2024 Autumn workshops: Group 1 recap

Each year I run two residential workshops in autumn, timed to coincide with the peak of the colour. Here’s a bit of a recap of a week spent in the company of some engaging, lovely people….

Arrival Thursday evening

My guests comprised of Gordon, Casey, and Eckhard who arrived Thursday evening to the usual warm welcome at the wonderful Sunnyside Guesthouse. We were one light of my normal group of 4 as unfortunately one of my guests cancelled at the last moment due to illness. The usual formalities and introductions were spent over coffees in the lounge area before heading out for pizza and a few drinks in Keswick. The forecast for the next morning looked somewhat mixed though one positive was for light winds which is always helpful at this time of year given the fragile nature of the trees.

Day one

Our first shoot was down at Derwentwater, a gentle easing in for guests and a leisurely breakfast time of 8am given there was little need to get up for sunrise as there was 100% cloud forecast. Our first target was the gnarled tree at Otterbield Bay, a location I’ve shot many times in the past though hadn’t brought any workshop groups to in a while. On arrival we were greeted to surprisingly promising conditions, a hint of mist lingering on the lake and a very soft warm light from the rising sun above the felltops. The group set about composing their images and once happy, we enjoyed a smashing hour or so watching the conditions ebb and flow.

We then moved further round the bay, shooting the jetty in similarly lovely conditions before heading for a mid morning coffee and cake at The Chalet cafe in Portinscale.

The afternoon and evening sessions were spent in the vibrant Ashness Woods and across the bay near Manesty. The group enjoyed the challenge of shooting in a woodland environment where this type of subject would not normally be their preferred choice. I always think it’s important on group workshops where possible to get people out of their comfort zone a little. The best of the conditions were undoubtedly in the morning though, and after a full day of shooting from dawn to dusk we retired to the guest house then headed out for lovely meal at the nearby Thai restaurant.

Day two

Our second morning began early owing to a particularly promising forecast of clearing skies overnight and a drop in temperature. At this time of year this usually means mist, so we headed to Buttermere for sunrise knowing that if the forecast didn’t materialise we would at least be in some stunning surroundings. As a workshop leader of many years now, little surprises me especially in the Lake District, however the weather conditions during our morning shoot here were really quite bizarre. My preferred weather app is Clearoutside and it’s rarely off the mark (though I always use 2 or 3 other apps in conjunction to give myself the most information), but on this morning instead of light winds and a hint of mist what we got was blustery winds and bluebird skies. Not a great combination if I’m honest though the group adapted well to the conditions presented, and focused on the longer lens shots of the colourful hillside once the sun had risen. Given we’d skipped the guesthouse breakfast as we out so early, we then wrapped up the session and went for a bacon butty at the nearby cafe and plotted our next move.

Refreshed, we moved on to Moss Force waterfall which is a short drive from Buttermere at the top of the Newlands Pass. The waterfall makes for a great subject set against the dramatic backdrop of the Newlands Valley is it winds its way down towards Keswick with Blencathra in the distance. This location benefits from dappled light when the sun is fairly high in the sky, and fortunately we got exactly that where the group were able to shoot a range of subjects and focal lengths utilising the changeable conditions.

For the evening the forecast was marginal, but better than the following day so we decided to take the long drive south west to the Wasdale and Eskdale area. We made the steep drive up the Hardknott Pass to the ancient Roman Fort, where again we were blessed with some smashing light bouncing around in all directions. This location particularly tests your ability to compose wide-angle foregrounds, with the many snaking drystone walls making for ideal yet unusual subjects. The last stop was Wasdale itself, however my luck at this location during workshops had to come to an end at some point and unfortunately we beat a hasty retreat after a short session as the rain really closed in. The group did however still manage to take some images in the rain using the road as a lead in line to the always dramatic backdrop of the Wasdale fells. One thing that was a little alarming though perhaps a sign of the times is how busy Wasdale was. As a local I’m somewhat conflicted as I’m acutely aware that local infrastructure is not really designed to support such numbers, however as a photographer who makes his money showcasing how beautiful the area is I’m probably the last person who should be complaining. I could probably summarise a lot of the issues to this; we need more parking in the Lake District. All in all though another successful days shooting taking in 4 different locations and a suitably happy group.

Day three

Our final day began with a similar forecast to the previous day, however rather than take a risk on a lengthy drive it was decided we would do a sunrise shoot then head back to the guest house for a late breakfast. On this occassion, the weather gods were on our side, and from a somewhat uninspiring beginning, the cloud slowly allowing the sun to illuminate our chosen subject, the classic view from Isthmus Bay towards Catbells. We’d initially planned to shoot from Crow Park however with water levels just about ideal, it was felt the old jetty would be a more interesting subject to shoot (and less photographers around too!). The group really enjoyed this last morning and were rewarded for their patience with a stunning autumnal scene to photograph. Rather than move to other locations everyone was in agreement to stay put and get the best from the unfolding scene. Once satisfied, we headed back for a well earned breakfast and to plan our next move.

The forecast for the afternoon was less inspiring, however we drove south to the Coniston area with the intention of shooting Yew Tree Tarn. On arrival it was apparent that the recent storm had stripped much of the best foliage in this area, so shooting became something of a challenge, far more than anticipated. Gordon in particular managed to spot a superb composition in a seemingly chaotic environment, a credit to his developing eye for less traditional compositions.

We then moved on to refreshments at Chesters, which unfortunately seems to becoming a bit of a victim of its own success, with queues outside the door and a ridiculous 40 mins wait for a coffee and cake. With the forecast poor for the afternoon, we decided to head back towards Keswick where at least if we got rained off we wouldn’t have far to drive to get back to the guest house.

Sure enough the predicted rain arrived and cut our final session somewhat short. The group still managed to produce some reasonable images in challenging conditions however. All in all, out of the three days we barely had any rain bar a couple of hours, which is always a bonus at this time of year in the Lake District, with several shoots in really good conditions.

I’ll recap next week’s group 2 workshop in the next entry….