My Mum's Garden!

It's not very big, but it's busier than Piccadilly Circus at rush hour for the garden bird world!



There's an old cherry tree that is sadly no more, but rather than chop it down, my parent's have hung bird feeders from it and we now sit and watch the antics of the constant stream of feathery and furry visitors!
Perhaps most surprising to me was the Great Spotted Woodpecker.



It appears several times throughout the day, resting either in the chesnut tree and tapping out a fast, rhythmic beat on it's many limbs, or even down on the nuts, pecking through the mesh for some tasty, nutty morsels.

I waited, and waited, and waited for a Nuthatch.



Reputedly a frequent flyer through Mum's garden and always stopping at the Cherry Tree Services, the nuthatch proved the most elusive of all to my long lens! In the end, I only got a couple of shots of it hanging on to the nut feeder, but I shall persevere and, hopefully, go back to Scotland next week with the shot I want in the bag! We'll see!!

As well as a variety of garden birds,



there is also a cheeky wee grey squirrel who comes in several times of day for a feed.



Hope you enjoy the photos, because I've certainly enjoyed taking them!



Rebecca,x

www.rtphotographics.co.uk
rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

UK Wolf Conservation Trust

I spent yesterday morning in the company of wolves! Awesome!!



Went along to an Open Day at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust at Beenham in Berkshire.



It's a fantastic place; they do amazing work with these beautiful animals all around the world, helping to educate people and dispel the myths that have led to such serious decline of wolves in the wild.



My niece went for a wolf walk with two of the wolves last year for her birthday, and she was so pleased to see them again yesterday. Have a look at http://www.ukwolf.org/ and see what else they do!

There was also a falconer there with some beautiful birds...

Red Kite,


Harris Hawk,



and a stunning Peregrine Falcon!



I hope you look at their website and support the work of these wonderful people,

cheers,
Rebecca

www.rtphotographics.co.uk
rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

Down in London Town!

WOW, talk about 'hot in the city'!


Deon Adams (c) rtphotographics 2009

Probably not what Billy idol (or whoever it was) was singing about, but my word, it was HOT! Sweltering, sweating hot!!

I was down in London a couple of weeks ago to work on some headshots with a group of 7 young actors, all of whom are working hard and very nearly at the end of their first year at the Mountview Academy in London.


Jeffrey Socia (c) rtphotographics 2009

Their week at the Academy is unbelievably hard and how they manage it in the heat I really don't know! I have nothing but absolute and utmost respect for these incredible young people.


Leigh Lothian (c) rtphotographics 2009

I set up the studio in the top floor apartment of a town house in Palmers Green. There is a huge balcony up there and loads of natural light as well as studio lighting, so all was looking good. I hadn't bargained on the heat from the enormous windows though. Wow. Hot and thirsty work. I haven't drunk that much water since my first attempts at swimming in the English Channel over 30 years ago!!


Leah Shears (c) rtphotographics 2009

Each session lasted a little less than an hour and the time flew. It was an absolute pleasure and a privilege to spend that time with the students, and talking to them, finding out a bit more about them. As well as being interesting and fun, it's also the best way to help them relax and put themselves across in their headshots.

They were all 7 very different people; different backgrounds, different experiences, different approaches to life and hopes for the future. Their personalities need to come across in their headshots. It needs to be 'them' that a casting panel sees, not a lovely photo of someone airbrushed beyond all recognition.


Greg Airey (c) rtphotographics 2009

If they are more serious or quiet by nature, that needs to show. If they are fun and bubbly, that should be in the headshot. It is the only thing they have to show a casting panel who they are. They won't get an audition without one, unless they are incredibly lucky and are incredibly famous!


Grace Gardner (c) rtphotographics 2009

With the amount of dedication and enthusiasm these young folks have, as well as bags of talent, I am quite sure these are names and faces we shall all get to know in the future! I can't wait for the day when I can say "oh yes, I knew them before they were famous!"


Paula Masterton (c) rtphotographics.co.uk

Thanks everyone, so very much, for all your hard work on such a terribly hot day!! It really was a pleasure to meet with you all and work with you all.

Rebecca,x

rtphotographics.co.uk

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk

A Picnic in the Park!

Last Saturday saw us heading up the M1 in the rain to spend a day with my nieces. Increasingly blustery, showery and eventually torrential rain, we were not terribly certain a picnic in the park was going to be a good idea!!


The rain cleared, however, and even a little glimpse of blue sky and sunshine greeted us on our arrival at the girls' house, so away we went with a basket of assorted goodies to be scoffed in the beautiful grounds of Clumber Park.





Formerly the country estate of the various Dukes of Newcastle, Clumber Park is now run by the National Trust and is open all year. It's in Nottinghamshire, nowhere near Newcastle, and well worth a visit if you get the chance.





The house itself no longer exists (demolished in 1938, sadly) but the Chapel, the pleasure grounds, the lake and the Walled Kitchen garden are all still there.











We didn't go in to the chapel, but were intrigued by the gargoyles along the many roof lines. One is difficult to know whether it's a cow or a hippo,





but we are reasonably sure that the other is a hyena... we think!!





We had a superb day out, just wandering about the grounds, chattering away as aunts and nieces do, and getting a few candid shots from the 300mm lens!





Nothing formal, just a lovely day out and whatever photos came about during the day.





A mixture of landscape and wildlife photography opportunities presented themselves, as well as the candid portraits.





So, as well as being a lovely day, I also managed to indulge my photography obsession!





The return journey back down the M1 was every bit as wet and miserable as before, so we counted our blessings and were truly thankful for the wonderful day that we had and a chance to picnic in the park!

Rebecca,x.

rtphotographics.co.uk

rebecca@rtphotographics.co.uk