Workshops
This time last year
Those of you that have been following this blog for the last year or so may recall the trip report I posted on my visit to north west Lapland last September. It’s hard to believe that it was exactly a year ago that myself, my dad, brother and brother-in-law stayed in a small log cabin on the banks of the River Konkamaeno on the Finnish/Swedish border. It all stemmed from the fact that my dad had always wanted to stay in a cabin by a river in the wilderness. Quite a tall order but I knew Finland well and already had a number of contacts and colleagues living there that could help. After many weeks searching for the ‘perfect’ cabin, I eventually found it.
My brother-in-law Jim, my dad Roger, my 'daft' brother Malc and yours truly cooking sausages on an open fire infront of the cabin. Daytime temperatures were around 10 deg.C and at night would occasionally drop to minus 5.
Cabin at twilight.
50 metres from the cabin.
The cabin was basic, had an outdoor loo and no running water. Inside was comfortable with cooking facilities, no electricity (except for very weak solar lighting) and wood burning stove….perfect! The site of the cabin was fantastic. Just under a kilometre from the road down a track, you really did feel in the middle of no-where. To have a wash and brush your teeth, a short walk to the river was needed but this was all part of the experience. To add to this there was an adjoining sauna and rowing boat. The colours of Lapland at this time are absolutely stunning. The bright yellow of birch and aspen and the red of bilberry all combine to produce a kaleidoscope of colour. A day was spent exploring the Norwegian fjords (the size of which just blew us away) and to top it off, on the 2nd night, we had a full 45 minutes showing of the northern lights, all viewed just metres away from the cabin.
This was my sixth trip to Finland, the second during this season. In the past, in spring and summer, I have photographed bears, wolverine, orchids and owls but for landscape photography, nothing beats Lapland in autumn. Click here to see a temporary web page of many of the images taken on last years trip.
Frosty morning down at the river.
River Galggojohka, Norway.
Lapland Photography Holiday
I am looking at potentially running a Lapland Photography Holiday in Finland with a visit to Norway the same time next year and at this stage I am simply seeing what the interest is for something like this. The accommodation would be at a lodge not far from where I stayed where meals etc would all be taken care of. If, however, you would like to experience the basic, wilderness version then this may also be possible. As I said, I am merely ascertaining interest at this stage and would very much welcome your thoughts. Price-wise, you are looking at approximately £1200 for 7 days though this is just a ballpoint figure. This would exclude flights but include everything else, including transport.
One thing is for certain, this is quite unique. An adventure. There are no companies that do trips of this kind, anywhere. I will be putting up more details on this blog shortly but if you can’t wait till then and would like to register your interest, please contact me at rmcanis@msn.com or telephone, 07939 117570.
Mushroom photography has begun
With the wet weather we are currently experiencing, mushrooms in my local wood are quite literally popping up everywhere. The wood still wears the coat of summer but on the floor, it is most definitely autumn. I took a walk in my local wood this afternoon as a means of escaping the endless hours of processing images and sorting pictures for a forthcoming exhibition. On the wetter, lower slopes were all manner of species including boletus, puffball, milkcap, funnel, magpie inkcap. sulphur tuft and the most conspicuous of all, the slender parasol.
Slender parasol 'troop.'
Upon noticing this marvellous ‘troop’ I went straight home, grabbed my camera bag and returned to photograph them. If I were to leave them for another day they would have gone over or even kicked over. I then spent the next hour photographing the fungi from various angles, concentrating on using a wide-angle to exaggerate their size and in the case of the image below, trying to achieve something a little different to the norm. If you are interested in attending a mushroom photography workshop, please click here as I am running two in October at a favourite haunt.
Standing close to 8 inches high with a cap the size of small dinner plate they are tough to resist for both the photographer and the forager for they are simply delicious! Over the last couple of years I’ve become a bit of an anorak when it comes to mycology brought on by me spending countless hours in the field photographing mushrooms from September to November. Identifying them in preparation for the agent invariably means I end up reading about them and finding out if they are edible or not. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t walk around a wood picking every edible fungus but if there are good numbers of funnel or slender parasol in a ‘troop’ I will pick one or two. Carefully picking a mushroom causes no harm since you are simply picking the fruiting body. The part that really matters is underground, the mycelium. Leave this intact and it will grow again. It’s a little like taking backberries or apples. To state the obvious, you should NEVER consume a mushroom unless you are 100% it is edible. If you are ever in any doubt, leave well alone. Many folk are surprised to learn that there are a number of species found in our woods that can kill.
Nikon D2x, 12-24mm, iso 200, 10 seconds f16, camera resting on ground, 3 bursts of flash to different parts of scene.
I’ll be blunt here, by and large, the British are useless at identifying wild food, edible mushrooms in paerticular which I think is a bit of a shame. In mainland Europe it’s a family pastime to go out mushroom and berry picking. Children go out with their parents, learn from them then pass on their knowledge to their children. Even if you have no intention on picking them and all you want to do is look or take pictures, consider taking a pocket guide along. You will be surprised at how it can give focus to an afternoon stroll and with it a deeper understanding of the natural world.
South Downs 1:1
A very enjoyable day yesterday was spent holding a one to one. We met at Alfriston then headed off in my car to several locations centered around the Cuckmere valley. The location was chosen as it gives a range of opportunities to illustrate techniques within a relatively small area. Total time spent from one location to another never exceeded 10 minutes. The picture below was taken to illustrate how to ’anchor’ the image. To give it foreground interest where your eye then leads through the frame to the distant cliffs. Without the rock it would have been rather uninteresting of just the beach, pebbles and cliffs. I then processed it in black and white since in colour I felt it was too monotone whereas in monochrome it brought out the textures and contrast of the chalk and seaweed.
Nikon D300, 12-24mm at 15mm, iso 200, 1/80th sec. f16, Manfrotto tripod. 2 exposures, one for the rock, the other for the sky then merged in Photoshop CS4. Using an ND Grad would have also darkened the cliffs.
Cowslips and Cuckoo flowers
A quick recce of a few favourite nature reserves, in preparation for next weeks Kent’s Wildflowers workshop, gave me the opportunity to get a few shots of some of the flowers that are around at the moment. I don’t like to take pictures myself when leading workshops since the emphasis should always be on tuition rather than my own photography, but occasionally I may sneak a picture off, especially if the subject is too hard to resit!
Cowslips
Lady's smock
The 300mm f.2.8 really comes into it’s own in situations like these. A shorter lens would have resulted in sky appearing in the top of the frame. Shot almost wide open also throws the background out of focus and really makes the flowers stand out. Their other name is the Cuckoo flower as they tend to be in bloom approximately the same time as the arrival of the cuckoo. I haven’t heard any yet and really hope it’s not another ‘quiet’ year, as was the case last year.
Peak District workshop
I returned yesterday afternoon from the last of 3 workshops I have held in the Peak District over the last 3 weeks and once again, the weather held out! It’s always going to be an unknown factor at this time of the year anyway, let alone in these parts. So, why didn’t I chose to hold it during the summer? Quite simply, light. During late March and into mid April the sun is still sufficiently low for all-day photography unlike in June and July when it is very much an early morning or early evening shoot. In between these times, the sun is too high and the light too cool. Also, in March and April, the weather starts to improve and the days lengthen.
On this visit, I stayed in a delightful B&B called Crown Cottage in Eyam, situated in the centre of this historic Plague village. I couldn’t have asked for a more comfortable stay and Janet and Ian really do make you feel welcome. So, if you are ever up this way, I can’t recommend it high enough. Next time, I’ll give myself more time to look around as it has a remarkable story of how the village dealt with the outbreak of the Plague in 1665.
Members of the group, photographing on Stanage Edge.
Another great bunch of photographers, and although at times it was quite blustery there was just sufficient sunshine to keep us going, and of course the scenery was as spectacular as ever. Two members of the group decided to stay till sunset in the hope that the weather was going to clear to give us that beautiful evening light and indeed it did. Well, for around 10 minutes anyway! But, it was just long enough for us to set up our tripods and shoot a few frames. The sun then hid behind clouds for the duration so we sat, chatted and enjoyed the moment. It’s not all about taking pictures you know!
Curbar Edge
Weekend workshops
Back from a great weekend of workshops. Well, I enjoyed them anyway and hope all that attended did too. A great bunch of guys on both days who braved the often very windy, cold weather that the Peak District threw at us, especially on the Sunday. Certainly made for some atmospheric images with great skies. Lots of walking, laughs and photography, plus a very filling pub lunch! A perfect combination for a good day out.
Sunday's workshop attendees.
I arrived in the area on the Thursday to do a little photography myself and was blessed with some really dramatic skies.
Stanage Edge
Stanage Edge
Rocks on Baslow Edge
The rain rapidly moved towards me and soon after the image was taken I got a thorough soaking! But worth it I think.
Peak District
Heading off to the Peak District tomorrow morning in preparation for the weekend’s workshops I’ll be holding. Although they are not till Saturday and Sunday, it’ll give me a good opportunity to scout one or two fresh locations for photography and who knows, perhaps hold a workshop there in the future.
Now, all I have to do is pray for decent weather!
Czech Republic photography workshop
Prague bridges crossing the River Vltava at sunset
I’m in the throws of planning a 6 day photography workshop to the Czech Republic, taking in Prague and Cesky Krumlov, the latter being a beautiful medieval town with UNESCO world heritage status in South Bohemia. 3 nights will be spent in Prague and 2 in Cesky Krumlov. I haven’t booked the hotel or finalised exact details as yet, except for the dates, so I am just getting a feel for any interest out there before it gets put onto my website or advertised more widely.
Prague Castle
For around 5 years I made at least 40 trips to Prague and several to Cesky Krumlov, shooting images for my own library and agencies as well as for magazine articles (one of which appeared in Outdoor photography) and also for hotels in Prague. The result is that I know this place quite literally like the back of my hand and therefore know exactly where to go for dawn to dusk shooting. No time will be wasted on your part in getting your bearings, negotiating trams and the metro and potentially getting lost in the maze of medieval cobbled streets and alleys. This I would do on a regular basis for the first half a dozen trips to Prague!
Prague spires
Prague buildings
Prague at sunset
Accommodation in Prague and Cesky Krumlov will be taken care of as will transport to and from Cesky Krumlov. Numbers will be limited to just 4 participants to keep it small and friendly and it also means I can spend quality time with each person.
Cesky Krumlov at sunset
Cesky Krumlov
Dates will be September 6th to 11th 2010 and the price will be around £600 which does not include flights.
Please contact me to register your interest.
To see my full coverage of both Prague and Cesky Krumlov, please visit my website and use the drop-down Category box or in Collections.
New date added and spread for the Peak District photography course
Another date has been added to the Gritstone Edges of the Peak District photography workshop. There is just one space left on Saturday March 27th with Sunday fully booked. I have therefore added another date which will be Sunday April 11th. Two spaces have already been filled. If you’re interested please click here for more information.
Outdoor Photography magazine
The article I was commissioned to write for Outdoor Photography which has just been published and available in all good newsagents…..and bad ones!
Peak District photography course
Having been commissioned by Outdoor Photography magazine to write a piece on the Peak District, I thought it would be an idea to hold two one-day landscape photography workshops in the same location at roughly the time the images were taken, being March. The article will be out next month in the March issue.
View from Curbar Edge to Baslow Edge
View from Baslow Edge to Curbar Edge
The piece itself centres around two gritstone edges called Baslow Edge and Curbar edge which lie to the west within the National Park, approximately 11 miles east of Chesterfield. This is where the course will be held. We will be combining the two with another spectacular edge just 8 miles north called Stanage Edge.
View from Stanage Edge
This is arguably the park’s most famous edge from which wonderful views abound in all directions.
Abandoned mill stones at Stanage Edge
We begin the day at Stanage Edge at 08.00 hrs, break for lunch around midday then onwards to Baslow and Curbar Edges until sunset. It will be on a first come first served basis and will be restricted to just 6 participants so that each benefits from myself as opposed to unfairly, I think, spreading myself thin amongst more.
The price will be £105 per person which includes tuition and a pub lunch. For more information please click here.
About Robert Canis
Robert Canis is a professional photographer specialising in the natural world.
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