LANDSCAPE Photography MASTERCLASS
Landscapes are perennially popular subjects for photographers. However, capturing a really good landscape image is challenging. Everyone can photograph the landscape … but what makes a striking landscape photograph? How much is down to planning and how much is serendipity? Why and how does a superb photograph stand out from the rest?
This one-day masterclass covers the techniques and perception required to take your landscape photographs to the next level. Concepts explored in detail throughout the course will be thinking creatively, vision, planning ahead, making the most of opportunities and developing your photographic style. The course is interactive and your participation with questions, comments and opinions is encouraged.
During the course we will cover:
What do we mean by photographic vision and style?
Weather: Sunshine, cloud, mist, frost, snow and rain all present opportunities and challenges. What subjects work best in what conditions?
Seasons: How can we bring seasonal influences to the fore and add that extra ingredient to our pictures?
Photographing Water: Whether still or flowing, water is a dynamic element in the landscape. We will discuss the effect of weather, time of day, shutter speed and filters to capture movement and reflections.
Photographing the Coast: Our coast is the spectacular wild edge of Britain. How can we optimise the use of light and tides to fulfil the tremendous photographic potential of beaches, cliffs, sea stacks, lighthouses, castles and storms?
Impact and Narrative: Some of the most compelling pictures capture a moment or tell a story.
The indoor session will conclude with an exercise on “The Point of Return”, in which participants will be invited to look at landscape photographs and suggest how different lighting, seasonal or weather conditions could maximise the potential of the composition. The tutor will then show a second image of each scene demonstrating his approach to creating a better image.
After the indoor sessions, there will be a field visit to a nearby downland location where we can put into practice what we have learned. Guidance will be given on location, composition and exposure in the field to enable you to get the best out of a delightful landscape.
To get the most out of the course students should already understand the fundamentals of exposure, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, composition and using light; and be comfortable handling their cameras using aperture priority and manual mode. Our “Landscape Fundamentals” course is the ideal preparation for this course but all amateur photographers with significant experience of landscape photography are welcome to attend.
Recommended Photographic Equipment: digital single lens reflex camera, mirrorless camera (or equivalent), wide angle lens (16mm on full frame or 10mm on cropped sensor), standard zoom lens and short to medium telephoto lens (70-300mm would be ideal), sturdy tripod (essential), hiking shoes/boots and waterproof clothes.
Your tutor Robert Harvey is the author of Britain’s Best Landscapes and How to Photograph Them.
Venue: The Castle Hotel, New Park Street, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 1DS.
Indoor session: 10am to 5pm with a break for lunch. Outdoor field trip: 5pm to 7.30pm.
Included: Tuition, evening meal, refreshments. Not included: transport to Castle Hotel, parking, transport to field location.
Group size: Maximum of six participants.
Date: 3 September 2025.
One day workshop, cost: RPS Landscape Group Member £115, RPS Member £120, RPS Non-Member £125.
I run this zoom workshop in association with The Royal Photographic Society and bookings can be made on their website.
“Many thanks Robert, thoroughly enjoyed your course and indeed, hope to see you on a tour before too long.”
“Thank you very much for this complete and compelling Landscape Course, leading us all over the world and trough all weathers and seasons. It was a fantastic learning for me and gives me a guideline for my future landscape photography.”
“Thank you so much for such an inspiring masterclass. I enjoyed it so much and I am really hoping that with your way of looking at things I can improve. Photography is like any other subject as there is so much to learn in terms of the technicalities of taking the image itself but then the knowledge of the weather and tides etc ... Thanks again for being such an inspirational teacher.”
“Just want to say a huge thank you for this workshop. Both sessions were really informative. I enjoyed the structure and format and your book helpfully compliments the topics covered, meaning that the learning will continue beyond the workshop. I very much appreciated the range and breadth of topics, locations, techniques and above all your generosity in sharing your extensive knowledge. By far the best photography workshop I have attended.”
“Thanks for the first part of the course, which I found very enjoyable and useful. The content is brought alive by the breadth and variety of your wonderful images. I wonder how many other teachers would be able to call upon so many examples taken over periods of many years and they really work to illustrate the points you are putting across. They are also simply wonderful to admire and the exceptionally high standard of photography in general also elevates the content of the course in my opinion, along with the scientific approach you apply to understanding the natural environment.”
“Your Landscape Masterclass course was excellent. You explain points very well. Also your teaching style was very interactive so all the participants were very engaged, and I learnt quite a lot from their comments as well. Overall I really enjoyed it.”