For a number of years, Grays of Westminster has presented and hosted a number of comprehensive photographic seminars and workshops covering a wide variety of subject matter including Mike Maloney’s recent House of Lords Photographic Event, wildlife and natural history weekend workshops in Pembrokeshire and Sussex, flash, general photographic technique, portrait and macro training sessions, and many more.

Due to overwhelming demand, we are delighted to announce a further general photographic technique seminar to be held in central London, at Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 6DX on Saturday, June 5th, 2010.


The seminar will be presented by Simon Stafford, technical director of Nikon Owner magazine, and will take place from 2.00 p.m. until 5.30 p.m. The cost of the session will be £155 with a special price of £95 if you are a current Nikon Owner subscriber. To book, please email me with your full name, daytime mobile and landline, or call between 2.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday on 020 7828 4925 or for International calls telephone + 44 (0)20 7828 4925, and ask to speak to me, Gillian Greenwood.

gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.co.uk

Agenda for the General Photographic Techniques session

Part one: Camera skills

• Understanding f/numbers & shutter speeds
• Learn how to optimise white balance and ISO
• Mastering camera menu settings
• JPEG versus RAW: the pros and cons of both
• How to achieve accurate exposures
• Understand how your camera’s metering system works
• Learn the benefits of digital histograms
• Improve your focus techniques with AF and manual focus

Part two: Shooting skills

• Learn good camera handling
• Camera support systems, tripods, monopods, and alternatives
• Understanding and using depth-of-field
• Choosing and using filters
• Imaginative use of shutter speed
• Creative use of white balance

Part three: Beyond the camera

• Planning and visualising the picture
• Techniques of composition
• Transporting photographic equipment
• Tips for location shooting

Please note: there will be ample opportunity to ask questions throughout the event.

About Simon Stafford

Simon Stafford is considered by many to be one of the foremost technical Nikon experts in the UK . With over twenty-five years of experience using the Nikon system, he brings his considerable expertise to bear both as technical editor for Nikon Owner, and as author of a number of comprehensive books on the Nikon system, including his best-seller series of Magic Lantern Guides on the Nikon D70s/D70, the Nikon D80, the Nikon D40, D40X, D50, D60, D200, D300, D700, D90, D3. The series includes a Magic Lantern Guide on the Nikon AF Speedlights & Creative Lighting System, and he is currently working on a fully updated, second edition to include the latest Nikon SB-900.

Special Nikon Owner discount off the price of the course

Enrolling on this course as a current Nikon Owner subscriber will allow you the benefit of a discount of £60 off the normal price of £155 for the session.

About Nikon Owner

Nikon Owner is a worldwide users’ group initially founded with the purpose of assisting Nikon owners to make full use of the Nikon equipment they own, to give advice on a wide spectrum of photographic queries and problems, and at the same time to offer ideas to bring about an increase in photographic skills. As a subscriber to this group, you will receive an array of offers and assistance, which includes:

Nikon Owner Magazine


Nikon Owner Magazine and Interactive Website is considered by many to be the world’s number 1 user group for Nikon owners.

Subscriber benefits include:

• Nikon Owner Magazine: a stunning, full-colour 60 page glossy quarterly magazine which is 100% Nikon.
• Subscribers’-only website with a lively forum, message board, technical equipment reviews, events’ page and use of a photo gallery.
• Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline: free technical consultation and support from Simon Stafford, one of the top Nikon experts in the UK.
• FREE 3-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster, or a free 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster.
• 10% off Think-Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster.
• Special trips: past visits have included a two-week trip to Japan and a personal tour of the Nikon factory, a visit to Nikon Thailand , Angkor Watt, Cambodia.
• Substantial discounts on events and training sessions such as Mike Maloney’s House of Lords Photographic Workshop, Heather Angel’s Wildlife & Natural History Workshops, Simon Stafford’s Definitive Flash, Portraiture and Macro Seminars, Chris Weston’s Photographic Courses, Michael Eleftheriades’ Panoramic Seminars.
• 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK.
• A range of complimentary meetings and outings organized by local Nikon Owner Groups.

Please email me at gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.co.uk with your name, daytime landline and mobile telephone number if you are interested in enrolling in Nikon Owner or call me after 2.00 p.m. Monday to Friday on 020 7828 4925 or for International calls, telephone + 44 (0)20 7828 4925. The cost of an annual subscription to Nikon Owner is currently only £59.
With best wishes,

Gillian ( Greenwood )
Features Editor, Events’ Coordinator

This is the 14th Annual Heather Angel Wildlife and Natural History Workshop presented by Grays of Westminster.

Heather Angel, the internationally renowned wildlife photographer, has been the recipient of a large number of awards and prizes from all over the world for her widely acclaimed lectures, writing and workshops. In addition she is a regular contributor to the worldwide photographic press and the distinguished author of over 50 books.


Heather Angel is an enthusiastic tutor of wildlife and nature photography, and these hugely popular one-day workshops on Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th July 2010 at Saint Hill Manor are perfect for both the newcomer and experienced photographer alike. The schedule for each day includes lectures, demonstrations and the chance to handle and use a large range of new Nikon camera equipment and the range of Think Tank camera bags. Her workshops regularly attract visitors from all over the U.K., Europe and throughout the world.

Schedule for the day

09.15 - Registration with coffee and tea served on the terrace of the Manor

10.00 -11.15 - Heather Angel - What makes a memorable image?

Pictures of the natural world which transcend language barriers and create an instant rapport are rare. It may be high-speed action, amazing behaviour, dramatic lighting or an intriguing design that arrests the eye. If you rely on coming across them by chance, the odds of achieving many in a year will be slim. But by conceiving the essential ingredients, you can reduce the odds of being successful. Drawing both on images taken over time as well as recent unseen ones, Heather will show some thought-provoking images which she hopes will stimulate a lively discussion.

Copies of Heather's books - including Wild Kew, which is the basis of the 2010 summer exhibition at Kew Gardens - will be available this weekend.

11.15 - Break for mid-morning refreshment: tea, coffee, mineral water on the Terrace.

11.45-12.45 - Nikon Total Imaging System - John Clements

13.00 - Lunch: an elegant lunch overlooking the beautiful gardens of Saint Hill Manor and a wooded lake

14.00 - onwards there will be a choice of four sessions. You may attend them all or be selective. The sessions are outlined here with details of each below.

• 14.00 - 16.15 Practical Macro session with Heather Angel inside and in the garden
• 14.00 - 16.15 Outside Practical session with John Clements
• 14.00 - 16.30 Photoshop Techniques with Giles Angel*
• Outside Practical session with Flying Falcons and Julian Ford - time to be announced

* Please note that Giles Angel's Photoshop session will be aimed at different levels as the afternoon progresses

16.15 - Afternoon Tea and Coffee or cool drinks served on the Terrace.

16.45 - Practical Session with Heather Angel outside

17.00 - Workshop closes

18.30 - Dinner at the Manor. A special complimentary thank-you dinner to all those attending our workshop has been organised by Grays of Westminster and the staff of Saint Hill Manor. This must be arranged in advance.

Please note that Nikon cameras and lenses will be available for you to try out during the day; in fact these workshops are an excellent opportunity to handle and try out Nikon equipment before making a purchase. However, please bring your own kit - macro lens, long lens, flash and tripod - to get the best from the practical sessions.

For more details on this workshop please visit www.graysofwestminster.co.uk

Booking details:

The ticket for either day includes refreshments, lunch and the evening meal, and costs £245.00 (£185.00 for Nikon Owner subscribers) per person for the day.

The workshops start at 9.15 a.m. and run until 5.00 p.m., followed by dinner. Make your choice of day, Saturday 24th or Sunday 25th July and Book online here! or call Gillian Greenwood, Events and Training Coordinator between 2.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. on or 0207 828 8971 Monday to Friday if you are not a current Nikon Owner subscriber to find out how you can receive the £60 discount.

This seminar, developed and taught by Chris Weston, one of the UK ’s most respected wildlife photographers and expert tutor, focuses on the most-requested, most-important digital camera techniques for photographers.

Passing on the latest, hottest techniques of today’s pro photographers, over the course of the day, he covers everything from selecting the best camera settings to exposing the secrets of getting perfect exposures and pin-sharp images. You’ll learn how to select the right lenses, master colour, get rid of noise and artifacts, and turn what you see into perfect prints.

Here's what you'll learn in this absolutely packed-full day of training:

Chris’s six-point system for DSLR photography
9:30 – 10:00AM
With hundreds of buttons, dials and switches, modern cameras can seem daunting to even seasoned users. In this session, Chris exposes the six things you need to learn about DLSR cameras that will free you to take the pictures you imagine.

Camera controls and settings
10:00 – 11:00AM
Learn the truth about the JPEG vs. RAW debate and get to grips with when and how to use all those confusing menu settings.

Refreshment break
11:00 – 11:15AM

Getting rid of noise and artifacts for great image quality
11:15 – 12:00PM
Noise and other artifacts can ruin digital photos. Learn how to use ISO and menu settings to minimize noise and bring out the finest details.

Making colours look natural
12:00 – 1:00PM
Get rid of unsightly colour casts and make colours glow. Learn how to make colours look natural in any type of light and how to enhance natural colours for brilliant-looking prints.

Lunch
1:00 – 2:00PM

Perfect exposures
2:00 – 3:30PM
Get to grips with your camera’s metering and exposure modes and learn the pro’s secret to getting exposure right every time – simply and easily.

Refreshment break
3:30 – 3:45PM

Getting pin-sharp images – even when your subject is moving
3:45 – 4:30PM
Get the most from your lenses and learn how to set auto-focus to capture pin-sharp images of moving subjects Plus, master the art of focusing for foreground-to-background detail.

How to make your photos look the same as what you see
4:30 – 5:00PM
How many times have you been disappointed when the printed image looks nothing like the scene you saw? Our simple composition guides will put an end to your frustration.

Managing your images
5:00 – 5:30PM
Discover the pro’s secrets to managing, storing, backing-up and retrieving those thousands of images on your computer.

Q&A
5:30 – 6:00PM
Your chance to ask the expert anything you want to know .

Close
6:00PM

Course details

• Date: 20th March, 2010
• Location: Holiday Inn, Oxford
• Price: £75.00 per person (£65.00 with Grays of Westminster voucher)
• Course tutor: Chris Weston
  

Spend over £100 at Grays of Westminster and receive a £10 discount voucher off the price of any of Chris Weston's seminars. Alternatively, you can call me, Gillian Greenwood, on +44 (0)207 828 4925 between 2.00 p.m. and 5.30pm, to find out how you can receive a £25 discount voucher if you are a Nikon Owner subscriber.

With best wishes

Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor, Events and Training Coordinator
Nikon Owner Magazine
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Adrian Cochrane and Andy Hewson are delighted to announce that the acclaimed wildlife photographer and author, Chris Weston, will be giving a talk at the Duke of Wellington pub in Southampton on Saturday 13th March, 2010. Space is limited to 25 and so we shall have to operate on a first come, first served basis. This is one event you will not want to miss!

Venue Details
The back room of the Duke of Wellington Pub

7.00 p.m. for a 7.30 p.m. start

Address
Duke of Wellington
36 Bugle Street
Southampton
SO14 2AH

Telephone: 02380 339222

We will need to ask all who are coming for a contribution of £5 each to cover the room hire and Chris Weston's costs.

Kind regards,
Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor/Events Coordinator
Nikon Owner Magazine
40 Churton Street
Pimlico
London
SW1V 2LP

Tel: +44 (0)20 7828 8971
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 5783

info@nikonownermagazine.com
www.nikonownermagazine.com
nikonownermag.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/nikonownermag

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