Saturday, February 28th – 10.00am to 6.00pm. Places available.
This course will be limited to just 4 photographers, with places costing £110.00 each.
Please contact us if you would like a booking form, or if you need any further information about the course.
On this intermediate level course we will be visiting two of the finest surviving examples of Derbyshire’s industrial heritage.
We will start the day at some very photogenic disused limekilns, which are particularly well preserved and have many surviving original features. They are easy to photograph using natural light with long exposures, but we will also bring some artificial lights to allow you to experiment with some more creative lighting effects as well.
There is a huge range of subject matter here – whether you are interested in the large scale industrial architecture, or smaller details such as the stalactites that hang from the concrete in places. There are also lots of different textures and colours to photograph, with lichens and mosses growing on the concrete and brickwork, and plenty of rusting ironwork. The kilns are conveniently situated near to where we can park, and they will also provide us with shelter from any inclement weather.
After a pub lunch (not included in the course price), we will head to the “best preserved 19th century lead mine in Britain” for the afternoon. Here you will be able to photograph the steam engine houses, chimneys and headstocks of what was the last working lead mine in the Peak District. There are also some wonderfully twisted trees, drystone walls and barns that make fantastic subjects. The low light of winter makes this a great time for photographing these subjects – all of which are within easy walking distance from where we will park.
The mine’s location high on the limestone plateau means that it is a great place for catching the light during golden hour and at sunset, and the course will run until about 20 minutes after the sun sets – so we will also be able to photograph during blue hour as well.
Additionally, an almost full moon will be rising just before 2pm, so you will have an extra element to incorporate in your images.
A tripod will be needed for this course (but we can lend you one if you don’t already have one of your own), and we also have sets of various filters (neutral density, graduated neutral density and polarising) that you can borrow as well if you wish.
As this is an intermediate level course, it is assumed that you are already familiar with the basics of photography and how to use your camera in other than “all-automatic” or scene modes. If you are not confident about how to set correct exposure, read histograms, and set focus, please see here for details of our digital photography for beginners courses which would be more suitable for you.
The course is suitable for any type of digital stills camera that allows you to control the settings – especially shutter speeds and apertures. Interchangeable lens digital slr or mirrorless cameras are the best options, but compact and bridge cameras may also be suitable (though some have certain limitations due to their small sensor sizes, and whether or not filters can be attached to them). Please contact us for advice if you are unsure whether or not your camera is suitable.
Topics covered on this course can include:
- composition for picture impact
- creative use of lens apertures, shutter speeds and different types of lenses
- how and when to use different types of filters on your lenses
- how to get the colours looking the way you want them in your photos
- tips for shooting in RAW format for maximum quality
- shooting in fully manual (M) mode
- correct use of tripods
Please contact us to request a booking form, or if you need any further information about this course.
We also run landscape and beginners’ level courses in other local areas. See here for details of all our other digital photography courses near Sheffield and in the Peak District.