Birds of Prey: Fast Action + Creative Portraiture
Northumberland
Available On Request All Year Round
Contact Us To Request A Raptors Workshop
Every bird of prey offers a unique range of photographic challenges, and you'll get to grips with them all on this Raptors: Fast Action and Creative Portraiture wildlife photography workshop.
Hone your photographic skills with an inspirational range of raptors including all of Britain's owls and a selection of birds of prey from around the world, in the glorious countryside of Northumberland. Please note that due to bird 'flu restrictions flight shots will take place in Andy's studio.
Backdrops may include bluebell swathes in native woodland at this time of year, waterfalls, farmland, coastal settings (depending on tides) and studio micro habitats. All our settings are stunning and appropriate to our subjects.
Workshop Content Includes
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Dynamic composition
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Working with light
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Camera settings for fast action and creative portraiture
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Focus - keeping your subject sharp
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Exposure triangle:
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Aperture - retain a sharp subject and a blurred out background
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Shutter speed and its creative use
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ISO - completing the exposure triangle
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Exposure compensation - the final frontier
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Creative inspiration
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Workshop subjects may include
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Tawny, snowy, eagle, little, short eared,
long eared and barn owls -
kestrel
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buzzard,
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harris hawk
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a selection of other raptors
*Please note that species may alter subject to
weather & wellfare of the animals.
Advantages of a Workshop Environment
While these birds and animals are not wild, we work with the finest falconers in the finest surroundings to recreate the most natural and wild shots possible.
And of course when you're honing your skills there are huge advantages to learning under controlled conditions: the birds don't fly away, never to return!
We can also set the flight path of the birds and recreate it time after time until you are confident in your new techniques, capture your perfect shot and are ready for the less predictable birds and animals you'll find out in the wild.
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Small group: everyone gets a great position and lots of tutor time
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Beginner friendly - no question too daft - ask away any time!
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More advanced - try new techniques and expand your creative vision
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Group and individual advice throughout the day
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Field craft tips
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Option to try wildlife videography
An All-Round Great Day and Experience!
Our day is more than just photography, it's a fantastic all round experience.
You will get up close and personal with all of our subjects, interact with them, learn loads about them from our knowledgeable falconers Andy and Juanita, and you can even help with handling them when you've got your shots.
You'll also have the option to try your hand at DSLR videography with BBC natural history presenter and film maker Trai Anfield too!
2025 Dates and Rates
Available On Request All Year Round
Contact Us To Request A Raptors Workshop
Rates
£175 per person as part of a scheduled group (3-4) people
£400 for individual private workshop
£500 for 2 person private workshop - dates on request
Includes all photography and videography tuition,
falconry, mammals and reptiles, location transfers.
Please bring a packed lunch
BOOKING
contact us here to request a raptors workshop
Clothing
We always say prepare for the worst of the British weather and hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Warm and waterproof outer wear that you don't mind kneeling or even lying down on the ground in.
Sturdy footwear, waterproof if possible.
Facilities
Toilet facilities are available at our base before and after we set off into the Northumberland countryside and at lunch time.
Accessibility
Most of our sites on this workshop are accessible with only a short walk on relatively flat but unpaved ground. We can help with carrying gear if necessary. Access to the waterfall, however, requires walking down a steep unpaved track with short but significant dips, and which can be slippery underfoot if recent weather has been wet.