An afternoon and evening of photography in some of Somerset’s most beautiful countryside
11th May 2024, Cheddar Gorge and Westhay Moor, Somerset
Course location: Exact locations to be confirmed, but probably Cheddar Gorge and Westhay Moor
Times: 2.30pm to sunset (9pm approx)
Price: £100.00 per person
Photography in some of Somerset’s most beautiful countryside
In this Mendip Hills and Somerset Levels photography course we will spend an afternoon and evening photographing in some of Somerset’s beautiful, but often underrated landscapes. During the first part of the day we will be shooting the limestone cliffs of the magnificent Cheddar Gorge, before moving to some little-known but stunning woodland at the gorge’s far northern end. Although Cheddar Gorge is one of Somerset’s most heavily visited locations, the parts we’ll be photographing see very few people.
The evening will see us move to a site on the Somerset Levels, possibly on King’s Sedgemoor, one of the Level’s largest, oldest and wettest areas of lowland. Here we’ll photograph some of the watery landscape, as well as sunset, with some possibilities of views towards Glastonbury Tor.
What I will aim to teach during the Mendip Hills and Somerset Levels photography course:
The course will aim to teach the following skills:
- Spotting potentially great photographic subjects among the chaos of the landscape;
- Creating the greatest impact for the subjects by optimising composition and minimising clutter through lens choice, exposure time and lens aperture, and perspective (ie your own position relative to the subject);
- Learning to use a tripod in your photography – how to position it, set it up and mount the camera – particularly when light levels are low and/or depth of field (the amount of image that is sharp) needs to be maximised;
- Making the best use of your camera’s most important features, and knowing how to use these features to help in the creative process;
Participants should have a knowledge of how to operate their own camera in order to get at least basic images. Beyond this, the most important requirements are enthusiasm, a desire to enjoy photography and a willingness to learn!
Note: Since we’ll be working very much outdoors, what we are able to do during the day is very weather-dependent. Weather conditions may make it necessary to vary the photography subject matter and/or location.