Hello, I’m Gill and I write a photography blog inspired by the landscapes of Suffolk and beyond. Please subscribe to read more of my writing and visit my website to view my images
One of the best parts of my job is running residential workshops in different places around the UK - often local to East Anglia but most recently to Somerset and Devon and the landscapes around Exmoor National Park.
This week I thought I would write about this workshop, about my experiences as a workshop leader and about why I think these group sessions away are really valuable.
I have been running an annual workshop in Exmoor for the past 3 years and have really come to enjoy the location. It is one I know well as I lived in Somerset for 14 years, so coming back here still feels like coming home. There is something about the area that is so captivating - a coast of contrasts. The atmosphere is tranquil but the coastline is rugged and dramatic and the variety of photographic locations is stunning.
I like to make my group sessions away really varied as I think there is great value in trying lots of different things. So we began this years workshop with a coastal sunrise in Lynmouth, where we were staying, and then headed west to the surfing beaches of Combesgate and Croyde where we spent the rest of the day into the evening. The coastline here is a mix of sand and rock which makes for some great compositions especially around sunset.
For our second day we headed to the beautiful valley of Watersmeet, where the East Lyn River meets Hoar Oak Water in a dramatic, steep sided gorge covered in ancient woodland. The river tumbles along the bottom of the gorge in a series of waterfalls and small cascades with the oak trees provide a stunning green screen around the edges. It felt like we were encountering something different around every corner.
We ended our second day a little further north in the Somerset village of Kilve. The beach here is Jurassic in age and is made up of bands of Limestone and shales. It is a popular place for fossil hunters and is great for photography on a falling tide. Watching the tide ebb away to reveal large bands of limestone and blue Lias stone is fascinating. These pavements contain some great textures, making for some really interesting compositions.
Day three began with a trip to the Valley of the Rocks which affords some of the best views along this stretch of the Exmoor coastline. It is also home to numerous feral goats who wander the valley floor and make easy work negotiating the steep sided cliff faces.
From here we visited Robbers Bridge, a beautiful old masonry arch bridge which crosses Weir water and is accessed via a tiny road with a very steep gradient and one tight hairpin bend - definitely not for the faint hearted!
Day three finished in Porlock Weir - accessed via another steep road (1 in 4 gradient with hair pin bends!) This small hamlet is another of my favourite locations in Exmoor with its colourful stony beach, its picturesque harbour and its characterful dead trees in the marsh.
This year the workshop finished back at Watersmeet, on an overcast morning with some drizzly rain - a great day for photographing in the woods.
It is always sad to say goodbye to workshop clients, especially such a lovely group and we rounded the session off with a hot drink in the Watersmeet tea room sheltering from the rain! Obviously an Exmoor workshop wouldn’t be authentic without some rain!
The value of residential workshops.
So was it all worth it? What do I get out of these workshops and more importantly what is the benefit of coming as a participant?
Before I started running my own group workshops about 5 years ago I participated in several myself and I can say that I found them to be really enjoyable and very inspiring. But it wasn’t really the tuition that I found most valuable, it was the interaction with the other guests and the collective discussions around our approach to photography and the way each of us dealt with finding and constructing compositions in the field. It was the unique way in which everyone saw the world that I found (and still find today) really fascinating.
I believe there is so much we can learn from this and from each other and I think this is the real value of workshops.
We all see the world in different ways. We are all inspired by different things and will all have a different idea of what makes an attractive or compelling image. Sharing this information in a group setting is what I think makes workshops special, above and beyond the obvious technical considerations.
Having said that I do think that when you attend a workshop you have to manage your expectations a little, particularly where landscape photography is concerned. I try to plan my workshops down to the last detail so that I can give my clients the best chance of getting a good shot. But, it is just a chance. I cannot control the weather or the light and these are the things that can make or break an image.
In my experience as a tutor people come on workshops for a variety of reasons. They may wish to master their camera skills, to improve technically with composition or long exposure, they may wish to be guided to an area to get the best images or they may just want to meet like minded people and enjoy a few days of photography with some good laughs.
My Exmoor trip this year comprised a small group who came together as strangers but who went away as friends. We had some good photography, some excellent discussions and some great laughs and it will be a few days that I remember for a long time.
That for me is the value of workshops - sharing our knowledge and experience and bonding over a love of landscape and photography. It is not really about coming home with a portfolio image (although that would be great).
If we can learn from each other and our shared experiences, then apply this in such a way that we all go home with increased technical knowledge, greater awareness of what is possible and some good images, then for me the workshop has been a success.
If you would be interested in next years Exmoor workshop please let me know.
Thank you very much for reading and until next week enjoy your photography.
Gill
All the images in this post were taken on days either side of my previous workshops.
What are your experiences of photography workshops, have you been on any, are you put off by the idea or do you find them invaluable. I would love to hear your experiences so please leave your comments below.
Amazing photos Gill. The way you have captured that beautiful soft light.... wow! Exmoor might be
a bit far away, but there a couple of Australian photographers I would love to do a workshop with (or even enter a mentor arrangement) - I really like their work and would push me in interesting directions.
Enjoyed reading through your blog Gill and your images are amazing. Particularly love the Porlock groyns. I really enjoyed the workshop and love Exmoor. I'm still very new to photography; this workshop was my first attempt in using filters and only my second workshop since taking up photography last year. We had lovely locations and amazing weather; could have done with a bit more cloud but that was out of your control! Workshops are a brilliant way to meet other like minded people and share ideas. Look forward to seeing you soon.