Creative Photography Retreats in Assynt & Coigach, Scotland
Assynt & Coigach Autumn Landscape Photography Creative Retreat
New dates coming soon! Sign up to newsletter to be the first to hear. Available to book for bespoke dates to suit your schedule.
Join Murray Livingston on a landscape photography retreat to explore the vast landscapes of Assynt & Coigach in Scotland while developing your photographic skills and artistic vision. This workshop is open to photographers of all levels.
What can you expect from this retreat?
The retreat itself is designed to give you the space to practice your creativity. Day one will begin with a short walk along the beach to situate ourselves before delving in to the practice of photography, composition, image critiques, and more. Throughout the course of the workshop, we will be focused on the art of photography & developing personal expression through a contemplative creative process.
April in Scotland marks the beginning of spring with budding birch and beautifully changeable weather. The open landscapes provide easy access to endless photographic opportunities at all times of day. This landscape photography workshop will visit some of my favourite locations in Assynt & Coigach including Stac Pollaidh, Inverpolly, Achnahaird, Loch Assynt, and Leitir Easaidh. Comfy accommodations are included in the charming village of Achiltabuie, perfectly located as a base for us to explore Assynt.
I will be on hand at all times for 1-1 tuition and aim to help you make your own intimate connections with nature through the practice of photography.
If you want to get a sense of how I teach, you can watch me in the field on my youtube channel. If you have any questions please get in touch!
Key Information
Dates: New dates coming soon! Sign up to newsletter to be the first to hear.
Duration: 3 Nights / 4 Days
Accommodation: Private Cottage
Physicality: Easy (roadside/minimal walking)
Group Size: 2 Clients
Price: £995 (£250 Deposit)
Your Tutor
Murray Livingston
Accommodation
Self-catering in a wonderful cottage right on the coast in Achiltebuie. The cottage has fantastic views out over the coastline and is just a short driving distance to many of my favourite locations. There is the option to eat out at the local pub or drive to Ullapool for more options. Please note that there is only a small shop in the village for essentials, with the best option for proper groceries in nearby Ullapool.
Each participant will have their own private bedroom; there is one large shared bathroom for the cottage.
Please note there is a maximum capacity of 2 clients for this workshop. Sharing of double beds is only available to couples or close friends (at your discretion).
Fitness and Experience
Most of the locations we will be visiting are only a very short walk from the road, although we may explore some lower slopes of Stac Pollaidh should favourable conditions present themselves. There are some good footpaths, but we will venture off path to find unique compositions. Any walks won’t last than 20-30 minutes with minimal elevation gain. Wellies highly recommended for the boggy terrain.
Equipment
Please bring with all your standard photographic equipment. This should include:
Camera and lenses (wide + normal + telephoto, ideally covering up to 24-200mm)
Tripod & ND Filters (essential for long exposures on the beaches)
Lens cloths (to wipe off sea spray!)
Outdoor clothing including rain jackets, warm jackets, beanies, gloves, good socks and shoes. Be prepared for cold conditions.
I would highly encourage you to bring wellies.
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This 3 night / 4 day workshop is designed to improve your photography. I will be particularly focused around teaching the link between composition and ideas. The main reason to join this trip is to learn; each day is structured to help you move forward on your artistic journey. Please note: this is not a “tour”. We will be revisiting locations at different times of day and tides.
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Each day will include processing tutorials of both your images and my own so we can learn impactful techniques in a group setting.
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Paired with processing tutorials, we will take part in critiques that look at each others work in a constructive manner.
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Everything is typically within 20-30 minutes walk from the car. If you are a regular walker then the physical requirements for this trip will be easy.
Itinerary & Agenda
The itinerary for the trip will be relatively fluid to work with the fast changing conditions of the area at this time of year. Some days we will be out during the middle of the day depending on weather and the tides. Other days we will be on location all day making the most of any light that presents itself. Weather is of course changeable, but I aim to teach creativity in any conditions.
Each day will follow this rough format:
5:30am - 8:00am Morning Photography
8:30am - 9:30am Breakfast
9:30am - 12:30pm Morning Activities
12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
2:00pm - 4:00pm Afternoon Critique/Computer sessions
5:00pm - 6:00pm Dinner
6:30pm - 9:30pm Evening Photography
Tuition
I will be on hand at all times for 1-on-1 and group tuition. In addition to this, we will be performing a series of short creative exercises both to stimulate the group and to introduce the participants to the area. Part of this retreat is also to watch how I go about making photographs in the field. As such, I will also be making images with my camera to demonstrate my creative process.
An emphasis will be placed on (self-)critique: what is your creative process? Why is your creative process the way it is? How does your process influence the final result? Why are you using your chosen medium? What ideas is your work alluding to and how could your process capture those ideas? How can your creative process better tell the story of this place?
Creative agenda:
Basics of how exposure: aperture, shutter speed, & ISO (and how to use exposure creatively)
Importance of light
Using visual language to find meaning beyond aesthetics
The use of tension and asymmetry in compositions
Building an intimate relationship with nature
Photographing in black & white and colour
How personal expression dictates composition and subject finding
Environmental philosophy
Image critiques
Post-processing techniques
Working in projects and themes
Who am I?
Murray is a trained architectural designer who has been practicing photography for over 10 years. He uses a variety of media (digital & film) to express a love for natural processes and complex scenes.
His photographs seek to express what makes a particular area unique. Murray’s work specialises in black and white landscapes, but he lets his encounters with the natural environment dictate the end result. Currently, he is living in a self-built campervan travelling the UK for photography.
Transport and Additional Expenses
Only transport during the trip is included. Please note that transport to and from Assynt is not included in this trip. The cottage is a roughly 50 minutes drive away from Ullapool. If you wish to leave your car in Ullapool or need a transfer from Inverness, please get in touch and I can arrange to pick you up. Food and meals out are not included in the price.
It is a condition of booking that you have comprehensive travel insurance to cover you for cancellation, activities involved and destination. This cover should include repatriation costs and medical costs. You must provide the details of your insurance with or before your final payment.
Payment & Terms
An initial deposit of £250 is required to secure your booking. The final balance is due 8 weeks prior to the trip. Your space is only secured if payment is made on time. I reserve the right to cancel your space if I cannot get in touch with you or your final payment is past due.
The deposit should be regarded as non-refundable, as I have to pay a deposit to 3rd party suppliers (accommodation, etc.) in advance to guarantee the services I have booked on your behalf. In the event of a cancellation initiated by you, should there be any costs that are refundable, we will do our utmost to make a refund to you, or to offer a re-booking on a future workshop. All cancellations incur a £50 administrative fee (deducted from any refund) for covering the resources involved in the refilling process.
I understand that times are tough in the current market environment; I would be more than happy to work out some sort of payment plan to help alleviate any stress, just get in contact and we can figure something out!
By signing up to this workshop you agree to the standard Terms & Conditions.
