November 2010 Photographers Resource - Monthly  Edition 83

Calendars and Magical Lights

• Editorial

• Feature - Calendars

• Photographic Feature - Photographing Fireworks and Illuminated Carnivals

• Photographers Diary

• November Wildlife Diary

November is the penultimate month of the year and as our main feature this month we have decided to look at Calendars. Calendars are a tool that every household uses, and as well as diaries many of us use them to record appointments, events and special occasions. November to February is the main Calendar season from a retailers point of view, people want to buy them now as gifts, in December and January for late gifts and themselves, and for those who forgot they will be in February before they realise they need one. Our feature looks at both producing them, and how we might use our photos in them as well as how we, as photographers, may generate a small income from them.

Our second feature for this month is Magical Lights, looking at photographing fireworks and illuminated carnivals and processions. November is when our skies become darker earlier, the clocks having gone back at the end of October, however they also become brighter and illuminated with it all kicking off on Friday with Bonfire Night, a celebration of Guy Fawkes and the failed Gunpowder Plot. Many skies across the UK will be lit with local bonfires, smoke and fireworks. In Bridgwater Somerset there is also the biggest illuminated carnival taking place with over 100 large floats, some over 100ft long, illuminated with around 20,000 lights, climaxing with the 'Squibbing', 50 lighted torches lining one of the streets, a truly spectacular event. Or you have Tar Barrel Rolling in Ottery St Mary in Devon, the barrels are set alight and are rolled down the high street at midnight. Moving, poorly lit items in the dark, are not the easiest to photograph but is achievable with planning and we have a number of articles looking at this area within the feature below.

November is also the busiest month for returning winter migrants and there are many magical wildlife displays taking place all over the UK, from the continuing Deer ruts, through to Knots Landing off the Norfolk Coastline, or the aerial acrobatics of starlings as they come down to roost in reedbeds or on piers in some areas, and swirling masses of Rooks as they come to roost over farmland, as well as Grey Seals coming ashore to have their pup's. The wildlife feature below mentions many other magical events taking place and don't forget to get out and get those Autumn photos you had been planning before it disappears for another year.

Feature

Calendars

With 2011 nearly upon us it is that time of year when we think of buying new diaries and calendars. It is something that we all use everyday of our lives. It is also used to determine the seasons, feast days and other events and occasions. We also use calendars and diaries, to record appointments made, record special dates such as birthdays and anniversaries, plan our holidays, control agriculture, business, and just about every part of our everyday lives. Each year thousands are sold as an aid to help us remember.

Calendars have a short shelf life and thousands of calendars sell over the next five months up to February. Many retailers will have put in their orders earlier this year and are now starting to display them, businesses and charities would have created and ordered their versions over the summer months and again will now be about to receive them in order that they can make the most of Christmas sales and our ability to be generous at this time of year. Probably the most well known annual charity calendar, particularly to photographers, is the one produced by the BBC Countryfile Programme, who each year run a photographic competition and then use the 12 best images to create a calendar for the BBC Children In Need appeal. Last years calendar raised £779.946 and for the 2011 calendar they had over 60,000 photo entries.

So why are we mentioning them now, well over the summer we have all been out busy collecting more images and now over the coming winter months are trying to work out what to do with them. One use would be to create an individual calendar for family and friends or work colleagues, something unique and different that they would not be expecting. You can personalise it to make it specific for them and with outlets such as Jessops, Tesco and other online sources you can produce individual one off copies. However you do need to work on it now and get it produced early enough if you are intending it to be for Christmas.

There are a number of ways of producing calendars from creating something from scratch, through using templates which you can then print out yourself at home, or using templates on calendar printing websites. They can be produced in all shapes, styles and sizes, from wall calendars in typical sizes of A3, A4, A5, square, slimline, and double A4, but also specialty designs such as a CD case, Desktop, Booklet and more. We have put together some calendar templates to give you an idea of what you can do.

You could always use a Perpetual (everlasting) Calendar to generate your template. There are only 14 calendar formats, which is made up of one for every day of the week (7), and one for each leap year (7). These calendars are unique because you can, not only generate calendars for the future, but also ones for the past. So you could generate a calendar for the year that someone was born, or for some other special significant occasion to the individual you are creating it for.  Perpetual Calendar gives you the calendar layouts which enable you to create calendars from 1801 through to 2100.

We have an article on how to go about producing calendars at home and one on printing calendars that takes a look at what options are available and what sort of quantities you can have produced, from the single one off copy to many. Calendar further information has links to some services available online, but remember to get your order in, in good enough time so that they can have a good chance of getting it to you.

Once you have produced your special set, identified those images that you think would make good calendar images, and found that the recipients really enjoyed your efforts. Then you could consider next year having a go in a bigger way, and may be even create an income from calendars. This could be achieved by trying to sell to existing calendar publishers, or by contacting local charities with an idea for their next calendar or going it alone and producing your own.

Calendar publishers produce many thousands of calendars a year and getting an income from this method of selling calendars means you are selling your photographs only, the publisher already has the client base and infrastructure to sell the them. They generally choose images from picture libraries, photographers they already use and know of, but some will also look at work by new photographers, but you need to get to them early as they are working a long way in advance. Helpful information and advice on how to go about this is in selling pictures to Calendar Publishers.

Charity and Fund Raising Calendars are big business for charities. As well as the big charities like WWF, RSPCA, British Waterways, Cancer Research, English Heritage, Save the Children, CLIC, The Pink Ribbon Foundations, British Heart Foundation, Macmillan, Blue Cross and many many more all produce calendars each year raising money for their good cause, but many local organisations like the WI, Young Farmers, community groups also do. It might be that you could approach a local charity in your area with an idea and see if they would like to work with you and produce it to raise funds for them. Take a look at the article for some ways on how you may approach this. This may not bring great financial rewards for you, but the satisfaction of knowing you raised money for your local group far outweighs this, and of course every person in your local area, who supports the charity by buying one, will have your photos on their wall for a whole year, priceless!

Fireworks, Illuminated Carnivals and Night time Photography

After the clocks went back at the end of last month, the nights are now getting darker earlier and many of our UK customs and traditions that take place at this time of year take advantage of this fact, by putting on light shows with the use of fire, gunpowder and lights.

The first of these events takes place in England on the 5th of November, which is Guy Fawkes night, and through the lighting of bonfires with an effigy of Guy Fawkes on top, commemorates the failed attempt to destroy the Houses of Parliament in 1605, known as the Gunpowder Plot. The Guy (effigy) is normally created by children, from old clothes, newspapers and a mask and placed on top of the fire. Fireworks have accompanied the bonfires from the 1650's onwards. Today many still have firework displays in their back gardens, but larger public events are also put on by local councils or organisations who raise money for charity. These generally have larger bonfires as well as large firework displays, and usually start around 6.30pm in the evening. Many of these displays provide great photographic opportunities and should not be missed, it's a great place to widen your photography skills and Photographing fireworks will give you some good pointers on what to look out for and how to go about getting the best images. The Firework Events list details where you may find some of the larger events around the country.

On this same night traditionally in Bridgwater, Somerset they have their annual Illuminated Carnival. This is probably the largest carnival in the UK and attracts thousands of visitors each year. The street procession consists of over 100 large vehicles up to 100ft long with up to 22,000 light bulbs each. It follows a 2.5 mile route lasting around 3 hours, in fact it's so long that a break for the walking entrants is taken at the High Street. The carts are all built by carnival clubs of individuals and are funded totally by charitable donations and sponsorship from local businesses, some carts cost in excess of £20,000 to build. Each year there is usually a theme that they create them to and as well as static displays there are are many which have many moving parts and dancers etc on board. All this work however isn't only for just one night, as all except the very long carts also get to do a circuit of some of the other smaller towns in the area for the following 7-14 days. The very long carts are not able to take part at some of these, because the streets are just not big enough to take them. See Bridgwater Illuminated Carnival for more details on the event. Another peculiarity of Bridgewater is Squibbing. This is a unique event to Bridgwater. A tradition dating back to 1700's, but has been organised as a procession since 1881.  It is the simultaneous firing of lots of large fireworks (squibs) at the same time. The procession of squibs nearly came to an end in 1892 when the Home Office decided that it was too dangerous to manufacture the squibs in peoples homes. Today the fireworks (squibs) used are manufactured specifically for Bridgwater. Around 150 Squibbers take part, they are usually carnival club members. In 1929 over 2,000 squibs were ignited. They line the High Street, two wide, and all light their squibs at the same time. The result is a long trail of fire along the road. The Squib is a large firework, especially made for Bridgwater, strapped to a cosh (block of wood) which in turn is attached to a long pole. It is held by the Squibber at arms length above their head with the firework facing toward the sky, giving a unique colourful display. Other Fire Festivals and Fire Events can be found here.

There are many other illuminated carnivals, lantern parades, and fire spectaculars that take place through this month and photographing carnivals with lights  points out what you need to consider before taking on the task of photographing such a spectacular. The main point being that with such large floats depth of field is important, that there is movement so the shutter speed needs to be set correctly, but also at events with large numbers of spectators as in the case of Bridgwater it is not conducive for a tripod, so it is best to work out your settings before you go. Some of the many carnivals taking place at this time can be found in Carnivals and Illuminations.

At many of the public Bonfire/Firework events there may also be a funfair provided as entertainment to keep you there longer. These are generally travelling fairs and therefore not large, but each ride is usually close enough together that their combined light provides enough for your camera. The lights from side stalls and attractions with pools of light, and with colour and movement is an interesting challenge to record. Within a photograph you cannot pick up the smells and sounds of the fair, but you can get an idea of movement especially if you use long exposures or time exposures to capture them. Using a tripod and a remote cable  will enable you to have a low exposure which requires the shutter to be open longer. For more details on this see photographing fun fairs.

Photographing at night throws up a set of challenges that day time photography doesn't, and even the best of us can get caught out sometimes. Low light photography means flash, well not always as it is not always possible, or will not give you the results you are looking for. So it's not as simple as just turning on the flash. Flash runs out of range quite quickly in large scenes, so items nearest to you will be corrected by it, but that further away will just be dark. In the case of illuminated carnivals if you are close enough there will be enough light from street lights and emanating from the subject and along with a higher speed (ISO), you will succeed. You may find the technical considerations in photographing street scenes at night  helpful.

As autumn draws to a close and we move into December a few of our woodlands and gardens on larger historic houses illuminate to provide a different perspective of the environment around them. Here lights have been placed strategically around the woodland or garden to give atmosphere and colour at night and places like Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire and Faskally Wood near Pitlochry in Perthshire put on such displays. In some cases sounds are also used to add to the effect. Usually the lights are coloured and there is no natural light or permanent fixed lights, as in streets, so light levels are much lower and it is more of a challenge to get the atmosphere of what they are trying to get over to the viewer. Take a look at Photographing coloured lights in forest/woodland settings  for help on getting good photos from these events and take a look at Carnivals and Illuminations for some of the places you can visit.

Towards the end of the month some of the many outdoor winter ice rinks return and in the evening can also be a photographic night time, low level light challenge. To help find one near you I have updated our Outdoor Winter Ice Rinks list with this years opening times and links to find out more.

The December diary is now in the 'next month' slot with November moved to the 'this month'. Both months have a lot of opportunities for everyone.  Some highlights for November, that are of particular interest are:-

November is the month of dark nights and spectacular lights. Many of these spectaculars being associated with particular customs and themes. It starts off on the 5th with the celebration of Guy Fawkes Night with bonfires and Fireworks. Many take place all over the country from small displays in peoples back gardens to large public events organised by local councils or groups raising money for charity. The 5th this year is on Friday and many of these displays will take place on this night and on the Saturday, however if you are having your own small garden affair with a bonfire, please remember to check that a little hedgehog hasn't decided it is a good place to sleep during the winter.

For a larger display the Carlisle Fireshow takes place at Bitts Park in the centre of Carlisle from 7pm. An animated, themed 40ft bonfire with spectacular pyrotechnic effects and a 20 minute firework finale display set to music, in which 10,000 shells are fired. There is also a fairground nearby, and around 35,000 attend each year.

For details beyond those mentioned in the Diary page take a look at Firework Events.

Staying with Fire, November sees the start of Fire Festival Season which goes through until February next year. There are many events and customs which take place, particularly in Scotland, but this month starts off with the annual Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels in Devon on the 5th November. Here the barrels are soaked with tar and lit and the main event sees strong men of the area pull them up onto their backs and carry them through the streets. Rolling starts at 4.30pm with junior barrels, the size of the adult barrels grow until Midnight when the largest is carried. There is also a huge 30ft bonfire and fairground to keep spectators occupied. For more Fire Festivals see Fire Festivals and Fire Events.

Details

Somerset has already started it's long carnival season. However the 5th November sees the biggest of them take place, the Bridgwater Illuminated Carnival. Bridgwater is a fantastic event with over 100 very large floats taking part. They have been painstakingly worked on over the year to create these fantastic illuminated masterpieces and the costumes are also very good. Thousands of spectators turn out to watch and it is a fantastic opportunity for photographers to get something different, however you need to be at the front of the crowd. Try going along early before it starts to find a good vantage point to stand. I have been many times and it is just magical and it is a good opportunity to put into practice night time photography and come away with some great shots. The procession starts at 7pm and usually takes about 3 hours+ to wind it's way past. Remember to wrap up warm, it can get a bit chilly unless you're buried in the crowd! Carnivals and Illuminations lists many others in other parts of the country.

Many areas try to take advantage of the clocks having gone back one hour and the nights get darker earlier, so that as well as fireworks, fire events and carnivals there are also a number of other lighted processions such as Lewes Bonfire Parade in Sussex where the Blazing Barrel Run and torch parade gets underway at 7.30pm and Lantern Parades such as that in Calne, Wiltshire on the 27th.

Keeping in theme with processions and carnivals there is also the annual Lord Mayors Show in London on the 13th, which starts at the Guildhall at 11am and travels past St Paul's Cathedral before coming to an end at the Royal Courts of Justice in Aldwych. The parade includes about 200 horses, 60 floats (displays on top of a vehicle), 200 motor vehicles, 20 marching bands and 23 carriages. It takes about one hour to pass. The Lord Mayor follows at the end of the procession in his golden coach.

 

Staying on the light theme the The Enchanted Forest Force of Nature, an outdoor sound and light show in Faskally Wood near Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland continues until the 7th November. An hour long forest spectacular using lights to bring the forest to life at night. A similar event starts on the 26th November, at the start of National Tree Week, in Gloucestershire with the annual Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury,  combining a walk through an Enchanted Wood lit up at night with Father Christmas, carols from bands and choirs and more. As we approach the end of the month of course things start to turn towards December and the annual Christmas festivities. There are many switching on of lights in town and city centres. As well as this many places also provide locals and visitors with a Winter Wonderland event such as that in Hyde Park London, that starts on the 19th and runs to the 4th January 2011 from 10am-10pm daily. It features London’s largest outdoor ice rink, a toboggan slide, a traditional and authentic German Christmas Market with about 25 wooden chalets, cafes, bars, a 50m giant observation wheel offering magnificent views of Hyde Park, a carousel, a helter-skelter, carol concerts and a selection of amusement rides. Or a similar such event in Cardiff starting on the 10th and running to the 3rd January 2011 on City Hall Lawn. It also includes an Open Air Ice Rink, the John Lewis Wheel, an old fashioned fairground. It all kicks off with an official switch on of the lights, musical entertainment and spectacular firework display. We have a list of Outdoor Winter Ice Rinks, so that you can identify where some of them are.

Enchanted Forest, Westonbirt Details

Check out the diary page, all these are listed and more......

Starting off with an Autumn Colour Update. Many of the trees are now out in full autumn colours, but with the stronger winds this week and those predicted over the coming week, many will start to loose them and become bare. I have one tree outside my office window which is a glorious gold and in the low level light I have today it is just mesmerizing and keeps grabbing my attention. If you get a chance, use the next couple of weeks to get out and take some pictures, you will not be disappointed. Do try and visit places like Westonbirt Arboretum, in Gloucestershire, Stourhead in Wiltshire, and Sheffield Park in Sussex, as it won't be long now before this years event is over. Within our Autumn Colours section you will find places listed by county for where you could visit, as well as articles to help you capture some great images.

Carpets of brown crispy leaves on woodland floors create great habitats for insects, bugs, hibernating hedgehogs and the last of the autumn fungi, mushrooms and toadstools will be on display, such as the Puffball where a single drop of rain can create a cloud of dust/spores, and the sulphur tuft fungus that grows on rotting wood and the bracket fungus that can be seen on tree trunks.

Remember National Tree Week is at the end of this month running from the 27th until the 5th December 2010. There will be many activities put on by the local Woodland Trusts and local Community Woodlands as well as the Forestry Commission. In Northern Ireland the Forest Service provides a list of its 124 state forests useful for identifying which you want to visit.

On the wildfowl front, many different species are now starting to fill our estuaries, wetland centres, and lakes, as the numbers of winter visitors increase. On the Norfolk coastline, when the tide is right there is the spectacle of Knot flying in large numbers, in formation, in from the mudflats where they have been feeding as the tide hurries into shore. Estuaries will be filling with Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Shovelers, Lapwing and an array of ducks. And Geese and Swans like the Whooper Swan and  Bewick's Swan will be returning. At the end of November from the 28th Slimbridge WWT in Gloucestershire starts its annual Floodlit Swan Feeds of the visiting Bewick's on Swan Lake, of course other species get fed as well who are bright enough to come along.

Other aerial spectaculars include swirling masses of roosting rooks on farmland around sunset and the spectacular displays of starlings over reedbeds, like those on the Somerset levels or from Brighton and Aberystwyth Piers, as they come into roost.

Knot in Flight by Nick Ford

Whilst at the coast waiting for these sites, it is also a good time for rockpooling as lower tides reveal more of the fascinating microcosms like shore crabs, common prawns and more. The Wildlife Trust has put together a PDF to find good rockpooling sites in the UK.

Also on our west, north and north-eastern coastlines coastlines, particularly on Orkney but also in other hotspots, Grey Seals will be giving birth to their pups, around half the world's population of Grey Seals live around UK shores. They only come to shore for extended periods at this time of year while they are giving birth. The Farne Islands, Northumberland, Blakeney Point, Norfolk and Donna Nook, Lincolnshire are some great places to see them.

Within the countryside the Fieldfares and Redwings are returning and will take every opportunity to feed on fallen apples and the berries in our hedgerows, that are now full of blackberries, elderberries, rosehips, haws and sloes. The black bryony will be threading their stems, covered in poisonous red berries in clusters, through the hedges. The Old Mans Beard is also finally opening its fluffy seed heads.

In our gardens our smaller native birds will be making good use of our bird feeders and you may also glimpse the colourful Jay, especially if you're out in Oak woodland, as during the autumn they collect acorns and bury them for winter when times are harder. A single bird can bury several thousand each year playing a particular role in spreading our oak woodlands.

   Photo of Jay

Whatever you see this month, take a look at Wildlife Photography in November for more on the sites and sounds in the UK wildlife and nature arena. There is no excuse for being inside!

Producing Calendars

Producing Calendars at Home

Printing Calendars

Calendar Templates

An Income from Calendars

Selling Pictures to Calendar Publishers

Charity and Fund Raising Calendars

Perpetual Calendar

Photographing fireworks

Photographing carnivals with lights 

Photographing fun fairs

Photographing Street scenes at night 

Photographing coloured lights in forest/woodland settings 

Wildlife Photography in November

Fieldfares

Redwings

Whooper Swan

Bewick's Swan

Grey Seals

Calendar Further Information

Calendar Links

Firework Events

Fire Festivals and Fire Events

Carnivals and Illuminations

Outdoor Winter Ice Rinks

Blakeney Point, Norfolk

Bridgwater Illuminated Carnival, Somerset

Donna Nook, Lincolnshire

Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum, nr Tetbury, Gloucestershire

Farne Islands, Northumberland

Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels, Devon

Stourhead, Wiltshire

Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire