Join me and my workshop assistant Dave Nelson in the Outer Hebrides.
I have an extensive bucket list of locations worldwide that I would love to visit with my camera and right at the top of the list for locations in the UK is the Isle of Harris and Lewis and having spent quite a bit of time there, I completely understand why. The peace and quiet and remoteness of the island is captivating and after spending a week there, you will feel as though life has slowed down by a couple of paces. Standing there beside the ocean, listening to the waves slowly cover the golden sandy beach you’re standing on while admiring the view all around you with your camera on a tripod is genuinely one of the most pleasurable experiences I can enjoy as a landscape photographer. This is why people want to come and experience Harris and Lewis for themselves.
For this six night workshop, we will be based at the beautiful Harris Hotel in Tarbert which is located only twenty minutes away from the glorious sandy beaches of Harris. Further north we have the majestic huge sea stacks of Lewis not to mention the 5,000 year old standing stone circle of Callanish. I spent New Year’s Eve here among the stones in 2017 and it was a magical experience indeed to see in another year in such a mysterious and atmospheric place.
HARRIS vs LEWIS
The terrain is quite different on both parts of the island. The Isle of Lewis is located to the north of Harris and occupies the majority of the island and I find that the more dramatic views are on Lewis. The sea stacks of Mangersta and Tolsta (Garry Beach) are quite simply magnificent and reminiscent of those found on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. The iconic and mystical Callanish standing stones also greet you on Lewis and on a stormy day can be very atmospheric. Harris on the other hand I find to be more about peace and tranquillity with the beautiful world famous Luskentyre Beach stretching out on the west coast with its stunning sand dunes and aqua coloured water. The salt marshes of Northton in the south of Harris provide the landscape photographer with ample opportunities to capture them at their best while the 368 metre Ceapabhal fell in the distance provides a wonderful backdrop.
Collectively Harris and Lewis will both provide you with memories that can be beautifully captured on camera and if you have ever promised yourself that you would go and visit them one day, perhaps now is the time to make good on your promise. I can personally guarantee you that you will love it as much as I do.
Double room, en-suite. Breakfast and pack lunch included. There is no single occupancy supplement charged.
Harris Hotel Tarbet Isle of Harris Outer Hebrides HS3 3DL Scotland
Just finished a five day Landscape Workshop with Melvin Nicholson, visiting various locations around Harris and Lewis. As a veteran of various Photography workshops with other companies, this was one of the best. Melvin is a very competent photographer who has the ability to communicate his enthusiasm for his style of landscape photography.Â
The workshop was very well organised, with a group size of six. The transport is a 9 seat comfortable mini bus which has enough space to accommodate the photographic equipment that landscape photographers have to carry round with them. It is advisable that students on these courses have a little more than basic equipment and basic knowledge; a DSLR and reasonable tripod being a possible minimum for equipment.
An attendee on these workshops will have to be prepared for one or two early starts; the possible high spot of the week being at Callinish stone circle for sunrise. We were very lucky with the weather, having a problem when we visited Hushinish, but even this was very worthwhile. Melvin also has a very extensive knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and was willing to give several demonstrations of this. This was very useful. Also he ensured that each student was given individual attention while we were at the various locations. Melvin also ensures that he does extensive research for each location and has an extensive knowledge of Harris and Lewis.
In the middle of March 2018 I attended Melvin Nicholson’s Isle of Harris and Lewis Workshop. I was searching the internet and found Melvin’s website and his workshop in the Outer Hebrides and the idea of spending a week in Scotland photographing the Outer Hebrides was very appealing and Mel did not disappoint.
As you can see from my rating, I thought the workshop was outstanding. There were four other enthusiast photographers on the workshop and we were also joined by Tony Higginson, a professional wedding and landscape photographer who is also based in England. I don’t think that we could have had a better group for the week. Everyone got along well and as my English friends would say, our time together was cracking!
Mel showed himself to be enthusiastic and knowledgable about photography and was willing to take whatever time was necessary to help you with compositions and settings and was always offering to provide you with his suggestions. Mel was adaptable to any skill level and made everyone feel comfortable and at ease with his demeanor and sense of humor.Â
Each day we would have breakfast and then head out to our morning location. Once on location, we were pretty much free to explore the area and find our own interesting compositions. With the exception of a couple of locations (salt marshes and small beach where the size of the area is limited) we were all able to obtain unique perspectives and compositions. There were times where the locations dictated that the compositions would be similar, but there was plenty of opportunity to explore your own creative vision. I found this aspect of the workshop very appealing. We would have lunch on the road (a simple bag lunch supplied by the hotel) and would then usually go to one or two locations in the afternoon/evening.Â
It was also clear that Mel had spent time scouting the island and was familiar with the various locations. He intentionally makes the itinerary flexible, with the final decision on a particular destination primarily based on the weather and tide conditions. This workshop focused primarily on shooting with a couple of image review/post processing sessions. While in a perfect world I would have liked to have had a little more time on image review and post processing to see how everyone approached the different locations, it would have come at the expense of shooting.Â
The workshop included all of our accommodations and food. We stayed at the Isle of Harris Hotel in Tarbert and can say it was outstanding. The hotel itself is what I would term a classic. The rooms have tartan rugs with wooden dressers and furniture. The rooms themselves were clean and spacious. The food, particularly for dinner, exceeded my expectations. The menu was varied and all of the meals were delicious and were a perfect way to end a day of photography.
The week with Mel and the rest of the group was top notch. The workshop allowed us to explore the Isle of Harris and Lewis and to get our creative juices flowing. Being able to enjoy my photography in the company of a great group made the experience all the better. As photographers we strive for the end result, the image, but I enjoy the process of taking the pictures almost as much as the final image. Being at a location and experiencing the conditions, the atmosphere and the scenery and being able to do it with people who enjoy photography as much as I do makes for a great time. Mel provided me with an excellent experience and I hope to join him again on another workshop.
Scott DeMello – USA
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Workshop Waiting List
My workshops fill up quickly but sometimes spots open up due to cancellations. If the workshop you are interested in is currently full and you would like to be added to the waiting list then please fill out this form.
Details
Locations
Included
Excluded
Transport
Ferry to Harris
Date and Time 5pm Saturday 23rd – 9am Friday 29th March 2024
Duration Six Nights
Price £1,895 (£200 deposit, £1,695 balance to be paid by the 23rd Jan 2024. If booking after the 23rd Jan 2024, full amount is payable)
Workshop Leader Melvin Nicholson
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Workshop Assistant/Driver Dave Nelson
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Maximum Workshop Attendees 8
Meeting Place 5pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 (for the 6pm crossing) – Uig Ferry Terminal, Isle of Skye (I shall meet you at the Uig ferry terminal. I shall travel over with you on the ferry to Tarbert in Harris. The hotel is 500 metres away from the ferry terminal)
Exertion Level Easy / Medium – All locations within half a mile from the car, some much closer. Some slippery rocks on the beach and uneven ground. A reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required.
Photography Locations Harris Luskentyre Seilebost Scarista Borve The Small Beach Hushinish Scalpay Northton Salt Marshes
Lewis Callanish Standing Stones Mangersta Sea Stacks Mangersta Beach Butt of Lewis Lighthouse Garry Beach Gearrannan Blackhouse Village Dun Carloway Broch
IncludedÂ
Six nights accommodation (double room en-suite, single occupancy)
Breakfast and pack lunch
Dedicated 1-2-1 photography tuition
Transport during the workshop in my personally owned modern and comfortable nine-seat Mercedes Vito minibus
Excluded
Evening meals, drinks and snacksÂ
Ferry crossing to and from the Outer Hebrides
Travel and camera insurance
TRANSPORT DURING THE WORKSHOP We have two vehicles available for this workshop.
The first one is my personally owned brand new eight-seater Mercedes V-Class minibus. This ensures that there is plenty of space for us all including luggage, clothing, and camera equipment.
The second vehicle is a Skoda Octavia driven by my Workshop Assistant and Driver Dave Nelson.
The ferry from Uig, Skye to Tarbert, Harris is not included in the workshop price. You will be required to purchase a ticket, either as a foot passenger or the driver accompanying their vehicle should you decide to take your vehicle over to Harris (free car park at the hotel).Â
The journey takes only 90 minutes on the CalMac ferry and it is normally a smooth crossing. There is a cafe onboard.Â
