Wildlife Photography Workshops

New for 2011 - Peak District Birding Holidays is delighted to be able to introduce Photography Workshops led by award winning photographer and group tutor, Iain McMillan (his picture of a Hover Fly is shown right)

Join us in the stunning scenery of the beautiful Peak District to capture the wildlife and the wonder of nature and, most importantly, to improve your photography skills. Our one day DSLR photography courses are for groups of from three to six students and will suit anyone from the complete beginner to the intermediate DSLR photographer.

Many novice photographers tend to use their expensive DSLR on the fully auto setting and are often unimpressed by the average results achieved. This one day photography course will demonstrate when to use the other settings and how to take fantastic photographs, you will see stunning scenery, some great birds and wildlife and you will capture images you will be proud to hang on your wall.

Suitable for complete novice

All our Digital SLR photography courses start off with the absolute basics and progress, step by step, through to some of the more technical aspects of a digital camera, and how to capture the subject in the best way.

Recommended Kit

You will need to provide your own photographic equipment, a 500mm lens is ideal but a 300mm with or without a tele converter should meet your needs A tripod/beanbag is also essential. For landscapes a wide angle lens would be perfect giving you a chance to capture some beautiful landscape images throughout the day.

Workshop Availability

Initial dates for our Spring photographic workshops will be updated shortly but please contact us for further information in the meantime.

We also arrange 1 to 1 or 1 to 2, private tuition sessions tailored to your needs whether you’re a beginner or expert, again please contact us for further details. 

Interested?

Please complete the booking form , a deposit of £50 is payable online to secure your place (see terms and conditions).

Additional information

Dress according to the season, please wear appropriate clothing and footwear, wearing several layers to keep you warm, and a windproof/waterproof jacket and trousers are a must as is suntan lotion. Lunch is not included so please bring a packed lunch. Transport from the venue on the day is included but transport to the venue is not (although if travelling by rail a pick up from the station may be possible)

About Iain McMillan, Course Tutor

I am a freelance photographer, born in Nottinghamshire but now based in Leicestershire. I have always been interested in the natural world. As a child my parents would take me out into the garden to observe birds, insects and butterflies. This interest developed as I became older and I knew I wanted a career outside. In 2003 I graduated from university with a BSc Hons in Environmental Science.

My interest in photography developed after an unfortunate camera accident in the middle of the Canadian Rocky mountains, where I had to make do with a cheap, disposable camera for the duration of my trip.  After developing my images I was so annoyed with the results, I knew I had to go back with better equipment and increased skill. Hence I set about learning, and enjoying, how to capture memorable images.

More recently, I went back to university to study for a Professional Certificate in Photography, since I wanted to develop my skills further and explore different aspects of the photographic world.

Some of my favourite places to photograph in the UK are the Peak District and the Scottish Highlands.  They have such diversity of wildlife and scenery.

For the past two years I have been running wildlife photography workshops at Center Parcs in Nottinghamshire, as well as shooting studio-based portraiture.  I also teach a monthly wildlife photography workshop at Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire.