hello and welcome to Len's Journal Newsletter

Welcome to Len’s Journal Newsletter.

I am so thankful that you have subscribed to our new newsletter. It is a newsletter with more diversity than my previous one, with the inclusion of more writers and varied content that we find inspiring. Len’s Journal Newsletter heralds a new era in marketing. One that is inclusive of other photographers rather than narrowly focusing on my own photography.

We aim to be regular, consistent, inspiring, sharing and beautiful. Len’s Journal Newsletter will bring you the best creative photography content we can find.

Clair Reynolds joined me last year when she mentioned she was looking for a new position and career. Being a very accomplished and talented photographer, I asked her to become my executive assistant. In the period she has been working with me she has bought a huge range of skills, motivation and ideas. Clair is the designer behind Len’s Journal and will be gracing us with her presence as she scours the world of photography sharing her finds with us.

Shirley Steel has offered to join us with some guest writing and her gorgeous abstract art. Shirley has been teaching with me for the past nine years, initially teaching ‘Blurry Lens’, and then Abstract Photography.

This newsletter also allows you to go back into your subscription preferences and change between the longer weekly version or the more regular shorter version that comes out a few times per week.

We do hope you enjoy this change. Len’s Journal Newsletter will also allow us to feature some of Len’s School alumni students, some of my friends, and some work of some fantastic creative photographers from around the world.

I have chosen to launch this new newsletter with my oldest currently scanned photograph of a Blue Mountains Canyon that I took in 1988 as part of my major work in my final year at Art School. It was with the portfolio that included this photograph that I was awarded ‘Most Outstanding Advanced Colour Photographer’, in my graduating year. I spend three days in the canyon photographing it with Mark Joseph. He volunteered to come with me and carry my huge tripod, and ropes through the canyon. I am indebted to his companionship and support. I took ten exposures on that trip and printed eight of them. These were shot on transparency film, and I hand printed them with contrast reducing masks onto Ciberchrome. I loaded each one into a drum and it would take me a couple of days to get each print finished. They are stunning, and one day deserve to exhibited again. Cibachrome were the most dangerous of photographic chemicals, and I would leave art school each day with a metallic taste in my mouth, despite working in a fume cabinet. The things we do for art and love. hmmmmm

I do hope you enjoy our new newsletter. May it be inspiring for you.

Canyon Junction, The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2021