Charlotte Bellamy Photography Newsletter - issue 4 - February 2022

Charlotte Bellamy Creative photography Newsletter – Issue 4 – February 2022 Welcome into 2022

www.charlottebellamy.com charlotte@charlottebellamy.com

What’s in the newsletter….

This is a newsletter to keep you all UpToDate with training opportunities and my work. I hope you find it useful. New for 2022 will be a useful article in each newsletter I hope you can gain inspiration from, or useful ideas to try. o 2022 – With a plan o I phone ICM and multiple exposure photography – Some tips and ideas to try with your phone to release your inner creative. o Online course dates - 2022 o In-person workshop dates - 2022 o YouTube channel o Podcast with Quiet Landscapes o My recent work

2022 - With a plan Its always very easy to write about what has already happened – and in my last newsletter I filled you in on the year that was 2021, I met so many of you online and shared so many wonderful courses with you all. But looking forward now, what does 2022 have in store?

Nailing down my plans and aspirations is a little harder!

Well personally right now I’m just wishing the rain would stop and I could go out with my camera, without wondering if my fingers are going to drop off – wearing gloves whilst using my camera is one of those things on a list with tripods and filters – a necessary evil sometimes, but not something that I overly enjoy having to use. It’s so funny to hear course attendees bemoaning the fact that their days are too bright and the sun never stops shining! It appears we are never happy with the weather card we are dealt, wherever we may be!

However, I have embarked on a personal project this year which is encouraging (possibly forcing) me to get out with my camera every week, regardless of how I really feel about going outside into the cold! It’s amazing though, I never regret having a voice ‘telling’ me to go out with my camera. The minute I’m out there in the woods, I’m immersed and love every minute of it.

Without giving too much away, the project idea is to create images that bring the woodland to life, suggesting another world running in parallel to our own where the trees and woodlands exist as a community. Its offering me a wonderful and intriguing way of exploring locations I have previously photographed, and now I am seeing them with a completely different set of eyes.

The embrace

With a determination to keep my camera coming out of its bag on a regular basis, I have signed up to the 52 Frames challenge (a challenge a week to shoot a specific them). I have also joined a couple of new photographic communities, which I am hoping will encourage my creativity and photography even when the creativity dips occur. I am also entering some photographic competitions again, which I have not done for a few years! They are large International ones, so I will enter without expectation, and be delighted if any results come my way that I can share with you.

I find it really useful to set myself some personal challenges to ensure I keep developing my photography and creativity. Whilst I’m busy encouraging and helping everyone on my courses and with mentoring, it’s easy for me to put personal development aside. However, I know it’s really important for me to feel I am challenging myself, so this year I am also working with a mentor to help keep me on track.

2022 will be my first return trip to the UK in over 2 years! I am so looking forward to exploring Norfolk in May with a group. I was born and raised in Suffolk, and every year we had a family holiday to Norfolk. Three years ago, I returned as an adult to explore the area and fell in love with it all over again. I don’t get out to the beach here in Holland very often as its about 2hours away for me, so six days to explore and photograph waves, wide open beaches and dunes will be a real treat. Check out the ‘in person’ workshops section later on for dates and extra info.

In November, after waiting over 2 years, I was able to welcome guests to Holland for the autumn tour with Light and land, and my own creative retreat. Restrictions here in The Netherlands are almost all completely lifted, so I am looking forward to my tulip tour with Light and land in April that I’ve been waiting for nearly 3 years for! As an extra bonus, I have just released a small 3-person tour opportunity in late April to the tulips, coast, Amsterdam and windmills. If this sounds like fun (and it will be) again please check out the in-person tours info in the newsletter.

Looking forward through 2022 further there are lots more online courses with dates in the diary to suit all levels of photographer. And I am so looking forward to the Creative Light event in October organized by Margaret Soraya in Scotland, where I will be a speaker and giving 2 workshops. All the tickets sold out within 24 hours, but a know I will be seeing a few of you there, which will be super. I’ve already booked a week on my own to explore the area near the event location.

On a personal note, I have my fingers crossed, that 2022 will see my holiday to Costa Rica happen – booked in 2019 for 2020, this one has been a long time coming, with two years of postposing the trip due to Covid. It will be a family holiday, so enjoying the location and experience is the plan rather than going to create amazing photos.

I’m of course looking forward to meeting many of you online, and some more of you also in person.

ICM and multiple exposure photography with your phone Those of you who know me, will know that I love to share my knowledge, with the prime reason, that other people can experience the enjoyment and fun from their photography that I do. So, although this newsletter has all the info in for my workshops and training, I’d also like to bring you an article each newsletter that can offer some useful info and maybe inspire you to try something new with your photography This time, I have chosen ICM and multiple exposure photography with your phone.

I use my phone all the time with my photography. I love the freedom it offers me to be creative, and to be very reactive with my photography. I use my phone almost as a painter would use a sketchbook, to map out ideas and to try things out before I get my Nikon camera out of its bag. Often if I’m stuck, or frustrated, I will go back to the phone camera, and I find it can offer me the opportunity to explore without expectation.

Some of my most creative, daring and experimental photography happens on my phone – primarily for the reason that there is no expectation that It is going to end up on a wall or be bought by someone. Freed from these factors, I feel I can photograph for me, and not anyone else’s expectation.

Now I must make an admission up front – I am an I Phone user – I’m no follower of fashion or a brand chaser, but I love the fact that I can move my images around so easily between my computer, I pad and phone. Also, up until recently I just ‘had’ to stay with an I Phone for the purpose of using just one app!!!!!

So, I will start with my three most favourite apps – Slow Shutter Cam and Pixlr and Avg Cam Pro. Slow Shutter cam I use primarily for my ICM photography, and Pixlr I use for blending multiple ICM images together for multiple exposures. Avg Cam Pro I use for multiple exposures on the spot.

Rather than lay out masses of instructions here, I have created a YouTube ‘how to use’ video for each – so you can use the links below to access those. For the Pixlr app I have just concentrated on its use for blending multiple images, but it has LOADS more to it, so for all that you can just play and explore.

ICM photography on my phone

Slow Shutter Cam Link to the app in the app store for I Phone https://apps.apple.com/us/app/slow-shutter-cam/id357404131 So, for ICM photography, I use Slow Shutter Cam. Although I love creating ICM’s in camera, I don’t always have my camera with me, and actually this app can create ICM’s that you could never create in your camera anyway! When you want to use this app – you use it as you make the photo – not as an edit later on. So, to use the app you need to open it up before you start with photo making. One great thing about this app, is that as you use it, you see the image appearing on your screen in front of you, so you can adjust your movement or speed of movement to create exactly the vision you have.

If the image is not quite what you want you can then retake it, and make any adjustments you need based on the experience you had and hopefully get closer to what you were aiming for.

In this App I love the ‘light trail’ setting option as it immediately creates a very painterly and abstract effect – this is something you simply cannot reproduce in a camera. I will discuss this setting and ‘Motion blur’ in my You Tube video. The ‘Low Light’ setting I have not really used as I can hardly differentiate between that setting and the Motion blur one in the results I see on screen.

Using the Motion blur setting you can use the ‘Blur strength’ and ‘Shutter speed’ to adjust the result you create.

Using the Light trails setting you use the ‘Light sensitivity’ and ‘Shutter speed’ settings to adjust the result.

My favourite settings on the light trails setting are ½ - full light sensitivity and either 2 or 4 seconds on the shutter speed. I always leave the ISO on auto. For Motion blur I use blur strength at high and shutter speed at 2 seconds. By all means use these as a point to get started, then experiment with what happens when you change each setting.

Here is the link to the You Tube video I created for this app. https://youtu.be/AEQfwLkPMwI These are a few examples of images that I have created with this app with the ‘Light trails’ setting.

These examples show the difference between the light trails and the motion blur setting.

The light trails images are on the left, with the motion blur images on the right. You will see that the results with the motion blur setting are softer, with less contrast and represent more what you can create with your camera. Whilst the light trails setting creates quite abstract, strong contrast and bold images of structure, colour and light.

Combining ICM images in multiple exposures on my phone

Pixlr app Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixlr.express&hl=en&gl=US IPhone https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pixlr-photo-collages-effect/id526783584 For creating multiple exposures, where I am blending 2 or more images together my go-to app is Pixlr. Available for I Phone and android, this app is free! Which is great, however it does mean you see a few ads, but normally only as you go to save an image, not while you are creating it, which I can live with. Otherwise it’s a great little tool that offers the opportunity to blend images in almost the same way as you might in Photoshop.

The You Tube video offers you a step by step guide to creating multiple exposure images in this app. But the most important functions are that you can choose between blend modes such as lighten, darken, multiply, screen, overlay, soft light, hard light and difference – all of which you can also find in Photo Shop. And you can also alter the opacity of the blend mode as well.

You can add as many layers and images as you like, but you can’t get into the layers beneath the one you are working on, so save as you go, or use the back button if you don’t like what you have created and want to go a step back.

Once you have created your multiple exposure you can edit it further within the Pixlr app – crop, lighten, highlights and shadows, contrasts, etc, and if you want to explore even further (which I do not look at in my video) you can add textures, effects and borders as well) so it’s a great all in one app.

Here is the link to my YouTube video for this app. https://youtu.be/Q7UOqgCLbSI And here are some example images created within the app. Some incorporate ICMs, some sharp images, some 2 and some more than 2 images. All images have been originally shot using the phone, then blended using the Pixlr app, to create the final image.

Creating multiple exposures in the style of Pep Ventosa

Avg cam pro Link to the app in the app store for I Phone https://apps.apple.com/us/app/average-camera-pro/id415577873 In the last couple of years, a style of multiple exposure photography known as Pep Ventosa or ‘in the round’ has become popular, for those who love to experiment and be creative.

If you are not familiar with this style, I suggest you check out this link: https://ayearwithmycamera.com/blog/the-pep-ventosa-technique Essentially what you do is walk around an object or location and photograph it from various angles, combining the images to create one end image that may be made up from 4 images upwards. Those who do this and are really successful can take 80 images or upwards! I personally find around 8 images is a nice number with this app, before the end result becomes too difficult to create and loses its definition.

The key to success with this concept is to keep one point within the image in exactly the same place as you overlay your images. Easy if you use a tripod, harder freehand.

Of course, you can also just create free multiple exposures with this app that are not overlaid, and I have fun with that, but it does not offer an in camera zoom function which I find a bit frustrating, and I find the images come out quite flat at the end.

However, it’s a fun app that I do use on a regular basis and it is very simple to use.

Again, a short You tube video to show how you can use the app is here” https://youtu.be/uQ8UmmMC3C4 and also some images as examples. The first 4 are ‘Pep Ventosa’ tree images. The others are just multiple exposures created with the app.

PLEASE NOTE Until very recently, Slow Shutter Cam and Avg Cam Pro apps were only available for I Phones. And it is only on I phone that you will find these 2 apps directly in the app store.

However, I have been informed that a link that I found recently, does allow you to download these for android phones as well. However, I have not personally tried it, so please if it does not work I apologise – but the links are below if you want to try it. https://baixarapk.gratis/en/app/357404131/slow-shutter-cam

https://baixarapk.gratis/en/app/415577873/average-camera-pro

Online course dates for 2022 Intro to ICM – 3 session course – 2 spaces left 2nd, 9th and 16th March 2022. – Wednesdays 20.00 - 21.30 Central European time (1hr earlier in UK) Over 3 sessions, we will explore the creative process of ICM. Working from a basic understanding of the process, we will build your knowledge so that you can understand why things happen, how you can control them and how you can more creatively express your feelings in this photographic process. Presentations, homework and 1:1 feedback. Course suitable for complete beginners or those with limited ICM experience. Although the 1st session introduces the basic concepts of why and how, you can work at your own level for the 2nd and 3rd sessions.

Cost for this course is 80 euros per person

Multiple exposures with ICM – 3 session course - 5 places available 6th, 13th and 20th April 2022 – Wednesdays -20.00 - 21.30 Central European time (1hr earlier in UK) Over 3 sessions we will explore various methods to produce multiple exposure images using ICM images. Non-ICM traditional images will also be utilised during the combination process. Lots of real-life examples showing the process from the initial idea, through capture and then post-processing in photoshop. This is not a workshop to learn in-camera multiple exposure work. Presentations, homework and 1:1 feedback.

Cost for this course is 80 euros per person

Intentional Camera Movement - Deep dive 6 subjects’ course - 6 sessions – 6 spaces available 17th and 31st May, 14th and 28th June , and 12th and 26th July . – Tuesdays 20.00 21.30 Central European time (1hr earlier in UK) Over 6 sessions I will guide you deep into 6 ICM subjects - Each week a new presentation with loads of material from real shoots to fully understand all the aspects and factors that influence ICM photography from 6 subjects - woodlands and trees, water, architecture and urban, animals, details and the last week will actually cover a number of smaller subject (so actually you get more than 6 subjects!) In addition to the presentation each session you will be asked to submit a homework assignment in response to each presentation. From this, you will gain timely and valuable individual feedback and an opportunity to discuss any challenges you found or questions that you have.

By the end of the course you will have a deeper understanding of a variation of ICM subjects - some you may wish to take further, others you may not. But having the support to experiment and gain immediate feedback is an invaluable way to learn and be supported if this interests you.

This course is 6 sessions run over a 3-month period. Sessions are 2 weeks apart. This allows adequate time for homework assignments to be completed and lots of time for experimentation and development of understanding.

Cost for this course is 155 euros per person

New online course for 2022

Personal project – 5 group sessions plus two 1:1 mentor sessions - 3 places left available This course is perfect for those interested in mentoring, but who enjoy the camaraderie of the group sessions I offer. Aimed at those wanting to take their photography a step further.

During this course you will brainstorm and come up with a photographic concept or project that you would like to work on. This could be something you have been thinking about for a while but unsure of how to get it started. It could be you have no ideas right now and feel something like this would give you a focus for your photography in 2022. It need not be ICM or multiple exposure.

The end result is completely driven by yourself – it maybe you want to create a photobook, or have images ready for an exhibition or qualification submission – anything goes as far as a personal goal. Through a combination of group and personal 1:1 sessions, you will set goals, create yourself identifiable milestones and be supported towards your end goal.

The group will work together over the timescale of 3 months. Dates now in the diary. Start date is 17th March 2022 The course will follow this format below Group session 1 – How to identify a project for yourself. 17th March 1:1 session 1 – Formalising your project goals and setting milestones and discussing techniques and ways to ensure forward momentum. Between 31st March and 7th April.

Group session 2 – Introducing your project to the group and sharing of ideas with each other. 21st April.

Group session 3 – Discussions and sharing of experiences and work. 19th May. 1:1 session 2 – Tailored to your personal requirements for your project – this can be utilised at any point within the project time scales. So could be early on if you want help with technical aspects, or later if you need additional help with decision-making or bringing the body of work together. Between 19th May and 26th May Group session 4 – Creating artists statements. 9th June.

Group session 5 – Presenting the final project. 30th June.

In addition to these dedicated dates, the group will also be encouraged to support each other on their journeys via a private online group where questions can be asked and support can be given between sessions.

This course is 250 euros per person for the whole course and includes 5 group sessions and two 1:1 sessions.

A reminder of the little extra bonus to signing up for any of my courses Many of you have already completed a course with me, and have enjoyed the bonus of the creative community group I have set up on Facebook for the sharing and feedback of images. Once every few months I also run a free critique session where everyone and anyone in the group is welcome to submit an image (need not be ICM), and we spend the evening discussing the positives and possible improvements that could be made to elevate the images further. A great way to keep in touch with previous class mates, see work from other individuals and hear how images can be improved with just the tiniest of tweaks.

Once you have completed a course you will receive an invite to the group – completely closed and private and only accessible to previous course members or mentor students.

In person workshop dates for 2022 I enjoyed my autumn workshops so much and am already crossing all fingers and toes that there can be more of those in 2022.

The first dates are the Light and Land Tulips tour in April that I will once again be leading with Sue Bishop. At the moment this is sold out, and I’m really excited for this, as it will be 3 years waiting for this one to happen!

I am delighted to have just booked my first dates for the UK as well.

IMPORTANT NEWS Last minute organising of an extra tulips tour this year after I had a group cancellation – Unique small 3 person (plus me) 5 day tour. So, loads of 1:1 learning time.

Dutch tulips tour -

26th - 30th April – 3 places only available

Please see next page for info or link direct to the tour on my website https://www.charlottebellamy.com/tulip_tour_2022.pdf

ICM – Norfolk forest and waves - May 9th, 10th, 11th

2021 – 4 places left

Please see next page for info or link direct to the tour on my website https://www.charlottebellamy.com/norfolk---woodland-and-waves

I am still finalizing dates for my second return visit to the UK but it will probably be the 2nd half of June. The following 3 courses will run on consecutive days, so if you want to book multiple options there will be a discount. June 2022. I am planning to run these 3 workshops over a Friday/Saturday/Sunday.

Architecture and urban ICM and multiple exposures – Bath or Bristol 1 day course – 175 euros per person. Full day from 10am – 5pm. All levels of ICM and multiple exposure experience welcome. Group size 6 maximum.

Creative woodlands at Westonbirt 1 day course – 175 euros per person. (plus your entry into Westonbirt) - Full day from 10am – 5pm. All levels of ICM experience welcome. Group size 6 maximum.

Equine ICM 1 day course – 175 euros per person. Full day from 10am – 5pm - Full day from 10am – 5pm. Reasonable level of ICM knowledge required and experience of creating ICM images of moving subjects preferable. Please contact me if you want to check if this course is suitable for you. Group size 6 maximum.

Autumn creative landscape retreat 4 days – 1st week of November 2022.

A variety of autumn woodland locations to inspire, challenge and invigorate your creativity.

Photography on location each day, combined challenges to stimulate your creativity and support with post processing and technical photographic skills – this is not just a photo tour – this is a fully supported 4 days of exploring your creativity with my guidance.

Light and land autumn woodlands tour – November – In discussion If any of these appeal to you, please drop me an email then as soon as I have exact dates and locations, you will be the first to be notified.

Creative Light – 3 day creative event with a selection of super speakers (including myself and Paul Sanders) and workshops organised by Margaret Soraya 28/29/30 October – I will be giving 2 half day workshops during the weekends in the stunning location in Scotland not far from Inverness. – Sold out.

Dutch tulips tour 26th - 30th April 2022 – 3 places only available Full itinerary and info is here at this link https://www.charlottebellamy.com/tulip_tour_2022.pdf

Join me for a fantastic colourful 5-day photographic journey in Holland. A complete sensory experience. Not only will you see and photograph the unique landscapes of this country, but you will also smell and taste what makes this country unique. There is nothing quite like smelling a field of hyacinths before you even see it, and of course Holland is world famous for its cheese.

In a small group of just 3 photographers plus me, you will travel throughout North Holland, photographing the beautiful bulb fields in bloom, traditional windmills and pretty Dutch villages. As an added bonus in 2022 a day on the coast is also included offering fantastic ICM learning opportunities and photography. I’ve been visiting the bulb fields for 8 years now, and know the areas untouched by tourists. The tour also includes some small villages, beautiful windmills, a tour of Amsterdam in the afternoon and evening and also a day on the coast to experiment and perfect your ICM (or just enjoy landscape photography).

Keeping the tour small, its 100% personal, every individual in the group is guaranteed loads of opportunities for support with their technical and creative photography. Of course, if you wish to just immerse yourself, I will also give you the space and time to do this.

The price includes 3 full days and 2 ½ days of photography locations, 4 nights accommodation including breakfast. 1970 euros per person

ICM – Norfolk forest and waves May 9th, 10th, 11th 2021 – 4 places left This three-day course will be packed with super coastal and woodland and heath locations – all picked for their rugged beauty and opportunities to be explored with ICM photography.

I’m just finalising the itinerary at the moment, but accommodation is already booked at The Rose and Crown in Snettisham for the nights of the 9th and 10th May. Which is located a short drive to many super locations. The beach possibilities are endless but Include Holm, Brancaster, and Holkham. Not forgetting Hunstanton for the beautiful coloured beach huts.

Sandringham estate with its beautiful woodlands is on the doorstep for the woodland location. Places will be limited to 6.

It does not matter your level of ICM, I will ensure that during the course you are supported and challenged at the correct level.

Cost: 665 euros per person for the full 3 days including 2 night accommodation.

175 euros per day (possible to book individual days, but priority will be given to those booking the full 3 days) Full info on the website https://www.charlottebellamy.com/norfolk---woodland-and-waves

YouTube channel The YouTube channel goes from strength to strength. Every day I have new subscribers, and some lovely comments. I try to add a couple of videos a month on subjects I have been asked about or I think you will find interesting. The latest up are a set of videos about using your Phone for ICM and multiple exposure photography.

My ethos with these videos is always to stay true to my processes and show you in a straight forward way my work processes from concept to creation.

In the meantime, if you haven’t found me there yet – please check the link out and do share with anyone you think might find the videos useful.

Equally if you are a subscriber you can always let me know what you would like to see in future videos. https://www.youtube.com/c/CharlotteBellamycreativephotography/videos

Podcast with Quiet Landscapes Just before Christmas Margaret Soraya asked me to join her for a podcast for her Quiet Landscapes podcast platform. I jumped at the chance, a little apprehensive having heard the other wonderful speakers who came before me. But I gave it my best shot, and it was so lovely to discuss creativity, photographing locally, and so much more. Margaret has a wonderful way of posing questions that encourage an open and honest discussion on various creative aspects that all artists, whether photographers, writers, painters or those embracing a more physical creative endeavour find themselves faced with.

My podcast episode is here, but I can highly recommend you sign up to be notified of new episodes, and trail the library of existing episodes for inspiration. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wEPJEhAxy77VH7BwJ33JC

My recent work I alluded to a new project I am working on at the start of the newsletter, exploring the woodlands with new eyes and an inquisitiveness as to how they exist and interact as a community.

Part of the process has been to develop my trips out to include journaling my experiences and thoughts. It’s a completely new thing for me to go out and sit for 30 minutes, and just write anything that comes to mind. It’s amazing where your mind travels when you let it go its own way with absolutely no agenda.

My 1st two trips out resulted in surprising experiences in the woods – because when I got to both woodland locations they were felling the trees and this gave me a very different experience of the woodland than I expected.

If you want to check out my new blog, you are welcome – it’s a bit of a personal one, journaling my photographic journey right now. It’s about the experience, not the end results. https://wordpress.com/view/followyourcreative.wordpress.com But for now, just a couple of images from my first two trips to the woods, and some of the geese in my local fields.

The orange dots – For the story behind the images check out my blog post - https://followyourcreative.wordpress.com/2022/02/01/the-orange-dots/

Last tree standing Standing, looking at this beautiful strong, green mossy tree trunk, I wondered if it had any awareness of its felled family members at its feet.

I took this above image, and when I got home I did some research on David Hockney. I was amazed to find a very similar composition in his collection. As a result, I had a play with my paints, and created the painting below Hockney’s image – I’m a complete painting newbie, so although it’s not perfect, I actually am quite proud of it!

My last little offering for this newsletter is a couple of images of the geese in the fields near my house. They have been making such a noise as they migrate from one field to the next, I couldn’t help but try and capture the intensity of their masses, but I also had a play with trying to create some ICM images! NOT easy I promise you.

I do hope you have enjoyed this newsletter – more like a magazine the size it is this time!

But as I introduced at the start, I really want you to look forward to reading it when it arrives in your inbox, so I have included lots of bits in it that hopefully interest you.

As always, please do get in touch if any of the courses appeal to you, or if you have any questions at all about my work.

As rain pours down the window and the wind is howling – I look forward to sharing spring weather, sunshine and vibrant colours with you in the next newsletter!

Till the next time.

Enjoy your photography and remember Take a moment to look at the normal; you might just see the incredible Charlie x