Here is the information about the workshop, just in case you feel like joining in!

Macro and Close-up Photography Workshop
Saturday, January 16, 2010

9am-4pm

Cost $350 inc GST per person.

Jane Davenport is an internationally renowned photographic artist based in Byron Bay. Her large-scale outdoor art installations have toured across the world, been enjoyed by millions and featured extensively in the media. Jane’s is Australia’s most successfully licensed photographic artist with card, stationery books and poster ranges available globally.

Jane has taught many photo workshops, but this will be the
first in her spacious Byron Bay studio. This is a very rare chance to work alongside her. You will leave full of inspiration, new skills and the courage to fully embrace your image making potential!

Jane will focus on the close-up and macro world of photography as there are many elements that relate only to this fascinating genre of image-making. Of course, many of the skills you will learn can be applied to any type of subject from landscapes to portraits. You will work with creating arresting still-life compositions and move on to the very challenging and rewarding realm of live subjects. You will work inside the studio and outdoors.
This intensive workshop suits photography lovers of all skill levels!

You will be creating images throughout the day and Jane will conduct a review of your work.

To book click here!

To see more of Jane Davenport’s work visit the gallery or click here for her Limited Edition prints. You are welcome to call the studio (AEST 10 to 6pm) 02 6680 8550, or use the email link in the sidebar.

My last two butterflies ‘hatched’ this morning. A male and female Cairns birdwings. They are just so spectacular! As with all the other butterflies, I have allowed them free-flight throughout the whole studio (its within a great big warehouse). They have plenty of room to fly where they choose. I have mass of flowers to tempt them.
I am arranging the flowers in interesting shapes, and then waiting for the butterflies to come to me. It is working surprisingly well. I am employing all my powers of wishful thinking for where I would like the butterflies to come and sit.

These are not finished images, but you can see the fun I am having with my beautiful flying flowers!

Cairns birdwing butterfly-Jane Davenport

Cairns birdwing butterfly-Jane Davenport

Cairns birdwing 1 butterfly-Jane Davenport

Yay the Birdwing butterflies ‘hatched’ from their giant chrysalis yesterday! And I have been in hot pursuit of them ever since…

I now have two Ulysees butterflies flying around my studio. I have lots of flowers everywhere for them to drink from and they seem to be happy gliding around. I have a huge space for them to cruise around in and I am really enjoying photographing them.
I have often looked at butterflies and wondered how on earth they survive hungry birds everyday. But after  chasing these butterflies with my camera, I have a new found appreciation for just how unpredictable their flight pattern can be!

Photographing my bugjects this way is proving to be incredibly free-form. Usually I set-up and plan my shot to the most infinite of details.

Ulysees butterfly in my Studio

Two out-of-the-ordinary events have occurred today.

1. My amazing Apple Mac Pro tower crashed and burned this morning. Complete flatline. A 71 minute telephone help session with Apple Care couldn’t rectify the problem, and the technician really tried with polite patience… but the super-computer was booked into Mac-Hospital and is being resuscitated as we speak.

Now what makes this extra-ordinary is that I am not panicked. I am not flicking my head back, frothing at the mouth and rolling my eyes like a wild stallion. I am calm, cool and collected. I was prepared, all my work is safe. I have burnt DVD’s galore. I have backed up on external drives, Time Machine is in effect, blah blah blah. I have my laptop able to step in as a temp workstation. My local Mac dudes, Lightforce,  are really great at what they do, so I choose happiness and relax.

What a difference the way I feel today, as I remember the first time I experienced a major computer crash. It was just weeks before one of my first gallery shows. And with all of my artwork complete, I was trying to burn a disc for the printer, to output all my pain-stakingly created pieces. The computer just bombed and I went into a comatose state, so beyond emotive outburst. I couldn’t even verbally abuse the inanimate object, which would be the normal course of action…I put down everything and just went to cinema, and got a ticket to whatever was showing (Jurassic Park 3?).

After an hour of sitting in the dark with screaming dinosaurs and people in far worse situations than I (OK, so it was CGI danger, but still, that T-Rex is scary), I was able to return home, and deal with that evil machine…which was horrifically expensive and soul destroying. Somehow I made it to the exhibition!

And how is this for timing! My Mac Pro was just delivered back to me, given a clear bill of health ( misbehaving video card) and is back to its robust self – YAY! And I didn’t gnash my teeth or freak out once – now that is out-of-the-ordinary (for me!)

Ulysees Butterfly in my studio!

2. Experience two is having a giant Ulysees butterfly flying all around my studio! I have been photographing them as I am going through a butterfly obsession at the moment. Their wings are brown and drab on the outside, and the most AMAZING irridescent blue on the inside.

The challenge is, they sit with their wings closed, and that amazing blue that I am trying to capture, is hidden… until they fly! So I have been chasing the butterflies all around my studio and into my offices. Its a lot of fun and a wonderful way to spend the day! I want them to sit on orchids, but so far they are choosing my chandelier and unicorn head (I found it in Florence – isn’t it divine?) to perch on. But as has been proven by scenario 1 on my out-of-the-ordinary day, I am nothing if not patient.