Yorkshire Dales ​Summer ​Creative Photography Retreat

​June 7th - 9th 2019 | Near Settle

A Three Day Creative Photography Retreat
in the Heart of the Yorkshire Dales

​As we deepen into our photography it soon becomes apparent that it's not all about apertures, shutter speeds and focal lengths.

In these technology and app driven times it's all too easy to think of our photography ​as a technique based skill that requires us to remember formulae, rules and a whole host of settings and technical terminologies.

Pretty soon the very things that called us to photography begin to wither and die as overwhelm, lethargy, lack of direction or boredom begin to rob us of our creative mojo.

This creative photography retreat is designed to relight your creative fire, to help you know your purpose and reach your artistic goals.

The central location of the accommodation affords an abundance of opportunities to explore our full creative potential within the immediate and nearby area and the cosy traditional farmhouse lounge is the perfect space for our series of informal image critique sessions, Lightroom and Photoshop tuitions and inspirational gatherings.

During the ​three days we'll visit inspiringly dramatic locations ranging from iconic hotspots to unknown hidden gems which I've discovered with thanks to local farmer Tom Lord who's been a lifelong wanderer of these iron edged landscapes.

Much of our time will be spent getting to know the local places too, within walking distance of the farmhouse.

It's all very well wandering around visiting the honeypots however our inspiration and connection with our Muse is best served by slowing down, settling in and getting under the skin of our subject. Only then will we begin to deepen into the dialogue with nature and hear the stories of the land that we have come to find.

In order to get the very best out of the weekend we'll go with the flow of the weather rather than impose a strict plan that will hobble our creative opportunities. We'll variously work with the land or enjoy indoor tuition sessions in the farmhouse lounge depending on ​the weather and our own intuition.

By being flexible we'll make the most of the weekend and develop creative, technical and technique skills that will enhance your photography in your selected areas.

We'll work with the ends of day light, and spend the midday siesta hours relaxing with a range of carefully selected inspirational photobooks, deepening our connection with the landscape, exploring gentle classroom sessions or maybe snoozing in the meadows if that takes your fancy as we await the evening light.

Our Choice of Locations:

  • Catsgill Foss Waterfall
  • Lower Winskill Limestone Pavements
  • Victoria Cave
  • Attermire
  • The Hidden Valley
  • The Boulders
  • Ingleborough
  • Gordale Scar
  • Janet's Foss Waterfall
  • Malham Cove

An Intimate Bespoke ​Creative ​Retreat

This is planned to be an intimate, bespoke, ​creative ​retreat where we'll be able to explore several areas of photography whilst enabling plenty of one-to-one time with me throughout the entire weekend.

​Our time together will begin ​on Friday afternoon with an introductory session where we'll get to know each other and discuss our aims for the retreat. I'll outline the creative practices that you'll be invited to follow for the weekend, practices designed to whet your appetite, jump start your mojo and envision your photography in a holistic way.​

Time out on the land will be paramount to our process, as will the exploration of stimulating secondary exercises that will awaken our vision and refine our visual comprehension.

There will be Lightroom and Photoshop sessions to enjoy which will be delivered​ using a high definition projector and of course inspirational slideshows and image and portfolio critique sessions.

Breakfast and evening meals will be taken in the farmhouse kitchen, lovingly prepared by my wife Nicola who will cook with your dietary requirements in mind.

The Farmhouse Accommodation

I've managed to secure a rather special place for us to stay, and it's not your usual bed and breakfast!

See the white farmhouse in the shot above? That's our venue for the weekend!

It's a traditional Dales farmhouse set in 90 acres of meadow and limestone pavement in the very heart of the most beautiful, rugged countryside.

The bedrooms are suitable for two sharing and there's a firelit lounge along with a welcoming hay-barn for our indoor workshops.

The farmer, Tom Lord is a world renowned expert in cave archeology and if we are fortunate he may give us a private viewing, and handling of some of his thousands of artifacts which range from 300,000 year old flint tools to cave bear skulls!

Many years ago he led the way and moved from beef cattle to wildflower meadows with a handful of sheep. He says he now prefers to farm butterflies.

This promises to be a photography weekend like no other and I am excited to finally be able to offer this. We will be visiting the farm at the very height of the wildflower and butterfly season and the landscape will be filled with creative opportunities in every corner.

For 6 Photographers

I'm looking for 6 photographers of any ability who would like to make a step change in their creativity and want to join me on this 3 day sojourn to the ​midsummer Yorkshire Dales.

To get the most from this workshop you'll need to have a working knowledge of your kit, even if that's just your smart phone. ​Layered clothing and sturdy footwear are essential too. Waterproofs are recommended!

The aim of the weekend is to reconnect with the artist within and rediscover the joy that a journey into art can engender if we just give it a little time and space. Also, there'll be plenty of one to one time with me to work on your technical or technique boundaries.

The Art and Craft of Photography will fit together seamlessly as we get our photographic priorities aligned.

We may even have the chance to practice some After Dark photography if anyone wants to explore this fascinating subject. Being a small group I'm happy to be led by what is wanted by each of you whether that be panoramic photography, working up your projects, monochrome visioning, image processing... whatever fits to bring on your skills.

The Cost of the Weekend

I've chosen not to cut any corners with this workshop and have not limited it by choosing a price first. It's very much planned to be a bespoke weekend of photographic tuition and camaraderie with fellow enthusiasts.

The full weekend workshop costs £480.

Please note that the images depicted are from the locations on the list above and taken at different times of year. We will not visit all of them, however it's good to have a good choice of locations so that we can match our trips out to the light conditions and prevailing weather.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me.

Should the weekend over book I will of course immediately refund the payment of anyone unlucky enough to pay after this happens. If I decide to cancel the course due to lack of interest I will refund the payments in full.

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