Yes – beginners are welcome. In fact, coming along as a beginner is a fantastic way to accelerate your learning curve and develop your eye for taking a great landscape photograph. Tom’s expert guidance is informed by 40 years as a working landscape photographer, so you’ll be learning the best tips and tricks from a seasoned professional.
Each workshop will state the physical ability needed for that workshop, but generally you should feel comfortable carrying your kit for more than 15 minutes over ground that can be uneven.
Please see the individual workshop page for more detailed advice on what to wear for the expected conditions. The main thing to bear in mind is comfort – landscape photography workshops can involve a fair amount of walking, and it can be cool even in the summer when you’re out capturing sunrise or sunset shots. Comfortable walking shoes or boots are essential, and clothes you can layer are highly recommended.
We book quality hotels, guesthouses or similar (depending on what is available in the location), and all our guests have a private room.
Don’t worry if only a couple of people book onto the workshop – it will still go ahead. And, of course, it means you’ll benefit from more one-to-one tuition from Tom. So it’s a win-win!
There’s no such thing as bad weather for landscape photography. It’s simply a matter of choosing the right subject/location to suit the weather at hand – and after 40 years of taking landscape images, Tom knows just how to get them. Dramatic images can be made on the edge of a weather front, so we’ll take advantage of every situation to make great images. However, if there are times when the wind and rain might prevent us from going out, we’ll make the most of the situation by having post-processing sessions and personal image reviews.
You’ll require either a digital camera or a film camera (SLR, medium, large or wide format) – Tom has many years of experience working with both formats. With a digital camera, you’ll need a 16GB memory card as a minimum, and a 32GB or larger for a high-megapixel camera. (Tom uses Sony XQD 64gb and 32gb cards and Sandisk Extreme Pro 32gb cards.)
If you only had one lens, it should be one that covers a wide angle of view (e.g. a 24mm) up to a mid-range telephoto (e.g. a 120mm). Ideally, the best three lenses for a landscape photography kit would be an ultra-wideangle such as a 16-35mm), a mid-range lens like a 24-70mm lens, and a telephoto zoom, such as a 70-200mm. If you’re considering adding a teleconverter, avoid the 2x convertors, as the quality is never very good. Instead, go for a 1.4x or 1.7x converter.
A tripod will help you maximise your shooting opportunities. If you don’t have one already or are considering replacing your current tripod, Tom recommends Gitzo – he uses the Gitzo 3542XLS with a GH3382QD ball head. After the workshop, you will be eligible for a 15% discount on a Manfrotto or Gitzo tripod – ask Tom for details.
A shutter release doesn’t take up much room in your kitbag and will help you get sharper photos. If you want to buy one for the first time, get a basic, battery-free model. These are simple to use and you don’t have to worry about them running out of batteries, unlike the all-singing, all-dancing shutter releases that have time-lapse functions and tell you when to eat lunch. Keep it simple!
Strictly speaking, no, but filters can make a real difference to your images and save time in post-processing. If you only bring one filter, make it a polarising filter. Graduated neutral density (ND) 2 stop & 3 stop hard and soft grads are also very useful. If you’re buying your first set of filters for the workshop, Tom recommends Kase Filters – these use a simple magnetic system to quickly and securely snap onto the lens. Start with a 0.9 (3 stop) soft grad, 1.2 (4 stop) soft grad and a circular polariser, which you will tend to get the most use from. Ask Tom for a discount code before you buy.
A backpack-style camera bag is your best choice. Tom recommends LowePro backpacks.
Please bring along a small selection of images (72dpi jpegs are ideal) on a laptop, tablet or memory stick) from your portfolio for constructive critique sessions, which are held between photo sessions or in the evening, depending on the workshop’s itinerary.
If you bank in the UK, BACS direct bank transfer is the easiest way to pay without incurring any fees. For non-UK customers, payment can be made using xe.com, Paypal or credit card. You can either pay the full amount or a non-refundable deposit, with the balance due 90 days before the workshop starts. If you book within 90 days of the departure date, the full payment is due immediately.
You’ll be pleased to hear that there are no single supplements on a Tom Mackie Workshop – everyone who attends has their own private accommodation at no extra cost.
You’ll need to pay your own travel costs getting to and from the workshop, but all transport during the workshop is included in the price.
You can book your flights as soon as your place on the workshop has been confirmed.
There is a non-refundable deposit. A pro-rated refund of the workshop balance will be issued, depending on how close to the workshop you cancel.
For more detailed information on payments and bookings, please see the terms and conditions.
Tom Mackie has been a photographer all his working life. His degree in commercial photography took him first of all to Los Angeles, where he spent five years as an industrial and architectural photographer. It was during this period that he travelled widely in the Western States, discovering in himself a previously unknown fervour for the beauty of those vast 'cinemascope' panoramas.
Tom Mackie has been a photographer all his working life. His degree in commercial photography took him first of all to Los Angeles, where he spent five years as an industrial and architectural photographer. It was during this period that he travelled widely in the Western States, discovering in himself a previously unknown fervour for the beauty of those vast 'cinemascope' panoramas.
After that, the confines of a Los Angeles commercial studio were never going to hold him. Tom married his art to this new-found passion and embarked on a 'til death-do-us-part' relationship with landscape photography.
After that, the confines of a Los Angeles commercial studio were never going to hold him. Tom married his art to this new-found passion and embarked on a 'til death-do-us-part' relationship with landscape photography.
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No Images are Public Domain. All images on this site are the copyright property of Tom Mackie and protected under United States and International copyright laws. No copying, saving to digital file, reproduction or manipulation is permitted unless with express written authority of Tom Mackie. Fair use is not an excuse. Usage of a image for the basis of any form of creative concept is also in violation of our copyright. THERE ARE NO ROYALTY FREE IMAGES HERE.
