Isle of Harris Landscape Photography Creative Retreat 2025
Isle of Harris Landscape Photography Creative Retreat
All Year Round. Please use the contact form below to start your journey!
Join Murray Livingston on a landscape photography retreat to the Isle of Harris to experience the island’s white sand beaches, dunes, and mountains while developing your photographic skills and artistic vision. Please see below for extensive galleries of the types of locations and photographs you can expect to make. This creative retreat is open to photographers of all levels.
Autumn and Winter on the Isle of Harris displays the Outer Hebrides in all its glory; dramatic weather sweeps through the islands and provides endless photographic opportunities at all times of day. This landscape photography retreat will visit some of my favourite locations on Harris including Seilebost beach, Luskentyre beach, North Harris, and Hushinish.
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.
These creative retreats are designed with the understanding that each photographer must find their own path. They are intended to open a conservation and encourage self-reflection. I am a facilitator in your creative journey. 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: All Year Round. Please use the contact form below to start your journey!
Duration: 4 Nights / 5 Days
Accommodation: Private Cottage
Physicality: Easy/Moderate (roadside/some walking)
Group Size: 4 Clients
Price: £POA (30% Deposit)
Your Tutors
Murray Livingston
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A long enough stay to get your bearings on any new locations, as well as get creative. This also allows us plenty of time to revisit locations under different conditions.
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The intimate setting allows for lots of 1-on-1 time as well as group tutoring.
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We will explore the beautiful coast and shorelines of Harris, as well as its dramatic northern mountains.
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A wonderful beachfront cottage within walking distance to one of the best coastal photography locations on Harris.
Itinerary & Agenda
The itinerary for the trip will be relatively fluid to work with the fast changing conditions of the Outer Hebrides 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 winter’s shorter daylight hours. Weather is of course changeable, but I aim to teach creativity in any conditions.
Each day will follow the following rough format:
6:00am - 8:30am Morning Photography
8:30am - 9:30am Breakfast
9:30am - 12:30pm Rest Period/Morning Activities
12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
2:00pm - 4:00pm Afternoon Critique/Computer sessions
5:00pm - 6:00pm Dinner
6:00pm - 8:30pm 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 mentoring workshop 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
Accommodation
Self-catering in a wonderful cottage right on the east coast of Harris. The cottage has fantastic views out over the coastline and is walking distance to one of my favourite locations, Seilebost beach. We will go out one or two evenings for a meal in Tarbert at the local hotel/restaurant. Please note that there are very limited restaurants and groceries should be planned in advance. The best locations on Harris for groceries are in Tarbert and Leverburgh, or ideally before you reach the island.
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 the hills in North Harris should favourable conditions present themselves. These hills all have good footpaths and the walks won’t last for longer than an hour or so with minimal elevation gain.
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 winter conditions.
I would highly encourage you to bring wellies.
Transport and Additional Expenses
Please note that transport to and from Harris is not included in this trip. This includes needing to book your own ferry crossing. I have found that the best ferry route is from Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris, although you can also get a ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway. Bookings are made through CalMac Ferries. Flights are also available from mainland UK to Stornoway. The cottage is a short 1hr drive away from Stornoway. There are also taxi/shuttle services available on the island. All locations are only a short drive or walk away from our accommodation.
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 30% 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 £100 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.
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.