Digital Photography – made simple

weekend residential course

17th, 18th & 19th February 20

Whether making a photographic record of our stunning landscapes and seascapes, indulging your passion for portrait photography or simply recording your local wildlife or native plant life; photography is an increasingly popular, absorbing and sometimes financially rewarding activity.

The Digital Photography – made simple course is a weekend residential field course that runs from Friday evening 17th February to Sunday teatime 19th February 2012.  It will look at the range of equipment available to digital stills photographers and will include detailed coverage of camera settings and techniques for photography in more challenging conditions.

Our objective is to hack away at the jungle of jargon, technical obfuscation, advertising exaggeration, and downright misinformation that is presented to the digital photographer and liberate you to concentrate on the making of beautiful and exciting photographs.

The emphasis will very much be on practical field sessions at selected locations close to our base at Liss Ard House. If you simply wish to make better digital photographs or add a particular discipline to your range of skills as a photographer then this weekend residential workshop will prove invaluable. You will hear first hand tips and advice to create stunning digital images with the equipment you already have – without spending a fortune on new gear! Included in the workshop will be a session on how to use Photoshop to process and enhance your images ready for printing. We will take you through the printing process and provide you with a large digital print of one of the images you take on the course to take home as the start of your portfolio.

Just some of the things you will take away from this workshop:

> Digital photography: Differences from traditional film

> Do pixels matter?

> What camera is right for you for what you want to achieve

> Getting your camera settings correct

> Exposure, depth of field and motion effects

> Choosing shutter versus aperture priority

> How to interpret the complexities of your camera manual

> Preparing images for printing

> Using Photoshop to process and enhance your images

Course notes will be provided and tutor/s will be on hand at all times and numbers are limited so there is plenty of time to ask questions of tutor/s and discuss personal projects with fellow attendees. The tuition is pitched at level: Beginner/Intermediate.

The lead tutor on this weekend residential Digital Photography course will be:

Chris O’Dell BSC

Chris is a photographer and cinematographer, a graduate of the London International Film School. Initially trained as a stills photographer, he travelled widely in the 70s and 80s filming documentaries of every kind, including the world famous “Cosmos” with Carl Sagan, and “The Heart of the Dragon”, the story of China, for Channel 4. Chris was cameraman on two major wildlife series for Channel 4 with naturalists Gerald and Lee Durrell, “Ourselves and other Animals” and “The Amateur Naturalist”. As a qualified diver, he spent a lot of time filming underwater for the BBC and other clients. He ran a successful production company making arts and music programmes for the BBC. Since 1990 has been the director of photography on many very successful TV drama series including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Sharpe, Hornblower, Inspector Morse, the Morse sequel Lewis, and many single dramas. Chris lives and works in West Cork and photographs the wonderful changing light on the landscape of West Cork for which he employs Nikon, Apple, Photoshop, and Epson equipment. Chris O’Dell was chairman of the 2009 Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival.

The supporting tutor on this One Day Digital Photography course will be:

Nic Slocum PhD

Nic is an experienced naturalist and wildlife guide and is best known for his escorted tours taking enthusiasts out, both in Ireland and overseas, to view and photograph whales and dolphins. Nic has maintained a lifelong passion for using photography and film to promote the conservation of our wildlife and wild places and has appeared as an expert commentator on RTE, Channel 4 and ITV.  A zoologist by training, Nic has published articles on conservation related issues in both regional and national newspapers and is working on a book – Field Craft in Wildlife Photography and Film Making. Nic Slocum lives and works in West Cork and is a director of The Wildlife Film School which runs workshops in all aspects of digital photography and wildlife film making.

Course schedule

 Friday 17th February 2012

5pm to 7pm – Arrival at Liss Ard House.

7pm – Greeting. We introduce tutors and participants; who we all are, what we want out of the workshop, and the structure of the weekend’s activities.

7.30pm – Evening meal served

8.30pm – Introduction. We will discuss the basic theory and practice of digital photography and how it differs from the traditional film system that we all know and love.  We will look at some of the different cameras available and cover some of the techniques that will be practiced in the field sessions.  We will explain how to get your equipment set up for the following day’s work, and how to simplify your camera settings so that you can concentrate on the subject matter. We will introduce Photoshop as being an important part of the creative process. We will discuss ancillary equipment such as filters and tripods.  This will be accompanied by screening some examples of our own work.

9.30pm – Relaxation time. Discuss personal photography projects and prepare for the next day’s practical session…or simply chill out!

Saturday 18^th February 2012

8am – Breakfast

9am – Assignment briefing. What do you want from your digital photographs?  We run through your camera set ups and set assignments and photographic objectives for the day.

10am – Photography assignments in the field. Possible subjects include wildlife, macro, landscape, architecture and documentary. The emphasis of this detailed practical session will be on “looking at subjects differently”. The tutors will be on hand at all times.

1pm – We return to our base at Liss Ard House for lunch.

2pm – Continue field assignments.  Using your most precious tool, your eyes, we will make a series of images this afternoon using the techniques we have been practising during the morning session.

4pm – Return to Liss Ard.  Download and critique photographs according to composition, exposure and depth of filed.  Students will each choose two photographs from the day’s session to enter the informal competition to be judged on Sunday.

6.30pm – Free time

7.30pm – Evening meal served

8.30pm  – Group will look at some of the images taken during the day and have a chance to see Photoshop used on the images that you would like to submit for the photo competition. One image will be selected and prepared for printing.

9.30pm – Free time

Sunday 19^th February 2012

8am – Breakfast

9am – Field assignments with the tutors.  Honing up the techniques you have learnt, shooting with Photoshop in mind.  Trying some new subjects!

1pm – Lunch

2pm – Review of the morning’s images.  Questions and discussion.  Preparing your shots for the printer. Each participant will have the chance to chose his favourite image from the weekend, prepare it for printing, and then will be coached through the printing process.  You will each go home with an A3 size exhibition print, the start of your portfolio!

4.30pm – Final questions to the tutors and announcements of photo competition winners and prize giving. Course ends following group photograph.

Booking Information:

Cost: €430. This INCLUDES expert tuition, accommodation and all meals. To secure a place a deposit of 100 euro will be needed. If booking less than four weeks from the course dates then full payment is required at booking. If The Wildlife Film School cancels a course for any reason all monies paid are refunded in full. If you have to cancel a booked place we will proved a full refund if we can fill your place in time for the course. If not we will provide you with a full price voucher valid for 6 months for use on another equivalent priced course of your choice.

Course Dates: 17th, 18th & 19th February 2012.

NB. If you are interested in a course which is fully booked please put your name on the waiting list as places occasionally become available and are allocated on a first come first served basis.

To Book: Contact The Wildlife Film School on:

Email: learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com

Phone:  00 353 86 153 1663

Course numbers are restricted to 8-10 people

Accommodation:

We will be staying at the Georgian Manor House on the imposing old O’Donovan estate of Liss Ard, just outside Skibbereen in West Cork. With beautiful views over the surrounding countryside, superb West Cork farmhouse cuisine prepared by the Liss Ard chef and single occupancy rooms with en suite facilities, our comfort is assured. All presentations will take place in the lecture room at Liss Ard House and we will travel out from there to selected locations for the fieldwork.

Other courses you may be interested in:

> Digital Landscape Photography course (one day and weekend options)

> Digital Wildlife Photography course (one day and weekend options)

> Digital Portrait Photography course (one day and weekend options)

> Digital MACRO Photography course (one day and weekend options)

> Digital Seascapes and Islands Photography course (weekend option only)

> Digital Photography Post Production – getting to grips with Photoshop and printing (one day course option only)

> Classroom in the Wild – a series of one day courses running consecutively focussing on different disciplines each week ranging from landscape, seascape, wildlife, macro, portrait and post production

What people say about our digital photography workshops…

“…well I tell you, I haven’t laughed that much in a long while. A great bunch…”

“…also thanks a mill’ again for sharing with us your wealth of knowledge. I’m officially hooked!!! I’ll be recommending these courses to all my friends!”

“…just some words to thank everybody again for the brilliant atmosphere. It was a fantastic week end…”

“…thanks everyone for making it a great weekend…”

“…thank you for a great weekend and for sending on the group photo. I learnt a lot over the weekend and I look forward to putting it into practice…”

“…thanks again for a great weekend, I will be doing a workshop in the club on the weekend and let the members know what I covered over the course of the 2 days…”

“…thank you and the guys very much for a very enjoyable weekend. Not only for the great workshop but for the great craic we had too…”

“…we had a great weekend and it was a pleasure to meet you all. We will be in touch about future courses and will be recommending you…”

“…thank you for the most enjoyable and easygoing weekend. The venue was delightful,   the food was delicious and the tuition and help were given enthusiastically and your hospitality was much appreciated.    I look forward to the next weekend I can attend…”

“…I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and found it most instructive…it was perfect…”

“…thanks again for a wonderful weekend – learnt a lot and enjoyed meeting everybody…”

“…organization very good. Looks like you are very committed to your craft and presentations were given with enthusiasm. I will have no problem in recommending your course to anyone I meet…”

The Wildlife Film School

Union Hall

Co.Cork

Ireland

Tel: 00 353 86 153 1663

Email:learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com

Web: www.thewildlifefilmschool.com

Tel: 00 353 86 153 1663

Email: learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com

Web: www.thewildlifefilmschool.com

 Creative Digital Videography – telling the story

 Saturday 4th February 2012

 Level: Beginner/intermediate

 With the development of small, hand held digital video cameras and stills cameras able to capture high quality video, the opportunities have never been greater to record movies for family and friends or possibly for financial reward. For anyone wishing to improve their video camera techniques to record family or local events, wildlife, scenery, or movie projects, this workshop will be invaluable.

Tutored by a professional film maker and cinematographer The Creative Digital Videography – telling a story course on Saturday 4th February 2012 is a one day field course designed to excite you about the many opportunities open to the  “have camcorder will travel” enthusiast and to show you how to move beyond “hosepiping wobbly-cam” to shooting video sequences that can be shown to a wider audience of which you can be proud.

Due to the short daylight hours available we will start as early as possible and after a briefing we will spend the rest of the day in the field followed by a critique of  what you have shot and how it might be improved with follow up ideas for self improvement.

The day will be divided into four sessions:

Session One. A briefing on the techniques for successful videography covering how to prepare and handle your video camera. We will discuss shot planning and breakdown, composition, management of depth of field, exposure and white balance.  We will find out about zoom function, camera angles, point of view, and panning, tilting and tracking.  The importance of sound will be introduced. This will last around 1.5 hours.

Session Two. We will go out to a selected location to practice these key elements of camera handling and shooting video. Tutors will be on hand at all times. This will last around 2 hours.

Session Three.  After a short lunch break we will head out into the field again, working as a group we will shoot a prepared 2 minute sequence employing all the key techniques that we have been learning.  This will last around 1.5 hours.

Session Four. When we lose the light we will return to base and review the “rushes” from our shooting day. We will critique the material and make creative suggestions as to how to improve your techniques for your future projects. This will last around 1.5 – 2 hours with plenty of time for questions.

We will be based for the day at the fabulously beautiful Liss Ard House just outside Skibbereen in West Cork and will utilise locations in and around the estate.

The lead tutor on this One Day Creative Digital Videography course will be:

Chris O’Dell BSC

Chris is a photographer and cinematographer, a graduate of the London International Film School. Initially trained as a stills photographer, he travelled widely in the 70s and 80s filming documentaries of every kind, including the world famous “Cosmos” with Carl Sagan, and “The Heart of the Dragon”, the story of China, for Channel 4. Chris was cameraman on two major wildlife series for Channel 4 with naturalists Gerald and Lee Durrell, “Ourselves and other Animals” and “The Amateur Naturalist”. As a qualified diver, he spent a lot of time filming underwater for the BBC and other clients. He ran a successful production company making arts and music programmes for the BBC. Since 1990 Chris has been the director of photography on many very successful TV drama series including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Sharpe, Hornblower, Inspector Morse, the Morse sequel Lewis, and many single dramas. Chris lives and works in West Cork and photographs the wonderful changing light on the landscape of West Cork for which he employs Nikon, Apple, Photoshop, and Epson equipment. Chris O’Dell was chairman of the 2009 Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival.

The supporting tutor on this One Day Creative Digital Videography course will be:

Nic Slocum PhD.

Nic is an experienced naturalist and wildlife guide and is best known for his escorted tours taking enthusiasts out, both in Ireland and overseas, to view, photograph and film whales and dolphins. Nic has maintained a lifelong passion for using photography and film to promote the conservation of our wildlife and wild places and has appeared as an expert commentator on RTE, Channel 4 and ITV.  A zoologist by training, Nic has published articles on conservation related issues in both regional and national newspapers. Nic lives and works in West Cork and is a director of The Wildlife Film School which runs workshops in all aspects of digital photography and wildlife film making.

Schedule of Timings:

8.30am – Coffee and meet up at Liss Ard House

8.45am  – Session One.  Running through the key techniques for successful digital video making. This will be held in the lecture room at Liss Ard by Chris O’Dell.

10.15am – Session Two. Video assignments in the field. We will head out to a previously selected location and practice such key elements of successful video making as  - looking at your surroundings for suitable shots, developing an eye for a shot sequence and looking at subjects in a novel way through the view finder.

12.15am – Return to Liss Ard House for lunch and refreshments.

1.15pm – Session three. Out in the field again where we will act as a group and shoot a 2 minute sequence from a prepared script.  This shoot will include techniques demonstrated in the morning session.

3.45pm – Return to Liss Ard House where we will download the afternoon’s work and project the unedited video.  We will discuss how the material can be edited into a finished sequence, and look at the different edit options, depending on the demands of the narrative.

5.45pm – Finish

Booking Information:

Cost: €135. This INCLUDES expert tuition, lunch and refreshments. Payment is required in full at the time of booking.  If The Wildlife Film School cancels a course for any reason all monies paid are refunded in full. If you have to cancel due to unforseen circumstances we will make a full refund if we can fill your place on the course, if not you get a voucher valid for 6 months to use at the next same value course of interest to you.

Course Dates: Saturday February 4th 2012. [NB. If you are interested in a course which is fully booked please put your name on the waiting list as places occasionally become available and are allocated on a first come first served basis. Workshop numbers are restricted to ensure you get personal attention at all times]

To Book: Contact The Wildlife Film School on:

Email: learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com or

Tel: 00 353 86 153 1663

What to bring…

Course participants should bring their own camera equipment but for those who don’t have any there is a limited amount of equipment that you can use for the course. A detailed list of things to bring will be sent out to all registrants prior to the course.

Other courses you might be interested in…

> Digital Video Editing – one day course

> Digital Photography – looking at things differently – one day course

> Digital Photography made simple – weekend course

> Digital Wildlife Photography – one day course

> Digital Wildlife Photography – weekend course

What people say about our courses…

“Well I tell you, I haven’t laughed that much in a long while. A great bunch!”

“…also thanks a mill’ again for sharing with us your wealth of knowledge and genuine passion for digital photography! I’m officially hooked!!! I’ll be recommending these courses to all my friends!”

“Just some words to thank everybody again for the brilliant atmosphere. It was a fantastic week end”

“Thanks everyone for making it a great weekend.”

“…thank you for a great weekend and for sending on the group photo. I learnt a lot over the weekend and I look forward to putting it into practice…”

“…thanks again for a great weekend, I will be doing a workshop in the club on the weekend and let the members know what I covered over the course of the 2 days…”

“…thank you very much for a very enjoyable weekend. Not only for the great photography workshop but for the great craic we had too…”

“…we had a great weekend and it was a pleasure to meet you all. We will be in touch about future courses and will be recommending you…”

The Wildlife Film School

Union Hall

Co. Cork

Ireland

 Tel: 00 353 86 153 1663

Email: learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com

Web: www.thewildlifefilmschool.com

Big Whales and Desert Landscapes – Baja California Sur and the Sea of Cortez

Saturday February 25th – Saturday 3rd March 2012

The Wildlife Film School is organising a photography expedition to Baja California Sur and The Sea of Cortez for late February 2012.

This stunning location in Mexico is full of wonderful opportunities to make stunning images of the desert landscapes of the interior and the islands and big whales (Gray Whale) on the Pacific coast. One of the best locations in the world for large whale species with the chance to encounter fin and blue whales, the largest whales to live on earth. Many dolphin species may also be encountered at this time of year. The desert and mountain landscapes on the interior are some of the most beautiful in the world.

Staying at the beautiful La Mission Hotel in Loreto we will take boat tours out to view the whales and dolphins and other wildlife and to the islands and coach tours out into the mountains and desert landscapes of the Baja peninsular.

Full expedition spec will be posted shortly.

If you would like details emailed to you please contact the Wildlife Film School:

Tel: 00 353 86 153 1663

Email: learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com

END…

One Day Digital Landscape Photography Course

 Saturday, January 28th 2012

Landscape photography is a vast subject but there’s something about getting out into the countryside with the challenge of capturing some of the amazing landscape beauty that you see – never more so that in Ireland.

The Digital Landscape Photography course on January 21st is a one day field course designed to excite you about taking beautiful landscape photographs with your digital camera. Due to short day length we will start as early as possible. There will be a short briefing over coffee, the rest of the day will be spent in the field followed by a round up once we lose the light.

Course notes will be provided and tutor/s will be on hand at all times and numbers are limited so there is plenty of time to ask questions of tutor/s and discuss personal projects with fellow attendees. The tuition is pitched at level: Beginner/Intermediate.

The issues we will cover include; preparing your digital camera in advance, comparison of different types of camera, creative use of focus, exposure, and speed settings; different lenses, filters and also camera handling techniques.

We will be based at the fabulously beautiful Liss Ard estate and travel out a short distance to locations from there. The emphasis of this one day course will be:

> Looking at your surroundings

> Observation and selecting your shots

> How to develop an “eye” for the shot

> Basic field craft and preparation for the shoot

The lead tutor on this One Day Digital Landscape Photography course will be:

Chris O’Dell BSC

Chris is a photographer and cinematographer, a graduate of the London International Film School. Initially trained as a stills photographer, he travelled widely in the 70s and 80s filming documentaries of every kind, including the world famous “Cosmos” with Carl Sagan, and “The Heart of the Dragon”, the story of China, for Channel 4. Chris was cameraman on two major wildlife series for Channel 4 with naturalists Gerald and Lee Durrell, “Ourselves and other Animals” and “The Amateur Naturalist”. As a qualified diver, he spent a lot of time filming underwater for the BBC and other clients. He ran a successful production company making arts and music programmes for the BBC. Since 1990 has been the director of photography on many very successful TV drama series including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Sharpe, Hornblower, Inspector Morse, the Morse sequel Lewis, and many single dramas. Chris lives and works in West Cork and photographs the wonderful changing light on the landscape of West Cork for which he employs Nikon, Apple, Photoshop, and Epson equipment. Chris O’Dell was chairman of the 2009 Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival.

The supporting tutor on this One Day Digital Landscape Photography course will be:

Nic Slocum PhD

Nic is an experienced naturalist and wildlife guide and is best known for his escorted tours taking enthusiasts out, both in Ireland and overseas, to view and photograph whales and dolphins. Nic has maintained a lifelong passion for using photography and film to promote the conservation of our wildlife and wild places and has appeared as an expert commentator on RTE, Channel 4 and ITV.  A zoologist by training, Nic has published articles on conservation related issues in both regional and national newspapers and is working on a book – Field Craft in Wildlife Photography and Film Making. Nic Slocum lives and works in West Cork and is a director of The Wildlife Film School which runs workshops in all aspects of digital photography and wildlife film making.

Schedule of Timings…

8.45am – Coffee and meet up at Liss Ard House. Directions will be provided.

9am – Running through your camera set up with the tutor/s and setting assignments and photographic objectives for the day.

10am – Photography assignments in the field concentrating on looking at your surroundings, selecting your shots with care and developing an “eye” for your shots…

1pm – Lunch. Soup and Sandwiches

1.45pm – Continued photography assignments in the field – Using the skills you have been practising in the morning we will head out into the grounds of Liss Ard House and Estate to make images that will be the start of your portfolio.

4pm – Return to base (for a nice cup of tea!) and a review and critique of photographs taken during the day. We will select a few images from each attendee, project them onto a screen and discuss the merits of each image and what might be done in Photoshop to enhance it in relation to composition and colours.

5.30pm – Finish

Booking Information:

Cost: €135. This INCLUDES expert tuition, lunch and refreshments. Payment is required in full at the time of booking. If The Wildlife Film School cancels a course for any reason all monies paid are refunded in full.

Course Dates: Saturday January 21st 2012. [NB. If you are interested in a course which is fully booked please put your name on the waiting list as places occasionally become available and are allocated on a first come first served basis. Workshop numbers are restricted to ensure you get personal attention at all times]

To Book: Contact The Wildlife Film School on:

Email: learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com or

Tel: 00 353 86 153 1663

What people say about our digital photography courses…

“Well I tell you, I haven’t laughed that much in a long while. A great bunch!”

“…also thanks a mill’ again for sharing with us your wealth of knowledge and genuine passion for digital photography! I’m officially hooked!!! I’ll be recommending these courses to all my friends!”

“Just some words to thank everybody again for the brilliant atmosphere. It was a fantastic week end”

“Thanks everyone for making it a great weekend.”

“…thank you for a great weekend and for sending on the group photo. I learnt a lot over the weekend and I look forward to putting it into practice…”

“…thanks again for a great weekend, I will be doing a workshop in the club on the weekend and let the members know what I covered over the course of the 2 days…”

“…thank you and the guys very much for a very enjoyable weekend. Not only for the great photography workshop but for the great craic we had too…”

“…we had a great weekend and it was a pleasure to meet you all. We will be in touch about future courses and will be recommending you…”

**********

One Day Digital Photography Course

Saturday 21st January 2012

Whether making a photographic record of our stunning landscapes and seascapes, indulging your passion for portrait photography or simply recording your local wildlife or native plant life; photography is an increasingly popular and absorbing activity.

The Digital Photography course on January 28th 2012 is a one day field course designed to enable you to get to grips with the basics of digital photography by overcoming some of the technical barriers in order to make it work for you, rather than be it’s slave. Due to short day length we will start as early as possible. There will be a short briefing over coffee , covering basic digital camera types, and how to set your camera up for the days shoot so as not to have to resort to the manual. The rest of the day will be spent in the field followed by a round up once we lose the light.

We will be based at the fabulously beautiful Liss Ard estate and travel out a short distance to locations from there. The emphasis of this one day field course will include:

> Digital photography: Differences from traditional film

> What camera is right for you for what you want to achieve

> Getting your camera settings correct

> Exposure and depth of field

> Choosing shutter versus aperture priority

> How to interpret the complexities of your camera manual

If you simply wish to make better digital photographs or add a particular discipline, landscape, portrait or architecture to your range of skills as a photographer then this one day digital photography course will prove invaluable.

Course notes will be provided and tutor/s will be on hand at all times and numbers are limited so there is plenty of time to ask questions of tutor/s and discuss personal projects with fellow attendees. The tuition is pitched at level: Beginner/Intermediate.

The lead tutor on this One Day Digital Photography course will be:

Chris O’Dell BSC

Chris is a photographer and cinematographer, a graduate of the London International Film School. Initially trained as a stills photographer, he travelled widely in the 70s and 80s filming documentaries of every kind, including the world famous “Cosmos” with Carl Sagan, and “The Heart of the Dragon”, the story of China, for Channel 4. Chris was cameraman on two major wildlife series for Channel 4 with naturalists Gerald and Lee Durrell, “Ourselves and other Animals” and “The Amateur Naturalist”. As a qualified diver, he spent a lot of time filming underwater for the BBC and other clients. He ran a successful production company making arts and music programmes for the BBC. Since 1990 has been the director of photography on many very successful TV drama series including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Sharpe, Hornblower, Inspector Morse, the Morse sequel Lewis, and many single dramas. Chris lives and works in West Cork and photographs the wonderful changing light on the landscape of West Cork for which he employs Nikon, Apple, Photoshop, and Epson equipment. Chris O’Dell was chairman of the 2009 Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival.

The supporting tutor on this One Day Digital Photography Course will be:

Nic Slocum PhD

Nic is an experienced naturalist and wildlife guide and is best known for his escorted tours taking enthusiasts out, both in Ireland and overseas, to view and photograph whales and dolphins. Nic has maintained a lifelong passion for using photography and film to promote the conservation of our wildlife and wild places and has appeared as an expert commentator on RTE, Channel 4 and ITV.  A zoologist by training, Nic has published articles on conservation related issues in both regional and national newspapers and is working on a book – Field Craft in Wildlife Photography and Film Making. Nic Slocum lives and works in West Cork and is a director of The Wildlife Film School which runs workshops in all aspects of digital photography and wildlife film making.

Schedule of Timings…

8.45am – Coffee and meet up at Liss Ard House. Directions provided

9am – Running through your camera set up with the tutor/s and learning how to interpret the complexities of your camera manual followed by setting assignments and photographic objectives for the day.

10am – Photography assignments in the field concentrating on what camera is right for you for what you want to achieve, getting your camera settings correct, exposure and depth of field and choosing shutter versus aperture priority.

1pm – Lunch. Soup and Sandwiches

1.45pm – Continued photography assignments in the field – Using the skills you have been practising in the morning we will head out into the grounds of Liss Ard House and Estate to make images that will be the start of your portfolio.

4pm – Return to base (for a nice cup of tea!) and a review and critique of photographs taken during the day. We will select a few images from each attendee, project them onto a screen and discuss the merits of each image and what might be done in Photoshop to enhance it in relation to composition and colours.

5.30pm – Finish

Booking Information:

Cost: €135. This INCLUDES expert tuition, lunch and refreshments. Payment is required in full at the time of booking. If The Wildlife Film School cancels a course for any reason all monies paid are refunded in full.

Course Dates: Saturday January 28th 2012. [NB. If you are interested in a course which is fully booked please put your name on the waiting list as places occasionally become available and are allocated on a first come first served basis. Workshop numbers are restricted to ensure you get personal attention at all times]

To Book: Contact The Wildlife Film School on:

Email: learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com or

Tel: 00 353 86 153 1663

What people say about our digital photography courses…

“Well I tell you, I haven’t laughed that much in a long while. A great bunch!”

“…also thanks a mill’ again for sharing with us your wealth of knowledge and genuine passion for digital photography! I’m officially hooked!!! I’ll be recommending these courses to all my friends!”

“Just some words to thank everybody again for the brilliant atmosphere. It was a fantastic week end”

“Thanks everyone for making it a great weekend.”

“…thank you for a great weekend and for sending on the group photo. I learnt a lot over the weekend and I look forward to putting it into practice…”

“…thanks again for a great weekend, I will be doing a workshop in the club on the weekend and let the members know what I covered over the course of the 2 days…”

“…thank you and the guys very much for a very enjoyable weekend. Not only for the great photography workshop but for the great craic we had too…”

“…we had a great weekend and it was a pleasure to meet you all. We will be in touch about future courses and will be recommending you…”

**********

The focus put on the weekend by our tutor Chris O’Dell was “looking at things differently”.

Well, our eager workshop attendees did that alright and it yielded some lovely images which can be seen below. These were printed off and were the start of their personal portfolios.

A Old Boat by Caroline Fitzgerald

Tree Trunk in B&W by Helen Robson

Blue Boat by Celia Lane

Just some of the fine images taken by students on the Digital Photography Workshop held at Liss Ard House and Estate and run by The Wildlife Film School

May 20th, 21st & 22nd 2011

This workshop is designed specifically for those who wish to improve their video movie camera techniques beyond just recording family events with “wobbly cam”! This detailed workshop will show you all the techniques and tricks to enable you to make more professional videos and will take the form of practical exercises in film making led by a professional cinematographer. Technical information will be included but the emphasis will be on using the video camera in different circumstances to achieve that unusual and professional looking sequence. We will teach this workshop using the methods used in both drama and documentary film production and will follow through all the film making stages to the basic digital editing process. In addition to taking away a fully edited two minute film that you have created as part of the production team you will get an in depth understanding of:

> How to handle your video camera
> Techniques such as pulling and throwing focus
> Managing depth of field, exposure and white balance
> Shot composition and shooting sequences
> Use of zoom function and cutaways
> Camera angles and point of view
> Panning, tilting and tracking
> How to use cranes, aerial shots and slow motion
> Sound recording
> Equipment care
> The roles involved in shooting a short film

Whether you are an aspiring film maker, wish to make better family videos or record local wildlife and events, this workshop will prove invaluable and send you away with a good understanding of how to improve your video making skills.

MORE DETAILS WILL BE POSTED SHORTLY…

Script Writing for Wildlife Documentaries Workshop with Damien Enright

May 13^th, 14^th & 15^th 2011

Writing scripts for wildlife documentaries is about passion, getting behind the subject matter and using imagination to develop new ideas to make your script unique and inspiring. Poor script or commentary will ruin good wildlife documentary footage but outstanding documentary script can save mediocre footage and make it suitable for broadcast. Good script writers are worth their weight in gold!

The Script Writing for Wildlife Documentaries Workshop with Damien Enright will look at all the aspects of creating a world class script or commentary whatever the footage you are working with. It will answer questions such as which comes first, the script or the footage, how to establish the storyline, when are words not required, how do we convey emotion, what emotion do we want to convey, the use of humour, what needs to be said and what can be left to the viewers imagination. We will look at the different styles employed for “blue chip” programmes versus the so called “fang TV” reality wildlife commentary. During this workshop there will be practical opportunities to write pre-shoot treatments/shooting scripts and full post-shoot recordable scripts.

Join one of Ireland’s most experienced writers Damien Enright. Damien has written scripts for his own TV nature documentaries shown on RTE 1 and is a well known author in his own right having published a number of books and scripts on natural and human history. Damien’s weekly outdoor column in The Irish Examiner is now in its 20^th year! Join Damien for what promises to be an enjoyable and possibly career changing weekend of tuition and practical with the zoologist Nic Slocum.

See below for more details on The Script Writing for Wildlife Documentaries Workshop…

Workshop Details

Friday May 13^th 2011

Arrival at the old O’Donovan estate of Liss Ard just outside Skibbereen in West Cork between 6pm and 7pm. Don’t worry if you can’t arrive until later. Earlier arrival is not a problem either – you can spend a while wandering around the woods and grounds of this fabulous old estate fuelling your inspiration!

7pm – Introduction. Who we all are, what we want out of the workshop and the structure of the weekend’s activities, where we will go, what we will do and what we will achieve during the workshop.

7.30pm – Evening meal served

8.30pm – “Real Life” or “Reel Life”. Damien Enright and Nic Slocum will look at how the script writer fits into the making of a wildlife or nature documentary. How does the script writer relate to the researcher, the cameraman, the sound recording engineer and the editor? Using detailed examples and broadcast quality footage Nic will discuss the different styles of script writing from RTE/BBC blue chip through National Geographic style to the red in tooth and claw styles and so called reality nature documentaries or “Fang TV”.

9.30pm – Relaxation time, study some great footage in the viewing room or discuss personal script writing projects and prepare for the next day’s practical sessions.

Saturday May 14^th 2011

8am – Breakfast

9am – “Less is More”. Using selected wildlife documentary footage as examples Damien Enright will review the script writing process, what should be written pre-shoot in the treatment, what can go in the shooting script and what must be written post-shoot. Damien will look at establishing the storyline, creating mood, using emotion, when not to say anything, what must be said, what should not be said and left to the viewer’simagination!

11am – Workshop attendees will split up into pairs to prepare for a “post-shoot” script writing practical. You will be supplied with a 10 minute wildlife video clip for which you will write your own script.

1pm – Lunch

2pm – Critique of your scripts. Each pair will have the opportunity to present their script alongside the footage and receive feedback from the group and the tutors.

4.30pm – “Do you have a Script in Mind?” – The Super Swallow! Using the migration of the swallow as the basis of a proposed storyline and script Damien Enright will talk us through the way we come up with an idea from scratch, how we develop a gripping storyline, the development of drama in the piece, creating emotion, exposing the mystery of the story, the triumph, the sadness and bringing the storyline full circle to a conclusion.

5.30pm – “Research – There is no alternative!” Nic Slocum will review the techniques and issues behind researching for a wildlife documentary, an integral part of writing a treatment or pre shoot script/shooting script or full script. Nic will look at EU wildlife law (protected species and areas, permissions and licenses required), logistics of organising fieldwork (project management and planning, critical assessment), professional ethics and planning a short documentary based on The Super Swallow!

6.30pm – Evening meal served

7.30pm – After dinner we will head out to a local barn to conduct some practical assessments for a wildlife documentary looking at the annual migration of swallows to Ireland – with a view to writing a treatment and shooting script followed by a full script.

9.30pm – Relaxation time.

Sunday May 15^th 2011

8am – Breakfast

9am – “The Work in Progress”. Damien Enright will look at the way we develop the ideas of a script for a TV wildlife documentary on The Super Swallow – Sophie’s Story. During the dynamic and interactive session we will work together to work up a treatment from the notes we made the previous evening, create a pre shoot script, a shooting script and a shoot list to accompany a shooting script.

11am – After a short coffee break we will split into pairs again and you will write your full script for a wildlife documentary based on “Sophie’s Story” having completed your treatment and shooting script earlier.

1pm – Lunch

2pm – Critique of our scripts that you have written in the morning. Each pair will present their script and receive feedback from the tutors and the group.

3.30pm – Unusual Scripting challenges and how they were overcome.

4.30pm – Final questions to the tutors and announcements of script writing competition winners and prize giving. Course ends following group photograph.

Course Tutors

Damien Enright

Damien Enright’s weekly outdoor column in The Irish Examiner is now in its twentieth year. Meanwhile, he has written many books and has scripted and presented RTE documentaries on West Cork, its natural and human history, as well as addressing national issues of public walking access under the umbrella title of Enright’s Way. He is author of A Place Near Heaven: A Year in West Cork (Gill & Macmillan) and eight walking guides to the area, all still in strong demand after many years. The Kindness of Place, a sequel to A Place Near Heaven, will appear this year and, in spring 2011, Collins Press will publish Scenic Walks of West Cork, written and photographed by Damien Enright.

During his twenty years of writing a weekly column about the flora and fauna of the area, few phenomena have escaped Damien’s attention, and there are few places in West Cork which he hasn’t visited. His enthusiastic personality, combined with his intimate knowledge of the natural history of the region and his experience as a documentary film-writer and presenter make him an ideal tutor and mentor for The Script Writing for Wildlife Documentaries workshop.

Nic Slocum

As an experienced naturalist and wildlife guide Nic Slocum is best known for his escorted tours taking enthusiasts out, both in Ireland and overseas, to view and photograph whales and dolphins. Nic has maintained a lifelong passion for using photography and film to promote the conservation of our wildlife and wild places. A zoologist by training, Nic has published articles on conservation related issues in both regional and national newspapers and is working on a book – Field Craft in Wildlife Photography and Film Making. Nic Slocum lives and works in West Cork and is a director of The Wildlife Film School which runs courses in photography and all aspects of wildlife film making – from script writing to camera techniques from editing to sound recording – at home and abroad.

Booking Information:

Cost: €425. This INCLUDES expert tuition, accommodation and all meals. To secure a place a deposit of €100 will be needed with the balance of €295 payable four weeks before the scheduled course. If you book four weeks or less from the workshop then the full amount is due on booking your place. If The Wildlife Film School cancels a course for any reason all monies paid are refunded in full. (Non residential option available for those who require it)

Course Dates: May 13^th, 14^th & 15th 2011.

NB. If you are interested in a course which is fully booked please put your name on the waiting list as places occasionally become available and are allocated on a first come first served basis. To book contact learn@thewildlifefilmschool.com or phone on 00 353 86 153 1663. Course numbers are restricted.

Accommodation:

We stay on the stunningly beautiful estate of Liss Ard, near Skibbereen in West Cork. With fabulous woodland walks, lake views, superb cuisine prepared by the Liss Ard chef and SINGLE OCCUPANCY rooms with all facilities within the Garden Mews on the estate our comfort is assured. All presentations will take place in the lecture room at Liss Ard and we will travel a short distance from there for field assignments.

What people say about our workshops…

“…well I tell you, I haven’t laughed that much in a long while. A great bunch…”

“…also thanks a mill’ again for sharing with us your wealth of knowledge. I’m officially hooked!!! I’ll be recommending these courses to all my friends!”

“…just some words to thank everybody again for the brilliant atmosphere. It was a fantastic week end…”

“…thanks everyone for making it a great weekend…”

“…thank you for a great weekend and for sending on the group photo. I learnt a lot over the weekend and I look forward to putting it into practice…”

“…thanks again for a great weekend, I will be doing a workshop in the club on the weekend and let the members know what I covered over the course of the 2 days…”

“…thank you and the guys very much for a very enjoyable weekend. Not only for the great workshop but for the great craic we had too…”

“…we had a great weekend and it was a pleasure to meet you all. We will be in touch about future courses and will be recommending you…”

“…thank you for the most enjoyable and easygoing weekend. The venue was delightful, the food was delicious and the tuition and help were given enthusiastically and your hospitality was much appreciated. I look forward to the next weekend I can attend…”

“…I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and found it most instructive…it was perfect…”

“…thanks again for a wonderful weekend – learnt a lot and enjoyed meeting everybody…”

“…organization very good. Looks like you are very committed to your craft and presentations were given with enthusiasm. I will have no problem in recommending your course to anyone I meet…”

ENDS

Whether making a photographic record of our stunning landscapes and seascapes, indulging your passion for portrait photography or simply recording your local wildlife or native plant life; photography is an increasingly popular, absorbing and sometimes financially rewarding activity. This detailed course is suitable for beginners and those with more experience and runs over a weekend.  It will look at the range of equipment available to digital stills photographers and will include detailed coverage of camera settings and techniques for photography in more challenging conditions.

The emphasis will be on practical work sessions at selected locations in West Cork. If you simply wish to make better digital photographs or add a particular discipline to your range of skills as a photographer then this weekend workshop will prove invaluable…with tips and advice from professionals on how to create award winning digital images with the equipment you already have – without spending a fortune on new gear! Course notes will be provided to take away. Included in the workshop will be a session on how to use Photoshop to process and enhance your images to award winning standard.

Join Chris O’Dell BSC and Phil Pound AIPPA, two of Ireland’s most experienced digital photographers for an enjoyable and informative weekend of digital photography tuition and practical experience with the zoologist Nic Slocum. We will cover subjects from landscape to wildlife and from macro to documentary.

Just some of the things you will take away from this workshop:

> Digital photography: Differences from traditional film

> Do pixels matter?

> What camera is right for you for what you want to achieve

> Getting your camera settings correct

> Exposure, depth of field and motion effects

> Choosing shutter versus aperture priority

> How to interpret the complexities of your camera manual

> Preparing images for printing, website, slideshows or competitions

> High Resolution versus Low Resolution images

> Using Photoshop to process and enhance your images

Click here for more detail

Here is the description

“…Eco green is the best of Ireland’s already famous forty shades. This guide will have you donning your hiking boots, packing your panniers, wriggling into a wetsuit, and galloping across beaches. Green places to stay include lakeside lodges, yurt camps, island retreats, eco-castles, grand houses with more than just grand green gestures, yoga retreats, community-run hostels, switched-on hotels and activity centres throughout the island of Ireland, North and South of the border. You can also find out how to get to all these places using public transport, encouraging car users to think again. Going green on holiday is not about having a guilt trip, it’s about discovering a real Ireland, meeting great people, eating fine local food and seeing all the gems that Ireland has to offer, not just the emeralds…”

Here is the link…

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ireland-green-travel/id427184283?mt=8

ENDS