Landscape photography courses Lake District

Maximum five photographers per course...no room sharing...no single supplement

Digital Dawn Landscape Photography Course Lake District 2008 & 2009		Blencathra Blue by Linda Jackson

Date: November 11th - 14th 2008 (fully booked) April 28th - May 1st, 2009 November 10th - 13th, 2009 Location: Borrowdale in the North-Western lakes Cost: £745 (£695 if booked before Christmas 2008) Cost includes: Four days of one-to-one and group tuition. Three nights accommodation with no shared rooms and no single supplement, plus breakfast, lunch and three-course dinner each evening. Transport to locations plus a fine art print of your favourite image made during the course. Comprehensive course notes plus follow-up email and telephone advice. Start/Finish: The course starts at 6pm on Tuesday and finishes at 5pm on Friday Deposit: £100 per person Group size: Maximum 5 photographers Fitness level: A reasonable level of fitness is required as most locations involve walks, some over uneven ground and a limited amount uphill. Longest walk two miles with stops for photography along the way. None of the walking is strenuous Equipment needed: Digital SLR camera; tripod; walking boots; waterproof clothing Where we stay: The Derwentwater Hotel, Portinscale, Keswick

	Click here for full outline of the course
	Click here for images made on previous courses
	Click here for questions about the course
	Click here for feedback from photographers
	Click here to learn about the leader
	Click here to see where we stay (off-site link)

FULL OUTLINE OF THE COURSE

WITHOUT doubt the Lake District is one of the most beautiful areas of Britain, in fact you could put up a very strong argument that it should be top of the list. This remarkable landscape of high peaks, enchanting lakes, secluded valleys and ancient woodland continues to attract photographers from around the world.

It's no surprise to learn that the Lake District is vulnerable to the shifting moods of the weather but this only increases the chances for dramatic lighting to help the photographer capture the essence of this unrivalled landscape. This Digital Dawn course is centred around Borrowdale in the North-Western lakes and has been timed to capture the stunning colour around Derwentwater, Buttermere and the Newlands Valley.

The four-day Digital Dawn Landscape Photography Course has been designed so the maximum group size is just five photographers, whereas some courses can have more than 10. This means you'll receive a high level of one-to-one tuition during your stay in the Lakes. It's also been designed so you learn all the essential technical and creative aspects of digital landscape photography while enjoying the chance to make images at the time of year when the Lake District is at its most beautiful.

Our base for the course is the award-winning Derwentwater Hotel. With 16 acres of grounds that stretch down to the lake's shore, this three-star hotel offers high-quality luxury accommodation and an excellent four-course dinner each evening.

The course begins with dinner hosted by the leader, professional landscape photographer Garry Brannigan, followed by a lecture where he explains the image-making process behind some of his favourite photographs. The next day is the start of three days of tuition and photography plus there's the opportunity for shoots at dawn and dusk. There are also evening sessions where we review the day's images after dinner and Garry gives a critique of images you have brought along.

During the first section of the course the emphasis is on the technical side of photography. You will gain a real understanding for what "depth of field" is and how to achieve it in your images. The less you resort to your camera's "automatic" mode and use its aperture priority and manual settings instead, then the more rewarding your photography will become.

Next you'll learn how to set up your digital camera so it's working to its full potential. We look specifically at the difference between the two shooting formats, RAW and Jpeg and learn why RAW is nearly always preferable. We also concentrate on the different lightmeter options and gain an understanding for using the histogram to obtain exposures that record all the available shadow and highlight detail. This section of the course is rounded off by explaining what the ISO settings are and which are most suitable for landscapes.

We then head out on location to put it all into practice while also learning how to focus the image correctly to gain the maximum amount of sharpness. We'll also explore the crucial use of filters in landscape photography, learning when and how to use neutral density graduated filters to control excessive contrast range and how a polariser can have a significant effect on the saturation and quality of our images.

With the technical side covered we move on to enjoy learning the creative aspects of landscape photography. It's the eye behind the camera that really counts and all the photographic equipment money can buy won't make great pictures for you. We look at how to find the picture in the first place and then examine in detail how we can use elements within the landscape to achieve strong compositions.

The final section of the course covers how to set up your computer and monitor and explains the need for colour management of your equipment and calibrating your monitor. This final session then teaches you how to convert your RAW images and use the Photoshop imaging software to prepare an image for printing. We then produce a professional-quality print on Hahnemuehle fine art paper of your favourite image made out on location for you to take home.

The Digital Dawn Landscape Photography Course costs £745. This includes four days of one-to-one and group tuition, plus three nights' accommodation with no shared rooms and no single supplement, and breakfast, lunch and three-course dinner each evening. Transport to the locations is included and also the fine art print of your favourite image made during the course. You will also receive comprehensive course notes plus unlimited follow-up email and telephone advice.

Click here to see where we stay (off-site link)

If you would like to check availability or find out more about the tuition, accommodation and the locations we visit, Call Garry Brannigan on 01748 821041 or |

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IMAGES MADE ON PREVIOUS LAKE DISTRICT COURSES

Fold in the Fells, Falcon Cragg by Keith Whiting

Last light on Skiddaw by Linda Jackson

Mist on the Lake, Derwentwater by Linda Jackson

Below Falcon Crag, Derwentwater by Tad Moyseowicz

First Light, Hawes End by Chris Wragg

Still Reflection, Derwentwater by Eleanor Coate

Mist and Mellow Fruitfulness, Hawes End by Margaret Harding

Radiating Colour, Hawes End by David Seaton

Blencathra Blue, Derwentwater by Linda Jackson

Autumn Hues, Derwentwater by Chris Harrison

Shepherd's Crag, Derwentwater by Tad Moyseowicz

Jetty at Dawn, Derwentwater by Ken Cave

Spotlight on the Spire, Keswick by Margaret Harding

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS COURSE

Why should I choose a Digital Dawn course?

Perhaps the main reason is that our group size is never more than five photographers, whereas some photographic courses and workshops can have 10 or more. This smaller group size means you receive a larger amount of personal in-depth tuition out on location. It also means we can visit more varied locations and have more elbow room when we get there. Also, course leader Garry Brannigan will not be using your time making his own images. All his time out on location is spent alongside photographers giving them one-to-one tuition. It's a combination that has proved successful and a large proportion of photographers return for additional courses at a different location. Some are now on their third or fourth course.

What type of camera and equipment do I need?

You will need a digital SLR camera to get the most out of this course, plus a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens. After your camera and lenses, the most essential item is a sturdy tripod. It is heavy to carry around, but landscape photography often involves freeing yourself from holding the camera and using a sturdy tripod will have a direct effect on both the technical and creative quality of your photographs. Also, it is not possible for the course leader to help with your compositions if the camera is hand-held. Please contact us if you would like advice on buying a tripod before coming on the course.

What level of experience do I need for this course?

You may be completely new to using a digital SLR camera or making the switch from film to digital. Either way, The Digital Dawn Landscape Photography Course is ideal for anyone who is keen to learn more about how their digital SLR camera works and wants to move off the automatic settings. Because of the small group size you enjoy individual attention and receive the tuition at a level that is right for you. This course is designed to teach you the entire photographic process from the creative enjoyment of finding the image out on location, to the technical aspects of actually taking the picture. The final part of the course teaches you how to use the computer software to produce a professional-standard print.

Do I need any filters?

During the course you'll learn how neutral density graduated filters enable you to get the exposure right between the sky and the land. They stop the sky being bleached out or the land being too dark. They are not essential but they have a significant impact on the quality of your images. Please contact us if you would like advice on buying filters before coming on the course.

How long is each day and how much time do we have at each location?

Photography and the landscape come first, so our daily routine is determined by the time of year. We pack as much photography into the day as possible, it's not just nine-to-five. There will be the opportunity for shoots at dawn or dusk and in some months it's possible to do both, weather permitting. Meal times fit round the photography. We'll also review the images made during the course and have informal critique sessions of images you have brought along. Because this is a structured course rather than a photo tour rushing from one location to another, you'll have the time to explore and enjoy each location's full potential.

What will the locations be like?

All the locations have been carefully researched beforehand so you arrive at the right time of the day to make the most of the available light. You'll be photographing the bigger vistas and because of our small group size we'll visit the more intimate locations as well.

How fit do I need to be?

This Lake District course involves leaving the road to walk mostly on well-developed paths. A small amount is uphill and some of the ground covered is uneven. The longest walk is about two miles with stops for photography along the way.

What will the other people be like?

You will be joining an enthusiastic group of mainly individuals with a wide range of ages. Because The Digital Dawn concentrates solely on landscape photography, you will be able to enjoy the company of like-minded photographers who share your appreciation and enjoyment of the landscape.

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FEEDBACK FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS

This course exceeded my expectations. It was at just the right level and enabled me to make real progress. It was well organised with a small group, excellent teaching and a good hotel. I liked the fact that we were always on the go.
ELEANOR COATE, Digital Landscapes Course November 2007

The course was a lot of fun. I appreciated the large amount of individual attention, and the careful explanations of aperture settings and using filters. I also thought the leader's critiques of photos at the end of the day were very interesting and useful.
REBECCA ISAACS, Digital Landscapes Course November 2007

I chose this course because of the detailed information and inspirational photography on the Digital Dawn website. The course delivered exactly what it promised, and more. The small group size allowed plenty of time for one-to-one tuition. I learned a range of new techniques including the importance of the histogram, using neutral density graduated filters, exposure compensation and manual focussing. Using these skills and your approach to composition and framing the subject, produced demonstrably better photographs from day one!
MARGARET HARDING, Digital Landscapes Course November 2007

The tuition met my needs perfectly. I had started to put your ideas into practice after the Swaledale one-day workshop and this took me further along the route. It was very useful to see how to convert RAW images and produce a print.
LINDA JACKSON, Digital landscape Course November 2007

The individual guidance given in the field was always appreciated and I learned the value of light, the use of neutral density graduated filters, and how to use the histogram to achieve correct exposures. I found the critique sessions particularly useful, especially with the images fresh in the memory. The course more than met my expectations.
BOB ROBERTS, Digital Landscape Course September 2007

The instruction was first class. It was important that the leader was prepared to discuss and debate differing views and tastes. Not all tutors do this.
TOM FEENEY, Digital Landscape Course April 2007

The tuition was excellent and just having five photographers allowed a lot of individual attention. I would have no hesitation in recommending this course.
JOHN HENDRICKSON, Digital Landscapes Course April 2007

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ABOUT THE LEADER

Garry Brannigan concentrates solely on landscape photography using a digital camera system and has a passion for photographing the unique landscape of the Lake District in the best possible light. He is a founder member of the Foursight Exhibition Group and exhibits his images throughout the North.

Garry designed his courses and workshops to pass on to other photographers his enthusiasm for capturing the moment when light, however fleeting, transforms the landscape from being merely distinctive into something beautiful. Since establishing The Digital Dawn, photographers from around the world have joined him out on location learning how to create images that say as much about themselves as they do about the landscape.

Click here for a gallery
of Garry's images

If you would like to check availability or find out more about the tuition, accommodation and the locations we visit, Call Garry Brannigan on 01748 821041 or |