merging memories
© Shirley Steel 2025
I am very excited to be passing on details of Shirley Steel’s upcoming exhibition Merging Memories, along with artist Cheryl Wetsi.
When: 24-29 July 2025
Where: Palangi Gallery, Surry Hills
More information: https://gallery.palangi.com.au/project/merging-memories
Shirley is a fun, playful photographer who explores her environment with sensitivity and an open mind. Some of you will know her love of abstract imagery from Len’s yearly Abstract Workshop where Shirley teaches her craft along with Len.
Pushing her photography to the fullest, Shirley has a beautiful selection of images on display and it is well worth heading to have a look if you are in Sydney.
tara workman
© Tara Workman 2025
US based photographer Tara Workman is the next of our featured artists whose work appears in Volume 5 issue 3 of Len’s Journal.
Originally from Barbados, Tara has a minimalist approach, beautifully realised in her series where she ponders the passage of time and the fleeting moments of life.
To see more of Tara’s work:
https://www.taraworkmanphoto.com
To begin receiving future issues of Lens Journal:
Tassie adventures
Sunrise on the dunes. Photograph copyright © David Radcliff 2025
Len is currently away exploring Tasmania, leading a small group photography tour.
I asked Len, what has been the highlight of the trip, so far? Tassie is a photographer’s haven, so it was no surprise that he came back saying, ‘there hasn’t been a dud day yet’.
Stormy weather, Macquarie harbour, Tasmania. Photograph copyright © Len Metcalf 2025
They have been adventuring around Straun and have been up the Franklin River. They have encountered gorgeous mist and light on the Gordon River. The snow at Cradle Mountain made that location particularly special. It sounds like each day has been amazing and it’s not over yet!
Impressive rivers, Tasmania. Photograph copyright © Len Metcalf 2025
We would love to know if there is somewhere that you’re keen to visit on a tour with Len. Reply and let us know! If we have enough interest in a location, we can schedule it in :)
View current offerings here: https://lenmetcalf.com/photography-workshops-and-tours
sara nash
© Sara Nash 2025
Volume 5 issue 3 of Len’s Journal is shaping up to be another fantastic issue if our first featured artist is anything to go by.
Sara Nash is an Australian photographer who creates visual masterpieces as she explores the rawness of human experience, particularly trauma and resilience. We are thrilled to include her series Neurodiversity, cleverly portrayed by floating, ethereal jellyfish.
To begin receiving future issues of Lens Journal:
https://lenmetcalf.com/store/p/lensjournalsubscription
To see more of Sara Nash’s work:
BTS Tasmania Tour
Len Metcalf braving the elements in Tassie!
Len’s Tasmania Photography Tour is underway. Is it a bit chilly? Yes! Is it fun? Absolutely!
Len really loves these longer tours, where there is a chance to spend a few days in each spot. They are an amazing opportunity to make the most of it. So far the group have been out exploring the Coles Bay area, taking in the beautiful views around the bay.
Coles Bay, Tasmania. Photograph copyright © Len Metcalf 2025
Coles Bay, Tasmania. Photograph copyright © Len Metcalf 2025
If you are thinking ahead to next year, Len has two longer photography tours scheduled in to Western Australia and the Flinders Ranges. View what’s open for bookings here: https://lenmetcalf.com/photography-workshops-and-tours
Len’s Journal - volume 5 issue 3
Cover of Lens Journal Volume 5 Issue 3
Our next issue of Len’s Journal features this mysterious image. It is one of Len’s beautiful waratah images, a hint at his series for this issue which is due for publication this August.
Len loves photographing our native flowers, spending time in nature and hiking to areas where these majestic flowers bloom. His collection of waratah images are a lovely way to get to know this wonderful flower and why it is the icon of New South Wales.
We are excited to announce that the next issue of Lens Journal is coming out soon, featuring not only Len’s waratahs, but also the remarkable work of four talented guest photographers. As always, we will introduce you to each of our featured artists over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for some incredible work to come.
In the meantime, we hope you are still enjoying the last issue.
To subscribe, please visit:
https://lenmetcalf.com/store/p/lensjournalsubscription
If you already subscribe, thank you! You need do nothing but wait for your next issue to be delivered.
Photograph copyright © Len Metcalf 2025
neville thorogood
© Neville Thorogood 2025
We would like to extend our appreciation to Neville Thorogood, who is another incredible photographer who was invited to participate in Lens Journal Vol 5 Iss 2.
One of the first memories Neville remembers most is growing up in the outskirts of Sydney
with native bushland to explore, his time was taken up building cubby houses
where he would gather all sorts of things to be studied later. From these humble
beginnings his eyes were opened to how he could see the world in many ways.
Lands of mystery and intrigue.
His work in Lens Journal explores how
global warming is evident in the Northern Lands and its immediate
impact is to be witnessed everywhere. His many visits to these
lands (Iceland and Greenland), have allowed him to capture the
changing landscape and document the Emerging Land before the
ice disappears.
To begin receiving future issues of Lens Journal:
https://lenmetcalf.com/store/p/lensjournalsubscription
To see more of Neville Thorogood’s work:
Great Ocean Road
©Len Metcalf 2025
A photograph from Len’s previous studies of Victoria, showing his signature style in capturing the timeless beauty of the region.
The Great Ocean Road Tour is officially underway, and Len Metcalf is currently traversing the stunning coastlines of Victoria with a fantastic group of photographers, including Peter Eastway. With cameras in hand, they are capturing the rugged beauty of the Twelve Apostles, dramatic cliffs, and everything this iconic route has to offer.
What's Happening on Tour?
Len and his group are already diving deep into the creative process of landscape photography, focusing on the finer details of composition, lighting, and getting the perfect shot in the ever-changing coastal weather. As always, Len’s hands-on approach is helping participants explore the art of storytelling through their lenses while soaking in some of Australia’s most photogenic landscapes.
Join Len in Tasmania – Upcoming Tours
If you’ve been thinking about joining Len on tour, there are still opportunities to catch up with him on his next adventures. The Tasmania Tour is coming up in July—an incredible chance to explore the wild landscapes of Tasmania with Len’s expert guidance.
Upcoming tours:
Tasmania Tour: July 6–17, 2025
Tarkine Tour: July 21–28, 2025
Don’t miss out on the chance to learn and capture the beauty of the Tasmanian wilderness or explore more of Australia’s pristine landscapes with Len. These tours are limited in size to ensure a personal, hands-on experience, so spaces fill up fast!
🔗 Book Your Spot for the Tasmania Tour & More
Stay tuned for more updates from the Great Ocean Road Tour, and we hope to see you soon on one of our upcoming adventures!
Wanda Skonieczny
© Sanctuaries by Wanda Skonieczny 2025
We are proud to introduce another guest photographer in Lens Journal Vol 5issue 2, French photographer Wanda Skonieczny.
A weaver of images, Wanda prints her images on tissue, and drapes folds and and sews these transparent layers to create her final artwork.
Like Len, Wanda creates portraits of trees and in her work in Lens Journal, she invites you to slow
down, imposing a pause in a unique relationship with time, seeking to connect humanity with the
living.
Her collaboration in Lens Journal is remarkable and we encourage you to explore her work further at:
https://wanda-skonieczny.fr/en/home
To subscribe to future copies of Lens Journal:
this is your sign
© Len Metcalf 2022
As Len begins preparing for heading down the coast to begin the workshops and tours in the cooler regions of Australia, we’d like to remind you that there are still some last minute spots available.
Its not too late to attend:
The Great Ocean Road Workshop with Peter Eastway between 22-26 June.
Tasmania Tour - 06-17 July.
Tarkine Tour 21-28 July.
The Abstract Workshop - 19-24 October.
If you’ve been thinking of joining, but haven’t yet booked, this is your sign to jump on board - spaces are limited. See you on Tour!!!
douwe dijkstra
Photograph copyright © Douwe Dijkstra 2025
As a guest photographer of volume 5 issue 2 of Lens Journal, Douwe Dijkstra creates engaging imagery full of beautiful light, unusual compositions, dynamic angles, strong lines, graphic shapes, dramatic shadows, stark contrast, candid moments and striking silhouettes.
We are grateful and proud for this artist’s work to be featured in Lens Journal.
To see more of Douwe Dijkstra’s work visit https://www.monochromevisions.net/
And to subscribe to Lens Journal:
lens presets
© Len Metcalf 2025 (sepia preset)
Len's personal sepia, and black and white Lightroom presets are now on sale! Originally priced at $45, you can grab them for just $19.95 AUD. These presets are specifically designed for Lightroom Classic CC and are the very ones that Len uses to create his breathtaking images.
Len Metcalf’s Sepia Lightroom CC Presets
Each package includes over 50 sepia monochrome presets, each crafted to enhance your artistic vision. In addition, you'll find Len’s Standard Sepia Preset, along with a Tone Only Preset that allows you to add the unique Sepia Lens Tone to any black and white image.
Len Metcalf’s Monochrome Lightroom Classic CC Presets offer a vast array of over 50 options designed to help you create stunning digital black and white images. These presets are compatible with all current versions of Lightroom Classic CC. However, please note that they do not work with older versions of Lightroom.
Among these presets, the standout choice for Len is the “Black and White Lens - The Standard Len Metcalf Preset.” This foundational preset sets the stage for Len's edits. From this starting point, he often adjusts the tone curve and makes other fine-tuning adjustments to achieve the desired final look. Typically, a few tweaks to the tone curve are sufficient to create an image that embodies his artistic vision.
Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your photography with Len's expertly developed presets at an unbeatable price!
© Len Metcalf 2025 (B & W preset)
lens life
A photograph of Lens Journal, Volume 5, Issue 2.
© Len Metcalf 2025
Its all systems go in the studio right now!
Lens Journal is now hot off the press and ready to be delivered to all subscribers. We have some incredible feature artists this issue including Michael O’Neill, Douwe Dijkstra, Wonda Skoniecsky, Neville Thorogood and Len Metcalf. We are excited to share more about the featured artists over the coming weeks. All copies of this journal are already sold out, but if you wish to purchase any previous copies or subscribe to future editions, head to the link below.
All copies of Lens Journal are hand stamped and signed by Len Metcalf.
https://lenmetcalf.com/store/p/lensjournalsubscription
In other news, Len successfully featured in the Nature Photography Collective’s Nostalgic Black and White series alongside other well known international photographers this morning! I’ve added the link below for you to be ale to download the series.
https://www.naturephotocollective.com/learn-photography-nostalgia-black-white
Nature Photography Collective
Len is honoured to have been invited by the NPC to be a guest speaker for the series, Nostalgic Black and White amongst other influencial international photographers, Chuck Kimmerle, John Barclay and Jennifer King. We encourage you to engage with this impressive list of speakers!!
Its not too late book and watch Lens session live tomorrow morning (28/05/25) at 9am AEST and join in the Q and A’s, or download anytime for viewing at a later date. I have included the link below..
The aim for this series is to discuss how to evoke the timeless and nostalgic nature that often exists in Black & White Photography. When you remove color from your images you can sometimes remove a particular emotion and often times change the focus and impact of your completed work.
This series is designed to build upon the NBC’s first series about The Vision of Black & White and our second series on Intentional Black & Whites. They will welcome back two past speakers while making way for two influential black & white instructors (Len!!) Together they will explore some of the timeless techniques employed to create images that resound with your soul while also exploring new techniques and considerations like converting Infrared to Black & White and considerations for Post Processing that did not exist in the dark room.
The series starts with acclaimed B&W photographer Chuck Kimmerle who shares with us insights from working as a news photographer and more recently as a multiple recipient of Artist in Residence Programs at various National Parks (Chuck's session is available now!).
On May 27th (May 28th in Sydney) our very own, Australian Photographer, Len Metcalf speaks about working more personally, rather than working to formulas or following the crowd.
Following Len, the NBC welcomes back John Barclay on June 5th to dazzle with not only his brilliance but also his insights as he sees the world through his heart based approach and also discover how he now uses Infrared in his B&W work.
Returning to NPC and ending the series on June 12th will be Jennifer King. Jennifer takes a light handed approach to her work yet communicates powerfully on what she wants her black & whites to represent.
Each LIVE session will be held at 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET /AEST 9am, and will be approximately 120 and 150 minutes in length.
Registration for the series comes with the opportunity to ask questions live to the remaining guest speakers. You can rewatch the sessions as often as you wish and even download for offline viewing. They are all recorded so no need to be there live if you are not available tomorrow morning! You will have permanent access to the recordings through your NPC account, YouTube or Dropbox file download.
We wish you so much luck Len and congratulate you on your invitation to speak at this event!
For more information and to book, hit the link below
https://www.naturephotocollective.com/learn-photography-nostalgia-black-white
BTS The Creative Retreat
Len Metcalf at mangroves, Jervis Bay
photographed on iphone by Natasha Cuevas 2025
Last Thursday, I joined the Creative Retreat hosted by Len Metcalf and Shirley Steel at Vincentia, Jervis Bay, NSW. As a newcomer, I was eager as I boarded the train in Sydney. Len picked me up in his 4WD at Bomaderry station. I jumped into the front seat, wishing I was taller, which made Len laugh as he mentioned a step ladder in the back.
Arriving at the Airbnb organized by Claire, I was pleased to find it just a sand dune from the beach. My room had a comfortable single bed with luxurious thousand-thread count sheets. I dropped off my bag and headed to the upstairs lounge where the group focused on their individual projects.
I met the wonderful guests and knowledgeable Shirley, who had baked a lemon drizzle cake (yes please!!!). I was warmly welcomed as the group excitedly shared their artwork. The 5-day retreat included photoshoots with Len, and Shirley taught how to craft a handmade book from photos. The quality of work was incredible. I learned they had brought a printer and computer to print on beautiful paper in the downstairs lounge.
While they worked, I explored outside, admiring wild mushrooms, native plants, palm trees, and the beach – a picture-perfect moment alone on the shore. Back at the house, I enjoyed a batch of Len’s famous soup and bread before heading out for an afternoon shoot at the mangrove walk near Huskisson. It was overcast and perfect photo weather.
Heading home, Len treated everyone to Thai takeaway for dinner. Great conversations flowed around the table about art, their lives, and what they learned during the retreat. One photographer became emotional, sharing how special the week was and how he grew as an artist.
Everyone left feeling thankful and inspired, thinking about their next tour, workshop, or retreat. It was a joy to be part of it, even for just one night, and we all knew we would meet again. The creative energy was contagious, and we were all impressed with the location, hosts, and memories to take home.
Michael O’Neill
This issue of Len’s Journal takes us around the world. Michael,
with his figures in the full spectrum landscape, bathes us in rich
unseen colours of North America, each figure exploring the colours’
meaning to them.
Copyright Michael O’Neill 2025
Lens Journal Vol 5 Issue 2
Mother’s Day
Peony
©Len Metcalf 2017. All rights reserved.
Wishing all a beautiful day appreciating the special ones who nurture us.
Still need a gift?
There’s plenty to choose from on the website…. a subscription to Lens Journal? Or perhaps an online course? Maybe even a workshop or tour? … No matter how big or small your budget we have the the perfect gifts for the creative carers in your life so you can say, “thank you, I appreciate you xx”
Don’t forget there’s always options to treat yourself too - we know you deserve it :)