What can I expect to get out of a Picture This Photography Weekend?

If you are a beginner or intermediate-level photographer wishing to improve your photography knowledge and skills, our Photography Weekends offer an easy-going, super-friendly and relaxed environment where you’ll be offered advice, guidance and support from two experienced photographers and tutors. We will help you to advance your understanding of photographic techniques and to put those techniques into practice to make better pictures. The aim of the weekend is not to nail down a prize-winning photograph in one afternoon, but to learn more about your camera’s capabilities, how to get more out of it, and in doing so, to improve your own photography. We guarantee you will come away with considerably more knowledge than you started with.

For those more confident and experienced photographers, you’ll enjoy the company of like-minded photographers in an immersive environment and you’ll be totally at liberty to use the weekend for your own aims. Don’t want to join the group for sunrise? No problem. Keen to stay out late for some night sky photography? Why not? Let us know how it went!

Above all, we can safely guarantee a weekend of great photography fun!

 

I want to book a Photography Weekend with you. What is your deposit and cancellation policy?

We ask for a 25% deposit at the time of booking and the balance to be paid 30 days prior to the weekend start date. If you need to cancel for any reason, you may forfeit your deposit if we are unable to refill your place. If you cancel within 30 days of the event, all monies paid will be deemed non-refundable if we are unable to refill your place. If we need to cancel the weekend for reasons outside of our control, for example, exceptionally adverse weather conditions or insufficient group numbers - we will give you the opportunity to reschedule or offer a full refund. We will always give as much notice as possible in the event that we have to cancel a weekend. We are not responsible for consequential losses, and so we recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance if you are booking flights, ferry crossings etc to join us.

 

What happens if the weather is bad?

We can make photographs in all weather, and very often even poor weather can add an extra dimension to landscape photography. If the weather is forecast to be so bad that we believe your workshop experience will be spoiled, we will cancel, and either offer a rescheduled date, or a refund.

 

Where do I stay?

Accommodation is always included in our weekend packages. The style of accommodation varies by location but generally we seek out 3-4 star hotels/motels/lodges. The information sheet for each Photography Weekend includes a website link to our reserved accommodation. Non-photographing partners are welcome to join us for the Weekend for a nominal additional charge, and you can also extend your stay to make the most of your visit to the area. If you wish to stay elsewhere, we do offer a credit against the workshop rate but we prefer that all our participants stay together if possible. Our image review sessions normally take place at the reserved accommodation.

 

What do I need to bring?

Not all of the ancillary equipment items listed here are essential except for a tripod, which is. If you don’t have one, we may be able to lend you one. We are happy to offer advice if you intend to purchase one prior to the weekend.

  • DSLR or mirrorless camera, with any lenses you have

  • Tripod

  • Any filters you may have (neutral density and polarising will be most useful)

  • Fully-charged battery(s) and charger

  • Formatted memory card(s)

  • Remote shutter release (camera self-timer may also be used)

  • Your camera manual (download a copy onto your phone)

  • Outdoor clothing suitable for the forecast weather conditions

  • Sturdy footwear suitable for day hiking

  • A laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Lightroom software installed

  • your cell phone with WhatsApp installed (we use WhatsApp for group communications)

 

How can I prepare for the photography weekend?

If you are just starting out with a new camera, it will be helpful for you to familiarise yourself with its basic functions such as changing exposure mode, setting the aperture, shutter speed and ISO, changing focus points and viewing the exposure histogram. All of these topics can be found in your manual. If you are new to creative photography, please don’t worry about not fully understanding these terms! We’ll cover them in depth over the weekend so that you do.

 

Other questions?

Feel free to get in touch and we’ll answer any questions you may have.