Blackpool Photography Workshop – around the Central Pier
Location – Promenade, Blackpool, FY1 5BB sketch.stream.verbs
Blackpool is a popular seaside resort town located on the northwest coast of England. It's known for its long history as a holiday destination and its distinctive, vibrant atmosphere, though many would consider it to be well past its best for tourism it still makes for a FAB Photographic Location.
Whenever I run my Bespoke 1-2-1s or Blackpool Photography Workshops I find working around the Central Pier offers most opportunity with relatively little effort
Here are some key features of Blackpool:
Blackpool Tower: This iconic landmark, which opened in 1894, stands at 518 feet tall. Modeled after the Eiffel Tower, it's one of the town's most recognized attractions. Visitors can go up the tower to enjoy stunning views of the town and coastline, or even explore the Tower Ballroom and its rich history in ballroom dancing. While you can take photos from the viewing area I don't find them worth much attention
Blackpool Pleasure Beach: One of the UK's most famous amusement parks, Blackpool Pleasure Beach features a variety of thrilling roller coasters, including the historic Big One (the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the UK), as well as family-friendly rides and entertainment. It's a major draw for visitors of all ages. You may find photography (pro looking that is!) restricted; its their land their rules
The Seafront and Beaches: Blackpool has several miles of sandy beach along the Irish Sea. While the water may not be warm enough for a typical beach holiday, the beach itself is often bustling with tourists, and it's home to attractions like the Blackpool Illuminations a yearly display of colourful lights that stretches for miles along the promenade. Photo hot-spot all year through
Blackpool Illuminations: Held annually from late summer through early autumn, the Illuminations are a huge draw for visitors. The entire promenade and much of the seafront are lit up with bright, beautiful lights and displays, making it a must-see event. AWESOME for photos
Cultural and Historical Significance: Blackpool has been a popular destination since the Victorian era, and many of its buildings and attractions are rooted in that time. The town's heritage is reflected in its architecture, amusements, and seaside culture. A lot of it now appears somewhat 'grungy', which is of course excellent for photos
Accessibility: It's easily accessible by train from major cities like Manchester, Liverpool, and London, making it a convenient destination for day trips or longer stays.
Whether you're into Street, ICM, Multiple-Exposures, Architecture and obviously Land/Seascapes Blackpool offers something for every genre in spades (seaside pun intended)
And so to the photos...
These are all from a few hours spent on a Bespoke Blackpool Landscape Photography 1-2-1 Workshop with a serious hobby Photographer (Bryan) who was after 'polish' rather than a more hands-on level of instruction. As such, we agreed to shoot together so as to easily see & compare styles and each other's 'eye' afterward; especially in the post processing
For added fun I introduced Bryan to…
the Adamski Effect (an editing technique that combines a sharp subject, usually one or more persons, with a blurred background)
ICM (Intentional Camera Movement – waggling or panning your camera with a slow shutter speed), and
Multiple in-camera exposures (many modern digital cameras allow this now)
And finally, we moved into Sunset & beyond
As the tide was well out now people could walk (with their dogs) well out in front of us, which gave an added interest to the photo opportunities; and (in a post-production follow-up) I demonstrated the HUGE effect White Balance (WB) can have in changing the look & mood of photos
We were definitely lucky with the Sunset and weather in general, but as with all great photo results, firstly, you have to BE THERE for f8 (terrible pun I know) to be on your side
Gear used...
Nikon Z6ii with a Nikon Z24-70mm f2.8 and Nikon Z70-200mm f2.8, no filters of any kind; well battered 20-yr old Manfrotto tripod with pan/tilt head
Post-Processing...
All done in Adobe Lightroom using a variety of Masks; mostly for separating the Subject from the Sky/Ground, for adding Gradient Masks to the Sky, and for using both Linear & Radial Masks as a means of applying localised Dodging & Burning, and enhancing selective colours, clarity, etc.
Would you like to join me at a Blackpool Landscape Photography Workshop?
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