Elmley: Wildlife and Landscape

An immersive residential wildlife and landscape photography workshop on Elmley Nature Reserve. For more than 30 years, I have dedicated countless hours to capturing the moods and wildlife of this internationally significant area and I am honoured to be the only photographer permitted to hold such photography courses on Elmley. Limited to just four attendees, this unique workshop promises to be an unforgettable experience. I hope you can join me.

The workshop begins at 2pm on the 13th and concludes after breakfast at 10.30am on the 15th. 

Comprising of grazing marsh, mudflats, pools, and red-fringed ditches, at 3,300 acres, Elmley, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, is one of the UK's largest and oldest privately-owned nature reserves which in winter plays host to a vast number of birds from wigeon, brent geese, lapwing and godwit to peregrine, marsh harrier, short-eared and barn owl. At dawn, we will endeavour to photograph scores of wigeon and geese as they fly from their nighttime roots to their feeding grounds.

PLACE TO OURSELVES
Most winters, the reserve is closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays meaning we will, pretty much, have the entire reserve to ourselves! Of course, given the workshop is still some way off, it's not 100% guaranteed and even if this isn't the case we will still be the only group with access at first and last light - when the landscape is at its best and the wildlife most active.  

HIGHLIGHTS
Very small group size
4WD Land Rover transportation
Stunning accommodation on Elmley Nature Reserve
Out-of-hours access 
Guidance and tuition from a North Kent  'native' 
Bird and landscape photography tuition
Night walks
Breathtaking marsh landscape
Premier location for raptors and migrating waterfowl
Access to restricted areas
Image critique and tutorials

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
It's extremely important that expectations are managed accordingly. After all, it's the UK in January and we could have long periods of thick cloud and/or rain. There may not be any owls around and waterfowl numbers could be down. Elmley is a very open landscape and if the weather's against us, we could even find ourselves holed up for part of the day. I'm not selling this, am I?! :) Regardless of the weather, Elmley is a very special and wild landscape. Indeed, I consider it a privilege just to have the opportunity to visit let alone stay overnight! On the other hand, as the group experienced this year, we could have wall-to-wall sunshine, beautiful frosty mornings, clear night skies allowing for astrophotography, thousands of ducks flying overhead at dawn and numerous barn owl opportunities. You've got to be in it to win it! 

MEALS
Food is fuel! Due to our rather remote location and wishing to keep our meal times as flexible as possible, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be a basic (though still tasty, I am sure) affair. For example, there'll be no cooked breakfast and lavish supper. Instead, barring tea, coffee, milk and sugar, bread, butter and marmalade, you will be asked to bring your own breakfast ingredients. For example, like me, you may wish to simply bring a porridge pot or some cereal with you and round it off with tea and toast. For lunch, before arriving, I suggest you make a couple of rounds of sandwiches at home or buy from a supermarket, and for dinner, this might sound a little left-field but having given it some considerable thought, I think the following will work very well indeed. I can cook, but after a long day in the field, I would much rather be entertaining than sweating over a hot stove! Instead, I suggest you bring an oven-ready meal. Whatever you like so long as it can be popped into the oven (or microwave) and be ready within 20 minutes! Those, for example, made by Charlie Bingham (Sainsbury's) and M&S are extremely tasty and as good as any cooked meal. There's a fridge so storage isn't a problem. I'll provide some frozen veg but that'll be the extent of my cooking! :) All this not only means we can eat what and when we please but massively keeps the workshop cost down. It's a win-win! 

FINALLY...
Thank you for considering this workshop. If you have any questions, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to help and ensure that you have a wonderful few days filled with inspiring photography.