DIPPER PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Derbyshire Dales
Early to Mid April 2027
Spending time alongside a rushing river in the heart of the beautiful Derbyshire Dales to photograph the dipper is never a chore. It’s a species incredibly close to my heart - in fact, a Derbyshire dipper photo won me the Habitat category in the British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) 2025. This workshop is designed for you to work on a range of styles, from classic portraits to more creative shots. Because these birds spend long periods resting calmly on their favoured rocks, it’s the perfect setting to experiment with slow-shutter speeds, turning the rushing torrent into a smooth, dreamy canvas. Timing these sessions for April should perfectly align with the height of their breeding season, meaning the adults are highly active, fiercely territorial, and regularly foraging along the river to feed their newly hatched chicks.
Key Information:
Cost: £180 per person | £300 when booked as a pair
Group size: max. 2
Duration: 3.5 hours (starting at sunrise)
Location: Derbyshire Dales
Dates: Daily throughout Early to Mid-April 2027
Fitness: Easy / Tailored to you
The Terrain & Accessibility: The physical distance covered on this session is short, tracking along roughly 1km of a well worn path along the riverbank. At my primary location, reaching the water involves walking down (and eventually back up) a series of steep stairs. However, this can easily be worked around if you have mobility concerns, as I can drop you off in my car directly at the bottom of the steps. The session can be completely tailored to your physical preference: we can either remain stationary, sitting on a camping chair on the riverbank (or even in the shallow water), or we can move actively along the stream to seek out different compositions. Please note that the ground directly alongside the rushing water is uneven, muddy, and can be incredibly slippery, so a steady foot and good boots are essential.
Photography Level: All skill levels welcome. For beginners, the relaxed pace offers the perfect opportunity to slow down, receive hands-on tuition, and perfect a classic, clean wildlife portrait. For more experienced shooters, it is an ideal environment to push your creativity - experimenting with slow-shutter speeds to blur the water and mastering the tricky, contrasting lighting conditions found along the riverbank.
What Will You Need:
Camera: Your favourite DSLR or Mirrorless camera.
Lenses: A focal length of at least 500mm (300mm APS-C, 250mm Micro 4/3) is ideal to get clean, detailed frames without encroaching on the birds. There may also be scope for wider, environmental shots, so a 100-400mm (or similar telephoto zoom) lens is handy.
Binoculars: Not a necessity, but ideal for helping pick out the birds further up the stream.
Support: A tripod or a sturdy beanbag/ground pod is highly recommended. To pull off sharp slow-shutter speed photos, you need a rock-solid base, so a tripod or a beanbag to rest on the riverside rocks is perfect. You are more than welcome to borrow spare equipment of mine if you need it - just let me know in advance!
Extra equipment: Spare batteries and extra SD cards.
Clothing & Food: Layers and full waterproofs are essential. To get those striking, low-perspective frames, you will have to be lying, kneeling, or sitting on wet, muddy riverbanks, making waterproof trousers or kneepads an absolute game-changer. Sturdy walking boots or wellies (particularly if you want to sit right in the water at the river’s edge) are a necessity. I will have a hot drink ready for us, but please feel free to bring your own snacks.
Good To Know:
Weather: Because this workshop takes place within a wooded valley, we are relatively well sheltered from the elements, and the session will go ahead in most conditions. The main exception is if persistent heavy rain causes the river to flood. If we are forced to cancel, I will look to re-book you onto an alternative date during that specific run of workshops. If that isn't possible, your payment will be issued as a credit voucher to use toward any future workshop or tour booking.
Location Pivots & Accessibility: While my primary location offers the vehicle drop-off workaround to avoid the steep steps, wild animals don't always look at the map. If the birds become inactive at the main site and we have to pivot to a backup river location to ensure we get the shots, I cannot guarantee the same level of easy accessibility or vehicular access at the alternative spots. If you have specific mobility constraints, please drop me an email before booking so we can chat through the logistics together.
Meeting Point: To protect the locations and the wildlife, I don't publish the exact meeting spot publicly. Around 2–4 weeks before the session, I will send you a detailed pre-workshop email with the precise parking info and a pin drop for our meeting spot. If you are travelling from further away and need to book accommodation ahead of time, please feel free to drop me an email and I can give you some pointers on the best areas to look.
Parking: There is a pay and display car park on-site with plenty of spaces.
Facilities: There are public toilets at the car park, but once down on the river there are no facilities within a 15-minute walk.
Supporting Local Wildlife: £10 from every single booking goes directly to Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to help fund their vital riparian conservation work, improving river water quality and safeguarding the fragile aquatic ecosystems that dippers rely on for survival.
The Post-Workshop Print: Every session includes a free, high-quality 8" x 12" print of your favourite photo from our day together. After the workshop, you can choose your image and I’ll print and post it directly out to you.
Other Species We May Encounter: Grey Wagtails and Mandarin Ducks.
Participant’s Photos
