CREATIVE ESCAPES WEEKENDERS | LAKE DISTRICT | September 8 - 10 2021
CREATIVE ESCAPES WEEKENDER
Lake District
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007, join our September Weekender to the majestic Lake District, where the holiday crowds have gone and the weather still good. We'll shoot its postcard panorama of craggy hilltops, mountain tarns and glittering lakes (and enjoying a glass or two with friends) before descending into sunny Blackpool to round off our 3-day adventure.
There are few places in the UK more spellbinding: shadowy ridges gilded with golden light, shimmering meadows ablaze with wild flowers, and sparkling blue lakes that reflect the whole glorious scene.
In this Weekender we'll cover a mixture of landscape, reportage, portraiture and night photography, in stunning locations, with feedback and tutoring as you would expect from a normal Creative Escapes trip, but in a handy travel-pack size.
Days
3
Shoots
5
Level
All levels
Tuition
1-to-1
"Thanks again for a fun weekend, great to be able to get out with my camera again (and meet some new like-minded people). Looking forward to the next one!"
With late sunset tonight, we'll capture last light on Windermere, before a star trail shoot to remember at Todd Crag.
You can arrive all the way up to 6pm as the sunset is still late in early September - it's a short drive from Kendal to our first location, time to setup and get the inside track to getting the best shot position for reflected skies in the glassy calm lake. Later, we'll head up to Todd Crag, with a majestic 360 degree panorama across the whole of the Lake District, the perfect spot for some star trails in the wilderness (and a choice of drinks from our pop-up bar whilst you're waiting).
Today we head deep into the UNESCO-listed landscapes, and spend the whole day getting away from it all.
Up first, we'll start with a gentle walk through Little Langdale to the cavernous Cathedral Quarry, a huge network of interconnected open caves that bounce the light and make for great photography. Along the way are plenty of vistas to keep you busy, including the famous 17th century Slater Bridge. After a picnic lunch in dramatic surroundings, we'll head through Stickle Ghyll all the way up the valley side - giving plenty of excuses to take a breather and wonder at the dramatic waterfalls and rock pools cut into mountainside and the striking views across the valley towards Lingmoor - ending at Stickle Tarn for some of the most dramatic scapes in the lakes. Later, we'll retire to the very comfortable Ye Olde Fleece Inn for gastronomic loveliness and a night with friends old and new.
On our final day, we change scene and shoot the Victorian splendour of sunny Blackpool, an hour south.
Having had our fill of jaw dropping landscapes, it's time to re-enter the world and have some fun in Blackpool, a street photographers paradise and chance to try out some techniques in documentary photography in the style of Dougie Wallace. We'll tour the town's hotspots and practice our storytelling with pictures, before a final blast on the "Big One" - a £12m roller coaster that'll round off our Weekender with a bang!
Where to Stay.
Kendal has a range of options for a 2-night stay, starting from £80 a night - including Days Inn, Premier Inn & TravelLodge, plus an array of AirBnB options.
Jon Cunningham is a professional photographer, tutor and founder of Creative Escapes.
His work has been published in The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Country Living and more, shot 7 books for Penguin and Dorling Kindersley, taught photography internationally across 16 countries, mentored dozens of photographers from beginner to professional, and is the author of ‘Teach Yourself : Your Complete Photography Course’ (Hodder).
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Book my place.
In our third Weekender, we're heading to one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, Snowdonia. We start at 11am in Oswestry, then head to the top of the mountains for a full days shooting - starting perhaps surprisingly with documentary street images in stunning Betws-y-Coed, then later into the jaw dropping valleys for some fine art landscapes. It's back to Oswestry for drinks, then we're shooting candid portraits the following morning. A group review ends our first creative Weekender in London.
Our third Creative Escapes Weekender will be held on the weekend of the 17/18 July 2021. Places are limited and first come first served. Should anything change you get a 100% refund, no questions asked.
