Winter Workshop Images - Nick de Marco

Just before Christmas I ran a 3 day private workshop for Nick de Marco and Ripon from London. It was good timing in one sense that we had cold winter conditions for our 2 photo days, with the second of these having blizzards scattered through the day making for interesting conditions to be taking photographs in. The 3rd day was a darkroom printing day. We also found time to process a couple of batches of films.

Nick has been very quick off the mark and sent me some images to show here. A more complete set, with original captions (captions here just state location), can be found at the pbase web site - just click here to go there. As you can see Nick has a good eye for a photograph and has some stunning images.

By way of introduction to his pictures here is what Nick has put on his web space at pbase:

'These photographs were taken during a very cold weekend in December 2009 in the High Peaks, Derbyshire, during a black and white photography workshop with local landscape photographer Dave Butcher. All the photos are black and white, most taken on my Mamiya 7 medium format 6x7 rangefinder camera (which performed magnificently), some taken with my Leica M6 and Bessa R2C rangefinder 35mm film cameras.


I can highly recommend Dave's work and courses. He is a first class photographer with an infectious passion for film and black and white. His tuition in dark room printing was as enjoyable and useful as taking the photos with him.'

3 Shire Heads

Buxton Trees

Blizzard on Grin Low near Buxton

Chelmorton

Mam Tor view to Brown Knoll

Buxton Opera House

New Lake District Images

The last batch of images for Lake Light have also been added to the web site. Here are a few samples.

Dave Butcher

Lake Light Edits

I received the first proof of Lake Light just before Christmas and at long last the final edits on it are finished. All the headers and captions are sorted. There will be 85 Lake District images. The map now has all the locations marked on it. The technical data table is finished. The book is divided into 3 sections, each with an introduction, and all of these are written. There is also an article on using digital cameras for black and white landscape photography, after all this is what most people come on my courses to learn about.

I will send off all the edit files tomorrow to Andy, the book designer I am using. I look forward to receiving the 2nd proof sometime next week. Hopefully that will be close to the final copy. Then a copy will go to Joe Cornish so that he can write the foreword while I'm in USA on photo trip. Then to the printers in February ready for big launch on Harman/Ilford stand at Focus on Imaging at the NEC 7th to 10th March.

Still keeping fingers crossed until all done!
Dave Butcher

Christmas Eve

Christmas is almost here and we have had a very busy time over the last few weeks. All orders needed for Christmas were shipped in good time, assuming postal services worked properly. Just 1 framed picture to deliver later today on our route to visit in-laws.

I walked to Buxton yesterday. It was a perfect day for winter walking with lots of sunshine, cold and 4 inches of snow drifting to 15 inches on the tops. It took a bit longer of course, 2 1/4 hours for the 6 miles.
It was dark on the way home after a day in the Gallery and a good test of my new head torch (my last walk in the dark 3 or so weeks ago was in heavy rain and cloud so thick the torch beam didn't reach the ground!).

Close to arriving at friends for lunch, near Northampton. Then on to in-laws later on.
Dave Butcher

Winter Photography Course

I have just run a 3 day private course with 2 days landscape photography and 1 day darkroom. We had good light and frosty fields on Friday then today we had brief sunny spells in between snow blizzards. The trees were plastered with snow on one side making for some great shots and lots of atmosphere during snow storms! If only snow in the Peak District was reliable I could run these every year. We also managed to process most of the films and make some prints from the films taken on Friday, so a very productive course.

Next planned landscape photography courses are 3 days in the Lake District in mid-March and 1 or 2 days of courses in the Peak District in April. Next darkroom course is 6th January.
Dave Butcher

Last Orders Shipped

All Christmas orders were shipped today, except for 60 x 50 cm prints which will go via DHL on Monday. If you ordered something keep an eye open for it. All prints have been shipped using Royal Mail Special Delivery which should arrive next working day but this seems to be delayed and is running at 2 or 3 days delivery times, according to customer feedback.

Seem to have picked up a chest infection, noticed for first time yesterday evening and a bit knocked out by it today while running a darkroom course. Hope I'm better tomorrow for running a landscape photo course. Ran photo course on Friday. Good winter conditions, light covering of snow and cold enough for icicles around waterfalls. Spectacular at times, shame it's not reliable enough to run regular winter photography courses in the Peak District.
Dave Butcher

Christmas Orders Printed

Thursday was a darkroom printing day and all Christmas orders are now printed and all but the last two FB prints are mounted and / or packed waiting to be shipped. I am running a course Friday to Sunday but Jan will be posting orders on Saturday after her return from Dublin. Framed pictures (3 orders, 4 pictures) will be available for collection from Sunday onwards.

Monday is another printing day and should see me finish printing the rest of the orders, 6 prints not needed for Christmas.
Dave Butcher

Gallery in the Gardens Day Today

I'm typing this while in the Gallery in the Gardens all day. Very quiet here today, maybe down to the cold wet weather outside! Not many people around at all.

Apart from writing this blog I am also taking advantage of the quiet time to write some text for my new book. The final set of images was sent on Monday which just leaves the introduction text and photo location map to do. Hope to complete everything this week but map may have to wait until after Christmas.

Final printing sesions before Christmas are tomorrow (Thursday) and Monday 21st. Friday, Saturday and Sunday I'm busy with a private 1-to-1 course so hope the weather is better than today or we will get wet! The forecast is for snow tomorrow which would be great as long as it brightens up in time for Friday.
Dave Butcher

Last Orders

Went to the local post office today and checked the last posting dates to see how long I had to complete all the orders that I have received. Everything is well in hand, please be patient if you are waiting for an order.

Last day for Special Delivery is 23rd December. I use this for all hand prints from 30 x 24cm to 50 x 40cm. For larger prints I use DHL, who are similar. Last day for ordering photos is therefore Sunday 20th December because my last printing day before Christmas is Monday 21st December.

For everything else, that is books, posters and course bookings I use Royal Mail 1st Class delivery and the last posting date for this Monday 21st December. Please order before Monday 21st if you want it for Christmas. For last minute book purchases (panics!) please telephone me to pay £4 extra so that I can use Special Delivery for books.

If you are local to Briarwood in Derbyshire, or are prepared to travel here, then the last day to come here to choose a picture from stock or anything else is Wednesday 23rd December. Just call 01298 733771 or 07976 872679 to make sure we haven't popped out (to the post office for example!).

The bottom line is everything stops after Wednesday 23rd!

Happy shopping. Hope this helps. Dave Butcher.

Christmas Orders

Busy printing day today. Lots of Christmas orders completed. Still lots to do so printing tomorrow too. Maybe another 5 days for you to place a Christmas order with guaranteed delivery in time. After this I will do my best but may not be able to get to you by Christmas. If this is the case I can send a gift voucher to give on the day and the picture will follow after Christmas.

New Lake District Images

Thought you might like to see some of he new images:

 

 

Dave Butcher

New Lake District Photographs on Web Site

I have been busy pulling together photographs for my new book, Lake Light, on the Lake District. Another batch of 60 is now on the web site. Just click the link here to go straight there.

Not all will be in the book but a sizeable number will be. More to follow in the next week or so.
Dave Butcher

Buxton Gallery Wednesday 9th December

It's a bit of a dull cool day in the Peak District today and I'm in the Gallery in the Gardens in Buxton Pavilion Gardens. Bit busy here today there is a classic car auction in another part of the building with dozens of classic cars parked outside.

I have been slowed down a bit since my bad back went into spasm on Monday. Orders and the book are slightly delayed. Bit doped up today to reduce pain but expect to be back in harness tomorrow.
Dave Butcher

Buxton Artist and Designer's Fair 5th and 6th December

I am doing the art fair in Buxton this weekend, free entry and 40 exhibitors. I will be in my usual spot to the left as you go into the Octagon in the Pavilion Gardens.
Lots of pictures, posters and books. If you are interested in a course come by for a chat.
Just printed a Chateau d'Oex shot with hot air balloons flying over snowy mountains, and will have it on display, as well as some recent Edinburgh photos.
Hope to see you for some Christmas shopping at the weekend!
Dave Butcher

Richmond Art and Designer Craft Fair Friday 4th to Sunday 6th December

We are doing 2 art fairs this weekend. Jan is doing the show in the Queen Charlotte Hall Richmond Upon Thames run by Craft in Focus. It's a 3 day show that started today and runs until Sunday.
The stand is smaller than normal but still lots of prints, posters, books and courses.
Open 10am to 5pm.

Buxton Gallery Wednesday 2nd December

I am in the Gallery in the Gardens, in Buxton Pavilion Gardens, all day tomorrow. Come by for a chat if you are around.

Today was a darkroom day. Printed several orders and should ship them by the end of the week. Also posted 4 lots of course information for recent course bookings. Altogether a catch up day.

Posted batch 2 of the Lake Light book images today, making a total of 71 images completed. Still quite a few to go. Expect to receive first page layouts and covers tomorrow with the batch 1 photos. It is all moving along quite well. It will be a relief when the book is finished. It's a lot of work in a very short space of time and my bad back is complaining about the time I am sitting at the computer for.
Dave Butcher