WORKSHOP FAQs
Below you’ll find some of the most common questions about my workshops and photo tours. It’s a great place to start if you’re thinking about joining a trip and want to know what to expect. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to get in touch at info@paulalistaircollins.co.uk and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Upon booking, I will send everyone a recommended kit list. If you have any queries about gear, please feel free to get in touch with me at info@paulalistaircollins.co.uk.
For most tours, I recommend a DSLR camera or similar with a zoom lens in the 100-400mm range. For some tours, a teleconverter can be useful for photographing shyer animals and behaviours (e.g. wolves in Italy).
A wide-angle lens of 24-105mm or a GoPro is recommended for landscapes, sunrises/sets, and creative images of approachable wildlife (e.g. Greece's pelicans, Italy's deer, Arctic birdlife, or Spain's raptors).
On some workshops, there will be the opportunity to use the latest Sony kit.
Tripods are rarely necessary, and a beanbag or monopod will usually suffice.
Binoculars are handy for picking off animals at distance.
SCOTTISH: This workshop will suit you whatever your gear and skillset - the plan will adapt for you whether you have an iPhone or the latest lens on the market. For your best enjoyment, I recommend that you bring a bridge or DSLR camera with a zoom lens in the 75-300mm range; longer lenses are good for flight shots. Tripods or beanbags are handy.
URBAN: Beginners and more experienced photographers are all welcome, and there'll be lots of group and 1-on-1 tuition available. The beautiful thing with our groups is that we all inspire each other and have different approaches. This workshop will suit you whatever your gear and skillset - the plan will adapt for you whether you have an iPhone or the latest lens on the market. For your best enjoyment, I recommend that you bring a bridge or DSLR camera with a zoom lens in the 75-300mm range; longer lenses are good for flight shots. A wider lens (e.g. 10-35mm) can be great for ducklings, herons and flowers
MADRID: A wide-angle lens (10-20mm) or GoPro could be used for the raptors and woodland birds feeding at close range! Tripods are necessary for the hides (a light one will do) to ensure crisp action shots. Upon booking, I will send everyone a recommended kit list.
Tripods and window mounts are provided in the hides.
Tripods are necessary for the hides (a light one will do) to ensure crisp action shots.
DRAFT: ​I always suggest carrying as much equipment as you’re able to. If you leave something at home you can bet that’s the one thing you’ll miss during the workshop! There’s always plenty of room in the vehicles we use. Both Easyjet and British Airways have reasonable cabin baggage policies if you select the right fare. ​Kit amount: This varies depending upon the specific workshop in question. Most landscape workshops require only a modest set of equipment. If you’re unsure what to bring please seek my advice. If you intend to invest in any new equipment for a workshop I’m always happy to offer advice. I hate to see people spend a lot of money on equipment that isn’t ideal for their needs. I have made plenty of equipment mistakes myself over the past 25 years, so please feel free to benefit from my experience!
DRAFT: ​I usually recommend hiring a lens (and possibly a more suitable tripod to go with it) from www.lensesforhire.co.uk, for which I can offer a discount code. This also provides an opportunity to try out a fast telephoto lens at a reasonable cost. Just ask for my advice before booking anything.
DRAFT: In most cases yes, and I often have beginners on my workshops. As I work mainly with very small groups I’m able to provide help on a more individual basis to those who need it most. Some workshops are more suitable for beginners than others, so it's best to ask this question when you send your initial enquiry.
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DRAFT: ​On all of my UK based landscape photography workshops I only ever take three participants. Although this increases the cost of the trip for each person I feel there is no other way to run a successful landscape photography workshop, especially in coastal locations. You will be free to explore each location as much as you wish but there is often only one ideal shooting position. Therefore, with only two fellow photographers, you will all be assured a chance to make the most of each location. I will also be able to offer advice on a more individual basis as required by each participant. On overseas landscape workshops there will normally be six participants, but I run most of these with the help of a local photographer or guide, leaving me free to offer you more help.
DRAFT: Maybe not! The emphasis is very much on learning and obtaining a varied selection of impressive photographs during each trip. We usually have quite a hectic schedule and I’ll always try to fit in as much as possible during a workshop. Weather permitting we’ll always be up well before dawn and we’ll often stay out until after sunset (during long summer days we tend to have a break during the middle of the day). Please don't expect a relaxing holiday, as that is not what my workshops are about! You may feel rather tired afterwards, but you’ll have received good value for money and you'll have enough images to keep you busy with editing for a while!
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DRAFT: ​​As we tend to eat when and where we can it’s impossible for me to calculate the expected food costs for a whole workshop. Therefore it works in everyone’s favour (especially vegetarians and those with smaller appetites) if we simply pay our own food costs as we go along. This way you don’t end up paying any more for food than you actually need to.We try to, but these are photography workshops (not holidays!) so the photography always takes priority. Sometimes we’ll eat at odd hours and on occasions we’ll need to buy sandwiches to eat on the go.
On most of our workshops it is easy enough for us to cater for those with a vegetarian diet. However, anyone with a more specialised diet (including vegan) should speak to us before booking. In some of the more remote locations we visit there can be a very limited choice of food options. During some of our UK-based workshops we use luxury self-catering accommodation. On these trips Guy will be volunteering to do the cooking in order to be much more flexible with mealtimes. This is another occasion where specialised diets can be difficult to cater for, unless you're happy to lend a hand!
Yes we do. All rooms are private en-suite (single/double occupancy).
DRAFT: ​In some cases no, the accommodation tends to be based on single occupancy of a bedroom, usually with your own bathroom. However, I recommend that you check the individual details for each workshop, as some parts of the trip might require you to share. Longer overseas trips tend to be based on sharing a room, although a single supplement is usually an option. We keep the cost of any single supplement charges as low as possible.
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DRAFT: ​Absolutely! The period around sunrise and sunset offers the best conditions for photography, so I’ll always try to ensure that we’re in a good location at this time of the day. The photography always takes priority over mealtimes on our workshops!
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DRAFT: During most of the 3-day+ workshops I will try to include some basic image processing guidance. I try to leave this for any periods of poor weather or light, but I will at the very least explain some of the processes required to make the most of the images you have taken during the workshop. Please don't expect me to teach you Photoshop or Lightroom from scratch, as there are dedicated courses available for that! If you have a particular image that you're struggling to process feel free to bring it along and, if we have time, I will see if I can help. It is also worthwhile bringing a small selection of your previous work for me to critique during the workshop, if time allows.
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DRAFT: For UK-based workshops I usually try to collect people en-route if practical, or from an airport or train station closer to our destination. For overseas workshops we normally meet at the airport, either in the UK or at our destination. We do not get involved in the booking of flights, but we will suggest the most appropriate flights for you to take from the UK. Please ask our advice if you have any travel related questions.
DRAFT: ​My workshops have become very popular and I now have a waiting list for all of them. Details of new workshops are sent out to those on my waiting lists first, but with 70% repeat business most places are usually booked before I get a chance to advertise any openings on my website. If you're interested in a particular workshop the best thing to do is contact me by email to register your interest. Your name will then be placed on the waiting list for that workshop and as soon as I'm able to offer you a place I will get in touch. If you would like to find out your position on the waiting list just let me know. When my waiting lists get too long I normally try to fit in two or more workshops to that location in the same year, so you may not have to wait too long for a place.
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DRAFT: ​Yes. Although I realise that this can be a bone of contention on some workshops, personally I feel that there is a great deal that can be learnt from watching how a professional photographer works in the field – lens choice, shooting position, filter choice etc. In many locations I find it easier to select the ideal shooting position when composing the image myself and I can then show you why I chose that particular composition. However, I never let my own photography get in the way and I’m always there for you to ask questions at any time. You’ll be free to look through my viewfinder at any point to see the sort of composition I’m choosing myself. The fact that I tend to work only with very small groups makes it easier for me to teach in this way.
DRAFT: This varies depending upon workshop location. Many of our longer UK-based workshops use luxury self-catering accommodation, as this tends to allow us a much more flexible itinerary. In this case we try to book properties large enough for each participant to have their own bedroom and bathroom whenever possible. Shorter UK-based workshops tend to use hotel accommodation, where again everyone has their own bedroom and bathroom. Overseas workshops are all hotel-based. Some are priced on sharing a twin-ensuite room, whilst others are based on everyone having a single ensuite room. The workshop information we send out clarifies this for each particular workshop.