SPIRIT OF SNOWDONIA
Photography Workshops around the woodland, lakes and mountains where the legendary red dragon was born.
A Little Bit About the Location
The ‘Spirit of Snowdonia’ workshops are your chance to explore a beautiful and diverse landscape that remains a pretty well kept secret around the national park. Awaiting you and a small group of likeminded photographers are tranquil lakes, old silver birch lined pathways, spectacular mountainous backdrops and with any luck, a gorgeous sunrise or if we are very lucky, a hint of mist or fog. This secret corner of Snowdonia provides some truly magical conditions for photography, away from the usual hustle and bustle that you’ll find in the more obvious locations in the national park. The words ‘poetic’ and ‘charming’ will spring to mind as you venture round one of the most beautiful lakes that the area has to offer. With ancient trees lining the shores of the lake, there are plenty of unique opportunities for photographs and diversity for those who like to think a little more outside of the box in their creation of images.
Be prepared to lace up your boots for this workshop as we will be venturing to the top of a small hill that overlooks the lake and the Moelwynion mountain range. This small hill is the birthplace of the red dragon, and the magic and mystery still remains between the trunks of gnarled and twisting ancient oak trees which promise an abundance of creative potential.
What You Will Take Away from the Day
You’ll come away from this workshop in Snowdonia feeling inspired and incredibly motivated to get out and practice what you’ve learnt. Previous clients have been impressed with the technical information that they received but more so, they enjoy hearing my thoughts, philosophies and the ‘why’ surrounding my own photography.
This location will provide me with the perfect chance to weave in some of my deeper thoughts and philosophies as Snowdonia was the gateway for the creative journey that I have been on over the past seven years. This is me returning home and you will have me at my very best throughout the day. Previous attendees have complimented my passion and enthusiasm for my chosen form of art and I am sure that this will inspire you to take your own photography to the next level as I’ll be providing you with plenty of golden nuggets to take home with you.
I will impart my knowledge and talk from my own experiences in the landscape as I look to guide you through your own creative process. My focus is on getting you to think like you. I won’t tell you a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do anything, there is only your way. My end goal is to get you to create photographs that only you can see and that will help you to tell your own story from within the landscape.
Though we can briefly cover some of the camera basics on a workshop, it is recommended that you have the capability to shoot in manual mode if you are to make the most of a workshop day. I can suggest that we make an arrangement to go out on a 1-2-1 lesson if you wish to improve your technical knowledge before attending one of my action packed workshop mornings.
ABOUT ME, YOUR TUTOR
Over the past four years behind the camera, I have developed a strong connection to nature and the Welsh landscape which has inspired an immense amount of personal and spiritual growth. My photography excursions have had a profound impact on the in which way I view our natural world, as well as producing a positive change in my own health and wellbeing. The camera has helped me to further understand this existence and offered me a great sense of purpose. It has forced me to ask questions, and my time outdoors in nature has given me the space that I needed to find the answers.
Over the past few years, the natural world has become something of a sanctuary for me; a place that I go to for healing. This special connection with nature has influenced my approach towards landscape photography and the directions that I choose to take with my art. I believe that photography can be the vehicle for so much more than merely documenting a location. It provides a platform to communicate complex thoughts and emotions, it can be responsible for great levels of personal growth and it can lead to a deeper sense of self-awareness. Not only that, but deepening our connection with Mother Nature, in turn, means a deeper relationship, and, therefore, more empathy and understanding of ourselves. If we can develop that within ourselves, then we can allow for more with each other, resulting in a more harmonious world to exist in.
It is my desire to share knowledge and experiences, communicate my own thoughts and philosophies behind my art, help people to build their own connection to the natural world and contribute my part towards building a community of people that wish to move in a similar direction and make positive changes towards crafting a new kind of world.
I am a caring, understanding and patient person. I take my time and communicate in such a way that reaches all levels and abilities. I’m not what you might call a talking teacher as I much prefer to let people experiment and develop their own creativity and vision, whilst I hang around on the sidelines, offering guidance and insights and posing questions for clients pondering.
From my own experience, I have found that learning is best achieved through trial and error. I like to get you to go where your own curiosity leads you, and then I provide you with the tools and knowledge to be able to answer your own questions.
My workshops are not all about learning. Bring coffee, have fun, experiment and become part of a community of like-minded people. You’ll be sure to leave the workshops feeling inspired, more creative and with memories that will last a lifetime.
Reviews from Previous Attendees:
“Brad is as wonderful of a teacher as he is a photographer. I have had both a 1-1 lesson as well as a workshop with Brad where I experienced consistent attention, personalised feedback and a friendly atmosphere. Brad’s philosophy and dedication to photography is admirable, and I couldn’t recommend him enough if you’re thinking of developing your landscape photography.”
“I recently had the opportunity to spend a day with Brad for a one-to-one day at Lake Vyrnwy, and it was an incredibly productive experience. Brad had done his homework and put a lot of effort into creating a custom plan that perfectly matched my shooting style and workflow.
What impressed me most was his decision to leave his own camera behind, which allowed him to focus entirely on my work. This is something I hadn’t seen before, and it made a significant difference. He constantly encouraged me to think about what I was doing, how and why, pushing me to explore different perspectives and techniques.
The day was well-structured yet flexible, and I appreciated the emphasis on practical learning. It was a valuable session that has left a lasting impact on my photography.”
“Coming on this workshop really made me see how people like Brad, with such a passion and skill in photography truly enjoy sharing their knowledge, skills and techniques. No question was ever too much and Brad was always happy to go as much into depth as needed to help understand what I had asked. A superb morning full of discussion, skill sharing and in a beautiful location! 5*”
“What a fantastic morning we had! When I first heard the workshop was an hour away from home starting at 5.30am I was a bit unsure but, by god was it worth it. Brad sure knows his stuff and you can tell how enthusiastic he is about photography and trees. The whole morning was laid back, none of this talking at you and expecting you to remember things. Brad was very patient, took time with each of us individually and has a knack of explaining things in simple terms that we can all understand. All in all a fantastic morning. Thank you Brad”
“I attended a photography workshop with Brad in some beautiful woodland in Mid Wales. We met just in time to catch the prettiest sunrise. I’m a novice & nearly always shoot with my DSLR in an automatic setting. Brad helped me to understand my cameras various features, his explanations were clear & easy to understand. Throughout the lesson he was approachable & attentive. I don’t have an expensive camera, but I’m really happy with the shots I came away with. It’s opened my eyes to what I can achieve with it & I’m looking forward to putting some of my new found knowledge into practice. If you want to discover or develop your photography in a friendly & relaxed environment, I can thoroughly recommend Brad & his workshop”
“Our recent workshop with Brad was an eyeopener. I was already into woodland photography, but Brad helped to link emotion and being-in-nature into our photography images.
Brad made the time to make sure everybody in our group had some 1-to-1 time to talk about our images and how they made us feel.
I would 100% recommend. Many thanks.”