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Beyond the Frame - A Photographic Journey in Four Conversations

This is a 4 part Series

Beyond the Frame is a four-part conversational series exploring the creative, technical and expressive dimensions of photography. Across these sessions, we invite participants to look past the surface of an image and into the deeper elements that shape meaningful photographic work - our influences, our intentions, our editing decisions, and the craft of the print. Drawing on decades of experience as educators, workshop leaders and working photographers, we share the philosophies, stories, processes and practical approaches that have shaped our journey.

This series is designed for photographers who want more than techniques: it is for those seeking clarity, confidence, and a more successful path in their own work.

Dates and Times

TUESDAY MAY 26 at 3pm

Conversation 1: 

Beyond the Frame - Influence, Intuition and Expression - The Making of Two Photographers

TUESDAY JUNE 2 at 3pm

Conversation 2:

Shaping the Image - Editing with Intent

TUESDAY JUNE 9 at 3pm

Conversation 3: 

The Final Expression - Why Printing Still Matters

TUESDAY JUNE 16 at 3pm

Conversation 4: 

Reflections and Questions - Ask us anything

Booking a place:

Digital Imaging Member - SPECIAL PRICE    £30

RPS Member - £45

If you are not already a Digital Imaging member it might be advantageous to join as a Digital Only member and benefit from reduced ticket prices.

General admission - £60

Digital Imaging Home Page | Digital Imaging Workshops | Join Digital Imaging (£18pa) | Join Digital Imaging Online (£8 p)

Series Synopsis – Beyond the Frame: A Photographic Journey in Four Conversations

Conversation 1 – Beyond the Frame: Influence, Intuition and Expression – The Making of Two Photographers

In this opening conversation, we introduce ourselves and map the creative paths that have shaped who we are as photographers today. We explore the pivotal influences that guided our early development, the role of intuition as our work matured, and how both ultimately led us toward an expressive, personally driven photographic voice. Through anecdotes, images, and honest discussion, we share how our experiences as professionals, (educators, travellers and collaborators) inform the way we see and the way we teach. This session sets the foundation for the series, offering insight into not just what we create, but why.

Conversation 2 – Shaping the Image: Editing with Intent

Editing is often where a photograph is realised. In this conversation, we reveal our editing philosophies and practices. We discuss how to interpret light, manage tonal flow, reveal structure, and make expressive rather than merely corrective decisions. Using real examples, we demonstrate how small, purposeful edits can profoundly influence mood, clarity and narrative. Above all, we show how editing becomes a bridge between what the camera recorded and what the photographer truly felt.

Conversation 3 – The Final Expression: Why Printing Still Matters

Despite the dominance of digital image, the photographic print remains the most complete, faithful, and enduring expression of a photograph. In this conversation, we make the case for why printing still matters, and why every dedicated photographer can benefit from embracing it. We explore the craft of the print, from paper choice to tonal control, and discuss how the physical object transforms the photographer’s relationship with their work. Through examples, practical and technical insights, we show how printing personalises our vision, deepens our editing decisions, and ultimately gives our photographs a life beyond the digital world.

Conversation 4 – Reflections and Questions: Ask Us Anything

The final conversation brings the series full circle with an open, engaging session driven by you. We invite questions of all kinds creative, technical, philosophical, practical, or personal. This is an opportunity to revisit themes from earlier conversations, explore new ones, and go deeper into the topics that matter most to you. Whether about equipment, editing choices, developing a personal style or navigating the highs and lows of a creative life, nothing is off the table.

We end the series as we began through honest, generous dialogue about the craft we love.

Paul Gallagher FRPS BIO

Paul Gallagher has been a professional photographer for over forty years and is the co-founder of the landscape photography workshop company aspect2i. For decades he has been an educator, lecturer and the author of five books. Paul has also been a brand ambassador for Epson, Lee Filters, Shimoda and Benro and is Adobe Accredited. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and a member of the Landscape Panel of assessors adjudicating Associateship and Fellowship Panels.

Paul’s experience in photography is extensive beginning with large format photography and dark room work, to digital photography and digital printing. Through his work he shares a close communion with his surroundings with a nuanced appreciation of light and place. Being a way of life, he shares the way he sees the world around him, those slivers of time that encapsulate the essence of the environment he works in.

Living in a world where we are surrounded by images everywhere, it is Paul’s belief that rather than making images that compete for attention, he favours those with a quieter voice and subtlety. His passion for photography is not only palpable when in the landscape, but also when sharing his knowledge with people he is teaching. He has often said that the landscape is not there to be ‘captured’, but to be gracefully witnessed by letting it come to you.

Michael Pilkington Bio

Michael is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS), co-founder of the landscape photography workshop company aspect2i, and an educator, author, and brand ambassador for Benro, Kase Filters, and Shimoda Designs. His work focuses on quiet, atmospheric landscapes, and his approach emphasises patience, observation, and emotional connection with the natural world. Rather than chasing dramatic scenes, Michael encourages a slower, more contemplative way of seeing - one rooted in presence, mood, and memory.

In his photography, Michael is drawn to subtle transitions: mist folding over trees, the hush of snowfall across open ground, or the rhythm of waves retreating from a shore. These fleeting moments are easily missed, but they hold emotional depth. His images are shaped not just by light and form, but by how a place feels — often favouring softness, silence, and stillness over bold colour or grand spectacle. For Michael, landscape photography is not simply about what we see, but about how we respond to the world around us.

Throughout his work as a photographer and educator, Michael shares the belief that technique is important, but not enough on its own. A thoughtful composition, careful exposure, or choice of filter only begins to matter once the photographer is truly paying attention. Whether in the field or the classroom, his message is consistent: photography begins with how we show up in the landscape - with quiet awareness, curiosity, and respect for the stories that lie in light, weather, and place.


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Cancellation Policy

It is inevitable, that occasionally an event will be postponed or cancelled for this or another reason beyond the RPS’s control. If an event is postponed we will transfer your booking to the rearranged event, with the option of a refund if the rescheduled date is not suitable for you. Occasionally an event may also be cancelled owing to a lack of bookings.

If an event is cancelled we will give you as much notice as we are able and any payment by you to the RPS in respect of the event is offered as a full refund. In the case of events cancelled because of a lack of interest, we will aim to give you as much notice as possible.