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Janet Southard

Guest Report Forsinard Lodge Macro Photography Week - September 2023

It was good to be back at Forsinard Lodge. This time for a week of macro photography along with learning a few other photographic skills.

After a warm welcome we settled in and following a lovely evening meal we discussed the plan for the week.


A good nights rest, breakfast and then it was over to the nature studio.

A productive and informative day in a comfortable and well equipped studio. A little time spent having a refresh on the principles of macro photography which was very useful and nicely got our heads into the macro space.


We learnt focus stacking and in the afternoon after some foraging in Forsinard’s wood for objects we spent time learning light painting and back lighting.


To our delight there was a high alert for the Aurora.

This was something we hadn’t expected to see. With David and Janet giving us tips on what to do we set up in the lodge grounds and spent an hour or so capturing the Aurora and the Milky Way.


Waking to a sunny morning we set off with Janet to do some macro photography in a forest up on the coast. With help from Janet we spent a pleasant time identifying suitable objects and trying out new skills. It is amazing what interesting objects you find once you start looking.


In the afternoon we did a recce to a waterfall and a loch which both have potential to be great photography locations.



Our third day already! We ventured out onto the hill at the back of the lodge to see what we could photograph. We found some fungi and spent an hour or so photographing different types.

This is what we love about Forsinard Lodge. You can just go out of the front door and do interesting photography.


A short break and it was off to the very beautiful coastline taking advantage of the sunny weather to photograph a lighthouse and the amazing cliffs. This was a real treat and too good an opportunity to miss. Time to get the filters out and see how creative we could be. We didn’t want to leave this spot!


Staying local on the fourth day David took us to the Forsinain Trail which is 10 minutes down the road. We were learning intentional camera movement and multiple exposure. With David on hand to advise we soon became absorbed in the photography trying out these new skills. There was such a variety of things to photograph it was hard to know what to choose. We were in the forest so of course there were trees but also beautiful mosses and a variety of fungi. Intentional camera movement and multiple exposure are great fun and you can let your creativity run wild.


Back to base for lunch and then we stayed in the grounds to photograph a very obliging spider and to look for other interesting and different objects to photograph. Janet gave useful tips on lighting and creativity.

At the end of an enjoyable day David took us to a remote abandoned cottage. This was an amazing building and we spent some time photographing various features of the building.


Our last day came far too fast! We set off to travel across country to photograph various things but the weather deteriorated. Janet did her best to chase good weather but alas it was to no avail. We surrendered to the weather and headed back to the lodge and went into the studio with David and Janet to do further macro photography. We found the studio to be a lovely environment to work in and think it is a real bonus to have this facility on site. The time just flew by and before we knew it the end of a brilliant 5 days of photography was here.


There is something really special about Forsinard Lodge. Going on a Wild Arena course you can totally immerse yourself in photography with no distractions. David and Janet exude enthusiasm. They have a vast knowledge you can tap into and they are always more than willing to help you and give encouragement which boosts your confidence. Nothing is too much trouble.


The accommodation is very comfortable, the meals excellent and the company very pleasant and easy going.


All in all the week with the team at Forsinard was very rewarding and met all our expectations.


We went to Forsinard to improve our macro skills and this is exactly what we did plus we managed to include other types of photography. We came away with greater photographic confidence, a whole bunch of new skills for our tool box and a big desire to get back as soon as we can. David and Janet you are warned!!


Kate and Janet