Fun and Friendly Photography! Walks, workshops, tours.

Join us as we visit two of the photographic jewels of medieval England, the landscaped gardens of Scotney Castle and the picturesque Bodiam Castle in West Sussex!

Bodiam Castle:
Constructed in 1385 to help protect against invasion from the French during the Hundred Years War, this impressive example of a moated castle provides us with plentiful composition opportunities to take advantage of the beautiful symmetrical reflections available in the wide moat.

We'll also explore behind the castle walls and ascend the towers to admire the view of the surrounding countryside. Our visit will be timed so we can take advantage of being able to photograph the exterior after the tourists have left, allowing us to capture some iconic shots that would be difficult otherwise.

"Set in the heart of a historic landscape, with spiral staircases, battlements, and a portcullis, 14th century Bodiam Castle is one of Britain's most picturesque and romantic ancient monuments. Windows where arrows were once loosed, a tower that was once a lookout, and ruins that were once walked upon by knights; this is a place where you can relive your childhood memories and let your imagination run riot.
In the impressive gatehouse is the castle's original wooden portcullis, an extremely rare example of its kind and, beyond into the courtyard, enough of the interior ruins survive to give an impression of castle life."

We'll also visit 12th-century Scotney Castle, a picturesque country castle ruins set in the landscaped gardens of a manor estate.

Scotney Castle:
"In the 1830s Edward's grandson, Edward Hussey III, transformed the estate. He hired architect Anthony Salvin to build a new house at the top of the hill overlooking the valley. Edward Hussey III had the imagination to transform the Old Castle into a ruin to act as the focus of his new landscape garden.
As a result of his vision, Scotney Castle is now celebrated as one of the most significant survivals of a complete Picturesque landscape."

Recommended Equipment

• Walk around/kit lens
• Wide-angle lens
• Tripod – optional (recommended for long exposures - we'll have two to borrow if needed)
• ND Filters – optional (for long exposures – we have sets available to borrow - courtesy of Kase filters)

Note: This tour is also suitable for "phone-only" photographers

Included:

• Entry to Bodium Castle & Scotney Castle.
• Travel to and from central London (from Starbucks, Unit 1A Euston Tower, NW1 3DP), in our comfortable 8-seat vehicle.
• Photographic tuition.
• Camera and lens setups to borrow if required (bring a blank SD card)
• Battery charging facilities if required (just bring your USB or wall plug charger)

Not included:

• Food and drink (tearooms are available at both castles)

Note: Please dress for the weather. Layers, hat, etc. It is England after all, so bring a waterproof jacket/umbrella just in case and wear appropriate footwear for walking.

Where we'll meet:
We'll meet at Starbucks Coffee, Unit 1A Euston Tower Podium, Regents Place, London NW1 3DP, at 9:30 am and we'll talk about what to expect on the day and go through previous photos and discuss settings, composition, etc. We'll be leaving Starbucks at 9:45 am and expect to return to London between 6:00-7:00 pm.

Please make sure you check TFL to arrive at the meeting point on time as we will have to leave at 9:45 am sharp. Please be sure you can attend before RSVPing yes, as refunds can only be given if your place is taken by another participant. Thank you.

Note: This event is combined with other photography Meetup groups that I run, so I'll update RSVP numbers accordingly (ie myself +3 will mean 3 members from other groups attending).

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡❜𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧❜𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭.

Enjoy the unmistakable roar of the Spitfire's Rolls Royce Merlin engine along with other favourite aircraft, and if the weather is kind, the skilled pilots will do their magnificent best in the 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐄𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭!

The extensive collection also contains some of the only airworthy examples of genuine combat aircraft from WW1 and WW2, along with the graceful lines of multiple world aviation speed record holders from the 1930s. It is a rare display unlike any other in the world.

The Old Warden airfield is unique in having an L-shaped airfield, allowing the aircraft to bank close to the spectators and to pass at the perfect angle for practicing our panning technique.

We'll have 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 if required to help you get some great shots! 1 x Canon & 2 x Nikon setups.

𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝:

• Entry to the airshow
• Return travel from central London (from Starbucks, Unit 1A Euston Tower, NW1 3DP), in our comfortable 8-seater vehicle.
• Photographic Tuition at the event (focusing on shutter speed and panning to blur the background and propellers, but keep the plane sharp)
• Camera and telephoto lens setups to borrow (just bring a blank SD card)
• Battery charging facilities if required (bring your USB or wall plug charger)

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝:

• Food and drink (hot drinks and food are available on site, but feel free to bring yourown food/picnic)

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: Please check and dress for the weather. Hat, sunscreen, etc.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:

• Tripod/monopod optional - we'll have a tripod and gimbal setup.
• Lens choice - telephoto lenses (ideally 200mm+ full frame equivalent)
• We'll have 3 setups to use: 1 x 200-500mm (Nikon F), 1 x 100-400mm (Canon EF), 70-200mm + 1.4x extender (98-280mm equivalent - Nikon), 70-300mm (Canon EF & Nikon F), Sony E adapter.
• Wide-angle/mid-range lenses for stationary (flight-line) aircraft or vintage vehicles.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞❜𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭:

Starbucks Coffee, Unit 1A Euston Tower Podium, Regents Place, London NW1 3DP, at 9.15 AM and leave for the venue to get a good space. We'll have plenty of time at the venue to talk about what to expect on the day and look through previous photos of the event, discuss settings, composition, etc. The flying display starts at 2 PM and will end around 5 PM. We expect to return to London around 7 PM.
Please note: Occasionally, some days have a later finishing time, such as the Festival of Flight, which finishes at 9 PM.

𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐭:

Dear Lords, Ladies, and photographic squires!

Loxwood Joust, the U.K.'s most spectacular medieval festival, is back again this year and we will practice some dramatic action photography!

This amazing extravaganza is held in the picturesque woodlands of West Sussex and features full-contact jousting, along with other daring displays of weaponry, including archery, muskets, and cannon fire as armored knights and their retainers prepare to meet in great numbers for the melee on the thunderous battlefield, granting us many photographic opportunities.

You can also "wander the Living History Village, situated in the Mediaeval Meadow, where inhabitants live and work exactly as they would have in the Middle Ages". Peruse their traditional wares in the Mediaeval Marketplace, where traders and hawkers vie for your attention and wandering minstrels, dance troupes, and a court jester entertain the crowds throughout the day." So several interesting and unusual portrait possibilities are available.

Almost 50 re-enactment groups take part in Loxwood Joust each year so it is on a scale, unlike many other medieval events.

Our previous photographic scouts scoured Loxwood for the best photographic spots and opportunities, devising battle tactics to enable you to capture some amazing shots!

Please note: This is a MAILING LIST ONLY, NOT AN EVENT.

This is for people who wish to be contacted when we run Astro events (as per feedback, as Meetup's email communication has been sketchy at best for years).

We'll announce our multi-day Astro tours and occasional single-night events here first, then via the usual Meetup announcement.

The Milky Way season runs from late February to early September each year.

We're going to be holding several astrophotography events during the year, so we're putting together an email list of those people interested so we can contact you directly (as many people miss the Meetup messages & emails) and offer you early access to book places at the events.

We'll photograph the Milky Way at various locations throughout the year, teach you how to take star trails and capture special events such as meteor showers and supermoons.

How it will work:
We'll likely let you know the prospective date(s) a couple of weeks in advance. Two days before the event, we'll update and confirm once we have the short-term weather forecasts. Due to weather conditions, some events may be scheduled or cancelled at short notice. Weather forecasting just isn't that good yet, I'm afraid!

We'll provide the transport to the chosen location(s) up to 2 hours away. To reduce time stuck in London traffic, the meeting point will be at our studio in West Acton, a 3-5 minute walk from West Acton tube station (Central Line) and North Ealing tube station (Piccadilly Line). Street parking is available.

Equipment:

• With a tripod and cable release, anyone can take star trails and meteor shower photos with a standard camera and lens.
• For single-shot Milky Way photos, we recommend lenses with an aperture f/2.8 or lower, with a focal length of 24mm or lower. (Edit: a 35mm f/1.8 is also a great lens if you're able to use post-processing software to stitch photos together)
• Using either the high ISO technique or a star tracker allows "slower" lenses to be used, ie a minimum aperture of f/4 or f/5.6
• As usual, we'll have a few dedicated setups and lenses to borrow between the group – just bring an extra SD card.

We look forward to exploring the night skies with you!

Note: This listing is not an event in itself (ignore time & date). The £2 payment will put you on our astrophotography list and allow us to email you announcing upcoming Astro events prior to them being published on the Meetup group listing. We've done this as people often miss/ignore Meetup announcement emails.

Kind regards,
Dion