Powys workshops
It's been a long time coming - my great, great grandfather was from Powys - but here I am, back in Cymru amongst the mountains, forests, hills and wilderness that is both my natural habitat and a powerful source of my cultural identity. It's my pleasure to introduce a new series of workshops for spring and autumn 2022 based here at our house tucked away in the woods overlooking the valleys and hills of beautiful mid Wales.
Spring and autumn workshops will cover a range of topics including:
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composition - how to make your images more impactful
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exposure - clear, crisp and well exposed images in all light conditions, time after time
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shutter - maximising your camera to capture movement, create intentional blur and minimise shake
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depth of field - when. where and how to use shallow or deeper depth of field for the best results
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mindfulness - learn to be in the moment and see the world in a way that improves your photography
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macro - entering the macrocosm and truly capturing the minutiae of an often hidden but magical realm
Spring 2022
Spring in Powys. Picture ancient woods resplendent with fresh green leaves, birds busy nesting and raising young, misty mornings in the valleys and all around us new life bursting forth. My spring workshops aim to give participants every opportunity to capture the essence of the county; her rivers, glades, forests, and of course the wildlife. We have over 30 species of birds visiting us here at our house in the woods - including, if we get the timing right, the company of our visiting pied fly catchers who nested about 20 feet from the house last year. This workshop is suitable for all abilities and will have a maximum of only six participants to give you as much time with me as you want. I'm aiming to run four or five workshops from late April into May with final dates and timings to be confirmed in the new year.
Autumn 2022
We've now had our first autumn at the house and I have to say I'm blown away by the colours, constantly changing weather conditions, easily accessible, yet stunning locations and the photo opportunities we've been given - and gratefully accepted. So what does a Powys autumn offer participants on my workshops? For a start it's one of the most fungi-rich places I've known with well over 30 plus species including the iconic fly agaric which can be found in our woodland and the nearby forest - so you can expect some macro work at ground level 😂
I've already mentioned the colours with the mainly deciduous woodland consisting of beech, larch, oak, sycamore and silver birch along with a selection of acers as potential backdrops for birds in flight photography. You can also expect peace and quiet. There's no traffic noise, we have no immediate neighbours and we look out on to woodland, valley and mountains. Factor in some early morning mist, frosty starts or even a sprinkling of snow and the incessant toing and froing of wild birds to the feeders and you'll begin to understand what a very special day of photography is on offer here in Powys. There might even be cake seeing as we now have an oven...
For autumn I'm planning on running four workshops starting around mid-October through into November. Dates will follow in January but feel free to register your interest using the button at the foot of this page.
Clearly we're all unique and have different photographic aspirations, visions and skillsets. As participants will be at various stages on their photographic journey I've designed my workshops to be flexible enough to meet everyone's needs. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced photographer a day with me will give you many of the tools to help you become the photographer you want to be.
The cost for a spring or autumn workshop will be £250 which includes refreshments and a light lunch on the skydeck - just be prepared to share some with the birds!