Duration & Dates
Half Day 3 hours
Full Day 7 hours
Dates are discussed with the individual
Location & Guide
Forsinard, Sutherland
Guide for the day David or Janet Southard
Highlights
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Full 1-2-1 guiding and tuition
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Itineraries and subjects specifically tailored to you
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Option to prioritise locations or subject types
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Use of Lodge studio (if required)
Price
Half day £200 (Members £160)
Full day £360 (Members £288)
Group Size & Timings
1 person
Subject to arrangement or
Half Day
9am-12am/1pm-4pm (and 6pm-9pm summer only)
Full Day
9am-4pm (including 1 hour lunch break)
2pm – 9pm (including 1 hour break) summer only
Included
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Exclusive guide/tutor
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Transport to locations
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Refreshments
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Basic packed lunch (full day only)
Not Included
Camera equipment
Transport to Forsinard
Description
We have been guiding, teaching and mentoring photographers at Wild Arena for over 20 years and our team have decades of experience in the photography industry. We also have a wealth of practical knowledge about our beautiful location in the wilds of northern Scotland. As such, we believe our 1-2-1 sessions offer the perfect opportunity for guests to not only have a fun session exploring the area capturing great pictures, but also the opportunity for tailored learning.
We understand that for many people, events where they have the undivided attention of the guide provides the best experience for them. During the half day or full day sessions we can make sure we understand what our guests would like to see, photograph, and achieve as well as looking after them with care and great service.
We have a wide range of locations and subjects to offer and are happy to work within a wide variety of photographic genres. From landscapes, seascapes, macro details, buildings, history and wildlife, there should be something for everyone.
We also specifically offer Red Deer safaris during certain times of the year, allowing our guests to see and photograph these magnificent creatures at close quarters.
As an additional option, we have a fully equipped photographic studio space, where we can shoot subjects in any weather in controlled conditions.
For those customers wanting a more traditional approach we also have huge experience of analogue photography and can facilitate experienced or beginners in the world of film photography.
Essentially these sessions are all about you and your aspirations, so whatever you would like to achieve, feel free to get in touch and talk through your requirements.
When booking these sessions, of course a date will need to be agreed. You can either contact us in advance or book your session and request a date/s at this time.
Timings may vary from those listed, depending on the time of year and again, we can always try and tailor the session to your specific requirements.
Key subjects for the workshop should include:
Obviously, the whole idea of a 1-2-1 session is that guests will have choices in terms of what subjects they would like to see during their evet. However, we will offer advice of the best ideas, subject to suit the season and the weather conditions.
Key options may include:
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Wild Landscapes, with hills, burns and lochs
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Coastal locations with cliffs, beaches, and buildings
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Wildlife, including Red Deer safari
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Macro subjects
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Studio subjects with artificial lighting
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Abstract and artistic interpretations
If you have any specific ideas or things you would like to see and photograph, just get in touch and we will do our best to facilitate it!
Venue
Our base for these sessions is the beautifully situated location of Forsinard Lodge in northern Scotland. The building was originally built in 1870 by the Duke of Sutherland as a hunting & fishing lodge at the head of Strath Halladale. The river here was highly regarded for Salmon fishing and the surrounding area boasted Red Deer Stags of unusual size. The lodge has spent most of its life as part of a much wider estate, but now provides Wild Arena a perfect base for photography in this beautiful and undiscovered part of the highlands.
We also boast some amazing neighbours including our good friends at the RSPB reserve at Forsinard, who manage a vast area of diverse upland surrounding the lodge.
For excursions in the beautiful wild surroundings of the Lodge we use our own 4x4 vehicles and we try to keep everyone comfortable during these expeditions with drinks, snacks, and packed lunches.
Within the Lodge buildings, we also have a photographic studio space which provides an ideal place to experiment with artificial lighting and still create great pictures even in bad weather!
Itinerary
Every 1-2-1 session will be different depending on what our guests what like to achieve. Those listed below are just examples and should provide a rough guide to approximate content.
Half Day
Arrival at Forsinard Lodge and a chance to set out a plan to meet our guests expectations
Head out for our tailored photography session
Tea/Coffee break on location, followed by another photography session
Arrival back at the Lodge for de-brief and farewell
Full Day
Arrival at Forsinard Lodge and a chance to set out a plan to meet our guests expectations
Head out for our tailored photography morning session
Tea/Coffee break on location, followed by another photography session
Break for packed lunch and review of the morning’s activities
Start afternoon session and a chance for changing location
Tea/Coffee break on location, followed by another photography session
Return to Fosinard Lodge for de-brief and farewell
PLEASE NOTE: Our itineraries are listed as a guide and we may need to alter them depending on unforeseen circumstances, weather conditions or the availability of the subjects. Start and finish times are fixed to enable transport planning.
Who should attend
Wild Arena workshops are not suitable for children under the age of 14 years old and a full paying adult must accompany any under 16’s.
All of our events are targeted at anyone who has a love of photography, and the 1-2-1 sessions are no exception. If you want to have a fun session out and about, leaning about photography and capturing some super pictures, these events will be perfect for you. Obviously, if you have any thoughts, questions, or concerns just get in touch, 1-2-1 session are all about you!
Fitness level: We can tailor the content of 1-2-1 sessions to most levels of fitness, and we will discuss with guests what activities and excursions would suit their capabilities.
Camera Knowledge: 1-2-1 sessions are all about adjusting the content to the individual, and as such we can work with any level of camera equipment and photographic experience. Everyone is welcome from keen amateurs to those completely new to shooting pictures!
Learning outcomes
We strongly believe that every session that we run should not only be fun and productive but also provide a learning experience to help develop our customers photography. The 1-2-1 sessions are no different, but of course, every event will be specific to the priorities, needs and aspirations of our guests.
When booking a 1-2-1 session with us, we will endeavour to tailor learning outcomes specifically for you, so if there are things you want to learn – just ask!