photoscot.co.uk - Talks and Events Programme 2009 - 2010

Thursday 22 April 2010

The next Talk is to the Scottish Wildlife Trust Clyde Members' Centre in Milngavie Lesser Town Hall, on Thursday 22 April 2010 after the AGM at 7.30pm, about "Scottish Wildlife - Captured on Camera" - replacing the talk which was to be given by Simon Jones about the beaver reintroduction, as he is now unavailable.

Sunday 28 March 2010 10am – 4pm

One-day digital wildlife photography course at Mugdock Country Park.

Learn how to take great outdoor and wildlife photographs with your own camera then see your results on screen. Advice, encouragement and ideas from experienced photographer David Palmar.
Booking essential - only through Mugdock Country Park 0141 956 6100 or by email to office@mugdock.org , and not on this site. Cost £20. Meet in the Theatre for 10am. More details below.

Booking a place

Booking is now open. The number of people will be limited to 12, to allow a reasonable possibility of getting individual help. It is therefore essential to book a place. You will be asked to send a fee of £20 for the full day, by credit card over the phone, or by cheque in advance (payable to David Palmar), to the park ranger service, to ensure that there is a place for you. Although you need to book with the park ranger service, I would appreciate an email to the address on the Contact Us page, to let me know that you have booked.

Even if you cancel at the last minute, please let the park rangers know in case there is someone else who is on the waiting list and can take up the place. If cancelling on the day, please phone the Visitor Centre on 0141 956 6100, then we know not to wait for you.

The address for the fee (if writing a cheque) is:

Photography Walk Booking
Park Ranger Sevice
Mugdock Country Park
Craigallian Road
Nr Milngavie
Glasgow G62 8EL
Phone number: 0141 956 6100

Programme

10am - Meet in the Theatre just off the courtyard at the visitor centre about 10am, over tea and coffee. Introduce yourself to the other people. You will also be asked to register your presence, giving your name, address, email address and telephone number, in case of emergencies, and so that you can be kept informed of future events. Your details will not be passed on to anyone else.

10.15 - 11am - Introduction to some possibilities for photography in the park. Digital side show with laptop and video projector, to explore the possibilities, and suggest some techniques.

11.15am - 12.45pm - Leisurely walk round one part of the park, stopping to photograph whatever we feel like, and finishing back at the centre for lunch.

12.45 - 1.30pm - lunch, toilet stop and ice cream or hot drink / cafe opportunity!

1.30pm - 3.00pm - afternoon walk around a different area of the park, also at a leisurely pace.

3pm - Slide show of people's photographs on the digital projector. It would beneficial to all concerned if participants are willing to allow their photos to be projected to the group at the end of the walk, in order to provide helpful comments and generate discussion.

3.30- 4pm - question and answer session

4.00pm - finishing time

The subjects for photography can include:

several buildings - the stables, walled garden, castles, gun emplacements
Mugdock Loch and various ponds - reflections are a possibility
trees and woodlands, bark patterns and lichen
fungi - there are lots of bracket fungi; other fungi may emerge nearer the time
plants - there should be enough flowers for closeup views
birdlife - if you have a long lens there are tree creepers, long-tailed tits and goldcrests amongst many other species. Easier subjects are ducks and swans on the ponds
Because of the range of photographic subjects available, although advance planning will result in some suggestions for 'set pieces' to photograph, there should be enough flexibility for people to spend some time photographing what they like. Because everyone's camera will be different, some subjects will be more suitable for some people than others. We will try to accommodate as many interests, aptitudes and types of camera as possible

Saturday 27 March 2010 10am – 4pm

Wildlife Photography Course - intermediate Level - in St Andrews Building, Department of Adult and Continuing Education, Glasgow University, including a morning photography walk in Kelvingrove Park, and use of computers with Photoshop in the afternoon.
Although the course is advertised as intermediate level, i.e. it will be aimed at people wanting more experience of their SLR and we will discuss and work with RAW files, people with compact cameras are equally welcome. Details on http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/adulteducation/courses/, through which bookings should be made.

Thursday 10 December 2009 7.30pm

Talk to RSPB Hamilton Local Group - Wildlife of Some Scottish Islands
Water Sports Centre of Strathclyde Country Park, Motherwell

Wednesday 9 December 2009 7.30pm - 9.30pm

Talk to RSPB Edinburgh Local Group about Sanda

The group meets in Napier University, Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre, 10 Napier University, Colinton Road, Craiglockhart Campus, EDINBURGH, EH14 1DJ
Contact Mark Stephen
Tel: 07796538837
E-mail: markbirder@googlemail.com

Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November

Community Centre, West Kilbride
Display of framed wildlife photographs, mounted prints and greetings cards for sale

Wednesday 25th November, 7.30pm

Talk to SWT Glasgow and Clydeside Members' Centre
Airlie Theatre, Hyndland Secondary School, Glasgow (entrance via car park off Clarence Drive)
Captured on Camera - Scotland's Wildlife

Monday 23rd November 7.30pm

Talk to Royal Scottish Geographical Society Glasgow Centre Travellers Club
Kirk Lounge (1st floor), Renfield Church Centre, Bath St, Glasgow
Wildlife of the Cairngorms

Saturday 14th November 10am - 12.30pm

SWT Glasgow and Clydeside Members' Centre Coffee Morning
Hyndland Community Hall, Novar Drive
Display of framed wildlife photographs, mounted prints and greetings cards for sale

Talks in General

I can give talks within reasonable travelling distance of Glasgow. The talks I can give are listed below.
The talks mostly centre on my main interests of natural history, (especially ornithology) and photography.
In addition, geography, geology and scenery and computing (in all of which which I am qualified and have taught over many years) can also be covered.
Talks can be tailored to the requirements of the audience.

List of possible Photoscot Talks

Cumbrae and the Firth of Clyde	Mainly on the birds of Great Cumbrae and the Firth of Clyde, but also some scenery. The photographs were taken mainly between 2000 and 2008, and include principally sea and shore birds, but also small birds, and some larger birds such as buzzards and geese, and some scenery and sunsets.
Falls of Clyde	Concentrates in the first half on the scenery, animals and plants of the Falls of Clyde SWT Reserve, and in the second half on the peregrine falcons which nest in the gorge of the Clyde. The photographs were taken mainly in 2003 and 2004.
Sanda	This talk is based on photographs taken during two June weekend excursions to Sanda, one in 2005 and one in 2006. Netting and Ringing programmes on Sanda since the 1970s have helped to monitor Scottish breeding birds, and contributed to a wider picture of national and international bird migration. Sanda has had one of the UK's official bird observatories since 2002, the only one on the west coast of Scotland. The lack of ground predators has contributed to the success of bird breeding on the island, in contrast to the mainland and some other islands, where mink in particular have decimated bird breeding productivity. Manx Shearwater, Storm Petrel, Guillemots, Black Guillemots, Razorbill, Puffin, Shag and Gulls all breed on the island. Slow Worms, the Common Toad, Common and Atlantic Grey seals also breed on the island. Nearly all these species will be illustrated by pictures during this talk. Also covered are the Sanda bird observatory, accommodation on Sanda, the boat service to Sanda and not forgetting the local hostelry!
Birds of Some Scottish Islands	- selected from Mull, Iona, Great Cumbrae, Little Cumbrae, Sanda, Ailsa Craig, and the Garvellachs. If there is time, some birds from the Bass Rock and the Isle of May could be included.
Natural History Photography	This talk will concentrate on natural history photography, and with plenty of time for questions and discussion. It can be quite technical, or can be full of pretty pictures if that is what is wanted.
Digital Photography	This talk will concentrate on the transition from film to digital photography, emphasising photographic principles, and the ways in which digital is similar to, and different from using film. The idea is to help you to adapt to your new digital camera.
Computer Programs to help with digital photography	The role of jpgs, raw conversion software, Photoshop Elements or CS4, and PicturesToExe can be examined. How to produce a slide show with (or even better without) using PowerPoint.
Glasgow	Glasgow's geography and history in the second half of the twentieth century, and the first part of the 21st century, illustrated by my own slides, which will need to be scanned, so some time is need to prepare this talk in digital format.
Doon the Watter	Illustrated by slides taken from the 1960s onwards, reflecting the changes in the landscape of the River Clyde and its environs over the past 30 years or so. As well as digital photos, this talk is illustrated by my own slides from the 1960s to 1990s, which have been scanned into digital format.
Other possible topics	I'm working on various topics at the moment - please enquire for details, as the picture is constantly changing. Other possibilities include some scenery and geographical topics, all within Scotland, most of which will need slides scanned before the talk can be given.

Recently, I have given talks to:

Mugdock Country Park Centre north of Glasgow
Helensburgh and District Natural History Society about Sanda island off the Mull of Kintyre.
Glasgow and Clydeside Members Centre of the Scottish Wildlife Trust
Clyde Area Members Centre of the Scottish Wildlife Trust
Glasgow Group of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Glasgow Natural History Society
Glasgow Branch of the Scottish Ornithologists Club
West Kilbride Amenity Society
Smillie Centre (behind the Cumbrae's Card and Gift Shop) in Millport
Bearsden and Milngavie Photographic Club
Royal Scottish Geographical Society afternoon lecture series
Royal Scottish Geographical Society Travellers (several times)
Scottish Nature Photography Fair at the Battleby centre of Scottish Natural Heritage
Argyll Bird Club

Groups will need to provide a digital projector, screen or white wall, electrical extension cable and video lead from computer, but I can usually bring a laptop.

The charge is £50 for a talk of an hour and a half, plus travelling expenses if any distance from Glasgow is involved.

I normally bring a display of mounted pictures for sale. For this, I need a table approximately 6 feet long, or two tables would make an even better display.
As an alternative, a bench or series of low cupboards along a wall would be fine.

Previous Events

Sunday 18 October 2009 10am – 4pm

Saturday 3 October 2009 10am – 4pm

Wildlife Photography Course - introductory Level - in St Andrews Building, Department of Adult and Continuing Education, Glasgow University, including a morning photography walk in Kelvingrove Park, and use of computers with Photoshop in the afternoon.
Details on http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/adulteducation/courses/, through which bookings should be made.

Wednesday 3rd October 2007 - RSPB local group, Woodside Halls, Glasgow, 7.30pm. The topic will be about birds of some Scottish islands - selected from Mull, Iona, Great Cumbrae, Little Cumbrae, Sanda, Ailsa Craig, and the Garvellachs. If there is time, some birds from the Bass Rock and the Isle of May could be included. Visitors and non-RSPB Glasgow Group members are welcome to the group to hear this talk or any other talk. There is a small charge at the door to include refreshments at the interval.

Monday 26th November at Mugdock Country Park Centre, at 7.30 - about photographing wildlife, with special reference to bird photography on Great Cumbrae. This talk is a part of a series of evenings once per month (on a Monday) during the year in the Centre's theatre, which has full audio visual facilities. Amongst species covered will be shore birds including waders, ducks and geese, herons, gulls, raptors, and passerines. There will be reference to the use of digital SLRs and suitable lenses during this talk. There is a charge to include refreshments at the interval.

You need to book for this talk through Mugdock Country Park - 0141 956 6100 or by email to office@mugdock.org

waders such as oyster catcher, redshank, curlew, turnstone, purple sandpiper and ringed plover
ducks such as eider, wigeon, merganser and teal and geese, mainly greylags, which winter on Cumbrae's farmland
gulls, including common, black-headed, herring, lesser and greater black-backed
raptors such as peregrine falcon and buzzard
passerines (perching birds), such as greenfinch, wren and stonechat

Tuesday 6 March 2007 - photoscot.co.uk had a stand at 7.30pm at the Helensburgh and District Biodiversity Forum, in the Victoria Halls in Helensburgh. Photographs were on sale.

Sunday 22 April 2007 - Photography Walk at the Falls of Clyde SWT Reserve - see below for details

Thursday 12 April - Sunday 15 April 2007 - photoscot was involved in the photographic aspect of a wildlife holiday run by Wild Caledonia. Further information may be obtained and bookings for this may be made through http://www.wildcaledonia.co.uk.

Thursday 10 May - Sunday 13 May 2007 - same as above paragraph

Photoscot Photography Walks and Events

Walks normally take place based on a visitor centre, such as the excellent Falls of Clyde SWT Reserve Visitor Centre in New Lanark, which has a suitable room with a video projector and screen, tea and coffee is provided, and there are toilets.

The last photoscot/SWT photography walk took place on Sunday 22 April 2007 at the Falls of Clyde SWT Reserve. There were 10 places available (of which 9 were taken up), which had to be booked in advance, and priority was given to SWT members.

The themes were spring colours, particularly flowers and trees, the waterfalls, particularly Corra Linn (or the nearer Dundaff Linn if it is raining heavily), and possibly the peregrine falcons, which were sitting on eggs. A tripod was available to borrow, whatever camera you had.

Booking a place

You can contact me to book a place on future walks by clicking here, and I will start a waiting list. The fee is payable in advance, to ensure that there is a place for you. When the next walk is announced, please email to make a provisional booking of a place. Details will be given in the email reply of where to send the money to confirm your booking.

If you book a place and then have to cancel, if your place can be filled, your money will be returned to you, less a small administration fee. Even if you cancel at the last minute, please let me know in case there is someone else who is on the waiting list and can take up the place. If cancelling on the day, please phone the Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre on 01555 665262, then we know not to wait for you.

You can find pictures and descriptions of previous photography walks to the Falls of Clyde by clicking here.

Other walks and events

It is possible to arrange walks for small groups of people, with time for personal photographic tuition, at times and places to be arranged. A worthwhile minimum would be 6 people, and a suggested maximum of 10, so that more or less personal tuition is available. If you know of a group who might be interested, feel free to email with a suggestion, or to ask for a suggested location. Anywhere within easy reach of Glasgow is simple enough to arrange. Further away might take longer to organise. Rates by negotiation, but reasonable!

I am also offering tuition in Photoshop, in one of two ways:

On a very small group basis, perhaps half a day in a visitor centre with limited practical computer experience, e.g. with 4 people in the morning, then 4 people in the afternoon, on a basis of a talk about how to use some aspects of Photoshop, then a practical session with two people sharing a computer. One can work the computer while the other takes notes, then you can swap over. This has not been organised yet, but I would like expressions of interest at this stage, to help progress things.
As a larger class, with a suite of computers in Jordanhill School, Glasgow in Autumn 2007 - exact dates to be decided. This has been discussed in principle. Please let me know if you would be interested, as dates can be arranged to suit those who show interest early enough.

Another possibility for a small group session is how to make a digital slide show, using PicturesToExe, Photoshop Elements or PowerPoint and comparing the use of these three programs.

Please contact me by clicking here to express interest in future walks or events, and I will let you know what's happening as soon as I have something arranged.