Our Photography Courses Blog - Malvern Hills, Worcestershire

We had a nice small group for our photography course in Malvern.  This was the first DSLR course we’ve taught where no-one had a DSLR camera!! As usual, we worked in the grounds here (someone saw a deer!) on portrait/single subject pictures and then got up onto the Malvern Hills to for some landscape photography training.  The weather was not bad (for June) and the range of cameras, as always, was much less limiting than the range of imagination and creativity of the students. It’s in your head, rather than in the camera menu!

It’s always good to have a diverse group, as people often take photos that you missed – the chance to see a picture from someone else’s point of view is always interesting.  In this class the most advanced cameras were a Sony NEX-5 and a Canon G12.  Phil was able to get out our Canon G9 and work on the composition, rather than lens-swapping.  Less advanced cameras can’t do depth of field so well, as they have small sensors and lens apertures, so it’s important to make sure that the distance between subject and background is enough to get some blur.

picture from photography course in Malvern

picture from photography course in Malvern

picture from photography course in Malvern

Jess and Josh came up from Swindon for a one to one photography training session here at PMS HQ in Malvern.  We spend the morning in the gardens using the 50mm f1.8 lens, and then went to the Malvern Hills Hotel and up onto the Iron Age hillfort at British Camp.

These two are fairly competitive, so there was a certain amount of paparazzi-style jostling whenever there was a particularly good bee. Jess had bought Josh this amazing little lens on our advice for his birthday.  Jess was able to borrow our D100 and 50mm f1.8, so they could compete on a level playing field!

One to one photography training like this can be quite relaxed, and focused (sorry) on the photographic subjects that really interest you.  It can be more productive than a group course, and we don’t charge for one extra person. We are happy to come to you, or for you to come to us.

Here’s a small selection of their pictures:

Picture by Jess on One to One photography training in Malvern

Picture of Jess on One to One photography training in Malvern by Josh

As an optional extra, we can arrange for multi-million pound fighter jets to overfly you on the Landscape Photography Course.  However, you have to be quick on the shutter release – three of us caught this one. There are three different takes on the same subject, all done in a (very noisy) fraction of a second!

Huns in the sun, dear boy!

We had a lovely small group for the landscape photography course on the Malverns, we started in the lovely grounds of Photography Made Simple’s HQ, and then after lunch went up onto British Camp for views, and then along Jubilee Drive for the bluebells. It was fantastic weather, and a great day for landscapes. A great day was had by all! We even laid on a fly-by by the RAF, although this is an optional extra on our landscape courses!!

Ruins at PMS HQ, taken on landscape photography course in Malvern

Reservoir at at British Camp, on the Malvern Hills Landscape Photography Course

As with all our courses, the object of the day is not to take the best pictures you’ve ever taken, but to learn what makes a good shot, and how to make the best of your camera and your surroundings. On this occasion we took some good pictures, but we also have the skills to do more in the future. We find that it’s not really helpful to show you a lovely view that anyone can photograph, and leave you with no skills. We do our best to give you the skills you need to take the shots you want, whether anyone else likes them or not!!