Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Children's Photo Workshop
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| Dave Green, children's photo workshop by Ben |
Archie wanted to enter the annual competition for disabled photographers 'On the Move 2013', and this years' theme is Travel & Leisure. I was very mindful of the competition, especially on our second meeting at Exmouth. The first workshop however was far more general, an introduction to the boys digital cameras. I got them to use the camera's automatic 'A' setting and to understand shutter speeds and aperture through experience of shooting under different lighting and focusing distance. This was done rather than teaching them to use the cameras manually as I often would with adults. They soon got the hang of '(shallow) depth of field' or as they called it "out in the field"; and of using the flower symbol for close-up, holding the camera steady and using a support under low light. The photo above, taken by Ben of me during the second part of the workshop in Exmouth, was a candid shot using the monochrome setting; thinking about the black and white images favoured by competition judge Giles Duley.
Duley is an award-winning and highly respected humanitarian photographer, who endured life-threatening injuries losing both legs and an arm when he stepped on an improvised explosive device whilst on patrol with the US Army in Afghanistan. I found him a great inspiration and incredibly interesting whilst researching him and his work prior to the workshops.
Both boys were very enthusiastic and made some terrific image. Best of luck to Archie with the competition. Hopefully I'll be able to publish a winning entry here!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Westward Ho! and Bideford Art Society Summer Exhibition at the Burton Art Gallery 2013
Some text to accompany my work which is the first digital work the Society has show in it's 91 years:
Maiden’s Retreat, Marsland Mouth
I was interested in finding historical and literal context for some of the landscape I was experiencing, and went in search of a cave Charles Kingsley had written about as a sheltering place for Rose Salterne, his startled naked maiden in the novel Westward Ho!
In only one of these “mouths” is a landing for boats, made possible by a long sea-wall of rock, which protects it from the rollers of the Atlantic; and that mouth is Marsland, the abode of the White Witch, Lucy Passmore… “You be safe enough here to-night, miss. My old man is snoring sound abed, and there’s no other soul ever sets foot here o’ nights, except it be the mermaids now and then…There’s the looking-glass; now go, and dip your head three times, and mind you don’t look to land or sea before you’ve said the words, and looked upon the glass. Now, be quick, it’s just upon midnight.”
… Rose went faltering down the strip of sand, some twenty yards farther, and there slipping off her clothes, stood shivering and trembling for a moment before she entered the sea. She was between two walls of rock: that on her left hand, some twenty feet high, hid her in deepest shade; that on her right, though much lower, took the whole blaze of the midnight moon. Great festoons of live and purple sea-weed hung from it, shading dark cracks and crevices, fit haunts for all the goblins of the sea.
- extract from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley 1855
A cave was found but hardly big enough to find refuge and certainly wouldn’t hide your parts from the rest of the beach – was there another cave? Kingsley’s book was written over 150 years ago and it was set in Elizabethan times. Much can change at the edge of the land in just one year, let alone 150 or 400. My guess is that there would have been a far greater cave at Marsland Mouth in Kingsley’s day and the small, shallow cave wasn’t it. However one work of fiction can lead to another and I went about photographing the cave I had found but thought about the cave in his novel. 31 frames were shot for the construction of Maiden’s Retreat at 5.07pm over 7 minutes. Rather than using a long lens to prevent distortion and make my images as truthful as possible, as I would normally do, I used a wide-angle lens to distort the perspective and make the cave seem deeper. I was keen to highlight the heart shape of the aperture opening to illustrate the ‘love story’.
The frames were later stitched together in Photoshop.
Silver Mine, Combe Martin
Mining for silver, lead, copper, zinc, manganese and limestone has been done at Combe Martin since 1293. This place would have started as a cave, later it would have been mined, but now and for at least the last 100 years it has reverted back to being a cave. Combe Martin Bay is riddled with caves into the steep cliffs and the miners would have had to transport all of their tools and ladders across the rocky shore, in all weathers, every day at low water to work the mines. Then before they were cut off by the incoming tide, take their tools and any of the metals or stone mined back with them to the village.
This image was made to look as truthful as possible, an accurate record of the experience and memory of being in this cave, exploring all of it's nooks and crannies. 50 frames were shot and later stitched together to make this image. My images can often made up of more than 100 separate photographs, of different exposure, angle of view and framing, all from a fixed point to give the detail from the deepest blacks to the brightest highlights in this extremely high contrast scene. Photoshop is the computer programme of choice for the stitching of images together. This process can take many days to complete because the file size and processing power needed pushes the limits of today’s computer capabilities; but it is not unknown for me to rework an image a year or more later as software, processing power and RAM are updated.
Both constructed photographs are printed on archival paper, mounted on aluminium and protected by acrylic glass.
I was interested in finding historical and literal context for some of the landscape I was experiencing, and went in search of a cave Charles Kingsley had written about as a sheltering place for Rose Salterne, his startled naked maiden in the novel Westward Ho!
In only one of these “mouths” is a landing for boats, made possible by a long sea-wall of rock, which protects it from the rollers of the Atlantic; and that mouth is Marsland, the abode of the White Witch, Lucy Passmore… “You be safe enough here to-night, miss. My old man is snoring sound abed, and there’s no other soul ever sets foot here o’ nights, except it be the mermaids now and then…There’s the looking-glass; now go, and dip your head three times, and mind you don’t look to land or sea before you’ve said the words, and looked upon the glass. Now, be quick, it’s just upon midnight.”
… Rose went faltering down the strip of sand, some twenty yards farther, and there slipping off her clothes, stood shivering and trembling for a moment before she entered the sea. She was between two walls of rock: that on her left hand, some twenty feet high, hid her in deepest shade; that on her right, though much lower, took the whole blaze of the midnight moon. Great festoons of live and purple sea-weed hung from it, shading dark cracks and crevices, fit haunts for all the goblins of the sea.
- extract from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley 1855
A cave was found but hardly big enough to find refuge and certainly wouldn’t hide your parts from the rest of the beach – was there another cave? Kingsley’s book was written over 150 years ago and it was set in Elizabethan times. Much can change at the edge of the land in just one year, let alone 150 or 400. My guess is that there would have been a far greater cave at Marsland Mouth in Kingsley’s day and the small, shallow cave wasn’t it. However one work of fiction can lead to another and I went about photographing the cave I had found but thought about the cave in his novel. 31 frames were shot for the construction of Maiden’s Retreat at 5.07pm over 7 minutes. Rather than using a long lens to prevent distortion and make my images as truthful as possible, as I would normally do, I used a wide-angle lens to distort the perspective and make the cave seem deeper. I was keen to highlight the heart shape of the aperture opening to illustrate the ‘love story’.
The frames were later stitched together in Photoshop.
Mining for silver, lead, copper, zinc, manganese and limestone has been done at Combe Martin since 1293. This place would have started as a cave, later it would have been mined, but now and for at least the last 100 years it has reverted back to being a cave. Combe Martin Bay is riddled with caves into the steep cliffs and the miners would have had to transport all of their tools and ladders across the rocky shore, in all weathers, every day at low water to work the mines. Then before they were cut off by the incoming tide, take their tools and any of the metals or stone mined back with them to the village.
This image was made to look as truthful as possible, an accurate record of the experience and memory of being in this cave, exploring all of it's nooks and crannies. 50 frames were shot and later stitched together to make this image. My images can often made up of more than 100 separate photographs, of different exposure, angle of view and framing, all from a fixed point to give the detail from the deepest blacks to the brightest highlights in this extremely high contrast scene. Photoshop is the computer programme of choice for the stitching of images together. This process can take many days to complete because the file size and processing power needed pushes the limits of today’s computer capabilities; but it is not unknown for me to rework an image a year or more later as software, processing power and RAM are updated.
Both constructed photographs are printed on archival paper, mounted on aluminium and protected by acrylic glass.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Ghost Ship, Bideford Quay - commission for The Rose Salterne
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| Ghost Ship, Bideford Quay |
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| Victorian? photograph of Bideford Quay, photographer unknown, with permission of Beaford Old Archive |
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| In this close-up you can see where the edge of Bideford Quay used to be as the cycle hangs precariously over the edge. |
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| Andrew Powell, author of Grenville and the Lost Colony |
Photographic Workshops in Devon, Summer 2013
Introduction to digital photography - £50A practical days workshop learning to gain control over your camera, shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash etc, setting it up for optimum quality under any given lighting, and making better pictures through composition. Numbers limited to a hand-full. I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75
Sunday 4th August in Appledore (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Tuesday 13th August in Bideford (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Saturday 17th August in Barnstaple (11am - 6pm) Click to reserve a place
Thursday 29th August in South Molton (9.30am - 4.30pm) Click to reserve a place
Half Day Intro to digital photography - £25
A 'sit around the table' workshop to get to know your camera better. You'll learn about shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash and setting your camera up for optimum quality.
Monday 26th August in Appledore 10.30am - 1.30pm Click to reserve a place
Friday 13th September in Exeter 10am - 1pm Click to reserve a place
Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore - £50
An introduction to Dave Green's own photography. Spend a day with Dave experiencing the secret coast, hidden at the far ends of a sandy beach, full of caves and shipwrecks. Learn how to make the best of your own camera under demanding landscape and lighting.
Friday 9th August, starting at Bude 10am-5pm Click to reserve a place
Saturday 24th August, starting at Bude 10am-5pm Click to reserve a place
Sunday 8th September, starting at Bude 10am-5pm Click to reserve a place
Course Description pdf available soon
Photographing your own Artwork 11am - 6pm - £50
I have a wealth of knowledge and experience of photographing 2D artwork, jewellery and ceramics and I'm willing to pass this on to artists eager to improve their own image making camera skills. Although this workshop is for a small group (max 5) I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75, or I can deliver the workshop in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £100
Course Description pdf
Monday 12th August in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Saturday 7th September in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Introduction to Photoshop - £50
Opening an image file and adjusting levels, contrast, brightness and colour balance. Rotating, resizing and cropping an image. Placing an image or images into a new file. Using layers and history. Participants will need to be computer literate i.e. use a computer on regular basis and understand the basic controls. Small group (max 4). I also offer it on a 1:1 basis in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £150
Saturday 28th September (11am-6pm) in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Intermediate Photoshop - £50
Using tools, masks and filters to manipulate your image. Tools used in this session are: marquee, move, lasso, magic wand, eraser, paint bucket, eyedropper, hand and zoom. Making a contact sheet and using batch production. Adding type to your image. Participants will need to be computer literate i.e. use a computer on regular basis and understand the basic controls. Small group (max 4). I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for £150, or I can deliver the workshop in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £175
TBA October 2013 in Bideford - enquiries welcome click here
Workshop gift vouchers are always available
for that special present for those people with new cameras so that
they'll get to know them better!
Buy a £25 gift certificate
Buy a £50 gift certificate
More workshops will be added later, please let me know by email
if there's a photographic workshop you would like that I don't offer at
the moment and if there's a location that I don't offer.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Sarah Adams
To celebrate Sarah Adams new exhibition 'A Sea View' at the Maas Gallery in London I'm adding a few of the photographs I've taken of her as limited edition giclee prints.
The following images are available as 1/50 limited edition A3 prints (approx 30cm x 40cm) or (12inches x 16inches). These are archival pigment ink (Giclée) prints on light fast paper. The artwork is printed signed and numbered by the artist. Better quality images can be viewed here: http://www.greengallery.co.uk/sarahadams/index.html
30cm x 40cm = £74 with free UK postage and packing
Other sizes also available!
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| Sarah Adams working at Whipsiderry, near Newquay, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #01 |
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| Sarah Adams working at Whipsiderry, near Newquay, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #02 |
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| Sarah Adams working at Whipsiderry, near Newquay, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #03 |
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| Sarah Adams working at Whipsiderry, near Newquay, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #04 |
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| Sarah Adams working at Whipsiderry, near Newquay, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #05 |
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| Sarah Adams kayaking to work near Trevone, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #06 |
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| Sarah Adams (with Fluke) kayaking to work near Trevone, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #07 |
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| Sarah Adams kayaking to work near Trevone, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #08 |
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| Sarah Adams working near Trevone, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #09 |
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| Sarah Adams and Fluke at Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall - ©DaveGreen #10 |
Sunday, April 21, 2013
iPhone apps on hiking holiday
I've been enjoying using my iPhone 4S on holiday in Tenerife. There are a couple of photo apps I wouldn't want to be without; they are AutoStitch and PS Touch (by Photoshop). The HDR setting on the iPhone camera is on all of the time, it's a rare occasion when the image looks better without it!
I've been hiking a lot, and traveling light, so although I've got my Olympus EP1, pancake lens and polariser in my pack, having my iPhone in pocket to record my journey has been ideal.
The other piece of kit I bought for this and any future trip is a battery pack for the phone. Anyone who has an iPhone will know how poor the battery is; which is understandable when you consider it's computing abilities! So the kit is an Anker 8400mAh External Battery, which is approx 4x the regular battery of my phone; and I've needed it every day.
My favourite hike so far in Tenerife is the Canal Walk from Punta Del Hidalgo. Please wipe that English canal with towpath from your mind, this is a canal, which was fortunately dry at the time of walking, 18inches wide often cut, literally, into a vertical valley wall with the odd tunnel thrown in for good measure, oh, and did I mention the steep accent of 2000ft?
I've been using PS Touch for basic enhancement of images whilst I'm on the move; levels, cropping, resizing etc. AutoStitch enables me to do on my iPhone what I do all the time professionally as an artist. It's like a sketchbook image rather than the artwork but is great for trying things out and exploring spaces when I'm not going to have my pro camera and tripod with me. Lately I've been combining the iPhone's HDR and using AutoStitch to merge/blend the images together rather than shooting with the app.
Once I'm back in Devon I have a whole programme of Photographic Workshops planned:
Introduction to digital photography - £50
A practical days workshop learning to gain control over your camera, shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash etc, setting it up for optimum quality under any given lighting, and making better pictures through composition. Numbers limited to a hand-full. I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75
Wednesday 8th May in Bideford (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Sunday 19th May in Barnstaple (11am - 6pm) Click to reserve a place
Saturday 1st June in Appledore (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Saturday 5th July in Exeter (11am - 6pm) Click to reserve a place
Half Day Intro to digital photography - £25
A 'sit around the table' workshop to get to know your camera better. You'll learn about shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash and setting your camera up for optimum quality.
Thursday 30th May in Appledore 10.30am - 1pm Click to reserve a place
Saturday 29th June in Barnstaple Library 10am - 1pm (special library organised workshop only £10) Click to reserve a place
Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore 10am - 5pm - £50
An introduction to Dave Green's own photography. Spend a day with Dave experiencing the secret coast, hidden at the far ends of a sandy beach, full of caves and shipwrecks. Learn how to make the best of your own camera under demanding landscape and lighting.
Sunday 26th May, starting at Bude 10am-5pm Click to reserve a place
Course Description pdf available soon
Photographing your own Artwork 11am - 6pm - £50
I have a wealth of knowledge and experience of photographing 2D artwork, jewellery and ceramics and I'm willing to pass this on to artists eager to improve their own image making camera skills. Although this workshop is for a small group (max 5) I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75, or I can deliver the workshop in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £100
Course Description pdf
Saturday 4th May in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Introduction to Photoshop 10am – 5pm - £50
Opening an image file and adjusting levels, contrast, brightness and colour balance. Rotating, resizing and cropping an image. Placing an image or images into a new file. Using layers and history. Participants will need to be computer literate i.e. use a computer on regular basis and understand the basic controls. Small group (max 4). I also offer it on a 1:1 basis in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £150
I'm using the Blogger app and I can't figure out how to tag or add a description to images! Therefore a description is as follows:
1) Building at the trail head
2) Canal Walk 1 HDR
3) Canal Walk 2 HDR
4) View from trail without HDR
5) View from trail with HDR (and no enhancements).
6) Natural cave with evidence of occupation in the wall of the canyon just above the canal
I've been hiking a lot, and traveling light, so although I've got my Olympus EP1, pancake lens and polariser in my pack, having my iPhone in pocket to record my journey has been ideal.
The other piece of kit I bought for this and any future trip is a battery pack for the phone. Anyone who has an iPhone will know how poor the battery is; which is understandable when you consider it's computing abilities! So the kit is an Anker 8400mAh External Battery, which is approx 4x the regular battery of my phone; and I've needed it every day.
My favourite hike so far in Tenerife is the Canal Walk from Punta Del Hidalgo. Please wipe that English canal with towpath from your mind, this is a canal, which was fortunately dry at the time of walking, 18inches wide often cut, literally, into a vertical valley wall with the odd tunnel thrown in for good measure, oh, and did I mention the steep accent of 2000ft?
I've been using PS Touch for basic enhancement of images whilst I'm on the move; levels, cropping, resizing etc. AutoStitch enables me to do on my iPhone what I do all the time professionally as an artist. It's like a sketchbook image rather than the artwork but is great for trying things out and exploring spaces when I'm not going to have my pro camera and tripod with me. Lately I've been combining the iPhone's HDR and using AutoStitch to merge/blend the images together rather than shooting with the app.
Once I'm back in Devon I have a whole programme of Photographic Workshops planned:
Introduction to digital photography - £50
A practical days workshop learning to gain control over your camera, shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash etc, setting it up for optimum quality under any given lighting, and making better pictures through composition. Numbers limited to a hand-full. I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75
Wednesday 8th May in Bideford (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Sunday 19th May in Barnstaple (11am - 6pm) Click to reserve a place
Saturday 1st June in Appledore (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Saturday 5th July in Exeter (11am - 6pm) Click to reserve a place
Half Day Intro to digital photography - £25
A 'sit around the table' workshop to get to know your camera better. You'll learn about shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash and setting your camera up for optimum quality.
Thursday 30th May in Appledore 10.30am - 1pm Click to reserve a place
Saturday 29th June in Barnstaple Library 10am - 1pm (special library organised workshop only £10) Click to reserve a place
Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore 10am - 5pm - £50
An introduction to Dave Green's own photography. Spend a day with Dave experiencing the secret coast, hidden at the far ends of a sandy beach, full of caves and shipwrecks. Learn how to make the best of your own camera under demanding landscape and lighting.
Sunday 26th May, starting at Bude 10am-5pm Click to reserve a place
Course Description pdf available soon
Photographing your own Artwork 11am - 6pm - £50
I have a wealth of knowledge and experience of photographing 2D artwork, jewellery and ceramics and I'm willing to pass this on to artists eager to improve their own image making camera skills. Although this workshop is for a small group (max 5) I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75, or I can deliver the workshop in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £100
Course Description pdf
Saturday 4th May in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Introduction to Photoshop 10am – 5pm - £50
Opening an image file and adjusting levels, contrast, brightness and colour balance. Rotating, resizing and cropping an image. Placing an image or images into a new file. Using layers and history. Participants will need to be computer literate i.e. use a computer on regular basis and understand the basic controls. Small group (max 4). I also offer it on a 1:1 basis in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £150
I'm using the Blogger app and I can't figure out how to tag or add a description to images! Therefore a description is as follows:
1) Building at the trail head
2) Canal Walk 1 HDR
3) Canal Walk 2 HDR
4) View from trail without HDR
5) View from trail with HDR (and no enhancements).
6) Natural cave with evidence of occupation in the wall of the canyon just above the canal
Sunday, March 24, 2013
New Age of Exploration
I’ve been inspired recently seeing new images initiated by the Curiosity
rover and beamed back from Mars.
It’s so interesting that the cutting edge of exploration is a
camera 36 million miles away, programmed to automatically take photographs, in
much the same way as I shoot the interior of a cave on the coast of North
Devon, England
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| see a large version here: http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/images/pia16457-bigger-selfportrait1.jpg |
I had considered the concept of exploration and documentation a somewhat Victorian occupation with little in common with the contemporary issue based arts practice of today. But these images give me solace as some of the places I find to photograph can certainly feel very remote, unseen by human eyes and unexplored.
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| see large image here: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA16769.jpg |
It ought to be noted that these amazing photographs where originally sent back to earth in monotone and a technician has patiently sat at a computer and added the colour, in interpretation of what we might see on Mars. I'm certain, once Curiosity eventually returns to Earth, it will hold samples of the rock and sand photographed and an accurate colour picture will be made. The rover will also possibly bring back high resolution colour images; now wouldn't that be something!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Artists Newsletter Review
Sea, Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore
Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe25 February - 7 April 2013
Reviewed by: Peter Berry »
Currently showing at the Landmark Theatre is an exhibition by the photographic artist Dave Green who has been exploring, photographing and researching the history of the North Devon Coastal landscape where he has lived and worked for the past seven years.
Both the earlier, smaller and framed pieces (first shown at the North Carolina Aquarium USA last year) and the later, larger and frameless works show a consistent fascination with the subject matter of the rocky shoreline and its caves. The progression and refinement of the ongoing process in the direction of a 'greater realism' is impressive.
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| Combe Martin Lead Mine |
In discussing his work Green says that we see details with the eye and brain which the camera can't see in a single frame or exposure and that means that the single frame cannot contain the richness and complexity of the original experience. This has to be created in the studio. Decisions about composition, colour, scale and the framing edge are continuously examined and adjusted as the image 'comes into line' with the artist's memory of the experience.
The later series of prints are very finely drawn with the quality of etching. The frameless edges of these larger pieces allows the onlooker to experience a more direct involvement with the subject. This experience is both intimate and dramatic. It is as if we are inside, in the place of the artist, looking out towards the light, the sky and shoreline, surrounded by the detailed surface and texture of these mysterious and timeless caves.
In addition to the formal and aesthetic concerns of picture making,the artist aims to arrive at images which are a true record of the objective and subjective nature of our experiences of the coastal landscape and it's associations. In this regard the artist references other disciplines such as geology, local history and environmental studies and in order to deepen our understanding includes maps and texts relating to the images.
Dave Green also offers group workshops and personal tuition. Further information about the artist and his work can be found at www.greengallery.co.uk
Writer detail:
Peter Berry Artist/Writer/Lecturer b. 1936 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Art College: 1957 - 63 Cheltenham and Slade School - Sculpture/Printmaking. Teaching: ILEA, Cheltenham, Birmingham (Senior Lecturer in Foundation Studies). Qualifications: NDD, PGDip Fine Art, MA (Art Ed.), M. Soc. Sci. (Cultural Studies). Exhibitions: includes Solo and Group Shows in London (MBA Gallery), Birmingham (Ikon Gallery), Glasgow (Goethe Institute), Cambridge (Arts Council) and Leicester (LCBD). Lives and practices art in Hinckley, Leicestershire. Website: www.peterberry.org.uk
Venue detail:
Landmark Theatre
The Landmark Theatre Ilfracombe North Devon
Monday, March 4, 2013
Samson's Cave
The spring tides in February were spent exploring Samson’s Bay, just
east of Hele Bay, North Devon. Philip Henry Gosse in A Naturalists
Rambles on the Devonshire Coast 1853 described it like this, and I
expect it hasn’t changed too much since then as it is rarely visited:
"A little way beyond this point the traveller looks down upon a cove called Sampson's Bay; it is girt in with rocky cliffs of great massiveness and wild grandeur, too abrupt and perpendicular to be scaled, even by the most expert climber. An ample cavern yawns on the western side of the bay, into whose depths, as the tide was high, the surf was dashing, with a roar that rivalled the discharge of artillery. I thought of the fine simile of Thomas Moore:
'Beneath, terrific caverns gave
Dark welcome to each stormy wave
That dash'd, like midnight revellers, in'
A new friend, Alan, showed me the old mining track down, very overgrown but not needing a rope to safely access the beach. 2013 is the 100th anniversary of a shipwreck in the bay of a British Sharpshooter-class torpedo gunboat launched in 1889/90 but no-one knows for sure which one it is, and whether it was actually wrecked or just left to die! There was also a passenger steamer that ran aground here:
"Much excitement was caused in Ilfracombe and neighbourhood on Thursday evening when it became known that the saloon steamer Alexandra, with about 300 passengers on boards, was ashore near Watermouth castle, the exact spot being Sampson's Beach." (Ilfracombe Observer August 22 1893 p 7 c 2)
But I was really here to explore the caves, of which there are many, including the largest of these Samson’s Cave. This cave is legendary, it might have got it’s name from an infamous smuggler said to have used it as a store house. It is probably the cave used for hiding contraband in the allegedly true story ‘The Call of Chambercome’ written in the 1850’s and set in the seventeenth century. A lot will have changed over 400 years, especially as the cave was mined for limestone and possibly silver up to 150 years ago. But it is still a fascinating place, awesome, sublime and majestic.
You’ll have to wait another few months for some finished images from here but the thumbnail images, or sketches are looking very promising. The top image is a sketch from my second visit and gives an impression of what might be achievable once I have spent some days editing, combining, stitching and merging the 128 RAW frames shot of this subject; over a time period of 65 minutes in a cramped position. I accesses Samson’s Cave just as the huge tide had left it’s entrance, sliding down an almost sheer, smooth rock wall to get in. A cave always looks its best when it is wet, ideally with water dripping from the ceiling.
"Another name which conjures up visions of smuggling days is Sampson's Bay - one of the most convenient spots along the coast for men who gained their livelihood by luring vessels to destruction. Sampson was a smuggler of repute." (Ilfracombe Chronicle Sept. 1st 1933 p 6)
I’m indebted to John Moore who’s website devoted to Hele Bay is a wealth of knowledge.
Also I include below a quick iPhone snapshot using the AutoStitch app
Photographic Workshops in Devon, Spring 2013
Introduction to digital photography - £50A practical days workshop learning to gain control over your camera, shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash etc, setting it up for optimum quality under any given lighting, and making better pictures through composition. Numbers limited to a hand-full. I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75
Tuesday 19th March in Exeter (11am - 6pm) Click to reserve a place
Saturday 23rd March in Ilfracombe (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Wednesday 8th May in Bideford (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Sunday 19th May in Barnstaple (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Saturday 31st May in Appledore (10am - 5pm) Click to reserve a place
Half Day Intro to digital photography - £25
A 'sit around the table' workshop to get to know your camera better. You'll learn about shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash and setting your camera up for optimum quality.
Monday 8th April in Appledore 10.30am - 1pm Click to reserve a place
Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore 10am - 5pm - £50
An introduction to Dave Green's own photography. Spend a day with Dave experiencing the secret coast, hidden at the far ends of a sandy beach, full of caves and shipwrecks. Learn how to make the best of your own camera under demanding landscape and lighting.
Saturday 30th March 2013 starting at Ilfracombe 10am-5pm Click to reserve a place
Course Description Combe Martin pdf
Thursday 11th April starting at Sandymouth, nr Bude 10am-5pm Click to reserve a place
Course Description Sandymouth pdf available soon
Photographing your own Artwork 10am - 5pm - £50
I have a wealth of knowledge and experience of photographing 2D artwork, jewellery and ceramics and I'm willing to pass this on to artists eager to improve their own image making camera skills. Although this workshop is for a small group (max 5) I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75, or I can deliver the workshop in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £100
Course Description pdf
Wednesday 10th April in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Saturday 4th May in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Introduction to Photoshop 10am – 5pm - £50
Opening an image file and adjusting levels, contrast, brightness and colour balance. Rotating, resizing and cropping an image. Placing an image or images into a new file. Using layers and history. Participants will need to be computer literate i.e. use a computer on regular basis and understand the basic controls. Small group (max 4). I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for £150, or I can deliver the workshop in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £175
Sunday 17th March (10am-5pm) in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Thursday 9th May (10am-5pm) in Bideford Click to reserve a place
Intermediate Photoshop 10am – 5pm - £50
Using tools, masks and filters to manipulate your image. Tools used in this session are: marquee, move, lasso, magic wand, eraser, paint bucket, eyedropper, hand and zoom. Making a contact sheet and using batch production. Adding type to your image. Participants will need to be computer literate i.e. use a computer on regular basis and understand the basic controls. Small group (max 4). I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for £150, or I can deliver the workshop in your own home or studio anywhere in Devon for £175
TBA May 2013 in Bideford - enquiries welcome click here
Friday, March 1, 2013
Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore
"....your exhibition looks fantastic! Absolutely love it! A massive well done to you. The work is excellent, the framing is great and you have presented it in a really wonderfully creative way..."
Sandy Campbell exhibitions organiser for North Devon Theatres Trust.
Opening times 10am - 3pm everyday. Exhibition closes on Sunday 7th April.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Ilfracombe Exhibition
I've been working towards my exhibition, Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore, at the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe from 25th February until 13th April. Ilfracombe is full of stories of smugglers, pirates and wreckers with place names like Brandy Cove and Samson’s Bay, named it is said after an infamous smuggler. Hidden beaches only accessible through tunnels, cut through the cliffs by Welsh miners in the Victorian era. One of these tunnels itself was a mighty cave which William De Tracey took refuge in 1170 after the murder of Thomas A Becket. October 9th 1796 is another key date in Ilfracombe’s maritime past, the day the London was wrecked at Rapparee Cove, adjacent to the harbour. Its cargo was prisoners of war, from the West Indies, passengers and a quantity of gold and silver and Ivory.
Right now is a great time to have an exhibition in the town
because of its association with Damien Hirst. His artwork is made in a factory
on the edge of Ilfracombe and a café, 11 the Quay, is decorated with his
original artwork also a couple of months ago a huge statue of his, Verity, was
installed on the harbour side. So Ilfracombe is becoming an Art Mecca? I hope
so, and that my exhibition at the Theatre will add to its attraction.
Two of the pieces in this show are brand new and have never been seen. They are from the rocky shore below Hillsborough, where the London was wrecked. Many other images have never been seen before in North Devon. My next major exhibition in September is on the sandy coast of North Carolina, where this work will tour the Maritime Museums for a year.
Two of the pieces in this show are brand new and have never been seen. They are from the rocky shore below Hillsborough, where the London was wrecked. Many other images have never been seen before in North Devon. My next major exhibition in September is on the sandy coast of North Carolina, where this work will tour the Maritime Museums for a year.
If you've read all the way down to here, please come along to my Private View on Saturday 2nd March 2013 at the Landmark Theatre 7.45pm. I'll always be pleased to meet a reader of my Blog!
Associated Workshops:
Introduction to digital photography - £50
A practical days workshop learning to gain control over your camera, shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash etc, setting it up for optimum quality under any given lighting, and making better pictures through composition. Numbers limited to a hand-full. I also offer it on a 1:1 basis for ½ a day for £75
Saturday 23rd March in Ilfracombe 10am - 5pm (includes guided tour of exhibition 'Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore') Click to reserve a place
Half Day Intro to digital photography - £25
A 'sit around the table' workshop to get to know your camera better. You'll learn about shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, flash and setting your camera up for optimum quality.
Wednesday 13th March in Ilfracombe 10am - 1.00pm (includes guided tour of exhibition 'Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore') Click to reserve a place
Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore 10am - 5pm - £50
An introduction to Dave Green's own photography. Spend a day with Dave experiencing the secret coast, hidden at the far ends of a sandy beach, full of caves and shipwrecks. Learn how to make the best of your own camera under demanding landscape and lighting.
Saturday 30th March 2013 starting at Ilfracombe 10am-5pm (includes guided tour of exhibition 'Sea Caves, Shipwrecks and the Rocky Shore') Click to reserve a place
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