Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Front of House, garden etc.
Post Reply
swithun
Posts: 2683
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:24 pm

Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by swithun » Tue May 11, 2010 8:21 am

I'd like to propose an exhibition of photos I've taken on conservation weekends with New Caledonian Woodlands - a conservation charity. It would be for the top stairs.

Below is some text that would go with the pictures. I've linked to a few of the pictures I'd like to use, and written a bit about them. I would also get some leaflets from New Caledonian Woodlands to have around.

I like the frames that the current exhibition has. I have no shortage of photos, so if there are a few more frames around, I could fill them. I can usually get my 30x40cm prints quite cheap, so I wouldn't need any money, though it will take a few weeks for them to be printed and delivered.

Proposal below. Thanks.

Conservation volunteering with New Caledonian Woodlands

Roughly once a month, New Caledonian Woodlands organise a conservation
weekend for volunteers. These weekends take you to some amazing locations,
from community woodlands, where the local people are developing woodlands
for the benefit of the people living round about, to old estates now open to
the public, where the owners want to increase the biodiversity of their land.

The work usually has the twin aims of improving both the quality of the
woodland and the public's access to the woodland. Sometimes we are planting
new trees, using staves and guard tubes to protect them from deer until they
are big enough for the guards to be removed. Sometimes we are working in
young woods. Here, the trees are often very close together and it is
impossible to walk through the wood. We thin the trees, removing the bent
trees and taking off the lower branches, so that the public have access. In
mature woods, we often have to take out invasive species (sycamore, laurel
and rhododendron ponticum). We also do repairs to paths, building cross
drains so that water won't wash away the surface, or turn the path into a bog.

Anyone with a minimul level of fitness can do the work. We get almost
everythign done with just loppers, bow saws and spades. A lot of the people
who come on these weekends have office jobs, so some physical work outside
makes a welcome change. Building drains or dry stone walls requires more
thought than sawing down sycamores. I enjoy the simplicity of the work and
the immediate satisfaction of seeing the improvements that we've made. There
are also plenty of tea-breaks and games in the evening. Sometimes local
people will make us lunch or lay on a barbequeue.

It was going on these weekends that got me into digital photography - the
landscapes, plants (from huge tress to moss and lichen), agricultural and
horticultural buildings, and human artefacts in the natural environment.

IMGP2310

A young oak still in its tree guard. A gall wasp is using the oak as a
surrogate mother, getting the tree to grow these hard balls round the wasp
eggs. At some point, the larvae will eat their way out.

IMGP2358

I liked the similarity between gorse branches and ice crystals. I don't
usually plan for some pictures to be black and white. But if I have lost
most of the colour while tweaking the lighting, or if I want maximum
contrast, then I will desaturate the picture.

IMGP2361

This was a bird table in a garden where we had lunch. I liked the still-life
look that this arrangement had.

IMGP2689

The beavers at Bamff have had a dramatic effect on the environment. They
like to stay in the water, so they build dams to bring the water to the
trees. As they only moved in recently, they are felling big trees. But these
trees don't die, they coppice, so there will be more, smaller trees in a few
years.

crw_1190

Each weekend starts with unpacking the tools, and getting a safety talk.
Regulars often have their favourite bow saw or pair of loppers, giving them
names like Spike or Beauregard.

User avatar
nix
Posts: 1231
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 4:49 am

Re: Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by nix » Tue May 11, 2010 12:06 pm

Yes and Yes again Swithun!

Nice proposal.

there are 11 frames of that type.

there are 2 more similar big ones that are double the size..

and quite a lot of A2, A3 and A4 clipframes. (I will count them today)

Please get you prints printing ASAP!

Lest make this happen!

I will be meeting with Peter Gerard (he who has the current exhibition there) this afternoon, and will inform him that it comes down in 2 - 3 weeks ..

cool beans!

N.

User avatar
chris
Posts: 2638
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:50 am
Location: heartland
Contact:

Re: Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by chris » Tue May 11, 2010 12:12 pm

nice, i like too, my fave is:

crw_1190

tools! yum!

xx Chris
Maybe it could work? But it will be a kaleidoscopic blend of mysterious shadows and rainbow hued-dreams seen through compassionate tears.

swithun
Posts: 2683
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:24 pm

Re: Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by swithun » Tue May 11, 2010 12:15 pm

Thanks. I'll get printing. I could fit 2 prints in the frames double the usual size (and the A2 ones as well), and maybe put some of the text in the A4 frames.

I'll let you know when I should expect the photos back from the printing people.

swithun
Posts: 2683
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:24 pm

Re: Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by swithun » Wed May 26, 2010 2:55 pm

With Nix off to the Knock', is there someone who could help me take down the old exhibition and put my one up? Nix said that there were some extra frames somewhere which I could use. I've got 25 30x45cm prints, though I don't need to use them all.

I'd like to do this early on Saturday, in case I have to find backing card, screws or whatever. Would anyone knowledgeable be around, say, at 11am on Saturday? It is more for advice. I'm a bit nervous of making lots of unnecessary holes in the walls. Or if someone can let me know where the extra frames are, and where they could go, that would do.

Thanks.

simone
Posts: 993
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:47 am

Re: Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by simone » Wed Jun 02, 2010 9:17 pm

hi swithun
the photos look great, thanks
I saw two shooting stars last night, i wished on them, but they were only satellites.
is it wrong to wish on space hardware?
(Billy Bragg)

User avatar
nix
Posts: 1231
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 4:49 am

Re: Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by nix » Thu Jun 03, 2010 10:55 am

yes Swith,

nice pics...

so nice that I feel they are let down by the mounting.

would you be OK if I re-mounted them?

thanks!

swithun
Posts: 2683
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:24 pm

Re: Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by swithun » Thu Jun 03, 2010 11:07 am

If you want. Thank you. I hadn't done mounting before (not that kind anyway), and it all took longer than I thought, even though I knew it would. Peter's pictures came with their own backing card. Could FoH get some that stays with the frames? I didn't want to stick my photos down too much, as it might affect the next user of the frames.

User avatar
nix
Posts: 1231
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 4:49 am

Re: Proposal: New Caledonian Woodlands photo exhibition

Post by nix » Thu Jun 03, 2010 11:17 am

Nice.

the card was cheap and bought specificaly for that exhibition. I will get some more, probably black if thats OK, and stick (lightly) your photos to it.

Oh, and I respect the fact that you have used such contriversal themes such as 'trees' and 'forests' and 'ecology' .. are you perchance a 'hippy'?

Respect.

N.

Post Reply