This event will be led by Rolf Kraehenbuehl with a maximum of 6 participants.

How are landscapes represented? What narratives are embedded?

How can we visualise our own personal impression of a landscape and what we perceive as a sense of place?

In this workshop we shift the focus away from producing a predefined outcome, towards the process of image-making, thereby allowing ourselves creative freedom which can lead to varied and diverse outcomes. Taking cues from experiential learning we will explore ways to express and visualise our individual perception of a place.

The workshop consists of three elements: 

1. Initial online session: Thursday 11-09-2025, 18:30-20:30. 

2. A day on location: Monday 22-09-2025, 10:30-18:00. **

3. Second online session: Tuesday 30-09-2025, 18:30-20:30.

** In the event of severe weather on the event day sufficient to prevent it, a possible alternate day would be 23-09-2025 but this will be discussed with the group before making the final decision.

In the introductory online meeting we will look at examples of different representations of landscapes (and their embedded narratives) in painting and photography from the history of the media to contemporary works, briefly touch on hallmarks of experiential learning, discuss our current individual approaches to landscape photography and reflect on alternative ways of image-making and visual narration.

On location the participants will try out different ways of making work through tasks and exercises (including responding to prompts) and working on their own or in groups of two with support from the workshop leader. After the day in the field the participants will work at home on and with their images to further explore strategies to arrive at a personal visualisation of their individual perception of the landscape.

In a second online meeting the participants will present their work and reflect on the outcome, the learning process, and how this can be applied for future work.

Because this workshop is not about specific photographic techniques or about creating a particular type of images, but aims at expanding our creative approaches, it is suitable for photographers with different levels of experience, who are at different points in their photographic journey, and who work with different equipment (e.g. digital, analogue, DSLR, mirrorless, phone camera). Technical advice can be provided if required, but participants are encouraged to be familiar with their equipment and comfortable using it.

The area is part of the Newborough National Nature Reserve. Newborough beach combines contrasting elements: a sandy beach and dunes, with a backdrop of a moody and atmospheric pine forest. Exposure to increasingly frequent and fierce winter storms erodes the coast, and in some places the pine trees are on the very verge of the sand dunes, prone to being uprooted during the next storm or have already toppled down to the beach. This creates an ever-changing, and what I would call, ‘fractured’ landscape.

Llandwyn Island is characterized by sandy beaches, dunes, and grassland and harbours a lighthouse, the pilot’s cottages and the ruins of St. Dwynwen's Church.

General info on the area: https://naturalresources.wales/days-out/places-to-visit/north-west-wales/newborough/?lang=en

Meeting Point: Traeth Llandwyn Car Park, off Newborough, Anglesey. Best to use what3words, see below.                                                                               Unnamed Road, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, LL61 6SG                                               Google maps: 53.14505, -4.38529                                                                              If you enter LL61 6SG in Google Maps it will take you to the access road to the car park. Follow the road (with some speed bumps) until you reach the large car park.                                                        

 What3Words: ///corrode.tagging.banana                                                           This is the location of the toilet block and water station (to refill your water bottle with drinking water) and info panels on the nature area.

Car Parking: As above. £15 per car per day. Free for blue badge holders (must be scanned at exit barrier).

I will scope the potential for car sharing with the participants (subject to insurance cover).

Toilets: Toilet block in car park, opening times: 8am - 6pm.

No toilet facilities along the beach or on Llandwyn Island.

Challenges & Accessibility: Access to the beach is over a path (tarmac and mobi-mat), easy to walk, even suitable for users with impaired mobility or with wheelchair.
However, as the workshop will happen along the beach (sand and pebbles), on Llandwyn Island (accessible at low tide) and in the pine forest behind the dunes, accessible through natural/unpaved paths, this workshop is not suitable for participants with limited mobility.

Wheelchair users: Unfortunately not suitable for wheelchair users.

Food: Participants should bring a packed lunch and plenty of water. Even on an overcast day, the location is exposed to the Irish sea and south-westerly (prevailing) or north-easterly winds, and dehydration can easily occur.

We will have lunch either along the beach, or back in the car park on picnic benches, TBC on the day depending on the weather. There are recycling and waste bins in the car park.

Occasionally there’s a burger van and an ice-cream van, but their presence cannot be guaranteed.

Equipment:

 - Rain protection for the camera which might also protect against sand.

- Old-fashioned paper notebook, to record thoughts, impressions, intentions etc. and to show to/exchange with other participants (for collaborative part of the workshop)

- I advise against taking a tripod along, as we will move around, and you won’t need a tripod unless you explicitly want to do long exposures

- Travel light, reduce the gear you take with you. Limitations can be a starting point for creativity.

Clothing: Clothing suitable to protect from wind.                                                 Appropriate footwear for natural/uneven terrain.

Terms for RPS Landscape Group Events:

Carbon offsets:

Tickets for events that involve travelling include a £2 carbon offset charge that will be paid to a carefully researched and selected offsetting partner.

Cancellation by You:

If you wish to cancel your booking PLEASE let the event leader / organiser know with as much notice as possible. If nothing else, this can avoid them delaying the start of the event while they wait for you.

If you have paid for an event, please note that this fee/ticket price is non-refundable unless we are able to sell your place to somebody else. You are welcome to sell your place yourself but, again, PLEASE notify the event leader / organiser in advance of any change.

Cancellation by us:

Event leaders are asked to make plans for alternative activities or locations in the case of poor weather and, in most cases, events will proceed despite poor weather unless, in the view of the event leader, the weather will lead to unacceptable safety risks or very little chance of successful photography. It is inevitable, however, that occasionally an event will be cancelled for this or another reason beyond the RPS’s control.

Occasionally an event may also be cancelled owing to lack of bookings. So if you wish to attend an event, don’t leave it till the last minute to book as it may be too late.

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 offered as a full refund. In the case of events cancelled because of lack of interest we will aim to give at least three weeks’ notice wherever possible.

Please note we are NOT able to refund any associated or consequential costs including but not limited to travel, accommodation, insurance premium or other costs incurred by you in order to attend the event.

Responsibility:

You are responsible for your own health and safety and must appraise your own strength, fitness and mobility. The event leader is NOT responsible for your safety, welfare or attendant medical conditions. Strictly the event leader is there to introduce you to a location and/or to teach you particular skills.

Liability for any accident, injury, medical condition, loss or damage to property, inappropriate behavior, dress, equipment and third party liability is accepted by you when signing up for the event. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Royal Photographic Society from all claims of whatsoever nature.

Insurance:

You are advised to consider having insurance to cover: event cancellation by you or by us, accident, medical, personal equipment and public liability.

In particular you should also consider, in the case of high cost events, the likelihood and consequences of you having to cancel or not attend at the last minute because of accident, medical or other unforeseeable circumstances.

Using your data:

Your personal details (name, telephone number and email address) will be provided to the leader of the event or workshop you have booked in order to enable them to:

• send you joining instructions for the event
• contact you at short notice in case of any emergency or last-minute change to the event.

If you do not want your details to be shared with the event leader please cancel your booking immediately. You will not be eligible for a refund as this information was provided on the web page where you made your booking.

Thank you

RPS Landscape Group Committee