WALL LIZARD PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Bristol
Spring through to Autumn
Join me in the heart of Bristol to photograph the incredibly exotic-looking Wall Lizard. These brilliantly coloured reptiles are not native to the UK; they were originally brought over as pets during the Victorian era and can now be found thriving at a few select sites across England. Thankfully, they haven't had an adverse effect on the local ecology in Bristol, making them a fascinating and welcome addition to our urban wildlife. On this session, we will focus on capturing their intricate, bright green, blue and black scale textures, managing shallow depths of field, and learning how to patiently approach these subjects to capture stunning close-ups without startling them.
Key Information:
Cost: £150 per person | £250 when booked as a pair
Group size: max. 2
Duration: 3 hours (with a flexible start time based on the morning's weather)
Location: Bristol
Dates: Throughout 2027 (Spring, Summer & Autumn months)
Fitness: Easy / Gentle
The Terrain: The physical demands of this workshop are very low. The only real walking involved is moving from the parking area to our location, where we will spend the session tracking the lizards around stone walls and pathways.
Photography Level: All skill levels welcome. These lizards are fantastic subjects for mastering critical focus control, macro perspective, and tracking small, unpredictable movements. Because they can scramble out of view in the blink of an eye, it is a brilliant masterclass in patience and reading animal behaviour.
What You Will Need:
Camera: Your favourite DSLR or Mirrorless camera.
Lenses: A telephoto focal length of 400mm (250mm APS-C, 200mm Micro 4/3) is excellent for keeping a respectful distance, but the most crucial factor is using a lens with a close minimum focusing distance. Because these lizards are small, a telephoto zoom (like a 100-400mm) that allows you to focus tightly from a relatively short distance is perfect for filling the frame.
Support: Please note that tripods are strictly not permitted at this specific location. You will need to shoot entirely handheld or use a monopod to help steady your gear. Thankfully, because the lizards rely on brighter conditions to emerge, keeping your shutter speeds high enough for sharp handheld shooting is very straightforward.
Extra equipment: Spare batteries and extra SD cards.
Clothing & Food: Comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes for standing on stone paths. Because this is an open-air urban environment, dress for the elements and bring sun protection if it’s bright. I will have a hot drink ready for us, but please feel free to bring your own snacks.
Good To Know:
Weather & Variable Timings: As cold-blooded reptiles, the wall lizards' activity is entirely dictated by the weather. Bright overcast to sunny conditions are necessary to coax them out onto their basking spots. Because of this, our exact start time can vary slightly on the morning of the workshop depending on what the weather is doing to ensure we get the absolute best window of activity. If persistent heavy rain or cold, dark conditions force a cancellation, I will look to re-book you onto an alternative date. If that isn't possible, your payment will be issued as a credit voucher for any future workshop or tour.
Meeting Point: To safeguard the location, I don't publish the exact meeting spot publicly. Around 2–4 weeks before your 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 mixture of free and paid for parking nearby.
Facilities: Unlike our more remote wildlife workshops, there are public toilets located conveniently close to our photography area.
Supporting Local Wildlife: £10 from every single booking is split between Avon Needs Trees and Hedgerow Heroes to help fund vital woodland creation and hedgerow restoration, establishing crucial wildlife corridors and safeguarding diverse edge habitats.
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: Kestrels and Jackdaws.
