September 2024

7 night residential wildlife photographic workshop in a remote forest on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, Scotland, running (max three places per trip). Workshops commence either 7th Sept or 14th Sept 2024.

Wildlife you may see and photograph include pine marten, badgers, red squirrels, foxes, red deer, a variety of birds and moths. Golden eagles, white tailed eagles, buzzards, otters, etc, may also be found in the region. There could be opportunities to shoot coastal scapes near Mallaig, sunsets, lochs and the Jacobite Express train. Most locations are easily accessible, requiring only a short walk and can be adapted to suit the group’s abilities.

We’ll make use of my moth trap, reflection table, portable bird hides and other photogenic props. I can assist with lens choice, camera settings, explain how use various filters, improve field craft skills, how to setup and use high speed flash for wildlife moving in low light / freezing in-flight action and focus stacking / bracketing to achieve greater depth-of-field when using wide apertures.

This workshop is for photographers who are at an intermediate or advanced level and have a good range of equipment including a highly specified DSLR body or two (either mirrored or mirrorless) plus wide angle, macro and telephoto lenses. Your kit might ideally include a flash gun or two with commander to assist with night time illumination (though not absolutely necessary), a sturdy tripod, a wireless remote, laptop to download your images, memory cards and spare batteries, etc.

An optional day trip to Mull to photograph white tailed eagles and otters is available. Photographing eagles taking fish from a loch is extremely popular so this excursion needs to be chosen when booking the workshop and is only available between April-October. Leaving at dawn and arriving back early evening to the aroma of our cooked meal, this option costs just £145 and includes the return ferry from Ardnamurchan to Mull, all transportation and the luxury of having only six photographers on the boat, though two won’t be from our group.

The accommodation comprises two good sized twin shared rooms, one bathroom (with shower & bath), kitchen, conservatory, utility room, living room and parking for four cars. Due to room configuration, en-suite bathrooms are not possible. ‘Complicated sleeping arrangements’ are resolved with a simple but effective solution. Breakfasts, lunches and evening meals are included though the menu is limited and provided on a ‘we all help to prepare / cook the meals’ basis. Please ensure that any special dietary needs or allergies are indicated at the time of booking.

What is included in the workshop:

• Seven nights accommodation in twin shared rooms with a shared bathroom and includes breakfasts, lunches & evening meals plus non-alcoholic drinks. Maximum 3 photographers.
• Transportation whilst on the workshop is in a comfortable 4×4 Ford Ranger (or similar) with ample space for all your photographic gear.
• Explanation of stage construction for photographing wildlife. You can adapt the knowledge gained to create your own photographic stage when back home.
• Training on how to use your wireless flash at speeds faster than your camera’s sync-speed and explanation in sufficient detail with time to understand why they work so well. This allows you to continue photographing well into the night and the procedure works on many high-end cameras.
• Advice on using the correct camera settings including making your aperture, shutter speed and ISO work much harder for you in ways that’ll challenge your photographic thoughts.
• As much time to photograph all the wildlife seen on the workshop as required.
• Photo critique sessions as time allows or in spells of bad weather with advice on improving your workflow, using LrC, or Topaz DeNoise AI / Sharpen AI, etc.
• An impressive ratio of tutor to photographers of 1:3 giving you much more of my time.
• A good time! Leave life’s stresses behind to enjoy watching and photographing this amazing Scottish wildlife with like-minded photographers.

What’s not included:

• Return travel to and from the cottage.
• Cost of meals at any restaurants or any food you might bring for yourself.
• Alcoholic beverages.
• Photographic equipment and suitable travel insurance.

There won’t be any ‘tripod holes’ at the cottage and the wildlife won’t rely on us for food. We will have to work hard to attract the wildlife and there is no guarantee that it’ll turn up, though it usually always does.

The cost of this exciting workshop is just £1295 with a non-refundable deposit of £250. All prices are per person and the final balance is due just two months before the workshop is due to commence.

Further information: Please Contact Me, +44 (0) 7540 163136 or jmalls@me.com to discuss content, what to bring, availability or to book this workshop.

© Jeremy Malley-Smith LRPS EFIAP DPAGB BPE3*  |  jmalls@me.com  |  +44 (0) 7540 163136