Foundations of Photography Beginner-Friendly Workshop at Ynyslas, Ceredigion
Refresh your knowledge of your camera’s settings and learn the fundamentals of composition in a relaxed, safe, and supportive environment on the stunning Mid Wales coastline.
A Supportive & Empowering Beginner-Friendly Mindful Seascape Photography Workshop with Brad Carr
Duration: Half Day (4 hours)
Skill Level: Beginner to Early Enthusiast
Investment: £85
Perhaps you have a camera you are still learning to feel at home with. The dials and menus are still confusing you, and you are getting to grips with manual mode. You would like a steady, unhurried morning to increase your understanding of the settings and to begin using them with a little more confidence in the landscape.
Perhaps you are comfortable enough with your camera by now, but your photographs feel a little flat. They are technically correct and often well-exposed, but they are missing the magical pull of a well-composed image. You are ready to begin seeing more photographs in the landscape and to learn the unspoken language of photography composition.
Beginners and enthusiasts are warmly welcomed to this Foundations workshop in Ceredigion. those new to the camera, those returning after time away, and those who have already attended my Introduction to Mindful Nature Photography workshop and would like to refresh their knowledge, and move further into understanding light & composition. Whatever brings you here, the door is open, and the stunning Mid Wales coastline is ready to welcome you.
This is where you’ll build confidence in your technical and compositional skills to begin crafting meaningful photographs.
See what other Photographers are Saying:
‘‘Brad helped me to understand my camera’s various features; his explanations were clear & easy to understand. Throughout the lesson, he was approachable & attentive. I don’t have an expensive camera, but I’m really happy with the shots I came away with. It’s opened my eyes to what I can achieve with it & I’m looking forward to putting some of my newfound knowledge into practice. If you want to discover or develop your photography in a friendly & relaxed environment, I can thoroughly recommend Brad & his workshop.’’
Eve R. ★★★★★
Proudly published in:
I’m Brad Carr, and eight years ago, I was in a similar place to you. I discovered my curiosity for the art of photography, having picked up a DSLR camera for the first time. All of my photographs were black, white, completely blurry, or lacking that magical something. I turned to the Internet to ask the question: why? And so began a transformative journey of self-discovery into the world of Nature and the art of photography.
My photographs of Wales’ ancient landscapes have since been featured in leading photography publications, including On Landscape, Outdoor Photography, International Therapist, and Nature Vision. I have also appeared on leading photography podcasts, and my debut exhibition, Finding Light, was viewed by an estimated 20,000 people at Plas Glyn y Weddw, one of Wales’ oldest and most prestigious galleries, in 2025.
Now I host workshops and retreats, educating and empowering others on their journeys towards creative awakening. My teaching style is warm, patient, and unhurried. Through all of my learning experiences, I will strive to meet you wherever you are, listening intently to your needs from the moment we connect. My promise to you is this: I will help you on your creative journey to become a better human being in whatever way I can.
See what other Photographers are Saying:
I was a little apprehensive beforehand: going on my own, feeling out of practice, and knowing my camera skills aren’t exactly great. But I needn’t have worried. Brad’s patience, kindness, and skill put me at ease straight away. I loved the encouragement to be present in nature, to really take in where we were and what was around us, to notice what we’re drawn to and give it a story. It was a gorgeous day spent with a group of kind, generous women in beautiful surroundings. I came home feeling calmer, refreshed, and full of positive energy. It was so good to step away, slow down, and reconnect with my photography. I’m excited to continue my journey. I highly recommend a workshop with Brad.
Elaine C. ★★★★★
The Shape of this Workshop
Rather than a single rigid curriculum, this workshop is woven by three threads. We’ll move between them as the evening calls for it, and as your particular needs guide us.
I.
Camera Refresh
A patient, unhurried revisit to the technical foundations: the exposure triangle, manual mode, and the small decisions that begin to make the camera feel familiar in your hands and lead you to a place where photography becomes intuitive.
II.
The Art of Composition
The main focus of this workshop is beginning to see photographically, learning to use lines, balance, symmetry, and light, and discovering how the framing of a scene shapes its story and meaning.
III.
Seeing & Connection
The quieter, contemplative thread that runs through all of my teaching. You’ll find a few moments of presence and learn about observation in the landscape. This is about understanding photography as a practice rather than a hobby.
What You’ll Learn at this Workshop
Each of the three threads above unfolds into a handful of tangible skills and reflections you will carry home with you.
Camera Refresh
The Exposure Triangle
We will simplify aperture, shutter speed, and ISO into a working knowledge you can carry into any scene. There’s no dry theory, only the practical sense of how the three relate.
Seeing Photographically
You’ll begin to recognise the photograph waiting to emerge from a scene and notice which of its elements carries the real story and meaning.
Presence in the Landscape
Slowing the pace, arriving in a place fully, and discovering how the camera can deepen rather than interrupt your experience of being there.
Confidence in Manual Mode
Shooting in manual mode will feel less like wrestling with the camera, and you’ll start to understand it intuitively. You’ll make small adjustments deliberately, with your creative intention leading the way.
The Art of Composition
The Principles of Composition
An accessible introduction to the way line, balance, symmetry, space, and visual weight shape an image, communicated lightly as guides, and never as an imposed set of rules.
Seeing & Connection
Mindful Observation
You’ll begin to notice what genuinely calls to you in a landscape and identify the quiet, almost-hidden things that make a photograph worth making.
Creative Effects
Understand how different settings combine to freeze motion, draw depth from a scene, or hold focus precisely where you want the eye to land. You’ll begin to know what you want to say and how to say it.
Working a Scene
You’ll start to understand how to move around a landscape with curiosity, exploring perspective, distance, and framing rather than settling on the first composition you see.
Photography as a Practice
A gentle introduction to the idea that photography can be a sustained creative practice, one that grows with you over a lifetime, rather than a hobby for occasional weekends.
What You’ll Gain Beyond the Photographs
Confidence That Lasts
You will leave with a working comfort in your camera, the foundations of a compositional eye, and a quiet certainty that you can continue to explore on your own. The progress you make during this workshop is yours to keep.
A working understanding of manual mode
A growing sense of how to see compositionally
Practical exercises you can carry into your own practice
A New Relationship with Place
Many photographers find that learning to see through the camera slowly changes how they experience the natural world, bringing greater presence, attention, and a deep reverence to their time outdoors.
Community & Kinship
A morning spent in the company of others walking similar paths, and an invitation to join the waitlist for the forthcoming Finding Light Creative Academy, where your creative journey can continue in good company.
A Clearer Path Forward
For many, this workshop is the beginning rather than the end. Some will book their next workshop; others go on to one-to-one tuition; others apply for my private and group mentoring programmes; while others will continue more confidently on their own. Whichever way feels right, you will leave with a clearer sense of the next step along your path.
About Ynyslas & the Ceredigion Coast
Ynyslas, on the southern shore of the Dyfi estuary in Ceredigion, is one of the most quietly beautiful stretches of the Mid Wales coastline: a place of long sandy expanses, spectacular sanddunes carpeted in marram grass, and wide horizons where the mountains of Eryri meet the Irish Sea.
There is a reason coastal landscapes lend themselves so naturally to learning photography composition: the elements are simplified, the horizons are clean, and the changing light across water and sand teaches the eye to notice in ways that more cluttered landscapes struggle to. It is, in many ways, the perfect classroom to practice photography.
The terrain is flat and accessible, the walk is gentle, and the spaces are large and wide enough for us to find quiet pockets together as a small group. No fitness or experience is required; only a willingness to be present, to slow down, and to see what beauty arises before the eyes.
See what other Photographers are Saying:
‘‘What a fantastic morning we had! When I first heard the workshop was an hour away from home, I was a bit unsure, but by god was it worth it. Brad sure knows his stuff, and you can tell how enthusiastic he is about photography. The whole workshop was laid back, none of this talking at you and expecting you to remember things. Brad was very patient, took time with each of us individually, and has a knack for explaining things in simple terms that we can all understand. All in all, a fantastic morning. Thank you, Brad.’’
Helen D. ★★★★★
Book Your Place on the Photography Foundations Workshop at Ynyslas
FAQ’s
-
If any of these resonate, you are ready: you are still building confidence with your camera and would value a patient refresh; you are comfortable enough with settings but find your compositions falling flat; you have attended my Introduction to Mindful Nature Photography workshop and are ready for the next step; or you are simply drawn to the natural world and want to deepen your relationship with it through the camera.
This workshop is designed to be accessible across the beginner and early-enthusiast range. No one is left behind, and no one is held back.
-
Yes, although not exclusively. Graduates of the Introduction to Mindful Nature Photography workshop are warmly welcomed back, with the technical foundations gently refreshed and a clearer focus given to composition. That said, the workshop is also fully open to anyone new to my teaching who fits the beginner-to-early-enthusiast range, so you can step in here without having attended the introductory workshop first.
-
Your camera, a selection of lenses (whatever you own is fine), spare batteries, and at least one memory card. A tripod is recommended but not essential. Suitable footwear and warm, weather-ready clothing — a raincoat and waterproof trousers are strongly recommended given the coastal setting. A notepad and pen for any reflections you may want to capture. A flask of something warm, water, and snacks for our break.
Personal and equipment insurance is your own responsibility, as it is not provided by Brad Carr Ltd.
A comprehensive guide will be sent out prior to the workshop which will include a full packing list.
-
Not at all. The principles we will explore — exposure, composition, seeing — apply to any camera with manual settings, from entry-level DSLRs and mirrorless models through to more advanced bodies. Past students have brought a wide range of equipment and have all left with photographs they were proud of.
-
Coastal photography is in many ways the art of embracing whatever the weather offers. Soft mist, dramatic skies, low cloud, even gentle rain — these are often the most atmospheric conditions in which to make photographs, and we will dress for them. The workshop will only be rescheduled if conditions become genuinely dangerous, in which case an alternative date will be arranged.
-
Please ask. There are no silly questions in my workshops; only honest ones, and they are warmly welcomed. Part of what I am here to do is to create a space where everyone feels comfortable saying when something hasn't yet clicked. Often, if you are wondering about something, others in the group are too.
-
You will be very warmly welcomed onward. Many past participants have gone on to one-to-one tuition for more personalised learning, or into my longer mentoring programmes as their practice has developed. You will also receive an invitation to join the waitlist for the Finding Light Creative Academy, an online community where the conversation continues between us.