MOVING THROUGH THE SEASONS....

Lots has been going on, in fact so much so that it was August when I last managed to update the blog. 

Lots of different occassions from Weddings, Working Tests, Field Trials and private commissions to Dog Photography Workshops and private 1-2-1 lessons !!!!

TWO WEDDINGS AND A LOT LOT MORE ...

 The first wedding of the season was Sally & Mark.  A beautiful working Chateau in Southern France was the perfect backdrop to a wedding that was more "Mamma Mia' than "Mamma Mia".

The Stunning "CHATEAU CAMPUGET"

I couldn't have been more nervous, The Father of the Bride, a photographer, and The Bride .. another photographer !!! ... but the sky was blue, the temperature steadily climbing and a gentle breeze to keep it just this side of uncomfortable..

" I DO"

The day threw many photographic curves my way,  generally I avoid flash photography but with so much sun, the use of fill flash was essential and by the time we managed to get around to taking the goup shots ...... 

it was dark !!!!!

It was a memorable trip for many reasons but I am so glad that I didn't let the nerves get the better of me.

"those kisses don't only happen in the movies...."

Hold her steady !!

 

 

 

As the time started to slip away so did the light and eventually we managed to set up the group shots 

"in the dark" ...

Groovers in the House .. dancing till they dropped.

THE "MG" GANG

Sometimes impromptu photoshoots are just magical.  Grandad George had an afternoon with his grandchildren and his magical MG ...  He was after a couple of shots as reminders of the day ... "just before the rain" he said !!!

A SPOT OF GATHERING ...

Well it was probably the hottest day of the year when our local farmer decided to gather his flock that was spread out across the moors for a spot of shearing.  

The sheep were driven in, on foot with dogs, across the moor at 5.30am to make the most of the cool morning... !!! By 8.30 everyone was hot, dusty and in a need of a tea break.  

A hard job but I am sure the sheep appreciated their short back and sides. 

 Click HERE to see full gallery ...

ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR...

A couple of days at the fantastic Yorkshire Game Fair... if you didn't make it this year, this is one for next years diary.  Fabulous main arena displays, great outdoor cooking demonstrations, the usual bows, arrows and guns together with the National Gundog Competition and various long retrieves and scurries.  Something for everyone, young and old.

 

 For full gallery of the Yorkshire Game Fair click HERE

BEAGLING ABOUT...

Autumn arrived and so too the hunting season.  Out for early morning excercise with The Claro Beagles, introduced me to these quirky character full hounds.

 I've joined the Claro a few times this Autumn, when time has allowed and to see a selection of galleries click HERE

GLORIOUS GROUSE

 This year was a quiet year for Grouse.  With moors recording massive drops in the numbers of grouse, mainly due to inclement weather conditions during the hatching and rearing season, shoot days in some areas were cancelled and the grouse left to recover, whilst in others it was business as usual.

Click HERE to see more !

  

TIME TO TRIAL

On your marks.. and we are off..  

   First trial of the season was the Gwynedd Spaniel Clubs Novice Stake - Lancaster.

A gloomy and very wet start but the sun managed to come out and make for a lovely end to the trial.

For full gallery click HERE

  

WEDDING TIME AGAIN

Our October wedding date arrived and myself and Caroline Bridges headed down to Northampton to photograph Samantha and Matts wedding.

Early October and the weather held .. blue skies and NO rain !!!.  

A lovely venue in Northampton, our Bride was stunning and her new husband wasn't bad either !!.   

Sadly due to a poorly labrador, the dogs stayed home, but not to be forgotten or to miss out we have booked a mini shoot for Sam and Matt with Coal, Finn and Jed !!!

See you soon guys xx

   

AND ON WITH MORE TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING ...

 I attend many Kirkbourne Spaniels Training days and Working Tests and even though the winter is fast approaching training continues apace.

We recently had an intermediate training day held at Driffield.  

After a miserable start the sun came out and we ended the day in shirt sleeves with dummy launchers and flying goldies !!!

 For the full gallery click HERE 

 

and for more information about all that Kirkbourne Spaniels can offer you and your dog visit their WEBSITE

 

It's also been great to catch up with my friends at N.E.F.R.A (Northern England Flatcoated Retriever Association) ... the most recent training day was a cold game day and the dogs performed brilliantly.  Retrieves over the water, over walls, through rushes, over fences .. no stopping the novice and open dogs.  For the puppies it was the first game some had seen.. and Gary took his time and encouraged each dog and handler with it's first retrieve. 

For the full gallery click HERE 

and for more information about N.E.F.R.A visit their WEBSITE   

So, what else have we been  up to !!! (as if there were enough hours in the day).

 WORKSHOPS AND PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS

Well, in conjunction with Caroline Bridges Photography we ran our second "Dog Photography and Processing" Workshop.

Our courses are limited to four photographers to ensure everyone can have individual tuition time.   We spent a fabulous morning out on the moors with our models Bob, Elvis and Billy and then headed back for an afternoon of processing.

 

Our next course will be run in March and for further information or to reserve your place please contact us at :  info@workinglineimages.co.uk

I also offer 1-2-1 lessons from basic camera principles and use to action photography, animal portraits and if required lightroom processing.

Max had already been on an action photography workshop but wanted to practice her portrait skills, and also wanted some of her own shots of her dogs to print ... so she bought them with her. 

We didn't have a huge amount of light so we also practised using a tripod.  I think it is safe to say that Max was over the moon with the results.

HORSING AROUND

 Sometimes it's good to step outside of the box or in my case, fill my viewfinder with something different ....

 and I will be doing a lot more of this during 2016.....

AND NOW ...

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR 

VISIT THE WEBSITE TO SEE OUR RANGE OF 2015 CHRISTMAS CARDS.

WE ALSO HAVE OUR 2016 CALENDARS ARRIVING THIS WEEK...  "GUNDOGS AT WORK",  "PUPPIES & PORTRAITS" OR "THE GROUSE MOOR"

  

  

 

   

WHERE TO START ....!!!

WOW.... times seems to fly when you are having FUN. 

 

So much seems to have happened since our last update.

PUPPIES

We have two new members of the Workingline team, Flossie, a tri-colour roan Cocker Spaniel bitch and Blue a beautiful dark blue roan dog from the Lowforge Kennels.

Now a very lively 20 weeks old, they have a formed a "fast and furious" friendship and are testing my patience and training ablilites already.

They are as happy on the moor as they are modelling products !!!

FRRREEEEEEEEEEE........

FLOSSIE ON HER FIRST MODELLING ASSIGNMENT

We attended a brilliant training session at Kirkbourne Spaniels, "An Introduction to Beating" ... from learning where and how the young pheasants and partridge are reared to introducing dogs to working in a beating line with flags, shot and distraction.

For more information on training days and sessions please visit the Kirkbourne Spaniels website. 

To see the full gallery of the day click HERE

And whilst all this has been going on the Swallows have nested and fledged their young out of the barn and up onto the ridges

Then off down south for a fabulous photoshoot in Dorset with Hilary and the Larwaywest Team.....

Bali, Quincy, Flint, Tula & Jack

Great to catch up with the older dogs, some of which I  have now been "shooting" since they were puppies ..... but the main reason for the visit was to meet and shoot the newest members to the kennel.

MORE PUPPIES....

This shoot was booked as soon as Hilary was sure that Sydney was in pup.  Ever thoughtful, Hilary wanted to send her puppies home with a nice "puppy shot" included in their Puppy Packs. We aimed for about 6-7 weeks of age to make sure they wouldn't be too camera shy and as it happened (despite a very grey and damp day, which we just had to work with) ... they all stepped up to the task.

Three of this litter have extra special lives ahead of them, they are going to join the team at Ability Dogs 4 Young People on the Isle of White ( please please check out their website HERE) 

One in particular is young X-JAY, he is sponsored by Jaguar and definitely making an impression.

For more information on Hilary and Larwaywest Gundogs check out the WEBSITE

It was also time to pop into Corbinsbere Gundogs and catch up with last years pup Stomp and his new kennel friend Newt.  Tracy is keen to keep her website update with images of the dogs and these two young lads both needed some shots.

STOMP !! THEN AND NOW ...  6 MONTHS ON...

For fantastic one to one, group and special gundog training in Dorset head over to the Corbinsbere WEBSITE .. and maybe I will see you there at their NON KC Working Test as the end of September....

THEY WEAR THEM WELL ...... !!!

We were recently approached by "Dog and Field" to see if we could help them with some images for a new product launch .... guess the product !!!!!

These great microfibre dog coats come in a range of sizes from XS to XL .. and there was a size to fit everyone here. 

THE BLACK GROUSE ......

THE LEK

Last year Andrew made the trip north to capture the Black Grouse lekking.  

The weather was determined to play it's part and very early on a saturday morning in the deep mist and murk an addiction spawned.... 

It has become less about "that shot" and more about being part of one of natures stunning rituals.

So this year, we both headed north, last year a 200 - 400mm lens proved to short, even with an extender and a crop sensor, so this year the weapon of choice was a Canon 600mm.

I wish I could describe how it feels to be sat atop a moor with the weather sailing past... vast, open, space, peace .. nothing really fits.  For those that have been, you will hopefully understand, for those that haven't, should you ever get the opportunity.. grab it, with both hands.

We spent a while at dusk checking out where the grouse had been lekking and getting a feel for the Polaris which we had very kindly been loaned.

In all honesty some of the Workingline team could maybe have spent the rest of the evening putting this through it's paces, but a very early start dictated an early evening. 

MORE THAN A 4X4

HEADING OF THE MOOR AT THE END OF THE EVENING

 CHECKING OUT THE SCOPE OF THE 600MM

Well the alarm called at 4am and after grabbing a flask we headed back across the moor in the gloom and the low cloud !!!!

Could the sun just not have shone a little.

Nothing however could have prepared me for what came next... 

The noise ... the huge amount of noise that the grouse were making .. a constant vibration and then as a pair started to display a more insistant shrill call ... 

There were around 30 birds displaying and right in the middle, two grey hens, calmly watching the spectacle.

We sat with them for a good few hours, and although there were no aerial displays, it was truly a priviledge to be able to watch this breath taking display.

   

TWO PAIRS OF GROUSE DISPLAYING

BLACK GROUSE

 DISPLAYING

To view the fully gallery from the 2015 Lek, visit our website ...

BLACK GROUSE 2015

PLEASE DO NOT COPY OR REPRODUCE THESE IMAGES WITHOUT PERMISSION.  THESE IMAGES ARE THE WORK AND COPYRIGHT OF WORKINGLINE IMAGES.

SHOULD YOU WISH TO USE ANY OF THESE IMAGES FOR PUBLICATION PLEASE CONTACT US.

PUPPY POWER ......

Well in fact "RUPERT POWER.... "

What better than to turn up to training and to meet the newest member of the "Bracken Cottage" gang.... Rupert. 

12 weeks and absolutely gorgeous, with eyes only for his new mum oh and maybe a puppy dummy or two.

Really excited to watch this young man grow... won't be long until he is part of the "Kirkbourne Training Crew..."

To read more about Lucy and Rupert checkout the Kirkbourne Spaniels website and their fabulous member journals ..

KIRKBOURNE MEMBER JOURNALS

If you would like Workingline to capture your puppy or even your training class then contact us either at :

email : info@workinglineimages.co.uk

call : 07798 883142

or send us a message on Facebook

www.workinglineimages.co.uk