Glencoe Private Tour

The formal sessions of Edinburgh Photography Workshop, such as the top-rated Switch to Manual or the Landscape & Seascape Workshop, have specific learning goals that we share during the day. However, some more experienced photographers may have more specific things they want to gain, and that is where a private workshop can be a great way to improve your photography. That was the case in a recent private tour of the Glencoe area of Scotland.

Why use a private session?

There are many reasons why you may want to spend some time learning specific skills rather than those you would obtain through a generic workshop. In the case of the Glencoe tour, the attendee was about to travel to the United States for a photography trip. They wanted to make sure that they had toned their ability to take photos in the conditions given to them. By getting instant feedback during a full day of photography, they would feel more confident that they would get great results on their expensive trip a few weeks later.

It could be that, as a competent amateur photographer, you have been asked to take photographs at an event. While the technical skills required for landscape or wildlife photography may be similar, shooting an event is very different from photographing a static scene by the coast.

If you think you need to do something different with your photography but would like a professional to help you gain the skills, a private session may be just what you need.

What can you expect from a private session?

I only accept a booking for a private session once I have understood what the potential client wants to learn. As you’ll see later, while I can take reasonably good wildlife photos, I wouldn’t suggest in any way that I was a wildlife photographer. If someone reached out to me to provide a session looking at understanding the behaviours of birds to get better photos, I would probably point them in the direction of a photographer more suited to this skill. So, expectation number one is to expect a consultation to understand what the client wants to achieve.

The next thing you should expect is to be told how your learning objectives will be met. With the Glencoe workshop, I set the expectation that we would be going to a variety of different locations, some well-known and some less photographed. In addition, I was asked to try and capture a shot of one of the wild deer that roam the area. While I couldn’t guarantee to find a stag, I could assure you that my past visits had given me the experience of knowing where they may usually be. I take on the booking only when the client has confirmed that my plan will meet their goals.

Finally, you can expect that anyone running a private session will keep in communication before the event. The date initially set for the tour had to be changed thanks to the changeable weather in Scotland. Around a week from the original date, I started to check on the forecast. I started discussing whether the predictions would help or hinder the learning aims.

The good communication needs to continue throughout the workshop and even after. I always check during the session that we are meeting the learning goals. If you’ve paid for personal attention, you should expect to leave with everything you have sought to learn.

After the day, we agree on what learnings of the day need material to refer back to. For the Glencoe session, this was simply a list of the locations we attended. For other sessions I have done, these have been detailed notes on techniques we discussed during the day. A private session is one that you book because you have personal goals, so the delivery should be equally personal, with specific guidance to help you.

I’m interested, what now?

If you think a private session might suit you, head to the Private Photography Tour page and book your sessions. I offer half-day, full-day, all the way up to two-week bookings. All you need to do is book your dates, and I’ll reach out to start developing the private tour just for you.

Before you book, think about what you want to learn. It could be locations around Scotland, or it could be technical skills. I’ll either develop a tour that will suit what you are looking for or refund any deposit and pass you to a better-suited photographer.

I’ll share a few more photos of the recent Glencoe Tour to finish this week’s blog. I’ll also leave you with some words from the attendee.

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About the author

As well as running Edinburgh Photography Workshop, Rich Dyson is a professional photographer. His photographs are regularly used in newspapers such as The Times, Guardian and Daily Telegraph. He also had two solo exhibitions and was featured in a members-sponsored exhibition in the Scottish Parliament. You can see and buy his photography at richdysonphotography.com.