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Landscape Photography Workshop in Ireland

2010 Workshops
September 12-21, 2010
Places Available!
2011 Workshops
August 8-17, 2011
Places Available!
September 12-21, 2011
Places Available!

"Thank you again for a great workshop. It was the best I have ever attended and I appreciated your approach to life in general, let alone your photographic and teaching skills. I learnt a great deal and loved the scenery. I would have no hesitation in recommending your workshops to other photographers, and hopefully will get the chance to do another myself some day."

— David Gee, Australia

Find out what inspires me!

Ireland offers some of the finest landscape photography in the world. From green rolling hills and manicured farmland to the wilds of the Atlantic coast, it is a dream destination for many photographers, professional and amateur both.

Join me on an unforgettable ten day photography workshop through Ireland's south-west where you will photograph some of the Emerald Isle's most dramatic and beautiful scenery. I'll introduce you to my favourite locations - famous and unknown alike. Along the way, there'll be plenty of opportunities to learn how to improve your own photography with ad-hoc lectures and one-to-one attention. Not to mention an introduction to the local culture and plenty of good craic!

My ultimate goal is for you to have a great time on the trip, get some fantastic photographs of stunning locations and most of all to go home having learned how to make better images for yourself.

There is a limit of 10 places available on this workshop to ensure that everyone gets plenty of individual attention.

If this sounds like something that you'd love to do - read on!

"I had a fantastic time. Sitting here less than a week later back at work it feels like some sort of vague dream already. The locations for shooting were incredible and the large number of locations you got us to in 10 days was also very impressive.

You are a very good instructor. Those of us who do this for a living recognize that the axiom "Those who can't, teach" is pure bullshit and they've never tried teaching. I've met many amazing professionals in a variety of fields who couldn't articulate worth a damn to another person how it is they do what they do --even when that is why I was paying to see them try. You show very disciplined patience when necessary, but also are very good at utilizing your sense of humor to make everyone have a good time. Your depth and breadth of knowledge is commendable. Not only are you able to answer questions, but also give a deep understanding behind the answer if necessary.

You made yourself amazingly accessible. I didn't anticipate that you would be with us at every meal and so open to discussing photgraphy during every breathing moment you were awake. That level of accessibility is not something I was expecting."

— Scott McGlynn, USA

Philosophy
This trip is about improving your photography as well as getting out and about in stunning locations. I will be out shooting with you every day, helping you get the shots you're after and introducing you to new ways of seeing, so you get images you never thought of before.

As such, this workshop is targetted to a wide range of people. From the advanced amateur who is looking to refine his or her technique, to someone who has recently started to cultivate their passion and is looking for a guiding hand to master the technical and compositional aspects of the art.

What You Will Learn
There will be no classroom sessions on this trip, and not much in the way of formal lectures. What there will be are plenty of ad-hoc demonstrations and lectures on such things as:

  • How to make a good exposure
  • Understanding aperture and depth of field
  • Shooting technique and how to eliminate camera shake and vibration
  • Photographing panoramas with a view to digital stitching
  • How to use filters (polarizing and neutral density)
  • The basics of good composition, and when to break the rules
  • How to use RAW to maximise your image's potential
  • Exposing to the right to capture maximum detail

In the evenings while enjoying a nice beer or a cup of coffee, we will discuss such topics as:

  • Optimising your image in Photoshop, Lightroom and other applications with:
    • Curves
    • Local contrast enhancement
    • Contrast masking
    • Using a pen and tablet to ease your workflow
    • Eliminating colour fringing and halos
  • Understanding colour spaces
  • The importance of profiles, and how to create them

As well as all that there will be regular critique sessions in the evenings where we can look at what was successful and what wasn't about each other's images. These sessions are an invaluable tool in improving your photos as they show you exactly what you did wrong (and right!), allowing you to learn from your mistakes.

Accommodations and Food
We will be staying in hotels every night. These will be comfortable and will have en suite bathrooms. Accommodation will be two to a room - single rooms are available but will involve an additional charge. Internet access will be available in some locations, either from a kiosk computer or via Wi-Fi.

All meals are included. If you have a special dietary requirement you will be accommodated - just be sure and let me know when you make your booking.

Lunches will be taken on the road, either in cafés or as packed lunches/picnics.

The Culture

Several of the places we'll be passing through are Gaeltacht areas where Irish is spoken on a daily basis, so if you have a cúpla focail you'll be able to try your hand conversing with the locals as Gaeilge.

"I can’t thank you enough, Peter, for making this workshop such a memorable experience. You gave us magical locations, great food and fun, and most of all your ability to provide useful and positive learning opportunities at all skill levels. You truly are a teacher and photographer with a “high dynamic range!” I’m already recommending your workshops to my friends.

— Gail Bingham, USA

Itinerary

This is the basic itinerary, and is subject to change. Some locations may not be accessible due to weather conditions or we may be better served by a different spot on the day for some other reason (better light, etc). If the weather is particularly poor, we will spend time relaxing and critiquing images as well as holding a few classroom-type sessions on shooting technique and post-processing.

Day one: Fáilte romhat! We begin by meeting at Shannon airport. If you arrived the day before, I will collect you from your hotels. From there we will drive to our first location on the Loop Head Peninsula in Co. Clare. This is a place of dramatic seascapes - cliffs, sea-stacks and quaint villages. It is a short drive from Shannon and will give us a gentle introduction to the trip.

We'll take our lunch in the small town of Kilkee and then head to our next location - the Dingle Peninsula in Co. Kerry. This is a Gaeltacht area - one of the last few places where Irish is spoken on a daily basis. We will be spending two nights in this area, photographing Slea Head, Brandon Mountain, the Three Sisters and the Blasket Islands among others.

Overnight: Dingle

Day two: More of the Dingle peninsula and a chartered trip around the Blasket Islands with a short stop on the Great Blasket, weather permitting.

Overnight: Dingle

Day three: More of the Dingle peninsula with a second chance at the Blaskets trip if the weather didn't cooperate the day before. Head towards the Killarney area via the stunning Connor Pass. We will spend the rest of the day exploring the famous Lakes of Killarney and/or the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, the highest and most dramatic mountain range in the country.

Overnight: Killarney

Day four: We will spend the day continuing our exploration of the Lakes and the Reeks. We will also visit the stunning Black Valley near Kenmare, passing through the Gap of Dunloe. In the late afternoon we'll make our way to Portmagee on the other side of the Ring of Kerry. This is the jumping-off point for the spectacular Skellig islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Overnight: Portmagee

Day five: Weather permitting, we'll brave the 8-mile boat trip to Skellig Michael, definitely the crown jewel of Ireland's landscape. A jagged spire of rock thrusting out of the Atlantic Ocean, it is home to thousands of seabirds and, hundreds of years ago, to a small monastery inhabited by hardy souls who chose to live on what was then the very edge of the known world.

If the weather doesn't co-operate, we'll be exploring the Skellig Ring on the mainland which has more than its share of dramatic scenery.

Overnight: Kenmare

Day six: We will spend this day with a leisurely exploration of the Beara Peninsula, taking in the dramatic Caha Mountains and crossing the Healy Pass (a spectacular drive on a road which was built as a relief project during the Great Famine).

Overnight: Glengariff

Day seven: This day will see us exploring the wonderful Garinish Island. Garinish is a small sheltered island less than a mile from the picturesque town of Glengariff and has been painstakingly cultivated to form a series of formal gardens. This area has a micro-climate which allows various sub-tropical plant species to thrive here that can survive nowhere else in Ireland.

After an easy morning on the island, we'll head for my home area of Gougane Barra, a few miles inland. Gougane is a stunning glacial valley nestled on the Cork/Kerry border and is an important cultural and religeous location.

Overnight: Gougane Barra

Day eight: Beginning with a dawn shoot in the Gougane Barra valley, we will then drive to Three Castle Head at the end of the Mizen Peninsula. We'll take our time and photograph along the way, as it is a particularly scenic drive.

Three Castle Head is an area of spectacular seascapes with razor sharp rocks tumbling down to the Atlantic. In peaceful weather, it is picturesque. If the wind is blowing it's truly incredible to watch the water pounding on the rocks below.

Overnight: Crookhaven

Day nine: Staying in the Mizen/Crookhaven area we will have our morning shoot around Brow Head, looking down on the Crookhaven peninsula. Following this will be an easy drive along the South Coast, stopping at towns such as Schull, Baltimore and Goleen along the way before reaching our destination of Kinsale.

Kinsale is a beautiful harbour town, well known for its art and culture. We will photograph in and around the town in the evening.

Overnight: Kinsale

Day ten: After a morning spent exploring Kinsale town and harbour, we will begin the long drive back to Shannon airport for the mid-afternoon flights home. It should be noted that flights to the East Coast in particular leave quite early in the day, and our arrival back in Shannon might cut check-in times a little close. You may consider staying an extra night, enjoying the hospitality of historic Limerick city, and flying out on the next day.

Slán agus beannacht libh!

The Instructor
I am a professional landscape photographer - one of only a handful in Ireland. I am an Irish native, and grew up in this country. I know the locations we'll be visiting intimately having holidayed in many of them as a child, and discovering the rest as part of my own photographic explorations.

I have a passion for both photography and for teaching. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, I make sure to pitch my lessons at your level and to ensure that you understand what's being taught. My goal is for you to leave not just with great pictures and fond memories - but with increased confidence and ability too.

I teach year-round, both private and group workshops and courses - all on digital landscape photography. I also teach a short Winter course on digital postprocessing techniques at Williams College in Massachusetts in the USA.

I won the Irish Professional Photographers Association's "Landscape Photographer of the Year" award in 2007 in both the portfolio and single-image categories, and have placed highly in several international photographic competitions.

I encourage you to visit my photo_course_testimonials page to see what my past students have had to say about me.

"What can I say? Brilliant locations, food, accommodation, teaching and non-stop laughs. And you got me on the plane with my tripod!"

— Val Graham, UK

The Price
This workshop will cost €2,995. This price includes all expenses except your airfare to and from Shannon airport. Your transportation, food, drinks (except alcohol) and accommodation for the entire ten days are covered.

Accommodation will be two to a room. If you require a single room, there is an additional charge of €400.

To secure your place, a deposit of €700 is required within two weeks of registration, the balance payable two calendar months before the start date of the workshop. If you have to cancel up to two months before the trip, you will get a full refund less €350. Cancellations after that date will receive a refund less €700. Cancellations within a month of the start date of the trip will only be refunded if a replacement for you can be found.

"As the only genuine old-timer in your group I found the course to be tough but very rewarding. You took us to some beautiful parts of Ireland that but for this course we might never have seen. Each day you took trouble to spend time with each of us to explain everything from the absolutely simple to the highly technical about landscape photography. Above all, through your leadership, you merged us into a team who enjoyed each others company and at the same time greatly improved our photographic skills. The organisation, food and accommodation were all first class

Many thanks for a great ten days. Long may you reign in elite photographic circles."

— Robert Moran, Australia

Sign Me Up!
If this trip sounds perfect for you and you're ready to embark on a ten-day odyssey of beautiful landscapes, friendly and competent instruction and a fantastic cultural experience, then send me an email. You can also call me at +353 1 685 3000, or simply pay your deposit to secure your place right now by clicking on one of the links below.

2010 Workshops
September 12-21, 2010
Places Available!
2011 Workshops
August 8-17, 2011
Places Available!
September 12-21, 2011
Places Available!

Here's a short time lapse film of a sunrise shoot:

Sunrise Shoot, Glengarriff, Co. Cork from Peter Cox on Vimeo.

What we get up to. Click on any image to see a larger version.
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Thanks to all those participants who allowed me to use their images for this album!