Holiday & Travel Photography Course

For so many of us embroiled in our 9 to 5, Monday to Friday lives, the weekend presents the only time when we can escape to a new or favourite location with the camera.
Weekends are a chance to travel and explore, and photography provides the proof and memories of times well spent. The Weekend Breaks course is a wonderful blend of travel advice, photographic tips and general knowledge that can be applied to a wide range of weekend destinations.

Led by award-winning magazine editor, writer and photographer Keith Wilson, City Break Photography will introduce you to a range of subjects, locations and situations that every weekend travel photographer can relate to. Dilemmas and questions that we address include: What is the best time to shoot? How do you take a different shot of a well-known landmark? What can I photograph on a wet day? How do I photograph street candids? Can I take night scenes without flash?

In this four-week course, Keith will draw on more than 30 years of picture editing experience to help improve your camera skills and technical understanding without losing sight of the main objective – taking pictures that you will be proud to share. The result will be greater confidence in your own ability and a tantalising glimpse of some of the world’s most photogenic locations – many of which may be on your doorstep.

1. Sights & Landmarks
From the biggest cities to the sleepiest villages, nearly every location has a favourite tourist spot, a historic landmark, or a picturesque view that every visitor wants to photograph. This chapter examines how to photograph these subjects and achieve a result that is recognisable, yet different. We will show you how to plan your shoot, consider the light and surroundings, and select the right lens and exposure for an eye-catching result. With a basic understanding of composition and nothing more complicated than a little bit of thought and imagination, you will start seeing the familiar in a completely different light.

2. Street Life
Cities, towns and villages derive their dynamism, energy and ambience from the people who live and work there. This chapter focuses on photographing people, whether in groups in well-known settings, or as individuals picked out from the crowd. Street markets, festivals, city squares, beach promenades, lunchtime cafes and bars are the settings we will explore, where no two opportunities are the same because your subjects are unknown, never still, and certainly not for hire! A chance then for candid imagery and scenes of the unexpected as you learn to make truly unique pictures that will say so much about your weekend break.

3. Weather extremes
A weekend break is not always about blue skies and sunshine, but nor should a grey, wet day be viewed as a photographer’s curse either. All it takes is a willingness to change your plans for the day, an altered perspective, even a move indoors, to lead to a fresh set of picture opportunities. We will examine how changing light and unexpected weather developments can result in more dramatic results, and how to make the most of the flat even lighting of an overcast day – ideal for close-ups and details! It’s about being prepared for the unexpected and seeing the photographic potential in a sudden downpour, an unseasonal snowfall, or capturing how the locals cope with a heat wave.

4. A Day in the Life
The final chapter concludes with an exciting mini assignment photographing London in a day, from dawn to dusk, and using the best of the light to photograph this great city. But this isn’t just about London: the planning, techniques and skills adopted for this task can be applied to any city or town, even a rural location. It’s about following the sun, from dawn to dusk, and seeing how the quality and direction of sunlight can alter so much in just a few hours and dramatically transform the appearance of everything it reaches. The beauty of this chapter is that you will be able to appreciate further the importance and value of light on everything we photograph.