Luke recently attended our Adventure Travel and Expedition Photography course. He has kindly written an extended review with his thoughts on what led him to book the course…
Do I enrol on the Adventure Travel and Expedition Photography course or not? Hmmmm……
When your only decisions for a year have been something like: ‘Do I have another biscuit?’ or ‘Shall I watch Netflix now or later?’ it’s nice to have the choice! So let’s rephrase.
Do I spend the weekend getting creative, learning how to take awesome photos, playing with light, getting wide, getting close, getting out and getting inspired or… pass the bourbons?
Boulderer at Stanage Plantation © Luke Fletcher
Perhaps, if like me, you’ve always loved to take photos of your adventures but never really known your f-stop from a bus stop, the chance to be taught the intricacies of apertures and shutter speeds, composition and scale is a must.
Alex Ekins may look like an angry farmer but he’s not about to chase you off his land. If you are in any doubt about his credentials, don’t be. Alex is the real deal. With a string of magazine front covers, a career in photo-journalism and a lifetime of guiding and adventure to his name, Alex can make a photo of a Tesco mini mart look like an exotic destination. Before this course, I had a fixed idea of what the kit was used for but I couldn’t have been more wrong. There’s a world of possibility waiting for your shiny new gear from getting up close and personal with portraits to composing close up shots with a wide angle lens.
Stanage Group Photo © Jennifer Watson
Adventure travel has an edge, something hard to put your finger on, but it’s not just about exploring new places and acquiring pub-worthy stories, it makes you look at the world differently – to notice and appreciate. It also opens your eyes to those chance encounters, the meeting of strangers and those with a story to tell. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this course has sown a seed of that same adventure but a lot closer to home. A bimble on Stanage led to a dozen chance encounters, talking to people with a story to tell and appreciating the beauty of our local area. Even better, I have begun to understand how I can celebrate that beauty through the lens of a camera.
I’m in a great deal of need for mindfulness these days and I can’t think of nothing better than the focus photography brings. The whole process makes you look at your surroundings intently and with a creative purpose. Even the editing process is all-encompassing as well as visually gratifying. What’s more, with the tips you’ll learn on this course, even your mobile phone will find new purpose.
So what’s next?
Alex asked me this towards the end of the course in the hope that he could guide me in my next steps. Clearly, a career at Vogue or National Geographic awaits but in the meantime, I’m finally off the green auto button and looking at life with an adventurous eye again. I’ve got a few creative project ideas up my sleeve and thanks to Alex, I’m not afraid to give them a go.
Luke
We currently offer three photography courses; the two day Adventure Travel and Expedition course, a two day Rock Climbing photography course and a one day course on Smart Phone photography in the outdoors.
https://www.beyondtheedge.co.uk/adventure-travel-and-expedition-photography/
https://www.beyondtheedge.co.uk/techniques-and-rigging-for-rock-climbing-photography/
https://www.beyondtheedge.co.uk/smart-phone-photography-in-the-outdoors/
