Big Cat Photography Workshop
There is no more spectacular sight in the animal kingdom than magnificent big cats. If you’d like to learn how to capture stunning images of these creatures then why not join me for a Big Cat Photography Workshop? Whether you’re planning to go on safari and would like to brush up your skills beforehand, or would just like to take better pictures of animals when you visit a zoo, a day of photography tuition will provide you with new insights into photographing wildlife, practical tips and hopefully lots of motivation and inspiration!
These are opportunities to spend the day at Marwell Wildlife near Winchester, Hampshire with me as your personal mentor giving you 1-to-1 tuition. See my workshops & tuition overview page for more detail on why I specialise in offering personal tuition rather than group workshops. You’ll be able to photograph a range of exotic cat species including:
- Snow Leopard
- Amur Tiger
- Cheetah
- Amur Leopard
- Ocelot
- Serval
What does the day include?
The pace of the day is dictated entirely by you in terms of the subjects you want to cover. A typical day’s itinerary would include:
10am: Meet at Marwell Wildlife in time for opening. Enjoy a hot or cold drink while we discuss the plan for the day. If you’d like to bring examples of your photography then I’m very happy to review them with you.
10.30am – 1pm: Begin our tour of Marwell, taking plenty of time at each enclosure. As I’ve photographed the cats at Marwell many times I’ll show you some tips on how to achieve naturalistic images that you would never know had been taken in a captive setting. As well as looking at camera settings and long lens techniques we’ll also take time to study our subjects carefully. How they move and behave as well as how to anticipate what they might do next!
1pm – 2pm: Break for lunch and review the morning’s images. We’ll also make a plan for what we want to achieve in the afternoon session.
2pm – 1 hour before closing (times vary by season): Continue our photography, looking at different ways of using light on the subject. If the cats are willing we’ll look at panning techniques when they are in motion and how to achieve different kinds of images using slow shutter speeds, and varying our focal length and aperture. If you have a camera capable of taking video footage we may even try our hand at a little wildlife film-making!
We’ll spend the last hour of the day with a review of what we’ve achieved. We’ll discuss workflow and image processing (I can bring a laptop to demonstrate some techniques in Photoshop and Lightroom). Hopefully this will give you all the information you need to realise some images from the day that you’ll be extremely proud of.
What equipment will I need for the day?
You’ll need to bring your own camera with a lens that can reach a minimum focal length of 300mm. Ideally to take good-quality images you’ll own a digital SLR although this isn’t mandatory. When spending an entire day shooting it’s highly advisable to bring some kind of camera support, either a monopod or tripod. That way you give yourself the best chance of capturing sharp images and it’s a lot more comfortable as you don’t have to carry your camera constantly.
The UK weather can always be unpredictable so I’d always advise bringing a waterproof layer and comfortable footwear that you are happy doing plenty of walking in.
Costs and what’s included
All workshops are priced at:
£195.00 per day, per participant – 1 to 1 ratio
£160.00 per day, per participant – 1 to 2 ratio
That includes my time for the day and the entrance fee to Marwell Wildlife. As mentioned above you will need your own camera equipment, but I’ll also be bringing a Nikon DSLR with various lenses and a tripod so I can show you some of the camera settings and techniques I use. The only items not included are food and drink for the day. You’re welcome to bring your own food (but it does mean carrying it!) or alternatively Marwell have a number of food outlets.
To make a booking or if you need any further information please contact me using the form below or via phone on 01264 783452