Macro Photography Workshop with Paul Fraser (Cashel Forest, Saturday 20 July)

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 Cashel Forest in Rowardennan. Cashel Forest is found on the banks of Loch Lomond and has been described as a “hidden gem” and “one of the most beautifully undiscovered attractions in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park”. The site itself contains circa 300ha of ancient and new native woodland and offers a variety of habitats for wildlife to exploit. Visit Scotland described the area as a “unique site that offers visitors the chance to experience some of the finest wildlife that Scotland has to offer”.

Species of interest at Cashel include, Large Red Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Woodland Dor Beetle, Rough Violet Ground Beetle, Banded Sexton Beetle, Shore Sexton Beetle, Lesser Vespillo Burying Beetle, Two Banded Longhorn Beetle, European Glow Worm, and Green Tiger Beetle.

There are also numerous shield bugs, ladybirds, bees, wasps, hoverflies, moths, and butterflies. Outwith the amazing macro-photography opportunities, the site also contains Badgers, Pine Marten, Otters, Red Squirrels, and a dense population of Adders.

The workshop 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, and our early start is designed to maximise these opportunities.

The workshop is designed to be of particular benefit for people at the start of their macro-photography journey. However, anyone is welcome at any level with their macro-photography. Paul will show the types of apertures, shutter speeds, and ISO he uses for his style of macro-photography. He will also look to cover the crucial matter of responsible and effective field craft, essential equipment, and will provide hints and tips for editing your images when you get home.

Please note - Paul also offers a macro photography day trip at a second Scottish site, Flanders Moss. 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.

Car parking at Cashel Forest is chargeable.

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.

While there are some toilet facilities at Cashel Forest, these can be sporadic in location, 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.