current landscape photography workshop schedule
Dates will be added to this all of the time, so be sure to book mark this page a come back regularly... In the meantime please click on any of the dates and locations in the table below to see more details of each event. My standard photography workshop Terms And Conditions document can be viewed by CLICKING HERE which will be sent to you again when you book your place. Any questions at all or if you have any requests for 1-2-1 time, please just contact me.
the 10,000 hour rule - the art of learning the art
Ever heard of the 10,000 hour rule? The broad concept was articulated nicely by the author Malcolm Gladwell in his 2008 book titled Outliers: The Story Of Success. The crux of the rule is that to become really good at anything which could be described as bordering on expertise, whether it's mastering a sport, learning a musical instrument or cultivating an artistic eye, you need spend around 10,000 hours on developing your skills and craft. That sounds like a mountain to climb to most people, there are four zeros in there after all. Some will almost certainly never make it, some fall at the first hurdle, some inevitably lose patience when they should have just kept going, while others through persistent drive and determination eventually reach their end goal. I wonder if there is really any such thing as natural talent at all - anything I've ever achieved in my life has only come from hard work and hours of study, just ask someone like Michael Levin about whether he thinks he has natural talent and what he did to become a renowned global photographic artist.
There is no doubt to me that developing an eye for artistic composition, evolving and nurturing a vision and learning the technical art of photography all take a huge amount of time, possibly even 10,000 hours each - there are no real short cuts and to me at least that grand estimation of the effort required sounds about right. You see, I've been developing my artistic eye all of my life; it started when I was about five years old with time served learning from my father who was a wonderful water colour painter, that journey is of course still going with the latest series I'm working on now. I'm not even sure it's a journey that will come to an end, after all where is the true limit of developing a vision?
so why bother with one of my landscape photography workshops?
Two words define my approach to photography - Passion and Commitment. I discovered half a lifetime ago that to be successful at anything you must be genuinely passionate about your subject. It has to become part of your soul, not something you switch on or off - it's there all of the time. That's what the magnificent British landscape and photography does for me. I have a connection with the land and sea that drives my very being, I get up in the morning and strain to see the first rays of the sun over the horizon or the refracting light across the clouds at sunset, I look through the breaking waves on a beach at the movement of sand and shale, I marvel at the balance of dark hostile skies against those sudden bursts of spectacular side light and I can barely keep my eyes on the road when I drive anywhere because I'm simply always looking for that next composition (that last bit probably needs to change though!!). That's just part of what I want to share and inspire people with because actually, when it boils down to it, inspiration is almost literally the breath that drives our passions.
Along the way those 10,000 hours of commitment are going to need a lift and they're going to occasionally need an injection of some positivity when the road lurches towards what may feel like the edge of an abyss. Sometimes it will also be necessary to pause, reflect and take a review to make sure all that effort is being channelled in the right way and is not being wasted. As much as I have taught myself much of this art, the most valuable hours I've spent have been with people who were passionate, inspirational, shared my interest and drove my enthusiasm. These things are all so important and become an essential foundation stone to photographing the landscape - I'm sure there is much you'll take away from one of my days.
personalisation, partnership, participation...
But let's forget about that 10,000 hour rule for a moment, I've done more road miles in pursuit of landscape photography than that of a 1970's London Bus and because of that I'll be able to bring the best of some of those locations to you in an organised thought out way. There's a bit more to facilitating a workshop than merely turning up on a beach or the side of a pretty hill somewhere and hopefully you'll very much feel the benefit of my attention to detail. And who said it's all about Location, Location, Location? Charismatic Kirsty Allsopp might have it right for buying a house but taking part in one of my workshops is a lot more than joining a photo-walk at a great location....
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Firstly, every participant will receive a pre-workshop questionnaire which seeks to ascertain things like an outline of each persons experience and what they are trying to achieve with their photography. So although you may be attending within a small group, each individual will have some personalisation and more intimate objectives to their day.
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Secondly, participation and shared experience is actively encouraged during the day, and let's not forget fun too! I don't profess to hold all the answers, far from it, but I do know that I have often learned as much from other people taking part on workshops as I have through my own learning and diligence.
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Thirdly, I would like to think that by joining one of my workshops that it is the beginning of a new partnership. I won't abandon you once the day is over, I frequent a few social media sites and I'm always on the end of an email. I genuinely get a lot of unsolicited email from people asking advice on equipment, students seeking inspiration and so on and I'm always happy to answer it all when I get a few minutes. If you feel you would even benefit from a more private 1-2-1 session then I'm more than happy to discuss your requirements.
your safety & satisfaction in mind
Unlike other part-time providers of photography workshops who might see it as a way of obtaining easy money at the weekend, this is an important part of a full time business to me - I'm even a member of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Of Commerce. All venues are properly risk assessed by me in a professional way - your personal safety and comfort is paramount to me, especially as we're talking about what can be remote locations at times. Please ensure you refer to my standard Workshop Terms & Conditions document below too which expands on the expectations being set for both you and I. I hold comprehensive business Public Liability Insurance and a valid clean CRB certificate, both of which you can view for yourself below. Beware of anyone providing location based workshops who can't provide such documents because you may be risking more than the cost of a day out with them.
Following completion of the workshop I'll also be keen to hear your views on the event you have attended and will ask you to complete a short post-workshop questionnaire.
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