First week of the month Length 2hrs. 9:30 am-11:30 am Informal Woodland photography walk workshops in and around Warwickshire Woodlands | All Levels Welcome
Summary
Location: Various Warwickshire Woodlands
Dates: 2024/2025 - 09:30 - 11:30
Millisons Wood, Meriden - Mon May 6
Piles Coppice, Coventry - Mon Nov 4
Crackley Wood, Kenilworth - Fri Nov 8
Hay Woods - Solihull Fri Jan 3
Tile Hill Wood - Coventry - Mon Feb 3
Oakley Wood - Leamington Spa Mon Mar 3
Participants: Max 6
Fitness: 1. Easy
Photography Workshop Event Details: Woodland Walks
Description: Simplifying Woodland Photography: Unlocking the Secrets to Capturing the Beauty of Nature
My aim is not to instruct you what to shoot, instead, I want to help you develop your own sense of visual awareness, photographic eye and your personal interpretation. I will be happy to help you with the “how to shoot” whatever it is you feel drawn to and wish to express through your creative vision using the camera to construct your intention. The walks around these selected woodlands are aimed to promote our senses and connection to trees/woodland/nature - as we walk, observe and take in our environment we may decide to make a photograph, or not.
Description/Itinerary
Description - Woodland Photography Walk
Crackley Woods
Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Ancient woodland with a wide range of wildlife
This is a popular Local Nature Reserve, with woodland for strolling through and a network of shady paths and grassy, open glades.
Years ago this wood was coppiced but this was abandoned during the last century and sweet chestnut, sycamores and conifers were introduced. There are lots of grand oak trees and silver birch plus some ash and beech alongside.
Visit in May to enjoy the spectacular blanket of bluebells dotted with delicate wood anemone, yellow pimpernel and common dog-violet. The soils here are acidic, sandy and clay which suits wood sage, foxglove and bracken. In the damper corners, you'll spot golden-saxifrage.
On your Autumn visit, you'll walk under a canopy of vibrant autumn colour but look down too and spot fungi like a tawny grisette, dog stinkhorn and beefsteak fungus.
If you're an invertebrates expert you'll be interested to hear that rare and nationally uncommon invertebrates such as one species of sawfly and three notable hoverfly species have been recorded here.
Woodland Photography Walk
Woodlands, trees and nature have always been a source of inspiration, therapy and photography for me. I am always drawn to trees wherever I am photographing so I decided to make 2019 the year I spent even more time amongst trees and in the woodlands. My own woodland photography has improved immensely since 2019 as i learnt to read the woods differently and find my own connection to the many challenges of woodland photography.
I want to share and enjoy the tranquillity of our woodland environments with others so am listing twelve-monthly photo walks (one each month, on the first Tuesday of the month) around twelve different woodland habitats across Warwickshire and the West Midlands. The locations are renowned for interest and variety so offer something for every interest (abstract, macro, nature portrait, vista, cameo shot) throughout the year.
My aim is not to instruct you what to shoot, instead, I want to help you develop your own sense of visual awareness, photographic eye and your personal interpretation. I will be happy to help you with the “how to shoot” whatever it is you feel drawn to and wish to express through your creative vision using the camera to construct your intention. You will be able to take these tips away with you to use on your own woodland photography.
“Give a man a fish you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish you feed them for life.”
Forest Bathing
This is the healing way of Shinrin-yoku Forest Therapy, the medicine of simply being in the forest. Shinrin-yoku is a term that means "taking in the forest atmosphere" or "forest bathing." It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine.
The woodland photography walks around these selected woodlands are aimed to promote our senses and connection to trees/woodland/nature - as we walk, observe and take in our environment we may decide to make a photograph, or not.
“The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.” Albert Einstein
Location
Location - Woodland Photography Walk
Crackley Woods, Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Gallery
My Approach
My Objective: Is to Improve Your Photography
“A good teacher gives you a gift for the rest of your life.”
That doesn’t mean “trophy” images – it’s the means to create images you like.
I aim to.
Provide you with an educational, fun, safe, well organised experience.
1. Help you improve your camera craft – settings and use of functions.
2. Help you use your equipment more effectively – lenses, tripods, filters etc.
3. Help you improve your creative thinking and composition.
4. Help you develop an approach to improving your landscape photography.
On this woodland photography walk, Alan will guide you through:
Thinking more about composition
Using colour, texture, shape and more
Framing and designing the shot
Using camera settings to vary the effects
Learn the impact of using long exposure, shallow depth of field and other techniques.
Recognise correct lighting, contrast and texture to shape and form each shot.
Work with Alan to review your shots, try new ideas and improve your woodland photography.