Birds of Prey: Fast Action + Creative Portraiture
Northumberland
Next Scheduled Date:
Sunday May 14th 2023
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, all in the glorious countryside of Northumberland.
Backdrops 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
Workshop subjects 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!
2023 Dates and Rates
Sunday May 14th 2023
Rates
£165 per person as part of a scheduled group (3-4) people
£500 for 1or 2 person private workshop - dates on request
Includes all photography and videography tuition,
falconry, mammals and reptiles, location transfers.
Please bring a packed lunch
Also available For Small Groups or 1-2-1 Tuition On Request All Year Round
This workshop is run in partnership with
Additional Information
Equipment
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A DSLR or bridge camera is ideal for this workshop. A lens, or lenses, covering a range from approximately 50-200mm or more is perfect. But we believe that we can get the best out of whatever gear you have - so bring whatever you have! We have had participants come along with compact cameras and the latest iPhones, and they have gone home with new skills and great shots. Contact Trai before the workshop and she will let you in on some useful apps that will allow you to access the manual settings of the latest iPhone cameras.
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A tripod is essential for long exposure shots at the waterfall, with a remote release handy if you have one.
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Filters: Trai Anfield is sponsored by Lee Filters so there will be a range of filters and holders for you to experiment with on the day.
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.
