News and Autumn Colours

Hello,

It's been a while as things have been crazy busy over the last few weeks with the webinar, which was a great success and for anyone that wasn't able to join us I will post the link to the recorded version as soon as it is available for anyone that did join us thank you so much for making it fun and asking lots of great questions and I must say a huge thank you to Dave and Giorgio from the School of Xcellence for a great webinar.

I have just announced the first two dates for my Creative Nature workshops which will take place in April in Somerset, I will be covering many different aspects of getting creative with your subject and awakening your more creative side. The workshops will take place on Saturday 26th April and Sunday 27th April (both days are exactly the same) and the day costs just £80 per person with a maximum of 6 people per day. This price includes a full days tuition plus lunch, teas, coffees and biscuits. For more details or to book your place here's the link, I'm hoping to announce the dates for autumn soon.

Workshops

In other news the Christmas craft market season has started! Unfortunately due to other commitments the dates are limited this year, but as some of you know I do these markets with my mum and we combine our talents to create some truly unique gifts made with love perfect for that special someone many of which are only available through the craft markets. So here are the dates for the remaining markets this year:

Friday 29th November

Lady's Pamper Night, High Littleton Church Hall, 

High Littleton, BS39 6HF, 8pm - 11pm

Saturday 30th November

Warminster Civic Centre, BA12 8LB

Warminster, 10am — 5pm

Saturday 7th December

Bath Guildhall, BA1 5AW

Bath 10am - 4pm

Sunday 8th December

Salisbury Guildhall, SP1 1JH

Salisbury, 10am — 4pm

I now have just a handful of 2014 Borneo calendars left in stock and once they're gone they're gone, I will be taking them to the craft markets but they will also remain available through the shop on my website as are the last remaining packs of Christmas Cards featuring dormice. I do have a few small and large gifts sets available through my shop as well. 

I have also added three brand new canvas sets to my shop, these are sets of three full wrap high quality 10 x 10 inch canvases featuring either British wildlife in sepia, poppies or frogs from Borneo. Each set is made to order and costs just £130 which includes courier service and I will have the British wildlife and poppy sets at the craft markets, so here they are:

I'm looking to add more sets in the coming months along with different sizes, as soon as these are available I will let you know. There are going to be some big changes over the coming months with a complete re-vamp of this blog and website and the way that prints will be available. I'm working on this now and hoping to launch it all in the New Year with other exciting news for 2014. 

Everything is still going very well in Transylvania with the research, footage is coming in thick and fast and I am busy going through it all and putting together another article for my Explorers Journal. You can keep up to date my clicking on the link to the left of this page. So that's about it for news at the moment, I have started a brand new project which will be kept under wraps for now but what I will say is that it is based right here in Somerset! 

Despite being crazy busy, I have managed a couple of outings with my camera to capture some wonderful autumn colours, so I will leave you with just a couple of images to wet your appetite and will post more very soon including fungi and the odd bird. Whatever you get up to in the coming weeks, have fun, stay safe and hope to see you at one of the craft markets.  

Liquid Gold - A lone leaf drifting along among the golden reflections 

Green to Rusty - the changing colours of the leaves

The Mighty Oak - Taken through the branches and leaves of an ancient oak tree

The Colours of Autumn - Acer tree with beautiful red colours to encompass autumn

Artistic Autumn - variety of colours in just one tree

The Colour Gold - Sun lighting up the beautiful golden yellow colours of the leaves

Orchids & Insects

Well hello, I am now writing this post from Transylvania where it is currently raining but it is very much needed here as I'm sure it is at home. I have been here nearly a week now and I can say it has been interesting, the water has been intermittent at best but there's always a way to cope and always fun finding those ways! Field trips have been frequent and we now have camera traps in the field collecting vital night time data for us, but to read more about that you will need to head over to my National Geographic Journal where I will post an entry very soon. For now though, this post is dedicated to orchids (something until now I have never photographed in the UK) and a few insects I found whilst looking for the orchids, so here goes......

First up is the beautiful bee orchid, the only one left in flower by the time I was able to get to photograph them, but what a beautiful orchid it is and I really went to town on this one, using a star burst filter and also monochrome for a more artistic image. 

Next up we have a variety of marsh orchids on all shapes, sizes and colours! 

And finally, to close the post a few of the wonderful buggies I found whilst photographing the orchids

And one of my favourite bugs of the moment, although they are a challenge to photograph especially on hot days, the humble grasshopper! 

So that's all from me for this post, time to edit some videos for my Explorers Journal and start preparing another entry, but don't forget there are still plenty more images to come including fawns, hedgehogs and froggies! 

Just before I leave you, here is a sneak preview of the new packs cards that will be available real soon from craft markets and through my website. Each pack contains 6 cards and envelopes, either one of each design (Borneo Wildlife, British Wildlife, British Flower) or two of each design (Poppies, Orang-utans). 

and the 2014 calendar which is available now to pre-order through my website, this year the calendar is all about Borneo and is available to pre-order only, it will not be available to buy through craft markets, but you have until 31st October to place your order! To order your calendar click here: Order 2014 Calendar

Ok, until next time, happy snapping and keep safe! 

Poppies

Hello! I have to say I am loving this great weather we're having here in the South West at the moment I've been out most days with my camera exploring new areas and new subjects reigniting my creative side and popped down to visit my friends at Secret World. I certainly have a lot of images to go through now ready to share with you, so I've decided on several short, image rich posts dedicated to the different subjects and outings I've so far managed to get in. Now I know it might seem a little early to be thinking of Christmas especially given the weather, but that it what we have been doing. Mum and I are busy getting stock ordered and made ready for the Autumn and Christmas run of craft markets which include some brand new small gift sets, a new range of cards and a Borneo 2014 calendar (will be pre-order only details to follow shortly).

First up are poppies, something that I have been wanting to photograph for a long time but always seem to miss the flowering but with everything being a little bit later this year has worked in my favour. I jumped in my car and headed just over the border into Wiltshire to a small field of poppies in lovely afternoon light armed with just a couple of lenses and a bottle of water. Up until now I have never photographed poppies so didn't really know where to start so jumped in and took a few general images to begin with.

From there I went for some more artistic images of a single poppy flowers and unopened flower heads and even used back lighting to highlight the tiny hairs on the stems. So here are some of my favourites from my afternoon with these iconic British flowers, I hope you like them, they have all been taken with a Canon 7D with a Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens by far my favourite combination. If you are interested in more technical details just drop me a message and I'd be happy to share. 

 

I have to admit flowers have not been a major subject of mine until now but having the chance to go to town on just one subject at the time I am really enjoying the challenge and will definitely be visiting this location again next year and for the first time ever these will be offered as a pack of 6 cards including envelopes with 2 of each of the following 3 images priced at £5 per pack from craft markets (list is now available on my website) or through the shop on my website priced at £8 or £10 depending on where you would like them posted, will be available in about a months time:

This is not the only new card selection available, there will also be British wildlife, British flowers, Borneo and orang-utans more details to follow in a future post, currently busy processing the images ready to send off to the printers for proofing. 

So this is it for poppies, still to come are orchids, insects, deer fawns and hedgehogs and full details of all the new card packs available and the 2014 calendar. It is also time for me to head back out to Transylvania for another 2 weeks in the field, don't forget to follow my stories from the field on my National Geographic Explorers journal, just posted a new article about a visit to a bear sanctuary. 

Stories from the Field

That's it for now, next post in a few days, time to start packing! 

Hedgehogs, hedgehogs and more hedgehogs!

Hello and welcome to a dedicated post all about hedgehogs! Not many words for this post just some super adorable hedgehogs that are currently being cared for ready for release in the Spring next year. So here we go.....

And my personal favourite....

I hope you love them as much as I do, if you are interested in purchasing a print (through my website) or would like to buy any of these images for a publication of calendar please contact me with the details, 10% of sales from these images will be donated to the wildlife rescue centre that is currently caring for them to help with their up-keep. And remember  if you are having a bonfire this Saturday make sure there are no hedgehogs hibernating inside before you light it! Currently Secret World have over 100 hedgehogs they are caring for and desperately need donations, so if you can help them feed these prickly friends by donating tinned cat/kitten food and any dried biscuits please head to amazon or any online supermarkets. For more information on how you can help feed the hedgehogs through the winter visit their website Secret World or call 01278 783250. 

Well, it’s been a while since my last post and I can honestly say I have no idea where the time has gone but it sure has been hectic. The exhibition was a great success and a huge thank you to all that made it, it was great to meet and talk to so many people and as promised here are just a handful of comments that were left in my book:

“Thank you for sharing your excellent pictures – they are so inspirational – awesome.”

“A truly inspiring exhibition. Your photos are absolutely stunning and magical.”

“Stunning images! Creativity with great technical ability”

“A truly wonderful exhibition, Victoria has a very special gift! The talk was fascinating and most entertaining, packed with delightful stories that support the pictures – inspiring.”

“Have never seen wildlife photographed so spectacularly.”

And one of my favourites by a young boy “EPIC”

I am humbled by so many wonderful comments that really help spur me on and drive me towards the next exhibition, still looking for a venue so if you know of anywhere please get in touch! Although the exhibition has now been taken down, all the magnets, keyrings, calendars, cards and framed images have now joined my stock for the craft fairs, details of which can be found hereby clicking on this link Craft Fairs 2012 so if you’re in the area why not pop in and say hello, I’d love to see you.

So, onto other matters. I finally finished the video of mine and Chris’s trip to Madagascar which can be watched by clicking on this link: Madagascar Video and despite the horrendous weather we have been experiencing, I have continued to follow the dipper family on the River Axe. There is some bad news though, dippers nest early in the year and with all the rain we had there was a flood on the river and the dippers lost their first nest, but this didn’t deter them and I observed them collecting more nesting material once the river level receded. For weeks I have only been seeing one parent except on one occasion when the second adult came out form under the bridge to have a quick feed and disappeared back under the bridge again. Spending so much time with these little birds has enabled me to capture some different and unique images of their daily life.

First up is a peaceful image of the dipper having a clean on a rock as the river flows by.

A rare shot of the dipper in the waterfall looking for insect larva.

And one of the dipper sitting still long enough for me to capture it with its reflection!

I have also been able to capture some video footage of one of the adults going about its daily life of foraging and preening, just click on this link Dipper video footage. I will be continuing to follow these birds throughout the summer, capturing more images and footage and will update with further news in a few weeks, but if you can't wait that long then you can keep up to date via the flickr album Dippers on the River Axe.

Away from work, wedding plans have been going well and the dress has been started and with the wedding less than 10 months away excitment is definately growing along with the work load! Time to get back to article writing for now, details to be annouced in a few weeks. Keep safe and dry if you can and thank you for reading.

Exhibition

Hello and welcome to a post dedicated to my current exhibition at the Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury, "The Natural World Through My Lens". 

The exhibition has now been open for just over six weeks with six weeks remaining and has been a great success thus far. If you haven't been to see it yet, why not?! The last day is Saturday 9th June and it is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 5pm with free entry. 

The exhibition displays three aspects of my work, including studies made over a period of time in Somerset, images from a trip to Madagascar and a selection of photographs from around the rest of the world.  There are also panels with lots of information on where it all began for me, my equipment, the Somerset Levels, Madagascar and some of my plans for the future and booklets that contain all the technical details of each image and also the stories behind them. 

With over fifteen years experience behind the camera I have a real passion for the natural world and the exhibition promises to bring to life both familiar and unfamiliar creatures in a whole new way along with some special landscapes. I have printed al the images on Ilford Gallerie paper, hand mounted and framed with a wood frame made in the UK using wood from sustainable forests. Each image has an information sheet on the back (same as that which is in the booklet at the exhibition) and is titled and signed on the front of the mount underneath the image. 

All the images are available to buy for £85 each, there is a selection of 11 note cards at £1 each (images from the exhibition), a 2013 Madagascar calendar at £10 and a wide selection of magnets and key-rings at £2 each available from the front desk for the duration of the exhibition. All the proceeds from sales go straight back into future projects. 

In addition to the exhibition, I am running free lunchtime illustrated talks about the what, where and why of what I do including video footage. The first one was a great success but hugely over-subscribed so I am now running a second talk on Saturday 5th May at 12 noon. The talk is completely free but you will need to book as places are limited due to the size of the room. If you would like to book a place please call the museum on 01458 831197. I will be around both before and after the talk to meet people and answer questions so why not pop along. I hope to see you there and just before I sign off I am going to leave you with the walk through video to wet your appetite, but don;t forget it's much better to see the exhibition in person for the full impact! 

Walk Through

Cotswold Farm Park (Adam's Farm)

Well, we are now pretty much settled into the new house, although still have some unpacking and sorting out to do! I have managed a day away from house stuff and cave guiding and was lucky enough to go on a trip with Somerset WI to the Cotswold Farm Park (otherwise known as Adam's Farm from Countryfile). We were very lucky with the weather which thankfully stayed dry until we were back on the coach on the way home.

The Farm park is a wonderful day out for people of all ages, with a wonderful wildlife walk through various different habitats including woodlands, fields and disused quarries as well as a great walk around various pens housing goats, pigs, sheep, cattle and ponies. We started with the wildlife walk and enjoyed a wide variety of insects, flowers and a couple of rabbits! So the first image is of a butterfly, if you look closely you can see the pollen grains all over it!

After a quick refuelling of the energy tank, we headed off around the main part of the farm park to look at some of the rare breeds on show. We definitely weren't disappointed, there were some very inquisitive goats, some very cute piglets, sheep and a couple of goats having a bit of a fight, not to mention the highland cows or beasties as we always called them when we were growing up, there was a very cute calf with a cheeky expression! Here is one of the cute piglets, there will be more photos to follow on both my Flickr page and Facebook page as I get chance to go through them. 

There was a lot to see and enjoy for children of all ages, including big kids otherwise known as adults, the huge jumping pillows did look like a lot of fun although I didn't actually try them out. What really impressed me was the amount of easy to read and understand information that was available about the animals, not to mention the opportunity for people to hold bunnies and chicks, something that I just couldn't resist and made a new friend, not sure who is happier, a very rare photo of me! 

I would definitely recommend a visit to the Cotswold Farm Park to adults, children and families alike, it is a great day out and so much to enjoy, and who can resist so many cute animals! Finally the time had come for us to rejoin the rest of the group and head of to have tea with a local WI which was fantastic and well needed.  All in all, we had a really wonderful day so a big thank you to everyone at Cotswold Farm Park and the WI for a great day out.


I am now busy full time at the caves for the rest of the summer, but have managed to get the 2012 Natural Europe Calendar to the printers and they are now ready to order from here, orders will be posted out by the end of September. I am also busy putting together all the photos and information ready for the big exhibition next year, not to mention starting to sort things out for Madagascar. Exciting times ahead, but plenty to keep me busy. I am hoping to get out back to the Somerset Levels on Thursday so keep an eye out for more bugs! 

Successful two weeks

Well, I am now back in a very rainy and not so warm UK and catching up on processing images and emails. The last two weeks have been an incredible experience, a lot of fun and meeting the rest of the TWP team was great, already looking forward to heading out again in September. After a full on morning and late afternoon/evening of walking and photography, we were treated not only to a wonderful sunrise through the trees in the forest but also to the eclipse on Wednesday night which is the first image for this instalment.

I am gradually uploading images to my website with details of the equipment used and going through the invertebrate images working on identification, if you can provide any help with the identification process please let me know! I have now finalised the details for the 2012 Natural Europe Calendar which will cost just £12 including first class postage within the UK, images will comprise of mammals, birds, plants, insects and landscapes and there will be space for writing. I am just going through choosing the images and as they are selected they will appear on my website here along with further details: 2012 Calendar I am also having a sale of existing stock over the weekend of July 30th and 31st (Saturday and Sunday) with up to 50% of some items, for full details click here: Buy Direct from the Photographer. One last bit of news, my Corryvreckan whirlpool image is being published in a new book coming out in October about the Earth. This last image is one of my favourites from the last two weeks of the sun coming through the trees, taken in black and white.

Well, that is about it for now, back to the washing and selecting images for the calendar and hoping that the sun will come out sometime in the next few days!