Wildlife Photography Workshops
I am now running some 1 to 1 wildlife photography workshops to help people get the most out of their wildlife photography.
The days will be tailored towards the beginner/novice wildlife photographer, and will start with a look at the techniques and equipment used to get some images of our native wildlife. This will be followed by a few hours taking images with me on hand to offer you advice. I will review the images you have obtained throughout the day and give tips on how to improve on them where needed.
Ideally, a digital SLR camera and a lens with a focal length of 400mm or more would be desirable. If you own a zoom lens with the capability of reaching 400-500mm that would be great.
The workshops are intended to be on a 1 to 1 basis so that I can give you as much help as possible, but if you have a photographic partner or friend that you would like to join you, then the second person can come at half price.
The cost for a day long workshop for 1 person is £100
The cost for a day long workshop for 2 people is £150 (£100 + the half price cost of £50 for the second person)
The cost for a half day workshop for 1 person is £70
The cost for a half day workshop for 2 people is £105 (£70 + the half price cost of £35 for the second person).
There are no guarantees with wildlife photography but I will do my best to make sure you go home with some images you are pleased with.
The British weather can never be trusted so please bring clothing for all conditions. Also good footwear is essential as there will be some walking over uneven, and possibly wet or muddy ground.
The venues for these workshops are listed below and there will be more added when extra venues become available, so please check back regularly to see if there is a venue that you would be interested in.
Alternatively, if you have somewhere in mind that you would like to have a workshop, please get in touch to discuss it.
Weald Country Park has a range of habitats to explore including woodland, open grassland and lakes, so we will have plenty of opportunity to search out some wildlife. There is also a captive heard of Fallow Deer to point your camera at.
There is a visitor centre which has food and drinks available, alternatively you can bring your own refreshments. There are also toilet facilities within the Park.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
Lackford Lakes is a Suffolk Wildlife Trust Reserve on the edge of Lackford village near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. It was created from former gravel pits beside the River Lark and has a diverse range of birdlife which includes wildfowl in summer and winter. Passage migrants include Ospreys. Summer brings Hobbies, Swallows and Sand Martins. Black Terns have also been seen here on occasion. Bitterns are regular winter visitors and Jack Snipe put in an appearance most years. There is also a massive Starling roost in the winter. The gorgeous Kingfisher breeds here in the purpose built Kingfisher banks.
Other wildlife seen here include the Otter and Muntjac.
There are 9 hides overlooking the many lakes, and other habitats include woodland and meadows.
There is ample parking space near the visitor centre which provides hot and cold drinks and cold snacks. Alternatively you can bring your own refreshments. There are also toilet facilities in the visitor centre.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
After a discussion with Mr. David Mills, the owner of The British Wildlife Centre, I am very pleased to be able to offer workshops at this excellent venue.
The British Wildlife Centre has a wide range of native species and gives the wildlife photographer a good opportunity to obtain some excellent images.
The venue will enable me to instruct you on the various techniques and equipment needed to obtain pleasing results, and has plenty of scope to take many images at different settings to see the differences.
You can get very close to some animals that you would struggle to see in the wild and the centre has some very natural looking enclosures.
There are toilet facilities on site and a coffee shop for hot and cold drinks and snacks situated within the visitor centre. Alternatively you can bring your own refreshments.
The centre is only open weekends and public holidays from March until the end of October, plus daily during school holidays. Because of the time limits workshop length will be as follows:-
A full day workshop will start at 10a.m. and end at 4.30p.m. with a break from 1p.m. to 1.30p.m.
A half day workshop will start at 10a.m. and end at 2p.m.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
This RSPB reserve is a great place for getting images of birds. There are mammals to be seen as well, but I think it's best to concentrate on what is in abundance.
The time of year will obviously have an impact on what can be seen and photographed in the range of habitats this area provides. There is the famous scrape, with 4 hides and 1 viewing platform to choose from, depending on the time of day and direction of the sun. There is also the shingle bank that stops the sea from swamping the reserve, as well as some areas of scrub. Woodland and Heathland can also be explored. There are other hides here that look out over the reedbeds where Bitterns, Bearded Tits and Marsh Harriers can be seen.
There is a visitors centre with hot and cold food and drink, a well stocked shop, toilet facilities and ample parking space. There will be an entry fee for non RSPB members, approx £4.
There are plenty of picnic tables around the visitors centre for the lunchbreak, if you should choose to bring your own refreshments.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
I'm very pleased to be able to offer workshops at this fantastic venue after talking to Kirsty from Pensthorpe. The Pensthorpe management team have very kindly given me the OK to do workshops at what is a perfect place to teach wildlife photography.
You may well be aware of Pensthorpe if you are a BBC Springwatch and Autumnwatch viewer, as they hosted the programme very successfully for a couple of years.
This is a large site with a wide variety of wildfowl from Britain and abroad, either in enclosures or on one of the many lakes.
Pensthorpe has a very active conservation program for some of the species which we will be able to see and photograph, including Common and Sandhill Cranes.
This is one of those places that is ideal for teaching you the ins and outs of wildlife photography, as we will have the opportunity to try out different camera settings to see how they effect your images. With so many different species to aim your camera at, you will have no trouble obtaining some very pleasing images to go home with.
The main centre has a cafe for hot and cold food and drink, a well stocked shop, toilet facilities and ample parking space. There will be an entry fee payable, which at the time of writing is £9.50 for adults.
There are plenty of picnic tables around the centre for the lunchbreak, if you should choose to bring your own refreshments.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
The days will be tailored towards the beginner/novice wildlife photographer, and will start with a look at the techniques and equipment used to get some images of our native wildlife. This will be followed by a few hours taking images with me on hand to offer you advice. I will review the images you have obtained throughout the day and give tips on how to improve on them where needed.
Ideally, a digital SLR camera and a lens with a focal length of 400mm or more would be desirable. If you own a zoom lens with the capability of reaching 400-500mm that would be great.
The workshops are intended to be on a 1 to 1 basis so that I can give you as much help as possible, but if you have a photographic partner or friend that you would like to join you, then the second person can come at half price.
The cost for a day long workshop for 1 person is £100
The cost for a day long workshop for 2 people is £150 (£100 + the half price cost of £50 for the second person)
The cost for a half day workshop for 1 person is £70
The cost for a half day workshop for 2 people is £105 (£70 + the half price cost of £35 for the second person).
There are no guarantees with wildlife photography but I will do my best to make sure you go home with some images you are pleased with.
The British weather can never be trusted so please bring clothing for all conditions. Also good footwear is essential as there will be some walking over uneven, and possibly wet or muddy ground.
The venues for these workshops are listed below and there will be more added when extra venues become available, so please check back regularly to see if there is a venue that you would be interested in.
Alternatively, if you have somewhere in mind that you would like to have a workshop, please get in touch to discuss it.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Venue 1
Weald Country Park - Brentwood, Essex
Weald Country Park has a range of habitats to explore including woodland, open grassland and lakes, so we will have plenty of opportunity to search out some wildlife. There is also a captive heard of Fallow Deer to point your camera at.
There is a visitor centre which has food and drinks available, alternatively you can bring your own refreshments. There are also toilet facilities within the Park.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Venue 2
Lackford Lakes - Near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk
Lackford Lakes is a Suffolk Wildlife Trust Reserve on the edge of Lackford village near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. It was created from former gravel pits beside the River Lark and has a diverse range of birdlife which includes wildfowl in summer and winter. Passage migrants include Ospreys. Summer brings Hobbies, Swallows and Sand Martins. Black Terns have also been seen here on occasion. Bitterns are regular winter visitors and Jack Snipe put in an appearance most years. There is also a massive Starling roost in the winter. The gorgeous Kingfisher breeds here in the purpose built Kingfisher banks.
Other wildlife seen here include the Otter and Muntjac.
There are 9 hides overlooking the many lakes, and other habitats include woodland and meadows.
There is ample parking space near the visitor centre which provides hot and cold drinks and cold snacks. Alternatively you can bring your own refreshments. There are also toilet facilities in the visitor centre.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Venue 3
The British Wildlife Centre - Near Lingfield, Surrey
After a discussion with Mr. David Mills, the owner of The British Wildlife Centre, I am very pleased to be able to offer workshops at this excellent venue.
The British Wildlife Centre has a wide range of native species and gives the wildlife photographer a good opportunity to obtain some excellent images.
The venue will enable me to instruct you on the various techniques and equipment needed to obtain pleasing results, and has plenty of scope to take many images at different settings to see the differences.
You can get very close to some animals that you would struggle to see in the wild and the centre has some very natural looking enclosures.
There are toilet facilities on site and a coffee shop for hot and cold drinks and snacks situated within the visitor centre. Alternatively you can bring your own refreshments.
The centre is only open weekends and public holidays from March until the end of October, plus daily during school holidays. Because of the time limits workshop length will be as follows:-
A full day workshop will start at 10a.m. and end at 4.30p.m. with a break from 1p.m. to 1.30p.m.
A half day workshop will start at 10a.m. and end at 2p.m.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Venue 4
RSPB Minsmere - Near Dunwich, Suffolk
This RSPB reserve is a great place for getting images of birds. There are mammals to be seen as well, but I think it's best to concentrate on what is in abundance.
The time of year will obviously have an impact on what can be seen and photographed in the range of habitats this area provides. There is the famous scrape, with 4 hides and 1 viewing platform to choose from, depending on the time of day and direction of the sun. There is also the shingle bank that stops the sea from swamping the reserve, as well as some areas of scrub. Woodland and Heathland can also be explored. There are other hides here that look out over the reedbeds where Bitterns, Bearded Tits and Marsh Harriers can be seen.
There is a visitors centre with hot and cold food and drink, a well stocked shop, toilet facilities and ample parking space. There will be an entry fee for non RSPB members, approx £4.
There are plenty of picnic tables around the visitors centre for the lunchbreak, if you should choose to bring your own refreshments.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Venue 5
Pensthorpe - Near Fakenham, Norfolk
I'm very pleased to be able to offer workshops at this fantastic venue after talking to Kirsty from Pensthorpe. The Pensthorpe management team have very kindly given me the OK to do workshops at what is a perfect place to teach wildlife photography.
You may well be aware of Pensthorpe if you are a BBC Springwatch and Autumnwatch viewer, as they hosted the programme very successfully for a couple of years.
This is a large site with a wide variety of wildfowl from Britain and abroad, either in enclosures or on one of the many lakes.
Pensthorpe has a very active conservation program for some of the species which we will be able to see and photograph, including Common and Sandhill Cranes.
This is one of those places that is ideal for teaching you the ins and outs of wildlife photography, as we will have the opportunity to try out different camera settings to see how they effect your images. With so many different species to aim your camera at, you will have no trouble obtaining some very pleasing images to go home with.
The main centre has a cafe for hot and cold food and drink, a well stocked shop, toilet facilities and ample parking space. There will be an entry fee payable, which at the time of writing is £9.50 for adults.
There are plenty of picnic tables around the centre for the lunchbreak, if you should choose to bring your own refreshments.
For further information on this venue, or to check date availability, please use the Workshop Information Request Form at the bottom of the page to get in touch.
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