Lake District in Autumn Photography Tour
This World Heritage Site is a spectacular destination for landscape photography. In late October when autumn colours are at their peak, there is no better place in the British Isles to be with your camera than the Lake District. Our tour will enable you to take your autumn landscapes to the next level.
We will be photographing well-known locations such as Borrowdale, Wasdale, Grasmere, Buttermere and the Langdale Pikes, looking for ways to show them in a different light. In addition, I will take you to lesser-known gems such as Loughrigg Tarn, Blea Tarn and Tewet Tarn. We will seek out charming waterfalls and Castlerigg Stone Circle in its spectacular mountain setting. The itinerary will be flexible to make the most of conditions. We will use the best sunrise and sunset light and look for opportunities to capture early morning mist and reflections (if conditions are still) as well as saturated autumnal colours, which can be at their photographic best when conditions are overcast. Several of our shooting conditions are at their best when it is raining!
The tour will involve easy to moderate walks, mostly at low elevations with no mountaineering involved. On the 26 to 30 October departure, one or two moderately steep walks of 1-2 miles in each direction may also be included. Please read the tour details carefully and ensure you book on the departure best suited to your ability/fitness.
On one or more evenings we will discuss photographic techniques and review our images. I will provide tuition on composition, using filters to capture moving water, reflections and wet surfaces and on processing images to best effect.
A particular benefit of this tour is that we have exclusive accommodation at Cumbria House, with gourmet meals provided by our resident chef. This tour is fully inclusive of cooked breakfasts, packed lunches and three-course evening meals accompanied by wine, beer or fruit juice. This arrangement provides exceptional dining quality and maximum flexibility to fit meals around our photography schedules.
Typical itinerary for 26 to 30 October tour (will be adjusted as necessary to make best use of weather):
Day 1: Meet at Penrith or Keswick. Afternoon: View of Buttermere from Warnscale Bothy. Dinner. Evening: Introductory presentation.
Day 2: Buttermere at sunrise. Breakfast. Full day trip to Great Langdale, Blea Tarn and Loughrigg Tarn. Dinner.
Day 3: Derwentwater at sunrise. Breakfast. Full day trip to Aira Force, Ullswater, Duke of Portland Boat House and Rydal Water. Dinner.
Day 4: Breakfast. Full day trip to Little Langdale, Hardknott Roman Fort and Wasdale. Dinner.
Day 5: Castlerigg Stone Circle at sunrise. Breakfast. Morning: Ashness Bridge, Borrowdale Old Mill and Surprise View. Return to Keswick or Penrith.
Typical itinerary for 30 October to 3 November tour (will be adjusted as necessary to make best use of weather):
Day 1: Meet at Penrith or Keswick. Afternoon: Aira Force and Ullswater. Dinner. Evening: Introductory presentation.
Day 2: Buttermere at sunrise. Breakfast. Full day trip to Great Langdale, Blea Tarn and Loughrigg Tarn. Dinner.
Day 3: Derwentwater at sunrise. Breakfast. Full day trip to Grasmere, Rydal Water and Lake Coniston. Dinner.
Day 4: Breakfast. Full day trip to Little Langdale, Hardknott Roman Fort and Wasdale. Dinner.
Day 5: Castlerigg Stone Circle at sunrise. Breakfast. Morning: Ashness Bridge, Borrowdale Old Mill and Surprise View. Return to Keswick or Penrith.
Group Size: Maximum of 6 participants.
Recommended photographic equipment: Digital single lens reflex camera, lenses ranging from wide angle (ideally 16mm on full frame) to short telephoto (200mm+), tripod (essential), neutral density filters (ideally 4 stop, 6 stop and 10 stop) and polarising filter. Warm and waterproof clothes, walking boots (essential) and wellington boots (recommended for at least one excursion).
Dates:
Meet at lunchtime on Day 1, depart lunchtime on Day 5.
Five day tour, cost: £1,175 (single, twin or double occupancy).
Included: Accommodation at Cumbria House for four nights, all meals cooked by our resident chef, travel from Penrith or Keswick, photographic guiding.
Not included: Transport to Penrith or Keswick.
Comments from participants on previous tours:
"I liked the way the itinerary was thoughtfully re-arranged to make the most of the time available and the photo opportunities depending on daily weather conditions. I appreciated the effort involved in getting us to as many locations as possible, at the optimal time of day, and especially the effort taken to get us to Buttermere for sunrise, which turned out to be quite a challenge. I also appreciated being involved in some of the decision making regarding the itinerary and that everyone’s opinion was taken into account. Robert's knowledge of the area certainly contributed to the efficiency of moving from one location to another. The number and variety of locations we visited was impressive. I enjoyed meal times together. The number of participants was about right. It was a very pleasant group to spend the week with. The evening spent reviewing a few of our photos and the discussion that followed around different techniques using LightRoom was very instructive .. I also appreciated Robert’s attention and advice in trying to help me make the most of my limited knowledge and equipment. His concern that every member of the group should get the best out of a particular location was clear." MF, Hampshire, Lake District in Autumn
"The epic vista in many locations - some of which you could have easily spent a whole day on. The variety of subjects, Lakes, Mountains, Boathouses, Jetty’s, Waterfalls, Caves . . along with the tuition and reasons why were were shooting each one when we did was excellent, and helped me to understand how the light at different times of the day, and in different conditions affected each of the locations. The evening meals in Cumbria house were fantastic, with comfy rooms and a drying area, and all en suite, what a find!" SH, Warwickshire, Lake District in Autumn
"The availability of the minibus was essential, particularly as Robert knew the area well and was able to get us to the various locations at the ‘right time’ to avoid other visitors. The flexibility of meal times was also very important, making sure we didn’t miss any good photo opportunities. Perhaps not related to the tour itself, but the group of photographers could not have been nicer, we all got on very well and made it a fun experience ... I cannot compliment Gerard, the chef, highly enough his food was excellent, breakfasts, packed lunches and dinners, everything!" CD, Somerset, Lake District in Autumn
"We had a good group that interacted well, with lively banter. I found it helpful to have suggested camera settings at some locations. The first evening's presentation was excellent and gave us good insights to locations, plus I enjoyed the Lightroom demo highlighting individuals work. I admired the democratic approach when required. Thank you for persisting with the Buttermere Lone Tree, nice that we made it on the third attempt! This location had been on my bucket list for some time. Robert worked tirelessly on our behalf throughout the tour, with the aim of fulfilling the itinerary and participants coming away with quality images." PD, Kent, Lake District in Autumn
"My absolute Number One favourite thing was that from start to finish, everything was very well organised. From the minute the tour starts absolutely everything is taken care of, the food, the itinerary, pairing locations to conditions, the driving, everything. Just allows you to switch off, relax and just worry about the photography, fantastic." DE, Wiltshire, Lake District in Autumn
"We had the desired breadth of photographic opportunity while enjoying comfortable surroundings ... cooking was excellent and ensured we had better food than I imagine was available under any other tour format. Cumbria House was a good base. I much enjoyed the evening session on post-production. Invariably, photo excursions tend to disregard both this and the introductory talk explaining what we were going to do. These were strong plusses to be repeated." FP, London, Lake District in Autumn
"The tour was excellently planned from beginning to end, hour by hour timings with plenty of photography time, and ran very smoothly ... What worked well for me was your expertise and knowledge of the area and the ability to predict the rain before it fell on us and even the odd rainbow! Also your ability to vary our routes and locations to suit the daily weather. What I enjoyed the most was getting out and taking photographs in some of the UK’s most stunning locations." SB, Leicestershire, Lake District in Autumn
"I really enjoyed it and feel extremely refreshed ... the itinerary was packed with amazing places to visit and photograph, and even in the rain, there was pretty much always something to photograph. So well planned and executed even when the weather didn’t play ball. I valued the one-to-one tuition and support that was available when needed, specifically help with achieving the best compositions, lens use and learning new things such as bracketing and use of filters. I especially found the lightroom session helpful and informative and using participants own images was of great value. We were able to make the best use of all daylight hours, I did enjoy getting up at dawn and having a jam-packed day yet with enough time to gather myself between shoots. The accommodation was perfect, couldn’t have wished for more; warm, cosy, spacious, close to the cars and a fire to boot! The chef and his food were outstanding. What more can I say." CR, Somerset, Lake District in Autumn
"Great locations, excellent leadership, good company and accommodation. Expert guidance and advice throughout the tour, on all aspects of photography... thank you for a great holiday, I really enjoyed it". TD, Middlesex, Lake District in Autumn
"Your prior experience of the locations, the best timing and optimum shooting positions, suitable accommodation and general logistics is why I signed up for this and other tours of yours. Given the difficult challenge of the weather, I thought you helped us to get the best out of the locations we visited. In addition, I thought the other participants were a great group to spend some time with. Having a resident chef was a great improvement over the more regimented timing of a hotel ... the evening meals were of exceptional quality for this kind of tour." PO, Wiltshire, Lake District in Autumn
"Quality of accommodation and catering - plus the flexibility that gave ... camaraderie and sense of shared experience and learning between the participants". FC, Somerset, Lake District in Autumn
"Our second outing with Robert and once again his photo tour exceeded our expectations. We have had several trips to the lakes, but Robert’s knowledge of the area and detailed planning in terms of scenery, weather conditions and position of the sun during the day resulted in some of the best landscape images we have ever taken. Our measure of success is the number of images we would be happy to frame/share in our annual calendar and post on social media and on this trip we have been spoilt for choice on the number of great images taken." DP & KP, Berkshire, Autumn in the Lake District
"Variety of location types presenting different photographic approaches e.g. Long Exposures; Bracketing, Long Lens photography." JH, Essex, Autumn in the Lake District
"I learnt more about the controls on my camera. I learnt the advantage of using telephoto lenses in landscape photography. I further understood different ways of composing a shot, either by position (height and moving), using different lenses and perspective." RR, Hampshire, Autumn in the Lake District
"Extremely well researched venues with attention to the weather forecast. The small group enabled Robert to give time to those needing guidance with their camera settings and composition. Being able to sit together at meal times. Theory sessions. It was fun!" LS, Oxfordshire, Autumn in the Lake District
"I was pleasantly surprised by the number of locations that we visited in the relatively short time the tour ran ... The group worked well together and there was good banter from the off. Assistance was available when required, but was not forced upon anyone. If you were happy to work unaided then you were free to do so." PP, Hampshire, Autumn in the Lake District
"Selection of precise locations; timing; space on minibus; advice on framing photos." VP, Wiltshire, Autumn in the Lake District
We will be photographing well-known locations such as Borrowdale, Wasdale, Grasmere, Buttermere and the Langdale Pikes, looking for ways to show them in a different light. In addition, I will take you to lesser-known gems such as Loughrigg Tarn, Blea Tarn and Tewet Tarn. We will seek out charming waterfalls and Castlerigg Stone Circle in its spectacular mountain setting. The itinerary will be flexible to make the most of conditions. We will use the best sunrise and sunset light and look for opportunities to capture early morning mist and reflections (if conditions are still) as well as saturated autumnal colours, which can be at their photographic best when conditions are overcast. Several of our shooting conditions are at their best when it is raining!
The tour will involve easy to moderate walks, mostly at low elevations with no mountaineering involved. On the 26 to 30 October departure, one or two moderately steep walks of 1-2 miles in each direction may also be included. Please read the tour details carefully and ensure you book on the departure best suited to your ability/fitness.
On one or more evenings we will discuss photographic techniques and review our images. I will provide tuition on composition, using filters to capture moving water, reflections and wet surfaces and on processing images to best effect.
A particular benefit of this tour is that we have exclusive accommodation at Cumbria House, with gourmet meals provided by our resident chef. This tour is fully inclusive of cooked breakfasts, packed lunches and three-course evening meals accompanied by wine, beer or fruit juice. This arrangement provides exceptional dining quality and maximum flexibility to fit meals around our photography schedules.
Typical itinerary for 26 to 30 October tour (will be adjusted as necessary to make best use of weather):
Day 1: Meet at Penrith or Keswick. Afternoon: View of Buttermere from Warnscale Bothy. Dinner. Evening: Introductory presentation.
Day 2: Buttermere at sunrise. Breakfast. Full day trip to Great Langdale, Blea Tarn and Loughrigg Tarn. Dinner.
Day 3: Derwentwater at sunrise. Breakfast. Full day trip to Aira Force, Ullswater, Duke of Portland Boat House and Rydal Water. Dinner.
Day 4: Breakfast. Full day trip to Little Langdale, Hardknott Roman Fort and Wasdale. Dinner.
Day 5: Castlerigg Stone Circle at sunrise. Breakfast. Morning: Ashness Bridge, Borrowdale Old Mill and Surprise View. Return to Keswick or Penrith.
Typical itinerary for 30 October to 3 November tour (will be adjusted as necessary to make best use of weather):
Day 1: Meet at Penrith or Keswick. Afternoon: Aira Force and Ullswater. Dinner. Evening: Introductory presentation.
Day 2: Buttermere at sunrise. Breakfast. Full day trip to Great Langdale, Blea Tarn and Loughrigg Tarn. Dinner.
Day 3: Derwentwater at sunrise. Breakfast. Full day trip to Grasmere, Rydal Water and Lake Coniston. Dinner.
Day 4: Breakfast. Full day trip to Little Langdale, Hardknott Roman Fort and Wasdale. Dinner.
Day 5: Castlerigg Stone Circle at sunrise. Breakfast. Morning: Ashness Bridge, Borrowdale Old Mill and Surprise View. Return to Keswick or Penrith.
Group Size: Maximum of 6 participants.
Recommended photographic equipment: Digital single lens reflex camera, lenses ranging from wide angle (ideally 16mm on full frame) to short telephoto (200mm+), tripod (essential), neutral density filters (ideally 4 stop, 6 stop and 10 stop) and polarising filter. Warm and waterproof clothes, walking boots (essential) and wellington boots (recommended for at least one excursion).
Dates:
- 26 to 30 October 2023
- 30 October to 3 November 2023
Meet at lunchtime on Day 1, depart lunchtime on Day 5.
Five day tour, cost: £1,175 (single, twin or double occupancy).
Included: Accommodation at Cumbria House for four nights, all meals cooked by our resident chef, travel from Penrith or Keswick, photographic guiding.
Not included: Transport to Penrith or Keswick.
Comments from participants on previous tours:
"I liked the way the itinerary was thoughtfully re-arranged to make the most of the time available and the photo opportunities depending on daily weather conditions. I appreciated the effort involved in getting us to as many locations as possible, at the optimal time of day, and especially the effort taken to get us to Buttermere for sunrise, which turned out to be quite a challenge. I also appreciated being involved in some of the decision making regarding the itinerary and that everyone’s opinion was taken into account. Robert's knowledge of the area certainly contributed to the efficiency of moving from one location to another. The number and variety of locations we visited was impressive. I enjoyed meal times together. The number of participants was about right. It was a very pleasant group to spend the week with. The evening spent reviewing a few of our photos and the discussion that followed around different techniques using LightRoom was very instructive .. I also appreciated Robert’s attention and advice in trying to help me make the most of my limited knowledge and equipment. His concern that every member of the group should get the best out of a particular location was clear." MF, Hampshire, Lake District in Autumn
"The epic vista in many locations - some of which you could have easily spent a whole day on. The variety of subjects, Lakes, Mountains, Boathouses, Jetty’s, Waterfalls, Caves . . along with the tuition and reasons why were were shooting each one when we did was excellent, and helped me to understand how the light at different times of the day, and in different conditions affected each of the locations. The evening meals in Cumbria house were fantastic, with comfy rooms and a drying area, and all en suite, what a find!" SH, Warwickshire, Lake District in Autumn
"The availability of the minibus was essential, particularly as Robert knew the area well and was able to get us to the various locations at the ‘right time’ to avoid other visitors. The flexibility of meal times was also very important, making sure we didn’t miss any good photo opportunities. Perhaps not related to the tour itself, but the group of photographers could not have been nicer, we all got on very well and made it a fun experience ... I cannot compliment Gerard, the chef, highly enough his food was excellent, breakfasts, packed lunches and dinners, everything!" CD, Somerset, Lake District in Autumn
"We had a good group that interacted well, with lively banter. I found it helpful to have suggested camera settings at some locations. The first evening's presentation was excellent and gave us good insights to locations, plus I enjoyed the Lightroom demo highlighting individuals work. I admired the democratic approach when required. Thank you for persisting with the Buttermere Lone Tree, nice that we made it on the third attempt! This location had been on my bucket list for some time. Robert worked tirelessly on our behalf throughout the tour, with the aim of fulfilling the itinerary and participants coming away with quality images." PD, Kent, Lake District in Autumn
"My absolute Number One favourite thing was that from start to finish, everything was very well organised. From the minute the tour starts absolutely everything is taken care of, the food, the itinerary, pairing locations to conditions, the driving, everything. Just allows you to switch off, relax and just worry about the photography, fantastic." DE, Wiltshire, Lake District in Autumn
"We had the desired breadth of photographic opportunity while enjoying comfortable surroundings ... cooking was excellent and ensured we had better food than I imagine was available under any other tour format. Cumbria House was a good base. I much enjoyed the evening session on post-production. Invariably, photo excursions tend to disregard both this and the introductory talk explaining what we were going to do. These were strong plusses to be repeated." FP, London, Lake District in Autumn
"The tour was excellently planned from beginning to end, hour by hour timings with plenty of photography time, and ran very smoothly ... What worked well for me was your expertise and knowledge of the area and the ability to predict the rain before it fell on us and even the odd rainbow! Also your ability to vary our routes and locations to suit the daily weather. What I enjoyed the most was getting out and taking photographs in some of the UK’s most stunning locations." SB, Leicestershire, Lake District in Autumn
"I really enjoyed it and feel extremely refreshed ... the itinerary was packed with amazing places to visit and photograph, and even in the rain, there was pretty much always something to photograph. So well planned and executed even when the weather didn’t play ball. I valued the one-to-one tuition and support that was available when needed, specifically help with achieving the best compositions, lens use and learning new things such as bracketing and use of filters. I especially found the lightroom session helpful and informative and using participants own images was of great value. We were able to make the best use of all daylight hours, I did enjoy getting up at dawn and having a jam-packed day yet with enough time to gather myself between shoots. The accommodation was perfect, couldn’t have wished for more; warm, cosy, spacious, close to the cars and a fire to boot! The chef and his food were outstanding. What more can I say." CR, Somerset, Lake District in Autumn
"Great locations, excellent leadership, good company and accommodation. Expert guidance and advice throughout the tour, on all aspects of photography... thank you for a great holiday, I really enjoyed it". TD, Middlesex, Lake District in Autumn
"Your prior experience of the locations, the best timing and optimum shooting positions, suitable accommodation and general logistics is why I signed up for this and other tours of yours. Given the difficult challenge of the weather, I thought you helped us to get the best out of the locations we visited. In addition, I thought the other participants were a great group to spend some time with. Having a resident chef was a great improvement over the more regimented timing of a hotel ... the evening meals were of exceptional quality for this kind of tour." PO, Wiltshire, Lake District in Autumn
"Quality of accommodation and catering - plus the flexibility that gave ... camaraderie and sense of shared experience and learning between the participants". FC, Somerset, Lake District in Autumn
"Our second outing with Robert and once again his photo tour exceeded our expectations. We have had several trips to the lakes, but Robert’s knowledge of the area and detailed planning in terms of scenery, weather conditions and position of the sun during the day resulted in some of the best landscape images we have ever taken. Our measure of success is the number of images we would be happy to frame/share in our annual calendar and post on social media and on this trip we have been spoilt for choice on the number of great images taken." DP & KP, Berkshire, Autumn in the Lake District
"Variety of location types presenting different photographic approaches e.g. Long Exposures; Bracketing, Long Lens photography." JH, Essex, Autumn in the Lake District
"I learnt more about the controls on my camera. I learnt the advantage of using telephoto lenses in landscape photography. I further understood different ways of composing a shot, either by position (height and moving), using different lenses and perspective." RR, Hampshire, Autumn in the Lake District
"Extremely well researched venues with attention to the weather forecast. The small group enabled Robert to give time to those needing guidance with their camera settings and composition. Being able to sit together at meal times. Theory sessions. It was fun!" LS, Oxfordshire, Autumn in the Lake District
"I was pleasantly surprised by the number of locations that we visited in the relatively short time the tour ran ... The group worked well together and there was good banter from the off. Assistance was available when required, but was not forced upon anyone. If you were happy to work unaided then you were free to do so." PP, Hampshire, Autumn in the Lake District
"Selection of precise locations; timing; space on minibus; advice on framing photos." VP, Wiltshire, Autumn in the Lake District
To receive further details and a booking form for this tour, please enter your details, giving the tour name as the "Subject". Once I have received your enquiry, I will confirm availability and hold your place for seven days to give you time to send payment.
Other Photography Tours that you may be interested in:
Glencoe and Skye
Cairngorms Birds and Mammals
Milky Way and Cornwall Coast
Snowdonia in Spring
Mull's Otters and Eagles
Secrets of the Wiltshire Landscape
Bustards, Butterflies and Barn Owls
Seabirds and Castles
Milky Way and Jurassic Coast
Dartmoor Tors and Hidden Valleys
Lake District in Autumn
Savernake Forest in Autumn
Jurassic Coast in Midwinter
Other Photography Courses that you may be interested in:
Astrophotography Workshop
Astrophotography Evenings
Landscape Fundamentals Workshop
Landscape Masterclass
