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 :)
Learning to draw
Screenshot from Len’s video series of learning to draw
So you are thinking about learning to draw?
What is stopping you?
Len has created a learn to draw series which will inevitably improve your skills in observation, and your photography will also improve.
Len studied art education in the early 1990’s at Sydney University, after completing his degree in Art at the City Art Institute. With a lifetime of education experience these courses are designed to get you started.
The first one is ‘mark making’. Over a course of a month doing a drawing each day, you will slowly develop your confidence with your first steps in drawing. Each lesson is a video, and you can watch the video and draw along side Len. All you need for this course is some paper (preferably a sketch book) and a 2B pencil.
The second drawing course is ‘learning to see’. It runs over nine weeks. You can sit with Len in the comfort of your own home and go through a series of exercises that help you with learning to draw and to help you see.
These two incredible courses are available at Len’s Lounge, our creative online community. You are encouraged to share your work there, in that incredibly supportive environment.
Purchase each separately, or save by purchasing them as a bundle. More info via the link below.
Len’s Journal
Cover of Lens Journal
It’s that time again!! Wow, how quickly this year is flying by!
We are truly excited to announce that the next issue of Lens Journal is coming out soon, featuring the remarkable work of four talented guest photographers, and of course, the incredible Len himself, whose artistry continues to inspire many. Be sure to keep an eye out for this timely release!
We encourage you to peruse each issue slowly, and to return to them
regularly, and notice more each time.
We love feedback
Contemplation
© 2025 Lee Weller. All rights reserved.
We were delighted to hear from Lee Weller this week who shared with us his photo, Contemplation, which reminded him of a photo in his archives which similar in composition to Lens photo that was discussed in the newsletter last week.
Thanks Lee for reaching out and allowing us to share your work.
Please feel free to connect with us anytime: hello@lensschool.com
or why not join us in the Lens Lounge where we connect on a larger scale to share, chat and connect - all mediums, all countries supporting and enjoying what we love together.
It’s free to join!
Beauty in rain
Photographers on tour with Len Metcalf
© 2025 Len Metcalf. All rights reserved.
Composition
I love to geek out about composition. As an interior designer, it is one of my favourite things to create balance in a room with different objects.
The same rules apply with photography and it is a skill that Len achieves in his work rather organically - there is not a need to spend a long time (if any) cropping Len’s photos - he aligns his lens and his eye with composition in mind.
The image above to me is a great example of creating balance in a frame.
If we diagonally fold the image in half with our eye from top left to lower right corners we can see that the image is mostly divided in to two areas, sky and cliff.
The cliff has a lot of texture and is the “heavier’ part of the photo. The sky is lighter, but it takes up more space in the photo than land creating a type of asymetrical balance. The weight of the big sky is similar in weight to our eye than smaller land. The sun lighting up the rock face removes some weight from the cliff helping to balance the proportions further.
The trees in the image also do a little dance with each other. The tall thin lonely tree up top balanced by two fuller trees below, and a little puff of cloud in the sky to draw your eye upwards again.
Take the time to see where your eye travels to in this image. What emotion does it evoke? How does light and shade play a part in the overall balance? How would more sky effect the results, or more cliff? Lighter cliffs or darker?
When hanging on a wall what frame would suit? Heavy and chunky? or thin and fine?
What would we hang next to it ? Or if I placed an indoor plant or chair beside the image, would we place it to the left or right? How will that effect our overall space and our view of the image?
I could go on and on down this rabbit hole… but I’ll leave you with how I chose to style the photo in Lens Lounge…see you there!
Tash xxx
Earth Day
© 2025 Len Metcalf. All rights reserved.
Today, Earth Day serves as a poignant reminder of our relationship with nature and the responsibility we share in preserving it. As photographers, we have the unique privilege to capture the beauty of the world around us, but with that comes a duty to minimise our ecological footprint.
When venturing out to photograph landscapes, flora, and even wildlife, consider the following mindful practices:
Stay on Designated Paths
Straying from established trails can lead to soil erosion and disrupt local ecosystems. Choose paths that reduce impact and protect sensitive areas.
Avoid Disturbing Wildlife
Respect the habitats of animals. Keep a safe distance and use longer lenses to avoid getting too close. This way, you can capture poignant images without causing stress or disruption to their natural behaviours.
Use Eco-friendly Equipment
Consider the materials and processes involved in your photography gear. Opt for eco-friendly accessories and sustainable practices, like rechargeable batteries and lower-energy equipment, to lessen your environmental impact.
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace principles. Carry out everything you bring in, from packaging to food waste. Use biodegradable products and be conscious of litter.
Mind Your Water Usage
If you're photographing water bodies, be cautious of pollution. Avoid washing equipment in natural water sources and use water responsibly, especially in delicate ecosystems.
Capture, Don’t Alter
Consider photographing nature as it is rather than altering the environment for the perfect shot. Embrace the beauty in authenticity and the natural imperfections of your subject.
By adopting these mindful practices, we help ensure that the breathtaking landscapes we love to photograph can be enjoyed by future generations. Celebrate Earth Day not only by capturing its beauty but by committing to protect it.
Risen
© 2025 Len Metcalf. All rights reserved.
The weather in Sydney over this long weekend was pure delight. Being in nature makes me appreciate the spectacular wonder of our Earth and how it is not only our responsibility, but should also be our pleasure to protect and nurture it for future generations to come….
Photogravure
Intaglio print (etching) by Rembrandt, Landscape with Three Trees, 1643
Len and I have been discussing curating a collection of Lens most important work to release as a collection of Photogravures. You may not be aware but Len majored in photography and printmaking at university and has maintained the skill of hand crafted printing throughout his career. Len is continuously inspired by a diverse array of talented artists, particularly the renowned Rembrandt. The intricate etchings created by Rembrandt are not only exquisite examples of fine art but also remarkable items that have endured through multiple lifetimes, captivating audiences with their timeless beauty and depth.
A Photogravure is a sophisticated printmaking technique that combines photography and intaglio processes to create high-quality images. Etching (Intaglio) print making originated in the 15th century. Photogravure involves transferring a photographic image onto a metal plate, typically made of copper. This process begins by applying a light-sensitive gelatine layer to the plate, which is then exposed to a photographic image. The areas that are exposed to light harden, while the unexposed areas retain the gelatine.
After exposure, the plate is washed with water, allowing the unhardened gelatine to be removed, resulting in a negative relief. The plate is then etched in a solution that eats away the exposed areas, creating a series of varied depths. These different depths hold ink in varying amounts, enabling the production of rich, tonal prints.
The finished plate can be inked and pressed onto paper, creating a reproduction that maintains the fine detail and subtle tonal variations of the original photograph. Photogravure is valued for its ability to produce continuous tones and is often used for fine art prints, book illustrations, and high-quality portfolios.
Len has already produced some photogravures of his work and is looking forward to sharing the process with you when he begins this journey once more.