For a more detailed review see http://tinyurl.com/32txtk3

It is big and quite heavy and is currently up in my study up in the
loft, so you will need a couple of people to manoeuvre it down.

First come, first served. If I don’t get any offers in the next 7
days, I’m offering it on FreeCycle so please don’t hang around.

Monty Trent

Desert Camp

Then Pat noticed the tracks…four large paw marks about four feet apart and by its side four smaller paw marks, both sets heading off into the mountains where we were to trudge through deep fine sand before shooting “brain rock” formations. The tracks could only be those of a mountain lion with a cub, we concluded. No dog that big was likely to be out here.

And as dusk fell the howling started. First a few short barks then the lengthy howls. Then a distant pack answered. Soon the plateau rang with their calls. Phew! “Well it can only be coyotes so let’s get on with our meal,” said our guide Nigel “Nobby” Turner, an Englishman with a passion for photographing the Wild West of America. and whose pictures sell for around $1,400 a time in the galleries at Carmel in California.

I had every reason to trust Nobby, we had been with him when he launched his first trip, a camping trip in the Grand Canyon. He had stayed with us when we photographed the English Lake District. But wait a minute I’ve just remembered the detail of that first trip Bring summer clothes he said and a lightweight sleeping bag. That first night on the rim of the Canyon was to prove rather testing. It snowed heavily and the temperature plummeted to six degree below. We slept fully clothed, both of us inside doubled bags, with our boots on.

Ah well, just Nobby’s way of making sure we worked hard for the photos. As he said, this latest trip was about quality, not quantity, and it would all be wilderness rock formations. Just 20 people a day are allowed under permit into this wilderness area and we had seen no one in the 65 mile drive out to the location.

Lovely

Now the term ” drive “sounds rather smooth. We had planned to do it in Nobby’s specially prepared four wheel drive truck called Lovely (his wife watches English TV programmes and she kept hearing English women saying “isn’t that lovely”. So that’s how the truck got its name. Only it wasn’t so lovely. Three times the desert sands had torn the half shafts out of the truck, and at $1,700 a tim e for repairs that was no joke.

Derek at the wheel of the Raptor

So Nobby had bought a special high ground clearance desert and rock climbing vehicle called the Polaris Razor, which I nick-named the Raptor. It had a tiny engine of just 800cc, smaller than many motorcycle engines, with a tray on the back big enough for survival gear, an icebox with drinks and food and our camera gear and tripods. But it carried only four of us and there were actually five. No matter, we would use it as a ferry, taking the truck half way over the easier part of the desert.

With my motorcycle solo and sidecar experience, plus my ownership of a four wheel drive World War 11 Willys jeep I was chosen as the ferry driver. I have not had so much fun since I went snowmobiling in Iceland and Canada. The Raptor could climb anything…. boulders,rock shelves and deep sand tracks. As I said to Nigel I would have come on the trip for that experience alone.

Our base was the Paria River guest, ranch with a great cowboy-style atmosphere. The temperatures we encountered were unseasonal, seldom below 97 and more like those of August. What we had not counted on were millions of biting black midges that made life hell back at the ranch and the desert locations.

Easton the rancher (he had once visited St Albans, which gave us something to chat about in addition to the Afghan War) and his solution was to soak a bandana in water put it loosely over the head and wear a hat on top of that, but not a white one, which apparently attracted the flies. It worked but it did not reduce the swelling of the bites in your scalps, hands arms and legs. Oh dear, to think I promised Pat an easy time in air-conditioned luxury in a 60 foot long mobile home., That part was certainly true, apart from the time we spent in the desert in tents and the fact that we could not run both air conditioning units in the base unit because of shortage of electricity.

Entrance to Antelope slot canyon

Frankly after I had driven the four wheel drive Raptor over desert trails and precipitous mountain passes I began to think “why worry about the photography” – we were both having the time of our lives. But more was to come, including our trip to Antelope Canyon. The Canyon is unique, probably produced by the result of water wearing a path through the top of an underground cave system, it was only discovered in the eighties by a Navajo girl whose dog ran into the slot.

Originally you had to rappel down a rope into the canyon but the enterprising Navajo have now fixed steel steps at various points so apart from the squeezes you can make your way down the Canyon. The staggering thing was that this world heritage site was opposite a remotely located major Navajo power station. So you have a n industrial scene in the middle of the desert with one of the real treasures of the natural world close by.

There are in fact two canyons, the upper and the lower. Nigel reckons there are only two shots in the upper Canyon and the main activity is in the lower canyon. YOu don’t want the sky in the photograph and everything you do is a time exposure of reflected light. And next time you hear a judge say how easy it all is , ask me about the hours I spent waiting for one particular shot of a natural arch inside the canyon. The colours are almost unreal, deep chocolate to purple mauves and fire red oranges.

You set up your tripod and you take your chances, as the Navajo bring through more tour parties every 30 minutes. The groups are very limited in number and we had photography passes (about$28 )and it can take about four hours to guide groups through. The Navajo guides are essential as eleven people lost their lives here in flash floods. The rain had occurred miles away and when the water hits the canyon there is no easy exit. That deters a lot of people.

Wawheap hoodoos

I could have spent days in Antelope canyon and it is a great place to talk informally to the Navajo. I asked one lad about his language. He did not learn it at school but from his grandfather and he spoke it with pride. Like a lot of native people the Navajo have a natural dignity and he was as interested to hear about Welsh and Gaelic as I was about his language. I had had the same experience in Monument Valley when we camped there. We shared a meal with a Navajo guide and he later brought a Navajo stew to our camp fire for us to try. Thus are friendships made.

The photographic difficulties with modern digital cameras are challenging. Sand is a great enemy both for tripods and cameras. Changing lenses always ran the hazard of dust entering the sensor, which in fact it did, despite great care, and the Canon 5 D auto cleaning system. The Gitzo tripod suffered the same way with sand interfering with the smooth operation of its O ring dust barriers. I had taken a plastic sack which I spread out every time I put the rucksack down and the rucksack always remained closed.

Nigel is very thorough in his approach to photography, everything is shot in raw with the camera on manual (back to film days) and the RGB charts are examined scrupulously to avoid burn outs and reduce the amount of processing work. He had taken along an EPSON 2800 printer so we were able to process and print some shots to establish a yardstick to work to. He has a particular way of working with tone curves, which I won’t bother to explain here, but it pays off in terms of colour rendering and avoiding burn outs.

They didn't make it

Besides the desert gruelling walks, the midges and the sheer fatigue induced by high temperatures, I have to report one complete foul-up. We had been photographing “BRAIN ROCKS” . It was a difficult but not long walk and I became separated from the rest of the group after it became clear I was extremely fatigued. I said I would walk back to camp but… I had seen some lone trees and rock pools I still wanted to photograph on the walk back but it was nearly my undoing.

Somehow I blundered into a blind canyon with slick rocks and barbed wire fences that a rancher had installed to corral I don’t know what, but I could not find my way out. I had not brought water as it was evening. I realised I was lost. So I stayed put. Classic wilderness training a la Bear Grylls or Ray Mears, or long range desert group, that off-shoot of the SAS . I had some rather brackish water available so I stayed near that rock pool. Nigel, realising I was missing had trekked back to the tents then trekked back into the canyon to try to find me. As darkness fell I heard his calls. Eventually he found me and picked up my gear and we trekked back to the tents with me feeling rather sorry for myself. I had under -estimated the 20 years since my last adventure with Nigel and I learned a hard lesson from that experience. Seventy year olds would do better not to mix it with 40 year olds.

On the flight home I reviewed the “holiday” with Pat. We both agreed we had been at the limit of our endurance in the heat but we had seen some wonderful sights in remote places…so that it why we have opted for a trip to the Arctic in November. The last time we went to the Arctic circle we did it on our old single cylinder Norton motorcycle and 1930s Watsonian sidecar, camping all the way. This time it will be different, fly to Bergen and cruise up to the Russian border near Murmansk. So more later.

Nanook of the North rides again.

Mel

The courses are run in the village of Lacock (a National Trust village), Wilts, near Chippenham, where Chris lives with his wife Pam. The course literature includes a list of accommodation that’s available, in the area, and, also, an offer from Chris and his wife to ferry attendees from Chippenham railway-station (on the line from Paddington) to their chosen lodgings. I did, in fact, travel on the train and, upon arriving at Chippenham, I was met by Pam Burfoot, who drove me to Bowden hill (high above Lacock) and to the B & B, Lower Bowden Lodge that I had booked there. Before leaving me, Pam said that, in the morning (the first day of the course) and if I wished, Chris would pick me up, on his way into Lacock, and drive me to the course-venue, the Manger barn, which is a centuries-old National Trust property. The barn is next to Lacock Abbey, where William Henry Fox-Talbot (there’s a museum, dedicated to him, in Lacock) produced the first photographic-negative and the abbey is the only National Trust property, Chris told me, where the public is allowed to take photographs, of the window that appears in Fox-Talbot’s negative.

The first morning of the course was spent with Chris explaining basics of studio-lighting and showing and demonstrating equipment for us. Obviously, lights were included in this demonstration and other items, e.g. umbrellas, reflectors, snoots, softboxes etc were, also, included, if not in the first session, then, as the course proceeded. Chris Burfoot was ever present, during the course, explaining, instructing and, generally, being helpful for all of the attendees, who were ten in number.

Laura

Lunch followed and that was provided, on site, and then, if you wished, you could stroll, outside, in the village, where there were lots of tourists and everyone was looking at the well-preserved Lacock, which is a favourite for film-makers, with both Pride and Prejudice and the BBC’s Cranford having been filmed there.

In the afternoon, we had our first practical session and the chance, once Chris had given us a demonstration, to take pictures of a model, Mel. For all of the practical sessions, Chris would set up a “shoot” (although, at one point, he gave us a free hand to use the equipment as we saw fit), take pictures of the model (displaying, to us, the results), then, invite us to photograph the layout (of lights etc), so that (at a later date) we had a means of recalling how a certain shot was achieved, and, finally (after all of these steps had been taken), we, the students, would take our own photographs, with the model (Mel and, later, Laura, also) being patiently compliant with our demands for good photos. Throughout the course, the company Fotospeed was in attendance, with a printer, and, at Chris’s request, they printed out shots, so that we could see how various different poses and set-ups looked. At the end of the course, everyone got a Fotospeed goodie-bag, which included samples of their paper.

Chris Burfoot's granddaughter

The second day (and, again, Chris gave me a lift, from my B & B to the barn) was, again, a mix of instruction, from Chris, on what equipment to use and why, and practical sessions, with the two models, Laura and Mel, being available for us to photograph. On the last afternoon, Chris and Pam’s daughter came along, with her children, and the two youngsters were, also, available, as models, for us.

Chris Burfoot's grandson

Finally, in late afternoon, the end of the course arrived and Chris marked this with a presentation, of certificates, to all the students. I got my certificate first, as I had a train to catch, and Chris kindly arranged for Laura, the model, to give me a lift to the station.

This was a very informative course, with good opportunity to take pictures, which we were all allowed to keep and, as you can see, I have used some of them to illustrate this article. I was impressed, not only by Chris Burfoot’s knowledge and ability as a teacher, but, also, by the friendliness that I encountered, so I would have no hesitation in recommending the course to others.

John Fogarty
July 1st 2010

Our new programme of events commences Tuesday, 31st August 2010 at 8pm.

A FUN EVENING is planned.  Members bring several prints. Set out all tables. Newer members to bring their prints also and sit on tables with more experienced members. An exchange of suggestion and gentle constructive criticism will hopefully result.

Will members also bring along their prints for the Howard Centre Exhibition on 4th September 2010, thank you.

Enjoy the summer break and we look forward to seeing you again next season.

Alan

PS  Don’t forget you can synch your home pc/mac calendars with the club site calendar.

The 5 of a Kind is an annual competition where the photographer must submit five images as a panel of the subject of their choice. The winner is presented with the Fred Woods Shield. To see the images in more detail visit the gallery by clicking here.

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WGC Photographic Club - Digital Knockout 09-10

So armed with our trusty Canons (cameras that is) and and our Gitzo carbon fibre tripods – this is not an advert, they are simply lighter to carry than most – we went searching.  Now I won’t give you a GPS location but I will point you in the right directon.  First to the fairground car park just behind Stevenage Town football club on the Roaring Meg roundabout.  Later to the woods behind the railway line that used to run through Ayot St Peter and can be found from Ayot Green.

These  really are outstanding locations with some delightful woodland paths that you can follow without having to trample all over the bluebells.  Such is the beauty of the place even the dog walkers try to avoid the bluebells.   Not so the dogs, of course.  But during the week it is a lot quieter and there are plenty of sunlit glades and old tree stumps.

Barry at work

Barry was first into action with his Novaflex parnoamic head for precise overlaps.  He takes them in vertical mode (both Barry and camera are upright) and at precise ten degree overlaps.  Powerful images when you combine them with Canon L series lenses, great definition and ideal for those three foot long panoramics.  Three foot long you gasp…believe you me that is nothing by Barry’s standards.

I work away with my Sigma lenses, usually a 10-20 wideangle and then suddenly remember that I have recently sold a vintage motorcycle on ebay so why don’t I have a couple of L lenses and perhaps a new camera. Oh joy unconfined, the fresh air has brought me to my senses. As they always say… you cannot take the money with you!

The Old Stump

We search for new horizons, glorious fields of oil seed rape on the backroads to Ashwell, paddle around in Ashwell Spring and look for pasque flowers on Therfield Heath. We are fortunate to meet up with the warden who explains that the severe winter climate has drastically reduced the number of pasque flowers this year.  However, there are plenty of other good landscape shots on Therfield Heath.

Contemplating

The pure pleasure at being out, even if we are shivering  takes us on to Audley End House, a National Trust property, where we shoot a Victorian carriage ride and besplendent regimental turn out by old-style guards, all taken from the road bridge. A 400 mm lens is a useful addition to your bag here.

Creatively depleted we wend our way over hill and dale to the nearest hostelry where after a steak and ale pie and a pint of Doom Bar bitter (if you are a sailor you will know that doom bar is at Padstow) and we both feel the world has become an immensely better place.    “““““““““`

Ah Spring… can the British summer be far behind.  Answer: very probably.

WGC Photographic Club - Annual Digital 09-10

WGC Photographic Club - Five of a kind 09-10