Photography Holidays

Here at the Dark Skies Glamping Pod we offer photography holidays, workshops and photo tours with full tuition. Your host Mark is a professional landscape and astro photographer, who leads photography workshops and courses around the UK. His main passion is night sky photography, and his images have been published in various magazines and publications.

The Dark Skies Glamping Pod is located within the forests of the Scottish Borders, within a remote valley which has amazing dark skies. Our photography holidays are perfect for those wanting to learn to take stunning night sky, astrophotography or landscape photography images. We have a host of archaeological sites, such as stone circles and roman hill forts within the valley. Not to mention the world renowned Samye Ling Buddhist monastery, so there’s no shortage of sites to visit.

Whether you’re a beginner to photography who has just purchased a new camera and wants to learn the basic principles and how to use the functions on your camera. Or perhaps you’re looking to learn more advanced photography techniques, such as night sky and astrophotography, our photography holidays and workshops cater for all, and we will tailor the course to your needs.

The duration of our photography holidays and workshops is 3 nights, so you will receive 3 days of photography tuition. This will consist of around 6 hours of photography per day, plus an hour processing images back at the glamping pod. So you will have plenty of time spare time to relax in your surroundings of our remote property.

Your accommodation for the course will be our spacious off grid glamping pod. Where you can relax after a days photography around the log burner with a glass of your favourite beverage. Feel free to bring someone along with you, even if they don’t want photography tuition, they can relax or come along and visit the valley with us, just for a small extra charge.

What will I learn?

Get to grips with the exposure triangle, Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO
Explore shooting in Raw format instead of Jpeg
We will look at focusing correctly for sharp images
Learn what the buttons and functions do on your camera
How to use your camera in semi and full automatic modes
Master the art of composition, learning how to frame and compose for a pleasing image
Long exposure photography
Post processing Raw files using Adobe Lightroom software

What’s included?

Full photography tuition for 3 days, with a basis on landscape and night sky photography
3 nights accommodation in our luxury off grid glamping pod
Learn the art of post processing images in a natural way
Tour of the local areas of interest for sunset, sunrise and night sky shoots
Bed linen provided in the glamping pod
Two meals provided at our local community hub/cafe (breakfast/lunch)
Firewood included for the duration of your stay

What to bring along?

Camera, lenses, tripod
Camera instruction manual
Waterproof clothing and good boots or shoes for walking
Towels
Food, pack lunches and drinks. Our pod has a double gas hob, microwave, toaster and fridge. Outside is a BBQ area

Price

1 person with photography tuition - £475

Extra people £50 per head up to 4 people maximum

A deposit of £200 is required upon booking

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at Dark Skies Glamping Pod at 11am for check in and introductions. Chat about your experience levels and aims for the course. Quick theory lesson on the basics of photography, the exposure triangle, composition, focussing etc. Head out on location to one of the many archaeological sites around the valley to practice what’s being taught. Hopefully catching a sunset before heading back to the Dark Skies Glamping Pod for a post processing lesson. On each day we have the possibility to learn about night sky and astrophotography during the evenings and into twilight as the stars come out.

Day 2

Possible sunrise shoot (weather and time of year dependant) Breakfast provided at our local community hub/cafe (included in price) Out for the afternoon visiting another location, such as the stone circles, Buddhist temple or the local hills. Back to the glamping pod for a post processing lesson. Possibility of heading out for another sunset shoot, and or night sky photography.

Day 3

Sunrise or Sunset shoot (weather dependant) Breakfast or lunch provided at our local community hub/cafe. Photography tour to another location in the valley to further practice the elements being taught. Post processing session and taking a look at the images taken during your course.