IRELAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

I am a full-time commercial and landscape photographer & filmmaker based in Portrush on the Causeway Coast. Please take the time to explore my range of work on this website.

As well as guidance on landscape photography I can also give valuable insights into film and drone work. I also specialise in motion timelapse which I can impart knowledge on. See my year long timelapse project covering the 4 seasons in our Mourne Mountains below.

View ‘Mourne’ timelapse film here.

For the first 4 nights in Donegal we’re staying in the 4 star An Chúirt Hotel. Each participant will have their own room and breakfast is included each morning. Free Parking on site.

Hotel website here.

The final 3 nights we’re staying in the Causeway Hotel with its unique story and infectious charm - located on the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Giant’s Causeway. Each participant will have their own room and breakfast is included each morning. Free parking on site.

Free entry to Causeway Visitor Experience is included - a perfect way to wind down after the workshop concludes!

Hotel website here.

The easiest way to join the workshop is to fly into one of Ireland's international airports (Dublin or Belfast) and then take a short flight to Donegal or Derry airports from there.

It is advised to arrive a day or 2 early to unwind and enjoy the local area prior to the workshop - this will avoid any flights delays and ensure we have a smooth start to the opening day.

I can collect you from your Donegal or Derry hotel on the morning of October 17th or alternatively from Portrush or Limavady as we make our way to our hotel. On October 28th I can drop you off at a local hotel (Causeway or Donegal) or Derry or Donegal airports.

If you’re visiting from the UK it’s very easy to catch a ferry from Scotland (Cairnryan to Larne) to then land in Northern Ireland. County Donegal is a few hours drive or coach journey from Larne.

On location tuition

Compositional guidance

Understanding the exposure triangle

Advantages of shooting RAW

Understanding light & reacting to the conditions

Capturing panoramas and focal blending

Using Neutral Density, Graduated Filters and Polariser

Understanding depth of field for maximum sharpness

Choosing the correct shutter speed for various results

The importance of composition, leading lines and texture

Histograms explained

Some locations require a short hike of up to 30 minutes. You must be able to walk on uneven ground, beaches and sometimes steep steps & slippery surfaces.

After you complete your booking I’ll email a full packing list. We’ll also set up a workshop WhatsApp group chat where all questions can be answered.

If for any reason you need to cancel your booking the below will apply:

All deposits are non-refundable.

If you decide to cancel and your spot is filled, we will refund you the full amount you have paid, minus a £300 administrative fee.

However, if you cancel and your spot is not filled, we will refund you based upon the following schedule:

180 days or more before beginning of the workshop: 20% of the total workshop cost is forfeited

180-90 days prior to beginning of workshop: 50% of the total workshop cost is forfeited

90-30 days prior to beginning of workshop: 75% of the workshop cost is forfeited

Less than 30 days: 100% of the total workshop cost is forfeited

I have just returned from a photography workshop in Donegal, Ireland run by Richard Watson, and it was one of the best that I have ever been on. Richard seems to know Donegal llike the back of his hand and took us to so many fantastic locations.

This workshop was full on, and if anyone is looking to improve their photographic skill levels while visiting great locations and having a good time while they do it, Richard is the man for you.

Over the week he worked his socks off to ensure that we were at the correct locations at the right time, and he was always there to provide help, information, and general advice to ensure that we all went home with really great images. I should also add that all members of the group got on really well together and had a great time going around beautiful Donegal.

I put my money where my mouth is and I have already booked for another tour with Richard next year to Harris & Lewis and can't wait. If you want to improve your photography, visit beautiful places, (and have a real laugh while you do it ) give one of Richards workshops a try, you will have a blast.

I recently had the pleasure of attending Richard’s photography workshop in Donegal, and it was an incredible experience. As a beginner, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Richard’s enthusiasm, patience and deep knowledge of photography made all the difference. He guided us to breathtaking locations, many of them hidden gems, where it felt like we had the whole scenery all to ourselves.

Richard’s ability to explain complex photography techniques in a way that’s easy to understand was invaluable. From learning about light and composition to mastering filters and post-processing, I grew more confident with every shot. His passion for photography is contagious, and he went above and beyond to ensure each of us got the most out of the experience. Plus, the little details —like a comfortable van complete with Baileys coffee breaks —made it feel like a relaxed adventure with friends.

I walked away feeling inspired, with new skills both in the field and in editing. Thank you, Richard, for your incredible teaching and dedication. I can’t wait for the next workshop! :)

I recently had the pleasure of attending a landscape photography workshop in Donegal, Ireland, led by the knowledgeable and personable Richard Watson. From start to finish, the experience was nothing short of extraordinary.

Richard's passion for photography was evident from the get-go, and his expertise truly shone throughout the workshop. He guided us not only to the well known scenic spots but also to hidden treasures off the beaten path, allowing us to capture the essence of Donegal's diverse and rugged landscape.

Throughout the workshop Richard generously shared his wealth of knowledge on all aspects of photography including the use of filters, compositional techniques and understanding light. His insights were invaluable and I found myself learning and improving with each passing day.

Richard's friendly and approachable approach created a welcoming atmosphere for all participants. I would definitely recommend Richard's photography workshops to anyone looking to enhance their craft while immersing themselves in the breathtaking beauty of Donegal. You won't be disappointed!

I would like to pay homage to Richard Watson, our Causeway Coast, Ireland workshop tutor.

I personally found Richard to be extremely conscientious, benevolent, very focused and venturesome. Richard, took us to many beautiful, known and unknown gems..

From dawn till dusk he worked us hard, during sun and storms clouds we captured outstanding images of the beautiful Antrim coastline.

I would highly recommend doing a workshop with Richard.

What a great workshop we had with Richard. The Donegal area of Ireland really takes your breath away.

What struck me most was Richard’s enthusiasm and patience with which he conveyed his professional knowledge. From start to finish, he was committed to assisting everyone in the group in creating beautiful compositions, and provided a lot of technical background. He drove us around in his amazing and well equipped van (coffee included) and he took us to the most breathtaking locations, where we were usually the only ones there!

As a hobbyist photographer I have never learned as much on a workshop as with Richard. This is the reason I'll definitely be coming back for another photography adventure.

Thank you Richard, for all your patience.

"Life-Altering Experience"

If I had to sum up my recent journey to Kyrgyzstan in a few words, I'd go with "life-altering." Before this trip, Kyrgyzstan was just a name I'd never heard before, let alone locate on a map. Yet, I can't express how thrilled I am that I embarked on this adventure with Richard. Planning a trip to a place halfway around the world can be incredibly nerve-wracking, but Richard made it a breeze. All I had to do was get there.

Right from day one, Richard's deep knowledge of the country became evident, and it stayed with us throughout the entire ten-day journey. He had a knack for taking us to the most remote and breathtaking corners of Kyrgyzstan, something that would have been quite challenging to pull off on our own. No need to fret about travel logistics, finding camp spots, or even worrying about our next meal; Richard and the expert guides he had picked had it all covered.

As a professional photographer who usually shies away from photo tours, I can confidently say that I'd jump at the chance to book this tour again without a second thought. It truly was an unforgettable experience that left an indelible mark on my photography journey.

I had the most fantastic time at my 1-2-1 workshop with Richard. We were able to cover many different photographic techniques in exciting locations.

Richard is so personable and easy to understand. He takes the required time to really explain what is needed to get the most out of your photography. I cannot recommend the workshop enough. I’ve come away with a vastly improved knowledge about my equipment, compositions and use of filters.

If you are keen to improve your standard, Richard is the guy to see.

Kyrgyzstan – and Richard Watson’s Kyrgyzstan in particular – is a sight, an experience and an opportunity unlike any this avid traveller and hobbyist photographer has had the pleasure of before.

The country – one only recently opened up with any kind of convenience or real access – still has the remoteness and unfamiliarity that travellers and photographers both crave. “There must be reasons why tourists generally, and particularly those from the West, don’t travel to central Asia, this vast area of the globe”, I remember thinking – in fact it was a main driver of why I wanted to visit. But believe me, I found none. Quite the opposite.

In one day, you can see arid, desert-like canyons and rippled, rocky waves of untouched, folded geometric rock formations that would go on forever were it not for the vast snow-capped mountains that rise to meet the horizon. In the same day, you can be up among those same mountains, with the mood and feeling of the place changing minute by minute as the sun plays with unpredictable beauty on the saw-like edges of the surrounding mountains.

In such a small country and in such a relatively short space of time, experiencing desert, arid rock, alpine, temperate, high mountain and lake-side yurt camps which feel like a brief beach holiday sojourn, is simply remarkable. Some of it is hard work, some of it feels a million miles away from home, and all of it is remarkable.Were it not for Richard’s experience – both as a photographer, his familial connections via his long-term Kyrgyz partner to the country and his many trip there – doing all this in 10 days would be impossible.

Personally, I am not a tour-group kind of traveller. I either go on holidays with friends, with family or ‘travel’ on my own. This has changed my mind. With a group of seven – from six different countries – you expect people pulling in different directions and each with different ideas of what they want. While this inevitably happens, none of it is negative. Each has their own vision, experience and ideas of what they want to see and capture, and Richard was always there – how, I’m still not quite sure – to lend advice and to suggest his idea of the best way of doing things.

The country, tour and set-up is incredible. If you want to see somewhere different, fit in all of the above within 10 days and have the time of your life, I wouldn’t look past this tour. It will change the way you look at photography, central Asia and – quite possibly – the world, and leave you with an insatiable hunger for more. Do it.