Large Format Photography Workshop - Tintern, Wales: May 14-17, 2002

About the f32 Workshops:

The first 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.

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 Robert Lawrence and Clive Warren. Our aim with the workshop is to show you how to produce successful images. Robert has 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!

About Tintern:

Tintern Abbey is located in Tintern Village, a part of the Wye Valley now designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Abbey, immortalised by Turner and Wordsworth, was founded by Cistercian monks in 1131 and the present remains date from the late 13th century. The church was largely rebuilt by Roger Bigod the lord of the nearby Chepstow Castle.

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. A taste of what to expect in May!

Workshop Activities:

• Day1. Product/Still Life - objects in the studio
• Day2. Landscape - the beautiful Wye Valley and surrounding area. .
• Day3. Architecture/Interior - Chepstow Castle, Raglan Castle, Llanthony Priory, Tintern Abbey
• Day4. Portraiture - female model (clothed)

There is some flexibility in the workshop programme to allow for unusual weather conditions etc.

We will be selecting particular locations from the range listed on Day 3 so will be visiting one or two on the day. 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
• Overview workshop notes and references
• Free registration as an f32 Photographer
• Access to great subjects
• Exclusive access to fully equipped studio with professional lighting
• Preferential rates on film prices - credit card facilities available
• Free standard E6 and B&W processing on site for workshop related photos. 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 out of studio activities, however equipment hire available at special rates.
• Free testing of demonstration cameras
• Preferential rates at the Royal George Hotel in Tintern, opposite the studio

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 - full refund less 15% for cancellations up to 2 weeks before the workshop; later cancellations, no refund.
• 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!

Demonstration cameras:

Marbles - an example of the type of still life studio work possible in the well equipped studios.

Use of a lighting track and product table together with innovative use of materials can take the vision and turn it into a winning large format photo.

The studio makes life a lot easier, however similar results can be obtained when you are back home with a less sophisticated setup - find out how at the f32 Spring workshop! Robert will be sharing his many years of experience as a professional photographer.

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. More details below.

Prices:

The workshop fee is £325 (approx $490) for participants, accompanying partners are free if they are not taking part in the workshop.

This fee includes tuition, use of all workshop facilities and any E6 and B&W processing resulting from use of film during the workshop. Formats include 35mm & 120 (for clip tests) and 4x5. Anything larger will be processed at participants' expense at a pro. lab.

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 7.5% on the workshop fee.

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

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.

Booking is now closed for the Spring Workshop.

Your Hosts:

Robert Lawrence:

Robert is 44 and a successful full time professional photographer, multi award winner and qualified corporate member of the British Institute of Professional Photographers and member of the Association of Photographers.

His speciality is high quality architectural interiors, product and advertising work. His interest in photography started over thirty years ago with an Exacta RTL 1000 35mm camera (still got it!) and he now uses large and medium format with transparency film almost exclusively with hi-end scanning facilities for digital delivery.

Outside of photography he is a member of mensa; a qualified English Bridge Union Bridge Teacher; holds an A class amateur radio transmitting license and has an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore sailing qualification - professing to be a bit of an astro-navigation buff and a qualified First Aider. He also has experience teaching in an Adult Education environment.

But his self confessed first love is all aspects of photography both technical and practical and sharing experience and ideas.

Robert has recently relocated his photographic business to Abbey House Studios in Tintern, which is a professional facility complete with Swiss Foba ceiling track lighting system, studio stand, product table, in-house film processor and many other goodies.

Robert is the moderator for the Photography Critiques topic in the f32 Discussion Forum.

Clive Warren:

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.

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 literally a hop and a skip away from the workshop studios - directly opposite in fact!

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.