Wiltshire Photography in the Autumn - Pets, Craft Markets and More!

Can someone please tell me where summer went? Did it fly by for you too? Despite being a sun-loving, hot weather person, I’m quite entranced by these glorious golden mornings right now, and lighting the log burner more for the atmosphere than for the temperature (the narrowboat is instantly hot, out come the shorts and tshirts again!) is a lovely, cosy thing to be doing as the nights start drawing in.

Before I look back at that glorious summer, here’s what I’m going to be doing, and where I’m going to be doing it, over the next 6 weeks or so…

I’m still very much a regular in the Shambles, Devizes Market Place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Bay 20 - unless commitments elsewhere take me away. Find me there in October on:

  • Thursday 2 Friday 3 Saturday 4

  • Thursday 9 Friday 10 Saturday 11

  • Thursday 16

  • Thursday 23 Friday 24

  • Thursday 30

if you don’t see what you’re looking for, please ask!

Philippa Huber Photography in the Shambles, Devizes

I’ve a few other ‘happenings’ in October. First up, and I’m thrilled about this, is my exhibition at the Woodborough Club, Pewsey SN9 5PL - the Open Day is on Saturday 4 from 10 til 12 (with coffee and cake too, if that’s an incentive!) and runs through the month with Open Evenings every Wednesday as well. (I’ll be back in the Shambles for the afternoon, for those of you paying attention to dates…)

I’m also going to be at a new craft market at Honeystreet Mill (Pewsey SN9 5PS) on Saturday and Sunday 25-26 October 10 til 4 both days; you can find me in the shed called Fred (I love that!) Expect a great variety of traders and the chilled out, friendly vibe that goes with Honeystreet - don’t forget the cafe there too, it’s seriously good (and gets busy, maybe book ahead).


OK, that’s the forward looking bits, now let’s have a look back…

Birthday Sunrise, Le Crotoy - Nikon Z8 with z14-24mm f2.8

In August I was the incredibly lucky winner of 2 weeks’ free hire of the lens of my choice, from Lenses for Hire . I chose a fast 14-24mm to go with my Nikon Z8 and took it away to France. Oh la la, c’etait magnifique! Not my usual ‘embrace the blur’ bokeh-tastic style of shooting, I absolutely loved going wide and crisp. There were even moments where it didn’t seem wide enough - but that was just me getting carried away with those big beaches and enormous skies of the Normandy coast. Getting and sending back the lens was an absolute doddle and I’m definitely going to be renting more lenses from Lenses for Hire in the future.

 

In other personal photography news, I had a really great photowalk around Devizes with a few members of SheClicks, my favourite photography group ever…we went along the canal and through the market place, popped our noses (and cameras) into St John’s Alley and St John’s church grounds then called in to Brew and Vine to revive ourselves. Quoting directly from the website, “SheClicks is a friendly, supportive online community for women photographers of all levels. We offer meet-ups, a podcast, webinars, workshops, product reviews of photographic gear and more, creating opportunities to learn, connect and be inspired” If you’d like to know more, have a look on the website, on the FB page, or drop me a message.

 

I was also asked to be a guest judge for the SheClicks August challenge - the theme was Pets and I was obviously delighted to be invited. The problem of judging became clear very quickly - it’s so difficult to choose just 25 when at least a hundred seem worthy. After a lot of thought, I made and submitted my final choices and you can see them in the Gallery.

For my own personal/professional Pet Photography, I’ve been busy and having a fabulous time here there and everywhere! I did a beautiful shoot in the grounds of the Elvetham Hotel in Hampshire; I was up on Redhorn Hill, Wiltshire in the most wonderful late afternoon sunshine; I was crawling along woodland paths in Wickham Heath, Berkshire - I did similar in the Savernake forest close to Marlborough. I went to a lake close to Swindon; to a secure dog field at Granby House Bradford on Avon. Each shoot is different, each shoot (famous last words!) has been absolutely brilliant - here are a few images to give you an idea of just how much fun we have…

Well, that’s all for now, folks…I’ve had a great morning going over the recent past; it’s certainly been a fun-filled few months and if I didn’t have so much other work to be getting on with (website shop, for example) I’d be here all day.

If you’ve any comments, questions, requests - drop me a message whichever way works best for you (links below), and I’ll get back to you.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you somewhere soon…

Phil x

Wiltshire Photography in the Spring - pets, bluebells and more! April/May 2025

For a 30 day month, I seemed to cram a lot into April – and May is going to be equally busy with Pet Portrait Sessions and markets galore (go to the bottom of this newsletter to see where I’m going to be and when in May)

The whole of April seems to have been a Good Weather month; my very first event away from the Shambles took place under a beautiful blue sky at Ramsbury Brewery - their artisan makers market was bustling and fun, especially for me in my ‘teepee’ by the music stage - followed by another gorgeous day at the historic Shaw House in Newbury, Berkshire. It was my second event there and I loved it - friendly volunteers, great organisation and a stunning location all make a great day out for me and the many visitors.

April was also the month of blossom and bluebells - I remember clearly being told about West Woods when I was still quite new to the area. I asked for directions, and then for more precise directions because I was worried I wouldn’t find the bluebells. They gave me a smile tinged with something bordering on pity, I felt, and wondered about their reaction…the first time you go to West Woods, nothing can prepare you. I now understand their reaction - in fact, earlier this week I was asked, in the West Woods carpark, which way a couple should walk to find the bluebells…I smiled broadly, gave a general wave all around me. It’s marvellous, it’s amazing, the smell’s extraordinary and the flowers go on forever and ever. If you can, visit. In late April, early May. I’ve had the most wonderful Pet Portrait Sessions there this year and in my next newsletter I can’t wait to share some of the photos. In the meantime, here are a few of the Woods to whet the appetite.

Apart from West Woods, I’ve been out and about with my Pet Photography - Erlestoke for more bluebells in a gorgeous woodland setting; a lovely stroll by the river in Calne, a new location that I really enjoyed; a few of my fabulous circular walks around Drew’s Pond Woods and a great late afternoon shoot on the edge of Salisbury Plain. This month I photographed 15 dogs in total, all gorgeous, all different and all making me so very happy to do my job.

I gave myself an hour to explore the area around the Salisbury Plain location - I always get to a new location early to have a look-around, see what angles and interesting shots there are, get a general feel for a place. On this day, I lost 55 minutes of that precious hour going up a clearly impassable chalk track (is it just me who loses all power of independent thought when that google maps voice tells me where to go?) getting stuck, abandoning my car, going back to my car, slip-sliding backwards in the car to a place I could turn around….it was mildly terrifying…but look at this amazing field I paused to enjoy when I was safe. Without that terror, I’d never have seen this. I’m a positive kind of person, you know. (photos from that shoot next month, also)

I didn’t roll the car and I did see an amazing field of yellow

My brother and his family visited us in Devizes for the first time - I took a day out from the Shambles and did the tourist thing with them. We had a ride on a narrowboat (cleverly moving our home from the countryside into the centre of town for a few days); they stayed at the the Bear hotel and weren’t disturbed by a ghost (that was very good news for Catherine, my sister-in-law) and on Thursday we visited the Church, the museum (definitely worth a visit), the market (gin tasting at 10h30 is a great thing to try) and I strolled through the Shambles thinking, isn’t this a fabulous market in a fabulous town, I should come here more often! And then we went to the Fun Fair - where my youngest nephew found, to his absolute delight, that he’s finally tall enough to go on fairground rides. We took him on the Waltzers - surely everybody’s favourite, nostalgia-driven ride - and he couldn’t get enough. Though to me it seemed to go on longer, and faster, and whizzier than when I was 15…anyway, onwards and upwards for my little nephew - right up to the Wall of Death where the safety cord over his face (he’s little, after all!) did finally make him feel slightly afraid! And then, they were gone, and so were all those paddlers heading from Devizes to Westminster - I got a snap of one as I walked to the Shambles on Good Friday - where a lovely Easter Bunny was handing out chocolates…

I had a new card order arrive - over 300 this time, and the ‘kingfisher among the berries’ have almost sold out already - I’m putting in a new order very soon. Get in touch if you’ve any card requests and I’ll see what I can do.

Kingfisher among the berries - popular as a card as well as a framed and unframed print (and mug, bag, keyring)

And here is one photo from one fun Pet Portrait Session at Drew’s Pond Woods - this is one drenched spaniel!

May is here and I’m still busy with exciting Photoshoots, and Craft Fairs and Markets in new places and old…here’s where you can find me:

The Shambles, Devizes, bay 20 - Thursday 8 May, Thursday 15 May

Folk and Bespoke Craft Fair, Phoenix Centre, Exeter - Saturday 17 May, 10 til 3, Gandy Street

The Bath Independent Spring Market - Sunday 18 May, 10 til 3, Green Park Station

The Shambles, Devizes bay 20 - Thursday 22, Friday 23, Saturday 24 May

Avebury Garden Celebration Weekend Sunday 25, Monday 26 May, Manor House Garden - I’ll be there with my gazebo, can’t wait!

The Shambles, Devizes bay 20 - Thursday 29 May, Friday 30 May

The Old Potato Yard, Lydeway - Saturday 30 May - I’ll be outdoors with my gazebo on the last Saturday of the month

And in between all of the above, I’ll be photographing lots of pets, and showing lots of pet owners beautiful, unique photos of their amazing animals - it’s going to be a great month.

Right, it’s time for me to share this, look through some great photos from tonight’s photoshoot at Foxley Paddock there was running, jumping, splashing, backlit beauty…it’s such a great place for a safe Pet Portrait Session…then I’ll wander back along the towpath to my lovely floating home and relax before a busy day in the Shambles tomorrow.

Happy May folks, may it be full and busy and fun for us all

Phil x



 



Looking back at March and forward to April

Well that was another month that flew by, keeping me happily busy and also enjoying those longer days that - hurray, at last - got even longer when the clocks changed.

So, a quick look back at March…Pet Portrait Sessions, talks, prints for cafes, a bit of travel, a craft fair here and there - it was excellent!

I had 2 shoots at the start of the month and the weather was stunning - sometimes the sun can be too much but we managed beautifully with the amazing conditions. The first shoot was at Foxley Paddock a secure dog field near Devizes. I’ve done a few Pet Portrait Sessions there, and there’s a great mix of open spaces for running, tunnels and hillocks for surprise encounters, and a pond that this time made for great reflection shots - and the Wiltshire countryside provides a great backdrop too.

Then, I was off to the Photography Show that was held at ExCel, London for the first time. I had a night in Canary Wharf (and ate next to ExCel) and a night next to ExCel (and ate in Canary Wharf - really!!) The Show was fabulous, as it always is - a great mix of talks, gear (not that I was on the lookout for anything really) and lots of friends to meet or make alongside finally putting faces to names of some lovely people in the Industry.

And one evening, I took my bright yellow jacket out, in case it was chilly after dinner…and then a whole load of increasingly silly photos happened. I do love my SheClicks friends! (thank you Tina, Angela, Rebecca, Linda, Carmen, Liz and everyone)

Canary Yellow in Canary Wharf

Giggles and architecture aside, I was so proud to be on the Fundamentals stage, taking part in the ‘Turning Pro’ discussion - a few years ago I spent a weekend at the Photography Show going to lots of talks, sessions, workshops on just this subject, not really sure where they would take me, and it was very fulfilling to share my experience with people who are possibly feeling just like I did then.

I also presented Nikon with the SheClicks award for best Enthusiast Camera of the Year for their amazing Z6iii, as voted for by the SheClicks judging panel - I’m part of the panel and it’s the 3rd year I’ve presented Nikon with an award; long may it continue is all I, as a total Nikon fan, can say!

(when I get some photos of both these events, I’ll update this post)

Back in Devizes and barely recovered from the Photography Show, I was very warmly welcomed at Devizes U3A photography group when I gave a talk loosely based around the theme of ‘Composition’. I was basically given free reign to show a selection of my work that I had grouped into sections, such as ‘the rule of thirds’, ‘leading lines’ and so on. It was great fun; the members were interested and engaged, and flatteringly complimentary about the photos I had chosen to present!

Below are a few of the images, if you click on them, you’ll see them as they were on the screen (ie larger!)

I’ve had more fabulous Pet Portrait Sessions since the start of the month; not all the owners have had their ‘Reveal’ and until they do, I don’t share their photos elsewhere, but here are some captured at Drew’s Pond Woods on the edge of Devizes - an old girl and a youngster, the best of friends having the time of their lives!

I had a quick trip to the West Sussex sea-side, lovely as ever and I got onto the beach and onto Pagham nature reserve for a great walk - if you ever can, go and visit!

And then, via the New Forest and revisiting some old haunts in Poole (a blast to my Sunseeker superyacht past), I’ve been mostly in the Shambles, Devizes as well as a great little craft fair in Lacock Village Hall and the first of what will be a regular, last Saturday of every month, presence at the Old Potato Yard- I’ve invested in a Teepee (to me, a gazebo to almost everyone else) and some mega weights to keep it land-based!

Right, April is here and I’m about to go up a gear in business - Craft and Artisan Fairs begin in earnest; those bluebells and spring flowers are going to be here in no time and with them come some gorgeous Pets for gorgeous Pet Portrait Sessions. I really am looking forward to them.

First up, I’m at Ramsbury's Spring Market on April 5 (Saturday), in the garden (in my teepee) and the weather is looking perfect for it; me and around 60 other creatives, food-sellers, easter egg-hunters…it’s going to be great.

Then, I’m back at the beautiful Shaw House, Newbury on April 13 (Sunday) for their Love Local event - I’m super-excited to have been invited again and am expecting a busy day.

I’m back in the Old Potato Yard on April 26 (Saturday) - the cafe is great, there’s lots of outdoor seating if the weather’s good and a really interesting selection of independent shops worth coming over for - as well as to visit me, of course!

And apart from all that, and all my lovely Pet Portrait Sessions I’m gearing up for, you can see me in the Shambles every Thursday and Saturday (my work is still there on a Friday, but I’m finding it extremely productive to spend Fridays either in my workshop or out with my camera).

And that, for now, is it - if you’d like to get these monthly newsletters, please subscribe below. I’ll be back at the end of April - in the meantime, happy Spring to you all!