To jester5: Philip Dunn........

[tyro]

Hello Marion,

Thank you again for your kind remarks about this one.

Yes, I'm pleased that you found the link to Philip Dunn interesting. I was most fortunate last Christmas to receive a wonderful present from my wife, Yvonne. She had booked this photographic holiday for us in Menorca in May. We both went on the 7-day holiday but she spent her time at the hotel relaxing by the pool or reading or going for walks while I was with the other nine or so students and Philip getting photographic instruction. I was worried that Yvonne might have been bored but he certainly wasn't and very much enjoyed the holiday too. I remember that there was another lady there too whose husband, though not her, was on the course. We all ate breakfast and dinner together in the S'Algar hotel where we staued (very comfortable and good food) and usually we all chatted until late at night in the bar, not always about photography. Very often (if we weren't away all day with Philip) we'd meet for lunch in a nearby restaurant.

Philip is a delightful fellow as also is his wife, Norene, who does all the organisation. Philip, like so many really interesting and brainy people, is a bit disorganised and so he depends a lot on Norene for keeping tha arrangements going to plan! Unfortunately, Norene has been quite unwell and is now just recovering from major cardiac surgery.

The instruction was excellent and we visited lots of interesting places with Philip. We had an evening at the horse trotting races, learning how to "pan" and take shots of moving horses against a blurred background; we had a visit to a little harbour where we had to take pictures right into the bright sunlight; we had a little portrait session with a lovely old farmer, Pedro, who was a wonderful model; we had a trip to "La Mola", an old fortification where we took pictures in dark tunnels, and so on. Yes, highly recommended.

But, if you look at Philip's website, you'll see that he also does days and weekends in his home town of Kirkcudbright in southwest Scotland as well as days at Carlisle cathedral. And I see that he's now moved up to doing a holiday course on board a sailing ship too - all right of you've plenty of disposable cash to pay for that!

Kind Regards,

John.

[jester5]

will need to win the lottery before I can afford the photography course on the Star Clipper but I am allowed to dream lol.It sounds as though both you and your wife enjoyed Menorca and I may drop a few hints in my husbands direction he tends to go a bit deaf around christmas .

[tyro]

Hello Marion,

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, looking at Philip's blog, I see that all places are now taken on the May, 2012 Menorca photographic holiday. But I see that there are still places on the September one. The weather was certainly beautiful last May and I guess it should be good in September too, though probably a little hotter.

If you're interested, you could have a look here at a bunch of photographs which our group took on the May, 2011 holiday with Philip.

Kind Regards,

John.