PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES NEAR DOVEDALE

Ilam Park, near Dovedale, Staffordshire/Derbyshire border

Ilam Park runs along both banks of the River Manifold, with spectacular views towards Dovedale. Its scenery provides us with some fantastic photographic opportunities.
There are magnificent buildings, and amazing features for both landscape and close-up photography and photo walks. At Ilam the rivers Manifold and Hamps re-emerge after following underground courses for a few miles. Together they form the largest such rising in the country and are known as the 'boil-holes' as the water appears to bubble and boil as it emerges from underground. Above the boil holes the river bed is dry for much of the summer. Hinkley Wood is semi-natural ancient woodland and is designated as a SSSI particularly for its small-leaved and large-leaved limes and their hybrids.
It has well developed ground flora that includes several local species; interesting epiphytic lichen flora and excellent invertebrate fauna including several very rare species of beetle and local molluscs.

PhotoWalks

These walks are aimed at students who have completed at least the DSLR Part 1 course and probably also one or two further courses. You will need to be comfortable working in Aperture Priority mode and be reasonably familiar with the main features of your camera. A sturdy tripod is virtually essential to get the most out of this workshop.

We have several photographic locations we can use in the area, depending on the weather conditions and the requirements of the group. However, the general plan is that we will meet up in the Education Room at Ilam Hall for a 9.30 or 10am start depending upon the time of year. We start with a brief introduction where we discuss the students' expectations of the workshop before heading out on location. Tuition will be given in the field on a one-to-one basis as needed and by discussion during review sessions. During the day we will visit probably two locations, following each of these practical sessions with a classroom-based review before winding up around 3.30-4pm. This general schedule is, however, flexible and we will do our very best to meet the needs of each member of the group.

The beautiful Ilam Park sits at the foot of the Manifold Valley and is a stone's throw from Dovedale, so there are plenty of excellent locations for all conditions. Full joining instructions will be sent out to participants on payment and can be downloaded by clicking on the 'i' logo above right.

Any queries or for additional information, please contact Graham on 07958 007004, or by email to graham-nobles@goingdigital.co.uk