Macro Photography Workshop with Paul Fraser (Flanders Moss, Sunday 26 May)

If you ever looked at insects as a child and found yourself inspired and fascinated, and now want to recapture that sense of mesmerised wonder, then this is the tour for you.

Join award-winning photographer Paul Fraser, who will take you on a daytrip to rediscover your love affair with these fantastic beasties that share our world. Paul will guide you at one of his favourite areas, for a creative and fun photography workshop! Furthermore, as an educator, Paul is never happier than when he has helped improve or expand others photography skills and creativity.

We will be exploring Flanders Moss in Stirlingshire. Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve (NNR) is a vast expanse of all things damp and wonderful. As one of the largest remaining intact raised bogs in Britain, Flanders Moss is a wild and ancient landscape. It is also one of the most intact raised bogs in Europe and has many of the classic raised bog features. The site is unique in that it has hardly changed for thousands of years. As well as being an important habitat for wildlife, Flanders Moss also plays a key role for carbon sequestration, acting as a carbon sink. The surface of the moss is a mosaic of sphagnum mosses and other specialist plants and animals adapted to a land that is mostly water. The bog is home to many species of invertebrates, especially moths: 215 species of moth have been recorded here, including rare species such as Birch Gall Moth and the Rannoch Brindled Beauty. Other insect species of interest are Tiger Beetles, Northen Emerald Dragonfly, Bog Sun Jumping Spider, Emerald Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Green Hairstreak, reed beetles, Common Hawkers, Drinking Moth caterpillar, and Nursery Web Spider. In addition, there are a wide variety of wasps, rove beetles, weevils, hoverflies, and bees.

The tour will not be species specific. Instead, we will spend the day out in the field looking for a variety of different species. However, visiting the waterbodies early in the day usually produces good results with various damselfly and dragonfly species.

Please note - Paul also offers a macro photography day trip at a second Scottish site, Cashel Forest. Should you wish to book both days, perhaps one at a different point in the spring / summer, the combined cost of those days will be reduced to £200.

What To Bring:

Camera(s), lenses (ideally a macro lens), flash, diffuser, memory card(s), spare camera/flash battery(ies), lens wipes.

Outdoor clothing – waterproofs, fleeces, and good and sturdy outdoor shoes. Bear in mind it can be very chilly here early in the morning.

Lunch/snacks/drinks – these are not provided for this workshop.

Important Information Including Health & Safety:

Please DO NOT leave any valuables in the car or leave anything visible on the seats/dashboard.

In common with most of the UK these days, there are ticks present, so please be mindful of this. A pair of tick tweezers is an inexpensive and potentially useful addition to your camera bag.

If it’s a clear sunny day, please bring sunscreen/hat as parts of the reserve are exposed to the elements.

There are no formal toilet facilities at Flanders Moss, so please make a pit stop if needed beforehand.

It can be wet first thing so it’s worth bringing waterproof clothes, especially trousers.

The ground can be uneven in places, but it is flat, and we will be taking it very slowly, in order that we don’t miss anything of interest.