porridge, just in case you ever need to know...

If I'm making it for two, I weigh out 150g of porridge oats in a small saucepan (not the milk pan, the next size up).  Put the pan on the scales first and zero them, and don't turn them off or re-zero until the porridge is on the hob.

I then add enough water to cover the oats, not so much that they're sloshing about in it though.  The whole lot's probably weighing about 450-500g now. Then add enough milk to take it up to 800g.  I prefer weighing it all, saves on washing up a jug.

Then pop the pan on a low heat, and stir every 30 seconds or so, just so nothing sticks, or burns, and just wait for it to thicken up.  It won't go to a solid lump (hopefully), and it will be enough for a cereal bowl full each.  I use one of those silicon spatulas to stir it - makes getting everything out of the pan very easy, much better than a wooden spoon.

I have it with a dollop of golden syrup.

Now, some of you will be thinking "urghh, I wouldn't do it like that!", and other such thoughts. But that's okay, I wouldn't expect everyone to like it the way I do.  If you showed me some of your favourite photos, I may well think "Oh dear, I wouldn't have taken it like that", but it doesn't mean they're bad, just not how I like it.  So just because you don't like my porridge, or I don't like your photos, doesn't mean that either of them are bad, just that we have different tastes.  And we should keep on doing what pleases us.

So photography is like porridge, probably.

Anyway, so that you don't think I'm some sort of cereal lunatic, here are some photos I took today, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy my porridge.

All shot on my K10D with DA*300mm lens at Writtle Village pond.

Cameraworld Tuition Day

Once again I will be at Cameraworld in Chelmsford to provide free tuition and advice for anyone who wants it! I'm there on Saturday 27th February 2010, full details here.



Hope to see you there!