Lake District Landscape Photography Workshop - ‘Seeing’ Challenge

Many years ago a pal of mine was struggling with her photography. It wasn’t that she didn’t know HOW to take a decent photo, it was that she was struggling to SEE one!

Most of us at some point in our Photography Journey will have this problem. Its a combination of a lack of inspiration and, I believe, a lack of ‘focus’ (pun intended) on how to see the wood in the forest; sort of being overwhelmed by the enormity everything around you and nothing standing out

So to help, I came up with a CHALLENGE for her. Its one I have used myself for many years, and one which I’ll explain later has had some funny consequences too :D

This same SEEING CHALLENGE is something I find useful for both my 5-Day and my 1-Day Landscape Photography Workshops too, and its something I did on my April 5-Day Workshop in the wonderful area of the boatyard opposite Derwent Isle on Derwentwater

Although I have variations of this Challenge, this particular one was all about time

My attendees had to choose an aperture (I recommended wide-open), and also a focal length, that they CANNOT CHANGE; and then they had 25 minutes to shoot a minimum of 10 very different images within the confines of the boatyard area, that showed individual details of the location and yet came together to tell the story of it too

I went with f2.8 & 70mm

Here’s what I shot in those 25 minutes…

The main point of the restrictions in BOTH Aperture & Focal Length is to make you LOOK harder and to then SEE better

I’ve seen a common problem MANY times over the years where people are turning up to a location with everything from a super wide-angle to a long telephoto lens, a tripod & filters, and even some Off-Camera Flash (OCF) gear to the extent they can pretty much shoot ANYTHING, but having such a wide range of options can be overwhelming meaning they don’t really SEE anything to shoot!

When I put ‘blinkers’ on it narrows down the options hugely and forces you to SEE better - its also FUN :)

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Landscape Photography Workshop

5-pint Beer Challenge

At a Camera Club I helped start in Barnsley (which made the local PRESS for gaining over 50-members within its first year) I invented the 5-pint Beer Challenge as an annual event for as many as fancied it (basically its a pub crawl), where on arrival at the START everyone had to choose just ONE Aperture setting and ONE Focal Length that they could NOT CHANGE for the rest of the event

We met in a pub (obviously) - and after the 1st pint we drew a Theme out of a ‘hat’, and for the next 30 mins we had to make our way to the next pub shooting ONLY to that Theme and ONLY at the Aperture & Focal Length we’d chosen for the day

After a 2nd pint - we drew another Theme and off we’d go again to the next pub, shooting that Theme

The 5-pint Beer Challenge ended after the 5th pint and 5th Theme, where we then either made out way home, or just stopped shooting and got really pi**ed instead :D

On one particular Christmas pub crawl - I mean photo challenge - one of our members turned up with a 300mm f2.8 to shoot with (brave considering the beers he was about to consume!), and my best buddy got so drunk he fell asleep on the train ride home and had his camera stolen !!!
He wasn’t too upset in the end as his insurance paid for a new camera & better lens lol :D

So if you fancy a…

Lake District Landscape Photography Workshop

Of even for me to organise a photo-challenge pub crawl !!!

Drop me an email here dave@scapesphotography.co.uk

Give me a call on 07830 085 112

Or use my Contact Form to tell me about where you think you are now and what you’re like to be better at, and we’ll get you Booked In soonest

Landscape Photography in its main three forms of Land - Sea - City is about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on; and it can be even more fun with a few Beers thrown in!

The better you become at Photography the more you will…

ENJOY YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY