Introduction to Photography

Introduction to Photography, with Christine Woodcock

Join photography tutor Chris Woodcock and build your confidence with your camera by capturing the beauty of the Hepple estate. Learn about story telling, composition and tricks to polish your technique. 

Woodland, wetland and moorland all sit within a short walk of the classroom space and offer a huge variety of seasonal subjects. From the estate's resident ponies, highland cattle and pigs to the varied visiting wildlife drawn by the rich habitat you will be spoilt for choice of what to photograph. A behind the scenes peek in the Hepple Distillery and a complementary Gin & Tonic to accompany the provided lunch makes this a day not to miss.

All ages, abilities and types of phone camera are welcome.

Day Plan

10:30am - welcome with tea and coffee

10:30am to 12:15pm – morning session including workshop and introduction to techniques and quick editing. Will include a short walk.

12.15pm – Locally sourced lunch (provided)

12:45 – 14:30pm – Afternoon session out and about on the estate and to the Hepple Distillery

14:30 - Final points and farewell

What’s Included?

Your day will include expert guidance and tuition from experienced photographer Chris Woodcock. Learn about the best way to get the photos you want - even if it's just with your phone. We'll look at the best angles for shooting and ways to get around issues like tricky lighting or messy scenes.

Our base for the session will be at our bothy, where you will enjoy presentations, refreshments and a locally sources lunch. Toilet facilities are located here too. Dietary requirements can be catered for and we will be in touch to check this. A Hepple Gin & Tonic is include with lunch, as well as a soft drink alternative, and we will be visiting the Hepple Distillery. 

Who?

The course will be led by White Oak Studio’s professional photographer Chris Woodcock. 

With over 20 years experience, Chris cut her teeth in the busy wedding photography industry learning how to build a rapport with clients, work quickly with technical skill and handle crises with calm confidence. During her Masters course in Visual Communication she found her love of storytelling, folklore and combining traditional and digital technology to create imagery layered with symbolism and suggestion.

It is now her passion to teach others how to take the photos which matter most to them, be that beautiful landscapes, family portraits or anything in between.

Chris is always keen to use her skills to support local small businesses and can often be found shooting inside a Northumberland holiday let. As an eager conservationist, she takes great pride in being invited to work on various landscape restoration sites which allow her to expand her love of wildlife photography and telling stories about the natural world. Chris was recently involved in a brilliant ecological and community project across Northumberland's Wansbeck valley.

Chris has been involved at Hepple since 2024 and has helped us gather some stunning photos for our image bank, which has been incredibly important for our marketing. You can find out more via Chris' website https://www.whiteoakstudios.org/

Where?

Hepple Wilds is a family-owned estate that is putting ecological renewal at the heart of our long-term plan.

Prior to Hepple Wilds, the 4,000 acre Hepple Estate was an open moorland and upland sheep farm but despite decades of classic conservation work, it was not easy to outgrow the national pattern of decline in biodiversity. In 2020 we started on a radical new direction with a plan we call ‘managed wilding’. This looks at building the base of the food-chain, from water, soil carbon and fungal mycorrhiza to diverse vegetation and the insect population.

Since starting the project we have removed all sheep from the estate, replacing them with larger grazing animals such as our pedigree longhorns, Highland cattle, Mangalica pigs and Exmoor ponies. We have removed over 13km of internal fencing and converted to organic & pasture-fed farming. We have created wetland ponds and networks now totalling over 10 acres and have undertaken over 400 acres of peat restoration, as well as large amounts of tree and scrub planting. Across the estate there is a multitude of exciting habitats with beautiful flora to focus on. 

Suggested Camera Equipment

Our aim is that this workshop will be accessible to anyone interested in improving their photographic skills. Therefore, all you need is a phone that can take photos and ideally will have some capacity for editing settings. Cameras of different shapes and sizes are also obviously welcome as well. 

Additional Information

Please note that this event includes periods of rough walking. Please come prepared.

We would strongly encourage bringing:

• Sturdy boots or comfortable wellies
• Binoculars
• Backpack with water bottle
• A warm/waterproof coat or jacket
• Waterproof trousers if it's forecast for rain

If you can leave them in the car so much the better! The weather in the Upper Coquet valley can be very changeable so please come prepared for anything. While we will aim to head out whatever the weather, if the forecast ahead of the event does look especially awful or hazardous, we will contact you to offer a full refund or a booking on an alternative date.

If you need to cancel your booking we can offer a full refund/rebooking to guests up to two weeks before the event. After this time we may not be able to offer you a refund but will aim to do so if we can resell your ticket. If Hepple Wilds need to cancel the event for any reason, we will offer a full refund or reschedule the event.

Unfortunately this event is not currently accessible for wheelchair users or those with physical disabilities that may prevent them from prolonged walking in the outdoors over rough terrain. As we progress with our nature engagement plans, we aim to be able to host more accessible experiences.

In addition, this event is not dog friendly. We may be able to host pooches on our private/bespoke days, with prior arrangement.

On booking you should be asked about your dietary requirements and any special interests you might have. Please get in touch if you think we need to know anything else.

We look forward to welcoming you to our home and to the beautiful Hepple Wilds.

Wandering above the Coquet River - Chris Woodcock