New site and Photo Workshops

After much mouse and keyboard bashing I have finally built my new site - www.davehunt.eu.

The old one was dusty and drafty, made it years ago with Dreamweaver which I do like but I wanted something that offers better slideshows, easier to change and add pics, and above all be more mobile device friendly.

Tried a few online builder apps and settled on Viewbook after seeing another photographers portfolio.

The other drive to get it all rebuilt was to re launch my training workshops, seemed like the best time to make the jump.

So, now offering 1,2 and 4 day workshops in Landscapes, more of the Fine Art Studio workshops that I started last year, new for 2012 are weekend workshops at Tombreck in Perthshire aimed folk with a more general interesting their photography.

Then there are details of my very popular 1-2-1 courses, usually a whole day for 1 or 2 folk, some split the day into 2 short days to give the students brain some rest time and it allows a chance to play before carrying on. Folk can also pay for some courses and buy Gift Vouchers through the site, i know that's nothing clever but it took me to rebuild the site for me to get it sorted..!

Thanks to Rien and all the guys at viewbook.com :)

New toys....

Last xmas I think Santa had a sense of humor, or was trying to make an ironic statement.

First pressie and shared with birthday was a biggie, a shiny new iPad (think wifey got fed up with me 'borrowing' hers). Being the new version its got a camera (well, 2 actually - of course) which is fine for snaps and fun shots, but is useful for grabbing pics when proper cameras are left behind but its not exactly easy to hold. And with a vast choice of apps including a cut down (very cut down) version of Photoshop Express you can get some simple and fun effects ..  just a good toy really.

Photo edited in PicGrunger App.

And speaking of toys brings me to the second pressie, a Holga camera which really is an all plastic toy from China. Weighs in at about 1/2 an ounce, very basic with 2 apertures (quite posh for a toy), 1 speed + bulb, and pre set focus positions but it does use 120 roll film so shots could be really good ..  in theory.  I have the 120GN which is the up market version with a glass lens rather than plastic, but reading the forums the plastic lenses do have a following. In fact like other Lomo cameras these are very popular with photographers in many countries, with their rather erratic shutters the results are apparently a tad unpredictable, a stark contrast to today's hi tech digital perfection, maybe that's the attraction.

So, we have a high tech gadget that can capture, store, edit and share rather average quality pics, then a plastic toy that can ... take pictures .. when you have some film !.
 Cost wise the Holga is well under £50 so the real cost is in the film and developing.

All pics here were taken on the iPad - did try to do the whole blog with it but need to work out how to get the pics into blogger - having a total love affair with the iPad but it has its limitations and the whole photo / file handling thing for websites is a bit of a challenge - guessing I need to get my Flikr account back up ?

Oh, and after typing this and hitting the preview tag all the text dispersed :( - guess iPad Safari doesn't like blogger - shame.

RPS Visual Art Group entry award...

This years selection for the VA Group were recently announced and am chuffed to have not only been selected but also received the Ron Tear Judge Award.

The selected image was from a studio session with Model KatieL from down south.

 'Grown Up Girl'

... what a young sweet innocent girl... !

The official opening of the Visual Art Group Members' Exhibition 2012 will take place at 12.00 noon on Saturday 7th January 2012 at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon CR9 1DG.

Link to full selection of images....

Time to say farewell to our mirror man....

He came here last September for a short stay and seems to have become part of the garden, never really gave him a name so we called him Mirror Man - what else ?
He is a life sized sculpture from a local artist Rob Mulholand who has created these amongst other works for public spaces, really love them. Mind you it did take us about a month to get used to the humanly apparition in the garden, we found ourselves catching a subliminal glance and expecting a real person, and as for walking around the dark, that can be very weird indeed.

If we had the cash we would buy him but alas no so its time for him to move onto pastures new ..  somewhere !
Farewell ..  and thanks Rob.