A Chiltern Woodland Masterclass - mobility friendly
Event info
An on-location workshop for up to 6 participants. Tickets will go on sale on 1 August.
This woodland masterclass, led by Simon Turnbull FRPS, is wheelchair accessible and has been designed specifically for those needing mobility-friendly access with all the photo locations being close to the National Trust mobility trails. The on-location day will be a mixture of in-room learning and venturing into Ashridge Forest for practice. The idea is to spend as much time outside as possible with the option of returning indoors if the weather is less than ideal.
The workshop will be hosted over three sessions; two online and one on-location. Simon will be on location with participants, not just presenting the online sessions. There will be a maximum of six photographer participants in addition to any helpers who are welcome to attend free of charge.
The first online session will be to provide introductions, talk about Simon's mindful approach to photography and discuss your own photography goals & questions. We will then move on to discussing woodland photography in particular, in what can often feel like challenging chaotic conditions. Participants will explore such topics as intimate landscape photography, compositional aids, the use of light and various creative techniques to provide participants with the tools to get the most out of their woodland photography and indeed photography in general.
Part 2 will be the on-location session, held in the enchanting forest of the Ashridge Estate. Tea & coffee will be available on arrival (included) but the cafe will also be available for anyone arriving early and wanting breakfast.
With a mixture of ancient oaks, beech, silver birch and pine copses there are plenty of places to explore amongst the Autumn colours. The day will begin working on various camera techniques and can progress to delving into more creative in-camera tools such as multiple exposure or ICM. We will also talk about scouting new locations and finding compositions as we explore the forest.
We will navigate through the forest on gentle mobility accessible trails but we may want to venture off the beaten track if dry. This will be dependent on the conditions and each participant’s mobility. The mobility trail isn’t sealed and can get a little bumpy in places so each participant must be comfortable with that. It might be that the golf buggy or scooter is a better option than a wheelchair. We will never be far from the Visitor Centre, the main Meadleys Meadow circuit being a 0.6 mile round trip. The second option of Duncombe Terrace is 2.5 miles but would only be an option if very dry. Map pictures copied below.
The final online session will be an image review from our day out, lessons learned from those images and then an editing workflow (mostly in Lightroom but touching on Photoshop) focussing on woodland photography tricks and tips. We will also discuss printing and presenting images.
For any questions on the terrain suitability, and mobility options please contact Sue Wright at: landscapeweb@rps.org or Simon at simonturnbullphotography@gmail.com. Please note; participants will be responsible for their own photographic and mobility equipment and the RPS accepts no liability for any loss or damage. Suitable insurance is advisable.
Participants should bring a packed lunch and drinks although there is also the cafe as a lunch option (not included). Mid-afternoon tea and cake included!
Please bring / wear:
- Packed lunch and drinks
- Camera, charged batteries, memory card
- Tripod
- Lens(es) with focal length(s) between 70mm and 200mm
- Polarising filter if you have one
- Spare batteries (we will be working a lot in live view)
- Warm and waterproof clothing and footwear suitable for the weather, location and time of year
- Umbrella (for your camera)
Ticket prices for this event include a £2 carbon offsetting charge. For more information click here.
This will be a category C event for up to 6 people plus helpers. Category C means events that focus on a particular skill or technique (such as long exposures, composition or night photography) and/or on getting the best from a particular location. The event leader will have good location knowledge to ensure that the best is made of the prevailing conditions and will be a skilled landscape photographer able to offer tuition at all levels. These events are usually led by professionals but sometimes by volunteer members of the landscape group.
Your data
Please note: your personal data (name, email address and telephone number) that you supply when booking an event will be passed to the event / workshop leader in order to enable them to:
- contact you in advance of the event to remind you or notify you of joining instructions (or changes thereto) etc.
- contact you at short notice before or during an event in case of any emergency or last-minute changes (eg because of weather).
By booking this event you are deemed to consent to this transfer of your data.
Event Organiser
- Name
- Mark Reeves
- Tel
- 07968616551
Location
- Venue Information
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Parking: All parking is currently free with a number of blue badge spaces close to the Visitor Centre. There are also an additional 5 or 6 spaces usually available just past the Visitor Centre (What3Words location for those: spurring.warmers.october).
Mobility scooters (3) & golf buggies (2) are available on request free of charge from the National Trust (see photographs below). These can be used for the entire day and will be suitable for the terrain although cannot be used far off the trails. Just let Simon know if this is of interest and he can arrange in advance.
Terrain: The main mobility trail is wheelchair accessible. I would describe it as gently undulating with no big inclines or declines. It can be a little bumpy in places (roots and loose stones) but is generally in decent repair. Weather depending, we would hope to be able to move as little way off the trail to find more compositions, however this might not be possible if it’s been wet or your wheelchair is not suitable. Participants will be responsible for assessing for themselves how far off the trail they feel comfortable going.
For any questions on the terrain suitability, and mobility options please contact Sue Wright at: landscapeweb@rps.org or Simon at simonturnbullphotography@gmail.com.
- Cancellation policy
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Cancellation by You
If you wish to cancel your booking PLEASE let the event leader / organiser know with as much notice as possible. If nothing else, this can avoid them delaying the start of the event while they wait for you.
If you have paid for an event, please note that this fee/ticket price is non-refundable unless we are able to sell your place to somebody else. You are welcome to sell your place yourself but, again, PLEASE notify the event leader / organiser in advance of any change.
Cancellation by us
Event leaders are asked to make plans for alternative activities or locations in the case of poor weather and, in most cases, events will proceed despite poor weather unless, in the view of the event leader, the weather will lead to unacceptable safety risks or very little chance of successful photography. It is inevitable, however, that occasionally an event will be postponed or cancelled for this or another reason beyond the RPS’s control. If an event is postponed we will transfer your booking to the rearranged event, with the option of a refund if the rescheduled date is not suitable for you.
Occasionally an event may also be cancelled owing to lack of bookings. So if you wish to attend an event, don’t leave it till the last minute to book as it may be too late.
If an event is cancelled we will give you as much notice as we are able and any payment by you to the RPS in respect of the event offered as a full refund. In the case of events cancelled because of lack of interest we will aim to give at least three weeks’ notice wherever possible.
Please note we are NOT able to refund any associated or consequential costs including but not limited to travel, accommodation, insurance premium or other costs incurred by you in order to attend the event.
- Address
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Bridgewater Monument
Ashridge Estate
Berkhamstead
HP4 1LT