End Of This Blogger Page

Well, this site has charted the ups and downs of Creative Image Maker since before it actually became available - and now the decision has been taken not to update it anymore.

The site will remain here, but the main website at http://creativeimagemaker.co.uk now has the ability to send out newsfeeds that you can subscribe to. Further news will only be sent out from the main site, so if you want to keep in touch, head over there and subscribe.
It's quite interesting reading back through the blogs that have been put here since Dec 2007, but the time has come to move on and focus on the main site and magazine.
So CiM goes from strength to strength, join us over at http://creativeimagemaker.co.uk
--- Click to read more ---

April Edition Out Now...

Just to let you all know that the April edition of the CiM magazine is available for free download.

Chris has put together a fabulous issue that is largely dedicated to pinhole photography (images, articles and even DIY!). We'd both like to thank all the contributors that made this issue possible.

The website also has articles on shooting fireworks, a reprint of an article by Peter Rowlands (editor of Underwater Photography magazine) about the Nikonos V camera and I continue my sagas with starting out in large format photography with a 100+ year old camera.
--- Click to read more ---

Glass Plate Photography: Special Edition Out Now!

It's available NOW! This special edition Glass Plate Photography book, created to raise money for charity. It is available from our storefront over at Lulu; it has 42 pages of articles, images, inspiration and information from some of the most well-known individuals in this area of photography - Denise Ross and Quinn Jacobson have both kindly written extensive articles about glass plate photography (and supplied images too), along with additional work by Bernt Løve Nielsen, Michael Waite, Jay Truman, Bruce Schultz and also from the National Museum Wales and Penobscot Marine Museum. It's also printed in colour.

The chosen charity, Woodlarks, helps disabled children and adults to try out new adventures, whether it's singing around a camp fire or water-skiing! They are currently trying to raise £1.5m to upgrade the very old buildings to accommodate new facilities.

This book is available for free PDF download (130MB) as I recognise that not everyone will want to purchase it, or indeed may not be able to purchase it - but I really hope that you will support both the charity and Creative Image Maker and raise some cash. Whether you choose to download, or purchase, I do hope that you enjoy reading the book.

Thank you,

David Vickers.

--- Click to read more ---

March Edition: Out Now

Just a quick post to let you know that the March edition of the CiM magazine is out now, and new articles posted on the website.

In the March edition, available for free download from the Creative Image Maker Storefront you'll find articles and portfolios from Diane Kaye and Roberto Carbajo, solarisation and lots more.

On the website at Creative Image Maker you'll find more information about what's happening at CiM, a featured image from David Lingham, and you can find out how I got on with fixing the pneumatic shutter on my Pony Premo #4. Plus more...

- David -

--- Click to read more ---

International Edition?

I'm currently working on the layout for the March special (charity) edition on Glass Plate Photography which is really exciting as it will be available for free download (PDF) or printed on real paper by Lulu - for a fee though! Although everything left after Lulu take their bit will be going to charity.

But, I'm also after doing some articles in people's native tongue (which of course means that I'm going to have to trust you to write nicely!).

If you are interested in writing something in Dutch / German / Spanish / Greek (could prove interesting with the character set) or some other language, send it in to info@creativeimagemaker.co.uk - along with a brief summary of what it is about! I'd love to be able to produce a truly 'International' edition some time in the future, so if you could help, get in touch.

Many thanks,

David.

--- Click to read more ---

Charity Special

The magazine special that we have planned for March is all about glass plate photography, and there will be a number of articles from specialists active in this area of photography. There are also a couple of articles from museums, about their collections. But what really sets this issue apart is that it is being produced to raise funds for charity.

I hope to bring you a magazine special (in addition to the one that Chris puts together) once a quarter, and on each occasion it will be to raise money for various charities - indeed Chris already has his first two charities in mind!

Well, after speaking to my chosen charity and getting their support, I'm happy to reveal that my first chosen charity will be "Woodlarks". Here's what Woodlarks say about what they do...

"Situated in twelve acres of beautiful Surrey countryside, Woodlarks Camp Site enables children and adults with disabilities to enjoy a host of activities they may never have thought possible. Woodlarks camps can be as tranquil or as adventurous as you want them to be; whatever kind of experience you are looking for, Woodlarks can make it happen.

Woodlarks is a charity dedicated to providing a permanent camp site for people with disabilities of all ages. Seven week-long camps are open to all comers according to age etc. Most other weeks are booked by special needs schools and groups.

People from all backgrounds come together to enjoy outdoor living, a wide variety of activities, each other’s company, and to have a complete break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life."

I will be making the PDF version of this magazine special available as a free download as I don't want people missing out if they can't afford the proper paper copy; but I really hope that you will purchase the paper version to support a worthy cause. I should reiterate that neither Chris or I will take any money out of the proceeds from the sale of this magazine, obviously Lulu will take their printing charges out, but the remainder will go direct to Woodlarks.

The special should be out at the start of March.

--- Click to read more ---

So, the big question - did we make ten thousand page views in January for the Creative Image Maker website?

I have been tracking the number of page views on the main site throughout January, especially as it was relaunched after Chris and I got back in touch with each other just before Xmas. On, or around, the 21st January we hit the 5,000 mark (starting on the 1st Jan.) If you've been keeping track of what's been going on, that meant that we had achieved three times as many page views in 21 days, than we had in the previous 61 days!

I pondered on what we would get by the end of January, and I was hoping for about 7,500 in all (but with a hankering after 10,000). Did we make it...

You want the long answer, or the quick answer? Righto, I'll keep it short then... NO.

But we missed it by a couple of hundred! In the end, across the whole of January we served 9,799 pages; thereby completely smashing my original estimate!!

So, I'd like to thank you all once again for taking part, looking at the site and sending in emails, articles and images.

David V.

--- Click to read more ---