News

Just back from France and the weather in England was glorious, so I drove off to Wiltshire the same evening to complete the photography for Country Life Magazine of Whatley Manor Hotel, near Malmesbury. The light was gorgeous and I shot through to sunset.

Whatley Manor Hotel, Wiltshire:

http://www.whatleymanor.com/

I have just returned from a very quick trip to Digne-les-Bains 150 km north of Nice, France. I was photographing works by the world famous English artist Andy Goldsworthy - for a book that I am photographing for Thames & Hudson on Mediterranean Land Art. I spent an uncomfortable night on my own in a refuge in the mountains surrounded by wild boar, chamois and wolves (apparently), 4 miles from the nearest human habitation. The refuge itself, Vieil Esclangon, is a farmhouse that was abandoned in the early 20th century. Inside the ancient stone building one wall is entirely plastered in red clay, and on this Goldsworthy has made a sinuous high relief, snaking up to the apex of the roof (see pic opposite)

To learn more about Andy's work in Digne, read Kevin Rushby's superb article in the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jun/20/provence-andy-goldsworthy-sculptures

A balmy summer evening saw myself, Richard (my assistant) and Pattie Barron from The London Evening Standard photographing an amazing roof garden in Chelsea by award winning garden design and landscape company, Olivebay (www.olivebay.co.uk) Instead of just designing a roof garden, as per the original brief, the 9m by 15m unused roof space was redeveloped to include a kitchen, bathroom, living space, garden courtyard and sun terrace increasing the original apartment's living space by a third.

Interestingly, the courtyard garden was designed as a roofless room to be enjoyed as a garden now or be easily converted into an additional room in future. The idea of flexible garden space is ideal for a growing family and an innovative way of adding significant value to one's home.

The garden was featured in the London Evening Standard and will also be featured in a new book to be published in October 2010 by Birkhauser, Switzerland (www.birkhauser-architecture.com). It will be a more technical book for architects and landscape designers with a lot of text and only featuring about 18-20 international projects.

I love shooting small London gardens with a twist and this one by Anuska Sanchez-Martin is pretty whacky. Anna trained as a horticulturalist and designer after 15 years in the film business, directing music videos and producing TV programmes. You can see more of Anuska's work on her website http://www.germinatedesign.com/

I spent a fun day with Sophie Harber shooting David Harber's metal sculptures in two private gardens in the Chilterns. The images will be used on the David Harber website http://www.davidharbersundials.co.uk/

One of the pieces that we shot - known as URN - features a series of mirror-polished stainless steel wafers, creating a mirage of multiple reflections.

I have just returned from Provence with some great shots of the lavender fields at their peak on the Valensole Plateau. I went with my son Robbie (that's him in the red and white shirt) who loved the place almost as much as I did. The farmers were harvesting the lavender as we were shooting and the smell was amazing in the warm July air. The weather was perfect with moody skies and a great sunset and sunrise.

Over 90 people attended a seminar on the 29th June at the 'home' of Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera in the Blue Fin Building, rising above the impressive London skyline.

The event was a big success according to AP editor Damien Demolder - 'It's not everyday you get to meet one of your photography heroes, and this series of Amateur Photographer seminars aims to give readers the chance to do just that. The tips, tricks and techniques of photography masters are like gold to the learning enthusiast, and those who were lucky enough to attend Clive's seminar on plant and garden photography came away very rich indeed. It was a wonderful evening of inspirational images, words of wisdom and most importantly, practical information that readers could take away with them and use to improve their own photography. Most enjoyable, thank you very much.'

So far, as part of our their series of inspirational seminars, AP have also hosted the hugely popular Charlie Waite Landscape photography Seminar, Steve Bloom's amazing Wildlife Seminar, Annabel Williams Portrait and Lifestyle Seminar and David Noton Travel and Landscape Seminar.

For more info on seminars visit the Amateur Photographer website http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/

The 2 day workshop at Rosemary Alexander's garden at Sandhill Farm House in Surrey was a great success. The weather was perfect and 11 students had a great time photographing at sunset and sunrise - one particularly keen lady even taking pictures of the garden in the moonlight ! The plan is to run similar workshops next year (2011)

'Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule, for spending two days encouraging others to develop their floral photography, in such wonderful surroundings as Rosemary's garden in Rogate.

I would like to offer my thanks for the positive comments and encouragement that you offered, whilst reviewing my work during our one to one session. These have made me more determined than ever to develop my floral photography, taking it to the next level. For this I thank you.'

I do hope that you enjoyed the course as much as I did. The soft and subtle lighting of the morning shoot was a treat not to be forgotten, a most enjoyable couple of days.

Thanks once again

Dave Tull

This October sees the publication of a stunning new book featuring over 80 glorious plant portraits taken by Clive during the past 3 years. 'Florescence - The World's Most Beautiful Flowers' showcases nature's most beautiful flowers in breathtaking detail. Each photograph is accompanied by explanatory and descriptive texts by renowned gardens writer Noel Kingsbury

To pre-order the book click here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/

To view some the cover and some spreads from the book click on links below.

View front cover (pdf)
View pages 2-3, 8-9 (pdf)
View pages 14-15, 20-21, 29-29 (pdf)

Five dedicated photographers spent a pleasant June day with Clive at Barnsley House (www.barnsleyhouse.com) , in Gloucestershire, former home of the late Rosemary Verey - well-known garden designer, lecturer and writer . It was a memorable day with good weather and plenty of subjects to photograph. To read an account of the day click on the link below:

http://thegallopinggardener.blogspot.com/2010/06/barnsley-house-iconic-cotswold-garden.html

We have just renovated the office here at Clive Nichols. We would welcome visitors by appointment. Please call Gemma, Clive or Mary on 01295 712288 for an appointment.

As spring begins to stir and plants come into bloom, now is the perfect time to get out into the garden and capture some colourful close-ups of flowers. For this month's Masterclass, Clive Nichols and four AP readers travelled to Cambridge University Botanic Garden to capture creative plant pictures bursting with life.

While it is not difficult to take a reasonable photograph of a flower, producing a skilful image takes a bit more thought and care. The aim of the day was to concentrate on photographing plants in the garden and glasshouses at close range, using natural light, a diffuser and a reflector to create top-quality images. Through a combination of careful framing, subtle manipulation of available light, precise focusing and aperture control, the readers were able to do this.

Clive was on hand throughout the day to offer advice on how to obtain a correct exposure and shared his tips on how to handle the variable light. 'You need to be aware of how the light is changing,' says Clive. 'Select what you want to photograph and manipulate the light to achieve the desired effect. Think about how the light is falling on the flower and decide what effect you are trying to create. Are you trying to "warm up" the image? If so, you may want to use a gold reflector. The challenge is to bring out the character of each flower.'

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Clive is interviewed about his work by Rochelle Greayer, Principal of Greayer Design Associates

To read the interview, click on:

http://studiog.greayer.com/

Greayer Design Associates is a boutique design firm specializing in creating luxurious outdoor environments for spa and hospitality properties and private residences. Founded in 2002 in London, England, Greayer Design Associates (GDA) is an international landscape architectural services and garden design firm. Currently based in Harvard, Massachusetts, USA, GDA's services help clients get from start to finish; we design, manage construction and source materials, furniture and fixtures to create a complete turnkey solution.

Clives book The Art of Flower & Garden Photography is now listed on BestPhotographyBooks.com To read the review click link below

www.bestphotographybooks.com/nature/flowers-garden

Blue Fin Building
110 Southwark Street
London SE1 OSU

Join us for the fifth in our series of photographic seminars in association with International Garden Photographer of the Year, and learn how to create dynamic garden, flower and plant images. Seminar to be held Tuesday 29th June 2010.

So far, as part of our series of inspirational seminars, we have hosted the hugely popular Charlie Waite Landscape photography Seminar, Steve Bloom's amazing Wildlife Seminar, Annabel Williams Portrait and Lifestyle Seminar and David Noton Travel and Landscape Seminar due to be held in April.

We are now delighted to welcome Clive Nichols who is one of the world's top contemporary garden photographers. He has won numerous awards and published many books. Clive is also a co-founder of International Garden Photographer of the Year, the world's premier competition for garden and plant photography with a top prize of £5,000 and an annual exhibition at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Learn fascinating techniques to help develop your flower and garden photography, as Clive shows you how to: obtain pin-sharp images of garden scenes and flowers/foliage up close; use different apertures to control depth of field; select different lenses to create striking compositions of gardens and flowers; 'read' the light to obtain stunning natural-light photographs, whatever the weather; use reflectors to bounce natural light into dark or shadowy areas and different shutter speeds to freeze or record movement; look for patterns to create striking compositions and abstracts.

This exclusive seminar for up to 90 people shall be on 29th June 2010 and will be held at the 'home' of Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera in the Blue Fin Building, rising above the impressive London skyline.

Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis at £29 per head to include the presentation from Clive Nichols, followed by a Q&A session with tea and coffee served afterwards and a goody bag with MAGIX Website Maker 3 software worth £29.99. You also have the chance to purchase a signed copy of one of Clive's books, as well as International Garden Photographer of the Year books.

Members of the teams from What Digital Camera and Amateur Photographer will also attend and be available to chat and answer questions after the presentation.

To book your place;

• email us at: spiadmin@ipcmedia.com with the words 'CLIVE NICHOLS SEMINAR' in the subject line. Please include your name, address and telephone number.
• post a cheque for £29, made out to IPC Media Ltd to Charlene Baker, SPI Seminar, Room 9-372, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 OSU.
• call 020 3148 4326 / 1 to pay by card.

The success of 'Solitary Blooms collection continues with new products being added all the time. The latest additions include new photo albums and lever arch files.

The collection was recently on display at the NEC Spring Fair, Birmingham

Photographs by Clive Nichols.

Available from Antique Map & Print Gallery. calendars cost £4-99 and are cd style and size. Click here to visit the site.

By Clare Matthews
Photography by Clive Nichols

More and more people are becoming interested in growing their own fruit and vegetables as food prices rise and awareness of food provenance and chemical usage increases, but getting started can seem daunting and many are deterred by a lack of knowledge and time. This book sets out to overcome these problems. With clear practical instructions and inspirational pictures this book aims to demystify the growing of fruit and veg and shows that, with the right approach, it can be done successfully as a weekend project or slotted into a busy week. The book explains simple short cuts, unusual low maintenance strategies and promotes a relaxed, robust attitude to growing-your-own which really works.

The book has been shot by the well-respected garden photographer Clive Nichols in the author's own weekend vegetable garden over two years where the principles promoted in this book have been tried, tested and proven. Filled with fantastic images and sound horticultural advice, the book will appeal to the complete novice planning a new vegetable garden as well as the more experienced gardener who is looking to save time and increase productivity.

To Buy this book click on the following link:

www.newhollandpublishers.com

January 2010
Author: Clare Matthews
Photographer: Clive Nichols
ISBN: 9781847735515
Publisher: New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd

By Tom Fischer
Photography by Clive Nichols

Choosing color is one of the most delightful and personal choices a gardener makes. For one gardener, the shock of a garden full of pink and red is a picture of beauty. For another, white flowers may be more tranquilly inspiring.

The Gardener's Color Palette features ten plants in ten color groups and offers gardeners hundreds of opportunities to mix and match. Want a red garden? Choose the 'Crimson Star' columbine, the 'Lucifer' crocosmia, and the 'Gardenview Scarlet' bee balm. For a metallic garden plant the Japanese cobra lily, the Chocolate cosmos, and the Kamchatka fritillary. Or, create a multicolored array by picking plants from each category. Plant profiles include a description, the common and botanical names, information about expected height and spread, bloom time, hardiness, and light and water requirements.

Combined with Clive Nichols' stunning photographs, The Gardener's Color Palette is an invaluable source of practical advice and visual inspiration

"While Clive Nichols' phenomenal photos were what attracted my attention, Fischer's writing was what kept me reading. ... Fischer makes it clear that color is a joy that should be wholeheartedly embraced in our gardens."

To Buy this book click on the following link:

http://www.timberpress.com/books/

February 17th 2010
Author: Tom Fischer
Photographer: Clive Nichols
ISBN: -13; 978-1-60469-126-9
Publisher: Timber Press, Inc

Clive lecturing at:
Midhurst Camera Club
The Grange Centre
Midhurst
West Sussex
GU29 9HD

For tickets contact Karen on 01730 815199
www.midhurstcameraclub.co.uk

Clive Nichols Autumn/Winter 2009 range of Wall Canvasses now available to buy at Next.

To purchase click the following link www.next.co.uk

Watch this space for the Spring/Summer 2010 range, available from January 2010!

Gifted In Design are working closely with Clive Nichols to create an exquisite range of branded gift and stationery products. Featured opposite is the first collection - "Solitary Blooms" - which capitalizes on the beauty, detail and vibrancy of individual flowers. This collection is currently exclusively on sale at Blackwell stores throughout the country. A wider range of products will be launched in February next year at the SPRING FAIR 2010 INTERNATIONAL at the NEC, Birmingham (http://www.springfair.com/ )

Sue Townsend, MD of Gifted In Design and winner of the Everywoman in Retail Director of the Year 2008 Award, says "We are delighted to be working with Clive and his team on launching his new product collections. Clive's inspiring photography clearly demonstrates that there are no greater colours, shapes and subjects than the ones provided by Mother Nature herself but that it takes an exceptional talent to blur the lines between art and reality so successfully. It is a pleasure to be able to celebrate his work through product collections"

For more information on any of these products, future collections or to discuss product opportunities and please contact Joanna Partlett at Gifted In Design on 01865 481674. If you prefer to make contact by email please email us at joanna.partlett@gifted-in.co.uk

Clives images can now be seen on Flickr. Click the link below to view his profile and images

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clivenichols/

Clive has been chosen as one of the Fifty Greatest Masters of Photography in a new book by David Clark to be published in October 2009. In his latest book 'Photography in 100 words: Exploring the Art of Photography with Fifty of its Greatest Masters, David Clark has selected 50 iconic images by some of the world's greatest photographers and asked them to explain how the pictures were made and their creative approach. From these interviews he has chosen 100 words that encapsulate their philosophy, and which are picked out in bold in the text. The highlighted words work on two levels. As well as giving insights into iconic images from the photographers who took them, they build over the course of the book into a unique creative lexicon of the photographic medium - one which crystallises its many aims and functions, perspectives and meanings. Thought-provoking, insightful and inspirational, Photography in 100 Words will appeal to all photographers and anyone who seeks a better understanding of the medium. David Clark is a photography journalist and author. He was the senior features writer on Amateur Photographer magazine for nine years, during which time he met and interviewed many of the world's great photographers.

To pre-order this book, click here.

Card company Images & Editions www.images-editions.co.uk have just produced a new range of Clive Nichols branded Greetings Cards. The range is already selling very well with several cards being reprinted. To view the whole range see the brochure by clicking here or on the image on the right.

Clives book 'The Art of Flower & Garden Photography' is currently featuring in the Healthcare Fine Art blog of Henry Domke, MD, in the USA.

To read the review click on the link below

http://www.healthcarefineart.com/2009/03/featured-artist-clive-nichols.html

6 of clives flower and garden images have been selected for an advert for Calumet Photographic in London. Other photographers involved include Mike Hacker, Laurence Hudghton and Britains best known landscape photographer, Charlie Waite.

Clives evocative and colourful dawn image of Pettifers Garden in Oxfordshire has been chosen as the image to promote the 2009 International Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire, France. The image was chosen by the Festival Director Chantal Colleu-Dumond.

Every day during the entire summer, this festival takes places on the grounds of the Château de Chaumont. Gardeners from all over the world produce outstanding gardens around a central theme, using art and nature together to create the desired effect.

Conservatoire International des Parcs et Jardins
Ferme du château
41150 Chaumont-sur-Loire
Tel: (+33)02.54.20.99.22
cipjp.accueil@wanadoo.fr
www.experienceloire.com/gardenfestival.htm (French only)