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Advanced Photography Workshop

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(Note: Guests are required to have cameras with manual controls and will need to have a good grasp of the technical basics of photography, such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO)
portrait of a blacksmith - taken during a Photography Vacation in France
"Bonjour et bienvenue to all Pete's photography guests keen to learn more!"
says André Maltaverne, forgeron extraordinaire
Our very popular Advanced Photography workshops are limited to a maximum of four people.

Building on the knowledge you've already acquired (e.g. a knowledge of aperture, shutter and ISO control), Peter Evans will be taking your photography to a new level by covering the following topics (in no particular order of importance):

- Full day trip to Bordeaux - street, city, and night photography (see below)

- Full day trip to Le Teich bird reserve - Bird and wildlife photography  (see below)

- Photographing at Night whilst Painting with Light

- Shooting at an Equestrian Centre - freezing action, panning, etc.

- Creating a cheap but effective Home Studio on a budget

- Advanced Flash Techniques

- Portraiture

- More about shooting RAW and post-processing your images

- Shooting for Black & White in low light in an 18thC blacksmith's shop and flour mill with horizontal water-wheel*

- An in-depth study of composition and what makes an appealing photograph

- An introduction to 'Droplet' photography

- An introduction to aerial photography, using a drone

NOTE: As certain subjects are dependent on factors beyond our control (e.g. weather, 3rd party venue availability, course numbers, etc.) the inclusion of every single subject in every workshop cannot be guaranteed.

* As the forge and mill are operated and maintained by volunteers and will be opened especially for our visit, guests are asked to make a donation on exit
Learn how to paint with light, using an ordinary household torch. That's how the trees were lit in this 'Supermoon Total Eclipse' shot at 03:30 on 28/09/2015
And how the foreground was lit in this image of the 12thC ruined church just opposite your accommodation
Learn creative lighting using a single off-camera flash. Both images below were produced outdoors, in daylight using High Speed Synchronisation; they were not created in Photoshop
The Decisive Moment!
Learn action photography like this, using fast shutter speeds
Then learn action photography like this, using slow shutter speeds
Enjoy shooting at one of France's leading bird reserves at Le Teich on the southeast corner of Arcachon bay
Two of the kingfisher images were captured by guests (to their delight!)
Experience some challenging available light shooting in an old forge (private sessions, exclusive to us)
Explore the fascinating and addictive world of Droplet Photography
(Great for dark, wet winter days back home!)
The above image was captured by photography guest Laurence Martin in his first ever droplet photography session
You mayl also have a chance to try your hand at aerial photography, using a drone
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This photo is of the 13thC ruined church opposite your accommodation

The Trip to Bordeaux is planned as follows :

11:00 a.m. departure

12:45 p.m. Lunch at 'L'Ombiére', a bistro in the lovely Place du Parlement in the old city

Afternoon - photographing at le Miroir d'Eau and in the city centre
plus a short trip up the quays by car to photograph the German U-Boat pens
and the Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas (the largest lifting bridge in Europe)

Evening - picnic in the park on the opposite bank of the Garonne

Photographing Bordeaux's Miroir d'Eau and Place de la Bourse by night

Late arrival back home
The trip to Le Teich bird reserve is planned as follows :

10:30 departure - drive through the forest of Les Landes
12:30 - Lunch at Le Delta Brasserie, Le Teich bird reserve
13:30 - 17:30 - Photographing at the bird reserve
This involves a leisurely 6 km walk with stops at 20 hides
18:00 - Picnic by the yacht marina, adjacent to the bird reserve
Late arrival back home

OR (depending on time of year)

10:00 departure - drive through the forest of Les Landes
12:00 arrive at Le Teich bird reserve
Picnic lunch by the yacht marina, adjacent to the bird reserve
13:00 to 17:00 - Photographing at the bird reserve
17:30 leave for home
Evening meal at restaurant with other guests

Click the image below to go to the reserve's own website