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Passion for Plants? Creative Plant Photography Course by Heather Angel

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Grays of Westminster
A floriferous field with large poppies in southernTurkey

A floriferous field with large poppies in southern Turkey

Tuesday 7 – Friday 10 May 2013 inclusive
Tutor: Heather Angel with assistance from Giles Angel
Venue: RBG Kew

After a depressingly cold March, come to Kew to capture a plethora of spring plants– outside and in glasshouses.

Participants on this popular course will learn how to extend their vision, both in the way they look at plants before releasing the shutter and the best way to approach photography for each particular subject. The RBG Kew – now a World Heritage Site– is a rich resource for working with plants, especially in May.

Illustrated lectures, as well as practical demonstrations, will show how the structure and texture of plants themselves help to determine the most appropriate lighting. Learn how to shoot striking images of plants and flowers and get to grips with your digital workflow. Heather shows you how to select the best lighting for stunning macro shots by careful composition, critical focusing and selective use of depth of field and when to use reflectors, diffusers and fill-flash. You will also learn how to meter tricky subjects with confidence and how to gain increased depth of field by focus stacking.

Jade vine Jade vine Strongylodon macrobotrys

Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) native to the Philippines

Anyone who has a passion for plants will benefit from this course which is aimed at professional and enthusiastic amateur photographers, as well as horticulturalists, botanists and garden designers.

Heather Angel is a highly versatile nature photographer whose pictures have artistic appeal as well as scientific authenticity. After a zoology degree, she took up photography and then turned freelance. Heather has produced 59 titles on photographic techniques, natural history or gardening topics including How to Photograph Flowers, Wild Kew and Digital Outdoor Photography: 101 Top Tips. For several years she has been working with Kew on a big project on how floral structure relates to pollination mechanisms for a book, due out in 2014. Since 1994 Heather has been a Visiting Professor within the School of Biology at Nottingham University. www.heatherangel.co.uk

Winter aconite Eranthis hyemalis flower and bud

Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) flower and bud

Giles Angel will be present on one day to advise on Photoshop and Lightroom techniques and answer your post production queries.

For further information, please contact:

Miss Sarah Oldridge
Adult Education Co-ordinator
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
e: S.Oldridge@kew.org
t: 0208 332 5626 or 01444 894310

Kew course 2013 NOCI
25/03/2013

Posted in Grays of Westminster, Nikon Owner Groups, Nikon Owner Magazine, Photographers, Seminars, Workshops | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nikon Owner London Group presents: A view from the Street with Nigel Gray, Friday, April 19th

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Grays of Westminster

street-poster

Nikon Owner London Group presents:
A view from the Street with Nigel Gray
Friday, April 19th

Michael Eleftheriades, the organizer of the extremely popular Nikon Owner London Group, would like to invite everyone to the next Nikon Owner meeting ‘A view from the Street: Nigel Gray talks about his passion for street photography’. The event will be held on Friday, April 19th 2013 at Kensingtonrooms.

During the evening, the challenges (and rewards) of street photography will be discussed and examined. We will look at composition, how to ‘capture the moment’ and discuss the different ways of approaching people and the equipment best suited to the task.

Nigel will take us on a tour of his early work including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and his native London, as well as more recent portfolios from his travels to Egypt and Morocco.

It promises to be a great evening! Space is limited to 50 seats, so please book your places early to avoid disappointment.

About Nigel Gray

Nigel first became interested in photography at the age of fourteen when he was given a camera by his parents. He took photos of his friends, learned to develop and print, and loved looking at the photos in Picture Post and Life magazines.

In 1968 Nigel was asked by Gear (a Carnaby Street gift shop) to develop a system to make large instant photo posters for their customers, which proved hugely popular. Nigel was subsequently invited by Harrods to open a studio and two years later, opened new branches in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In 2000 Nigel chose to close the shops to concentrate on his photography business, taking shots of families in black and white. His current commissions include working with private schools, weddings and Photoshop teaching.

To this day, he loves the challenge of street photography and finds huge satisfaction when he achieves that special image.

kensingtonrooms

Venue Details

Kensingtonrooms Hotel, Media Suite (basement floor), from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., on Friday, April 19th, 2013.

Presentations start at 7.00 p.m.; main presentation starts at 7.30pm.

Address

Kensingtonrooms
131-137 Cromwell Road (corner with Courtfield Gardens)
Kensington
London SW7 4DU

Web address: www.kensingtonrooms.co.uk

Location Information

This popular Kensington ’boutique’ hotel is located on the corner of Cromwell Road and Courtfield Gardens, within a short walk of Gloucester Road tube station (Piccadilly, District and Circle lines) and is also close to Victoria and Paddington mainline stations, all accessible via London Underground services or short taxi rides. Metered parking is available near the entrance to the hotel – parking restrictions are in effect until 6.30 p.m. Kensingtonrooms is outside the Congestion Zone.

The last word

As on previous occasions, we would like to request a £5 contribution per person to cover the costs of the room.

To reserve your place, please email (rather than telephone) your full name, subscription number, daytime mobile and landline to Gillian Greenwood at: gillian.greenwood@nikonownermagazine.com. In addition, please indicate your attendance by replying to this invitation on the Nikon Owner Message Board.

For those wishing to socialise for longer, dinner will be organised at a local restaurant. We look forward to seeing you on Friday, April 19th!

With very best wishes,
Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor and Events & Training Coordinator

Advance notice of next event: Friday May 10th, 2013

DISCLAIMER: Mike Eleftheriades and Nikon Owner magazine are only taking the initiative of organizing and facilitating this event on the strict understanding that they are solely acting in an introductory capacity and anyone planning to come on any such an event will be deemed to have agreed that they fully understand and agree to this as a condition of joining. Each participant will be deemed responsible for ensuring his or her own safety at all times and the safety of their possessions, and no liability whatsoever is accepted either by Mike Eleftheriades or Nikon Owner magazine in this regard. In other words we shall all act reasonably, safely and responsibly and each person will join the event on the understanding that they do so entirely at their own risk.
Posted in Events, Grays of Westminster, Nikon Owner Groups, Nikon Owner Magazine, Photographers, Seminars, Workshops | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mastering Adobe Photoshop: A Photographic Seminar by Michael Eleftheriades, Sunday, 28th April

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Grays of Westminster

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Grays of Westminster presents
Mastering Adobe Photoshop
A Photographic Seminar by Michael Eleftheriades

2:00 p.m. Sunday, 28th April
Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street,
London, W1T 6DX

In 1989 Michael Eleftheriades attended a demonstration of a graphics package called Barneyscan XP which he says “completely blew his mind”. It was a software package designed for retouching in colour on a personal computer, a brand new concept back then.

The software was launched in 1990 as Adobe Photoshop, and quickly became the standard for image manipulation and retouching, creating a whole industry and an unassailable lead it holds to this day.

In the last ten years, and especially since the addition of Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop has become an indispensable tool for photographers. Being the equivalent of the digital darkroom, we can no longer ignore it. Yet, with the new features and added complexity of the user-interface, how many of us know (or have the time) to use it to its full potential?

Based on Michael Eleftheriades’ own experience of using Adobe Photoshop for over twenty years, this seminar aims to show, with step-by-step demonstrations, how you can get the most out of the package and the best practices for working with your Nikon images. Attendees of all skill levels are welcome – Michael will be showing workflows and tips that will be useful for beginners as well as intermediate users. Speaker notes will be provided by Michael by email. The final session will end with a prize draw to win numerous prizes.

The seminar will be held in central London, at Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 6DX and will take place from 2.00 p.m. until 5.30 p.m. A 30-minute period for Q&A will follow at the end of the seminar. The cost of the session will be £155 with a special price of £95 if you are a current Nikon Owner subscriber, and includes afternoon tea. To book, please email your full name, daytime mobile and landline to Gillian Greenwood at:
gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.co.uk

If you are also a Nikon Owner subscriber, add your user name/subscription number to the email. There are limited places available, so do book as soon as you are able to in order to avoid disappointment. If you are not currently a Nikon Owner subscriber, would you be kind enough to make a note of this in your email – in order to receive the discount, you will be able to join or re-join Nikon Owner when we call you to formalise the booking.

Please note that it is essential that you reply by email rather than by telephone.

Seminar Agenda

The Basics

Why Photoshop?
Setting up your Nikon for best results
NEF Workflows

Working with Images

Downloading image files
Using Photoshop Bridge
Automating File Conversions
Metadata, XMP & Sidecar files

Adobe Camera RAW

Colour Profiles Explained
How to correct images non-destructively
Using filters and localised adjustments
How to use sharpening
Split Toning
Nikon Lens Profiles & Corrections

Photoshop Features

Colour Management
How to use Masking
Layering & Compositing
Black & White Conversion
Context-Aware Filling
Blending & Stacking
Adding Textures & Effects
Adaptive Wide-angle & Lens Correction
Soft-proofing
High Dynamic Range
How to Print

Q&A Session

About Michael Eleftheriades

A Nikon Owner subscriber since 2002, Michael is an architect and photographer who fuses his particular passion for architecture, virtual reality, computer graphics and photography in the creation of large-scale panoramic imagery. He has exhibited his photographs at three exhibitions in London and lectured on panoramic creation to wide acclaim in the UK, Europe and the United States. When not photographing, Michael directs the efforts of Media Synthesis, a media development and consultancy company established in 1993, and is responsible for virtual reality tours and interactive exhibits at many of the UK’s leading museums, including the Maritime and Natural History Museums. Michael also created the virtual tour for Grays of Westminster and has been the Nikon Owner London Group coordinator for the last four years.

Travel Information

Travelling to Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 6DX: the nearest underground station is Warren Street, but please do make sure that it is open – it is occasionally closed on a Sunday – if so, Goodge Street station is a good option.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

About Nikon Owner: noci-magazines

Standard Annual Subscription – normal price: £69; special price: £59 while registering for this course

 

  • 1-year Subscription to Nikon Owner + 3-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • Nikon Owner magazine, a superb, glossy full-colour 60-page quarterly magazine that is 100% Nikon. Each issue delivers benchmark technical reviews of the very latest Nikon equipment, thought-provoking interviews and articles with world-class images. All back issues are now available on line as PDFs.
  • Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • 10% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Discounts on events and training sessions
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK

Gold subscription: – special price £290 when booking this course

  • 3-year subscription to Nikon Owner
  • 5-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • 2-year warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • Gold Priority waiting list for all new Nikon releases (top of the waiting list)
  • A half-hour tutorial on the phone or face to face, by appointment
  • Special offers to Gold subscribers throughout the period of subscription
  • A signed copy of Heather Angel’s Wild Kew while stocks last or a Simon Stafford Nikon Magic Lantern Guide of your choice.
  • Nikon Owner quarterly magazine as above
  • Private user-name and password to the subscribers-only website which includes a forum, message board, technical equipment reviews, events page and use of a photo gallery
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 15% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Substantial discounts on training sessions organised by Grays of Westminster, including Mike Maloney’s Workshops, Heather Angel’s Wildlife & Natural History Workshops, Simon Stafford’s Definitive Flash, Portraiture and Macro Training Sessions, Michael Eleftheriades’ panoramic and colour-calibration seminars and Chris Weston’s Photographic Courses.
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK

Cancellation policy:

Please note that once you have booked a place on any workshop or seminar, a full refund can only be provided when you give us 7 days prior notice of cancelling your place.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Easter!

With very best wishes,
Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor and Events & Training Coordinator

Grays of Westminster
40 Churton Street,
Pimlico,
London
SW1V 2LP, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7828 4925
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 5783
e-mail: info@graysofwestminster.co.uk

Open Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. & Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We are closed on Public and Bank Holidays.

Posted in Grays of Westminster, Nikon Owner Magazine, Photographers, Seminars, Workshops | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Back by Demand – Simon Stafford’s Nikon D800 / D800E Masterclass: Sunday, 21st April

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Grays of Westminster

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Grays of Westminster presents
Simon Stafford’s Nikon D800 / D800E Masterclass
A Practical Workshop
2:00 p.m. Sunday, 21st April 2013
Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London, W1T 6DX

Following his highly successful series of photographic seminars and workshops presented in association with Grays of Westminster, Simon developed this entirely new practical workshop to help you make the most of the groundbreaking Nikon D800 or D800E camera, irrespective of your level of photographic knowledge and experience, and regardless of which model you use.

The course has been prepared to help you make a dramatic improvement to your craft of taking photographs by expanding your understanding of how the D800 / D800E cameras work and by mastering core camera skills through practical application under Simon’s supervision. Simon will discuss the key aspects of the D800 / D800E and share his in-depth knowledge accrued over more than 30 years of photographic experience, so that you can achieve high-quality, professional looking photographs consistently (please note attendance of one of Simon’s previous seminars, or workshops is not a requirement of this event).

Agenda:

  • Digital sensor: understand the implications of the 36MP resolution of the D800 / D800E in terms of shooting technique and choice of lenses
  • Image area: choosing different crop modes (FX, DX, 5:4, and 1.2x) and appreciating their pros and cons
  • JPEG versus RAW: what you really need to know about file formats
  • TTL Metering: discover the nuances and idiosyncrasies of Nikon’s 3D Colour Matrix Metering III in the D800 / D800E, and learn about using centre-weighted and spot metering
  • Exposure: find out how to achieve accurate exposures, consistently, and uncover how to make the most of the histogram display
  • ISO sensitivity: learn how to control and use it effectively
  • White balance: understand why it is important and how to achieve the best results in different lighting conditions
  • Nikon Picture Controls: appreciate what they do and how to use them
  • Autofocus: understand how the focus modes / focus-area modes differ, and how to configure the AF system for various types of subject
  • Live View: implementation of Live View in the D800 / D800E differs from previous Nikon D-SLR cameras, learn how this useful feature has changed and what is required to make the most of it
  • Specialist features: explore the why, when and how of Exposure bracketing, High-dynamic Range, Active D-Lighting, and more…
  • Menus and controls: learn how to optimize menu settings, use menu banks, and assign camera controls to different buttons

Prerequisite:

Since this is a practical workshop each delegate should bring a Nikon D800 or D800E together with a lens or lenses to work with during the course.

The seminar will take place from 2.00 pm until 5.30 pm. The cost of the session will be £155 with a special price of £95 if you are a current Nikon Owner subscriber, and includes afternoon tea. To book, please email your full name, postal address and postcode, as well as your daytime mobile and landline to Gillian Greenwood: gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.co.uk

If you are also a Nikon Owner subscriber, add your user name/subscription number to the email. There are limited places available, so do book as soon as you are able to in order to avoid disappointment. If you are not currently a Nikon Owner subscriber, would you be kind enough to make a note of this in your email – in order to receive the discount, you will be able to join or re-join Nikon Owner when we call you to formalise the booking.

Please note that it is essential that you reply by email rather than by telephone.

Travelling to Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 6DX: the nearest underground station is Warren Street, but please do make sure that it is open – it is occasionally closed on a Sunday – if so, Goodge Street station is a good option.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

About Nikon Owner

noci-magazines

Standard Annual Subscription – normal price: £69; special price: £59 while registering for this course

  • 1-year Subscription to Nikon Owner + 3-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • Nikon Owner magazine, a superb, glossy full-colour 60-page quarterly magazine that is 100% Nikon. Each issue delivers benchmark technical reviews of the very latest Nikon equipment, thought-provoking interviews and articles with world-class images. All back issues are now available on line as PDFs.
  • Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • 10% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Discounts on events and training sessions
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK

Gold subscription: – special price £290 when booking this course

  • 3-year subscription to Nikon Owner
  • 5-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • 2-year warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • Gold Priority waiting list for all new Nikon releases (top of the waiting list)
  • A half-hour tutorial on the phone or face to face, by appointment
  • Special offers to Gold subscribers throughout the period of subscription
  • A signed copy of Heather Angel’s Wild Kew while stocks last or a Simon Stafford Nikon Magic Lantern Guide of your choice.
  • Nikon Owner quarterly magazine as above
  • Private user-name and password to the subscribers-only website which includes a forum, message board, technical equipment reviews, events page and use of a photo gallery
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 15% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Substantial discounts on training sessions organised by Grays of Westminster, including Mike Maloney’s Workshops, Heather Angel’s Wildlife & Natural History Workshops, Simon Stafford’s Definitive Flash, Portraiture and Macro Training Sessions, Michael Eleftheriades’ panoramic and colour-calibration seminars and Chris Weston’s Photographic Courses.
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK

Cancellation policy:

Please note that once you have booked a place on any workshop or seminar, a full refund can only be provided when you give us 7 days prior notice of cancelling your place.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Easter!

With very best wishes,
Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor and Events & Training Coordinator

Grays of Westminster
40 Churton Street,
Pimlico,
London
SW1V 2LP, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7828 4925
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 5783
e-mail: info@graysofwestminster.co.uk

Open Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. & Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We are closed on Public and Bank Holidays.

Posted in Grays of Westminster, Nikon Owner Magazine, Seminars | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black & White Photography magazine features Grays of Westminster as one of the best camera dealers

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Grays of Westminster

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“Grays of Westminster should be the first port of call for any Nikon user. Located on a leafy street in London, the shop’s rich mahogany cabinets are stuffed full of Nikon products. The owner, Gray Levett, has been running the store for more than 25 years, building a legendary reputation for customer service.”

Black & White Photography magazine, April 2013

Posted in Featured, Grays of Westminster, News | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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