Saturday 17th September 2023, Bigbury and Burgh Island, south Devon
Course location: South Devon coast photography around Bigbury and Burgh Island.
Times: 1.00pm-sunset (approx 7.30pm)
Price: £100 per person.
What the South Devon Coast Photography workshop entails
This afternoon and evening of south Devon coast photography will take in the wonderful views of the beach at Bigbury, as well as the estuary of the River Avon, which joins the sea next to Bigbury Beach. At low tide we’ll visit Burgh Island to photograph the rugged cliffs here, as well as the views back to Bigbury and across to nearby Bantham. In the evening we’ll cross over to the beach at Bantham for some sunset photography.
What I’ll be teaching
The course will aim to teach the following skills:
● Spotting potential image compositions in beaches, rocks, cliffs and general coastal scenes;
● How to control and make use of the balance between shutter speed and lens aperture to gain the best exposure, and to control depth of field (ie the amount of the image that is sharply in focus);
● Making full use some of the camera’s most important features, such as semi-manual modes, in particular shutter-priority and aperture-priority. The aim will be to help you to get away from ‘auto-everything’, as well as to understand the ISO settings, image histogram and exposure compensation;
● Executing the image, using positioning, perspective, focus control, use of light, and lens focal length to create simple, strong compositions.
Participants should have an understanding of what shutter speed and lens aperture mean, plus a knowledge of how to operate their own camera in order to get at least basic images. Those using a DSLR or mirrorless camera should also have at least basic close-up/macro equipment (not needed for anyone using a compact camera) and a tripod.
Note: Since we’ll be working outdoors, what we are able to do during the day is very weather-dependent. Weather conditions may make it necessary to vary the itinerary.