Botallack and Porth Nanven

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Steve Bell

Botallack and Porth Nanven

Post by Steve Bell » Wed May 10, 2006 10:49 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

On Thursday 8th June I'm travelling down with my wife Sharon to Botallack, near St Just, in Cornwall. I'll be photographing between the old mine workings at Botallack and nearby at Porth Nanven, on the Thursday evening, then early mornings and evenings on the Friday and Saturday, then home Sunday. If anyone is either on holiday near there or in the area and wants to meet up, pm me.

SteveH
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Dunster Archery Week

Post by SteveH » Fri May 12, 2006 11:50 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Steve (and anyone else),

If you are travelling back from Cornwall on the A39 you will pass through Dunster. Sunday the 11th is the first day of Dunster archery week (11th - 19th), held in the grounds of Dunster Castle (entrance on the A39 near Minehead). I will be travelling down on the 11th to shoot (arrows) from the 12th and will not be doing any serious photography that week, but you may find the photography good.

On Sunday there will be about 200 archers shooting in a beautiful setting with Dunster Castle as the backdrop; as long as you let the office on site know that you will be taking photos (child protection stuff), and don't walk in front of the targets whilst people are shooting, it is a good event for photography and not at all lethal. Wednesday is good, as it is traditional longbow shooting for 300 archers and most people dress up. See

http://www.gwas.org.uk/

For details of the programme.

I will be shooting on most days from Monday and if you (or anyone else) let me know if and when you will be there, I may be at the field to meet you.

Steve
Big is beautiful.

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Post by Geoff B » Fri May 12, 2006 7:59 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Steve

Thats a coastline i know really well and have often photographed at Porth Nanven. I met a guy from the midlands there last yhear who has photographed that beach ( medium format) for years. His work was featured in Amateur Photographer and he had a well advertised exhibition last year of his work just consisting of this beach.

There is a glory in the rock formations and the single round white rocks that look like oversized eggs. It is particularly beautiful around the corner with some great potential for abstract images. When the little stream erodes the sand at low tide it creates potential for more stunning abstracts.

The best exhibition of those rocks I have ever seen was at the 'The Wolf at the Door' (now closed) at Penzance where a local photographer (something Berry) took wonderful abstract colour images that he recently released in a book. This is available from 'The Atlantic Map Works' gallery in St Just.

I dont know if I can make the dates you suggest but am definately returning on Friday June 23rd for a Midsummer's Eve ( not solstice) celebration on Carn Brea and Mazey Day (an old pagan festival) in Penzance on the Saturday. That weekend I am hoping to use my Gandolfi 8x10 at Porth Nanven; before it has just been mostly digital and some 5x4 of the nearby mining landscapes that have joined my collection of unprinted masterpeices :-) .

I once did liaise with Geevor Tin Mine to photograph retired miners for a project that never saw the light of day.

Do you go inland (eg Sancreed, Madron, Tregeseal, Carn Euny etc) to look at the antiquities?

Geoff

Steve Bell

Post by Steve Bell » Sat May 13, 2006 9:18 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Steve, on the Sunday I'll be heading home, will see how it goes. Previously I've had mamoth holdups comming back from Cornwall, and I need to get to my daughters in Bristol for an evening meal before setting off of the last bit of the homeward journey.
Geoff B wrote:Hi Steve
The best exhibition of those rocks I have ever seen was at the 'The Wolf at the Door' (now closed) at Penzance where a local photographer (something Berry) took wonderful abstract colour images that he recently released in a book. This is available from 'The Atlantic Map Works' gallery in St Just.
Geoff
Geof, thanks for that, I usually look in local galleries when away from home. When in Southwold 2 weeks ago, I found a nearby gallery showing local photographs from 2 local photographers, one shooting digital, the other 4x5 with an Ebony.
Geoff B wrote: ... my collection of unprinted masterpeices :-) .
Geoff
I have plenty of those as well...
Geoff B wrote: Do you go inland (eg Sancreed, Madron, Tregeseal, Carn Euny etc) to look at the antiquities?
Geoff
My part of the day will be early mornings and the evenings, all depends on what I can persuede Sharon to visit during the rest of the day. Last time I visited that area I photographed the stone circle at Tregeseal, and got drenched walking back in a heavy storm. It was sunny when I started off, so I never thought about taking waterproofs. I also visited the well at Madron, and the Quoit by the roadside nearby. A coach party arrived soon after me and spoilt all chances of any interesting photographs. This was 4 years ago, and mainly shot on 35mm. Now I'll be using the Toyo and taking the Mamiya C220 as backup.

Geoff B
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Post by Geoff B » Sun May 14, 2006 9:57 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

The 'Great Atlantic Gallery' is perhaps the most adventurous gallery in the area. It is run by a geologist whose business was maps, but also had an appreciation of the arts. He sometimes prints (on a 2100) and sells some of his own photographs notably from the American South West .

There are 2 other relatively new galleries, The Yew Gallery ( between Morvah and Pendeen) and a newer one at Morvah. There is a recent increase in photographers displaying prints but little of it is any great quality.

The best work is some very large B/W prints by Charlie Roff
( www.anderssonhall.com/artist_artworks.asp?artistId=63) permanently displayed at the new restaurant/cafe at Sennen Cove and more of his work is also on show at The Minack Theatre. Lovely work.

I believe that the best local painter is Kurt Jackson and some of his work may be seen at the Great Atlantic Gallery but is now mostly displayed at a more prominent gallery in Truro. Kurt lives and paints in St Just. (www.kurtjackson.co.uk).

If the antiquities interested you there is a beautiful decorated Well at Sancreed very close to an interesting church with celtic crosses in abundance. The area surrounding Sancreed also feels very 'old' with many small dense woodlands of twisting oaks.

Remebering this is making me think I must visit soon........

Geoff

Geoff B
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Post by Geoff B » Sun May 14, 2006 10:02 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Steve

I just found Charlie's official website - he lives very near to Porthcurno.

www.charlieroff.com

Geoff

Steve Bell

Post by Steve Bell » Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:29 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Geoff, the Botallack mines were a disapointment. When I last visited 4 years ago I found them most photogenic, now evey bit of stonework has been repointed, and new brickwork has also been applied. They no longer look original, more like a poor replica. I suspect the NT has done this to preserve the area. most disapointing.

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