Large Format Photography Workshop - Tintern, Wales: May 6-9, 2004

About the f32 Workshops:

The Spring f32 large format photography workshop will be held in Tintern, Wales. Tintern is just off the A466 4miles North of Chepstow, Monmouthshire, South Wales and is about 20 miles away from Bristol in the South West of England. Tintern is in the Wye Valley, described by Wordsworth as one of the most romantic valleys in Wales.

The workshop will be an opportunity to learn new techniques and to meet like minded people. Four days of fun focussed on large format photography. Go large with f32, meet new friends and enjoy the social activity which will continue after the workshops in the Royal George Hotel, Tintern.

• Suitable for all levels of expertise
• Perfect your camera movement techniques
• Discover the photographic possibilities of a large format camera
• Build confidence and expand your large format horizons
• Enhance your creative and technical decision making
• Learn how to really benefit from good lighting control
• Tips and techniques from the pros - hard to find in any book
• Learn to make great images rather than snaps!
• See and try out field and technical cameras
  

The workshop will be more like a holiday where you can relax and indulge yourself in photography, taking the time to try out new ideas and compare notes whilst enjoying the location and scenery. If you decide to stay on at the hotel, Tintern is an excellent base to explore the rest of Wales and South West England.

Your hosts will be Clive Warren and assistants. Our aim with the workshop is to show you how to produce successful images; a great definition, "a successful image is one that communicates the emotion felt by the photographer at the time of taking the photo".

Numbers of workshop participants will be limited to 15 people. We welcome accompanying partners to join in the evening fun after each days photography!

More images of Tintern - old stereo and new!

Testimonials:

"The landscape and architectural shoots were an ideal opportunity to discuss and experiment with movements in a real-life situation with experienced and helpful assistance on hand" Mark Blackman, UK

"Many thanks to Clive, Robert and Paul for an informative and enjoyable weekend. I learned lots of useful stuff, and now feel a lot more confident about bashing film through the 10x8." David Morton, UK

"The f32 workshops are excellent for both newcomers and established LF users. I assisted at the October workshop at Tintern and was suitably impressed with the level and style of tuition." Paul Owen, UK

"I've had the pleasure of attending the Spring large format workshop in Tintern, South Wales.... The four day meeting was well organized and addressed the needs of both beginner (me) and more advanced users. I came away from the meeting with a good understanding of the basics of large format technique.... I plan on attending the Fall workshop and would recommend this workshop to aspiring and experienced large format users." Jerry Rogers, M.D., USA

"Our friends, neighbours, and orchestra-wallahs are tiring of hearing about my five wonderful days in Wales. I returned from Tintern higher than I've ever flown before. I've never had a more enjoyable holiday." Uri Kolet, Canada

About Tintern:

The white-robed Cistercians were the most successful of all the medieval religious orders. They came to Britain in 1128, searching out remote places in which to practise their austere religion

King Henry VIII appropriated the wealth of many religious houses around 1536 and most of the fine buildings soon became roofless as their lead was plundered. That the Abbey still remains standing is a testament to the skills of the medieval craftsmen who built it.

Read Wordsworth's poem, composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey, on revisiting the banks of the river Wye during a tour. July 13, 1798.

A view of Tintern Abbey from the surrounding hills in the Spring.

In Spring, the Abbey is a delightful place, surrounded by wildflowers. In the Autumn the the leaves changing create a sea of colour.

The Wye Valley - Redbrook

Farmhouse and buildings lit by a shaft of sunlight in the Wye Valley

Workshop Activities:

• Day1. Introduction & Tintern Landscape
• Day2. Architecture/Interior - Chepstow Castle, Raglan Castle, Llanthony Priory, Tintern Abbey.
• Day3. Landscape - the beautiful Wye Valley and surrounding area.
• Day4. Architecture/Interior - Chepstow Castle, Raglan Castle, Llanthony Priory, Tintern Abbey.

There is some flexibility in the workshop programme to allow for unusual weather conditions etc. with possibilities for still life work and maybe interiors to stretch the movements of the cameras.

Days start at 9am and finish at 5pm although we tend to continue talking until late in the hotel bar! Participants are encouraged to bring their work for critique. On the final day we will finish at 4pm to allow for travelling.

We will be selecting particular locations from the range listed on Days 2 and 4 so will be visiting one or maybe two spread over the two days. The other locations would be good for post workshop photography!

We have devised the content of the workshop to ensure that even the most experienced photographer will get something out of attending. We welcome people with a whole range of abilities, whether just starting out or many years experience.

Accompanying Partner Activities:

• Chef's Master Class
• Wine Tasting
• Walking Tours
• Shopping trips - Cardif and/or Bristol
• Painting classes

There will be a charge for the above activities and they are subject to availability. There is a lot to see and do in Tintern Village where the workshop is being held. Some may prefer to use the hotel as a base and explore the area.

Find top-class racing at Chepstow, a wealth of fishing in the River Wye, or consider the opportunities for pony trekking, golf at several nearby golf courses, and canoeing and boating at Monmouth.

What you get as a Participant:

• Hands-on experience
• Free registration as an f32 Photographer
• Access to great subjects
• Preferential rates on film prices - credit card facilities available
• Pro Labs arrangement for specialist B/W developing/printing at own cost
• Some transport possible - (to be finalised)
• Accompanying partners welcome if not taking part in workshop
• There are no hidden charges for any of the workshop activities.
• Your own equipment preferred for workshop activities, however equipment hire available at favourable rates.
• Free testing of demonstration cameras
• Preferential rates at the Royal George Hotel in Tintern, near the Abbey.

Participants need to:

• Make own travel arrangements to and from the workshop, flights, connections, car etc
• Make own accommodation arrangements (preferably with the Royal George Hotel)
• Bring own equipment - unless previously arranged otherwise.
• Pay in advance - see terms and conditions for cancellation fees.
• Organise any special medical requirements themselves before travelling
• Arrange personal, medical, travel and possession insurance before travelling. Participation in the workshop is entirely at your own risk!

The Robert White RW45E Ebony Limited Edition 4x5 camera will be at the workshop!

Demonstration cameras:

Robert White has kindly provided a number of cameras for workshop participants to try out, complete with lenses. These will include the Ebony RSW45E field camera shown far left, a Toyo 45AII, and a Shen-Hao HZX45IIA shown on the right. Special deals for workshop participants will be available.

Cooke Optics: we are delighted to announce that the Cooke Portrait PS945 Soft Focus lens will be demonstrated at the workshop.

The Cooke lens is a modern classic - designed and built at the advanced Cooke lens factory. The lens has the pedigree of one of the most famous large format lens manufacturers in the world. This is their first new large format lens in over 50 years!

We are also delighted to announce a late addition to the equipment line-up - the new Cooke Convertible Series XVa will be demonstrated at the workshop. More information on this object of desire is available in the f32 Discussion Forum.

The Cooke PS954 Soft Focus lens sitting pretty on an Ebony RW45E camera.

The Cooke Soft Focus lens and the Ebony RW45E will be at the workshop! The Ebony camera is constructed from Ebony wood and titanium. It is one of the most rigid contemporary cameras available and a delight to use.

Travel:

The closest international airport is Cardiff, Wales and probably has the best road/rail network to take you to Tintern. The closest train station is Chepstow, which is about 5 miles from Tintern.

Alternative airports are London (Heathrow and Gatwick), Birmingham and Manchester airports which are about the same distance from Tintern, around 150 miles. There is a good motorway and rail system taking you almost to the door of Tintern.

When travelling by air, the best place to arrive in terms of least additional travel is Cardiff - it is only a short drive from Cardiff to Tintern. A hire car would be a useful asset, particularly if you want to do a little exploring following the end of the workshop.

Accommodation:

The Royal George Hotel, Tintern. f32 has a preferential rate for workshop participants staying at the hotel. The meeting room for the workshop is located in the Royal George Hotel conference facilities. More details below.

For Bed and Breakfast we recommend the Wye View Guest House in Tintern, which is a short walk away from the Royal George. Non-residents are welcome to join in the evening social interaction in the Royal George.

Prices:

The workshop fee is £350 (approx $550) for participants, accompanying partners are free if they are not taking part in the workshop.

This fee includes tuition, and use of all workshop facilities. Arrangements can be made for film to be processed at participants' expense at a pro. lab., with collection and delivery on a daily basis.

Meals (unless otherwise stated), accommodation, air fare and other means of travel are not included.

Registered f32 Photographers with a current subscription will receive a discount of 5% on the workshop fee.

Numbers of participants will be limited to 15 - accompanying partners are welcome with a range of potential activities possible.

f32.net is a non-profit making organisation. Any proceeds from the workshop are reinvested in the web site and facilities for members.

Booking:

The link below takes you to a booking form for the workshop that will allow you to make a complete booking electronically and enroll on the workshop..

Those people who have previously sent Email to workshops@f32.net expressing interest in attending will be given priority as we expect that the workshop will be oversubscribed.

Early registration is advised using the booking form linked below:

UK Fall Workshop Booking Form

Your Hosts:

Clive Warren:

Assistants:

Rob Barker and Paul Owen. Both Rob and Paul are experienced large format photographers and have assisted on previous f32 workshops. Rob will be assisting for part of the workshop.

Paul Owen has been interested in photography since his student days at university. Following a break, his passion for photography has been increasing over the last eight years. A confirmed amateur photographer, he lives, breathe and dreams photography! For the last five years Paul has been a dedicated large format photographer and regards this format as true photography. Paul considers himself a hardcore, traditional, black and white landscapist! His idea of a good time is lugging a ton of gear up hill and down dale and then locking himself in a darkroom, slaving over stinking chemicals and achieving a true state of bliss whilst the world of colour and digital pass him by! Despite not shooting colour some of the photographers he admires most only shoot in colour and digital. Paul is a lecturer and competition judge with the Welsh Photographic Federation although has never belonged to a camera club. He is completely self taught and a selection of his work is sold as "fine art" prints. As a 4x5 user, He is a great fan of wide angle lenses and also the panoramic format. He secretly hankers after a monster 8x20 wooden camera! His motto - "Rules are there to be broken".

Clive has been an active photographer for over 20 years. He moved from traditional processes to digital work in the mid 90's and following several years as a digital artist combining silver and silicon, he has worked increasingly with traditional large format photography. His work has been exhibited at various galleries internationally and is in private collections. He has organised and run many exhibitions and international events and currently runs an arts-based group called Artery and a new media group called UnderScore. Clive's background is in Engineering, Psychology, Cognitive Ergonomics and Information Technology. He worked as a research associate in Bloomsbury at the University of London, lecturing on various subjects at undergraduate and post graduate levels, before moving to his current location in Bristol, the heart of South West England. One of Clive's passions is infrared photography and he has written and maintains the Official Infrared FAQ on the web at www.infraredfaq.org Clive works with a variety of formats, including 4x5, 5x7, and occasionally 8x10. He has a wide range of knowledge about large format photography and older cameras, lenses and techniques. Clive set up the f32.net community of practice for large format photography at the start of the new Millenium and provides this as a resource to assist large format photographers in developing their practice and meeting like minded people.

Acknowledgements:

f32 gratefully acknowledges the support of Cooke Optics, Polaroid and Robert White for the workshop.

Accommodation:

The Royal George Hotel,
Tintern, Chepstow, Gwent,
Wales, NP16 6SF
Telephone: +44 (0)1291 689205
Fax: +44 (0)1291 689448
Email: royalgeorgetintern@hotmail.com

The hotel is situated in the heart of Tintern and only a hop and skip away from the Abbey!

Packed lunches can be ordered if required for days when we are out in the field at £3.75 per person.

f32 have special room rates available for the duration of the workshop. Booking the Royal George should be carried out by you directly with the hotel.

The Royal George Hotel, Tintern, Wales

Wordsworth described the Wye valley as 'the most romantic valley in Wales', and here in Tintern the lush green landscape is at it's glorious best. The Royal George Hotel is set at the bottom of a gently sloping wooded hillside, amongst beautiful gardens bordered by a gently bubbling stream that used to be fished by the Cistercian monks from the nearby Tintern Abbey. Throughout the seasons, the Royal George Hotel offers a welcoming atmosphere to all travellers. The hotel is a 16th century listed building located in the beautiful surroundings It was built in 1598, when it first existed as the Iron Master's cottage for the nearby mine. In the the seventeenth century it was converted into a Coaching Inn, and over the years the building has been extended and improved.

The hotel has a renowned restaurant with menus based on freshly prepared food, using local seasonal produce; salmon and Welsh lamb are particular favourites. The international wine list is carefully selected to complement the menus with wines from many continents, including a Welsh wine produced locally.

In the heat of the summer, the shade of a willow tree beside the stream offers a cool place to enjoy a drink, whilst the roaring log fires provide a cosy haven of warmth in the cold winters.

£30.00 deposit required per person to hotel. All bookings should be made directly with the hotel mentioning your participation in the f32 workshop for the discounted rate. Please book early to avoid disappointment.