Workshops & Tuition
Full or Half Day Workshop Overview:
​
I offer full or half day 1-2-1 photography tuition sessions in the Lake District. I cater to all skill levels and can offer location based workshops as well as photography skill based tutoring (and combinations of the two), so please get in touch with me to discuss how you would like to improve your skills & knowledge so we can tailor our session together.
​
I have an extensive knowledge of the best photography locations in the Lake District, and if you are interested in improving your planning and how to read weather conditions such as fire skies, inversions, rainbows etc then we can include this as part of the session.
​
Below is a list of some of what we can cover in a half, full or multiple sessions. We will discuss before the session some of the technical skills that we could cover in the time we have together, and then apply them on location during the workshop.
Skills:
​
1) Getting the basics right: Understanding aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, focus, depth of field, filters, dynamic range, and getting the balance of technique right in camera.
​
2) Composition I - Planning: What do you see when you arrive at a location? How do you visualise a photograph beforehand and does the expectation meet reality?
​
3) Composition II - The subject: What is the focal point / subject and why? What is the purpose of the image? How does your eye flow through the image and scene? How to consider foreground, midground, background to create more complex and compelling images.
​
4) Composition III - Rule of composition: A badly composed image causes a viewer to question what they are seeing, but a well thought out composition where every aspect is questioned until equilibrium in the frame is achieved allows the viewer to effortlessly flow through the image and enjoy it without question. Deciding what to include in frame, and just as importantly what not to. Forming shapes and lines through the image to generate interest and keep the viewer's attention. Using established compositional techniques to achieve this.
​
5) Aspect ratio: Choice of landscape or portrait and knowing which is appropriate to the scene and why.
​
6) Use of light: Choosing the right time of day for a photo, golden hour, sunrise, sunset, blue hour etc
​
7) The weather: Battling the elements, shooting in high winds, snow, rain, hail and how understanding the weather can get you more compelling images others do not have.
​
8) Choice of colours: How do the colours in a scene impact how you frame an image? Making the right choices on location.
​
9) Telling a story, or evoking emotion: Combining the above points in consideration of how the image makes you feel, perhaps choice of subjects in the image tells a story, how the image is framed and aspect ratio can detract or amplify these.
​
10) Choice of lenses: Wide angle, telephoto or mid range lenses? Which are the ones to use in which scenario and how do choices of composition, aspect ratio etc change for each.
​
11) Special conditions: Fog and mist, fire skies, blue hour, bright white snow, moving water and coastal, storms and rainbows.
​
​
​
Options & availability:
Half-day: Covering approximately 4 hours across up to 2 locations including either sunrise or sunset subject to the time of year and your preference to get up early (for those early summer sunrises). We would be focusing on capturing blue-hour and golden hour conditions in the Lake District. These are available at weekends throughout the year, and on weekdays also between April and September.
Full-day: Covering approximately 8 hours across up to 3 or 4 locations. Subject to the time of year this can cover sunrise and sunset, otherwise [in summer] it will cover just one of these. These are available at weekends only throughout the year.
​
On the lead up to the date I will review and discuss the weather conditions with you so that we can select the best location appropriate to the weather. Obviously I can not guarantee the weather for the dates but it does not mean we can't go photograph and learn, allowing you to apply the skills outside the workshop in different conditions.
Where will we photograph?
We can discuss any preference on locations, but leading up to the workshop it will be decided between this and what is appropriate for the weather (e.g. big vistas, woodland, waterfalls etc).
What to bring?
You will be responsible for bringing your own photography gear, travelling to the meeting point and subsequent locations, supplies for the day e.g. food and water, suitable clothing and footwear for the weather and time of year (we will shoot in all conditions).
​
How to book?
Please make a booking through the link at the top of this page. If you want to check availability with me first then you can contact me by email at tomwatphoto@hotmail.com for checking availability of dates prior to booking.
​
Terms and conditions:
​
​
​
​
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Annalisa
I scheduled a 1-2-1 interested in learning to compose stronger photos. Tom is very knowledgeable about the area so he was able to choose locations that were well suited to practicing composition. As we approached a location, he first pointed out the expected, obvious angles so that we could then find more unique and dramatic compositions together. It helped me recognize when I am settling for an obvious shot and to know what to look for in a scene to try to take it to the next level. He also was able to teach me technical details about photography and my camera that as a self-taught amateur photographer I had not learned on my own. Time spent driving or walking to locations was also enjoyable as Tom is a good conversationalist and passionate about photography and the Lake District.