I have been running Photography Workshops in the Scottish Highlands & Islands for just over 4 years now but the Uist Islands have never featured on my schedules.
Until now…..
For the past 4 years I have concentrated on the more popular destinations such as the Isle of Skye and Glencoe. I have also organised many trips to Assynt, Torridon and the Isles of Harris & Lewis. All of these destinations have proved to be incredibly popular with my guests. The temptation has been and could always be to keep things as they are. After all, why change if these destinations always fill up. Why change if it continues to earn me money? I am a Professional Landscape Photographer after all and like most other people, I have to work to pay my bills. This job is my only revenue stream.
A revenue stream where Workshops provide approximately 70% of my income. These tried and tested locations have proved to be very successful for me.
But, the Uists had been at the back of my mind for a while. What if I was making a serious misjudgement in not including it on my schedule? Was I missing a trick? 80% of my clients are repeat bookings and I was running out of destinations to offer them. If I provide them with something different, they may follow and my revenue stream would be protected. Therefore, on a business level I had to, at the very least explore this untried market. It was clear from my early research that few, if any other Landscape Photographers offers the Uists as a Workshop location. Why? Had they looked into it and decided it wasn’t worth it? Was there not enough photographic opportunities to warrant organising a Workshop? Or, had they decided to stick with the tried and tested locations they were used to and have proved to be successful for them? I decided to dig a bit deeper, I decided the group of islands to the south of the Isle of Harris was worth investigating. A business decision was made to go there and see for myself.
However, it’s not all about business. There had to be an emotional connection with this group of 7 islands. Berneray, North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra & Vatersay. I had to like them. I had to feel warmth towards the Island. I had to leave looking forward to my return.
Before my first visit, I did what I always do when I visit a place for the first time. I read up about it. I researched it. The history, the culture, the religion, the climate, the language, the clans. Anything which would give me as much information about the islands to help me understand what is there and why it’s there. I watched old YouTube videos illustrating how life used to be on the Islands. Old black and white footage of fishermen, crofters, preachers, teachers, tradesmen helped me understand how life used to be in the Uists in years gone by and how it has influenced todays life. Of course, I watched the old black and white film “Whisky Galore” to help me understand the communities and the socio-history of those communities. Now, I was ready to go for the very first time…….a trip I was very much looking forward to.
Anticipation and excitement that can only be experienced when you see something for the very first time.
I went for 4 days and during my brief first visit. All of my research coupled with the visual feast before me, made the decision to run a Photography Workshop a very easy one. By the end of the first day, my mind was made up. I was going to commit to the Uist Islands. This was backed up by the numerous conversations I had with my good friend, Gary Beaumont. Gary was and still is a regular visitor to the Uists. Not only is Gary a talented photographer, his passion and knowledge of these islands is inspirational. He was able to pin point locations which he considered would be perfect for my guests. Not only the obvious ones, but the ones that are well off the beaten track. Gary was showing me how a Photography Workshop in the Uists would be a tremendous experience. A get away from it all experience. I, in turn felt it represented exceptional value for money offering opportunities to capture images very few would have. The decision was made, to run with it. I negotiated with several hotels spread throughout the islands and decided on one in South Uist. Although at the southern end of the islands, the hotel was only an hour and 10 minutes from the furthest location which was not untypical of many of my other Workshops.
After returning home, I immediately put together 4 Workshops and they sold out overnight. I was surprised by how quickly this happened but when I saw who had booked…..it was all returning customers. Customers who had been away with me multiple times. Customers who liked me, trusted me and were looking for a new location to continue our relationship and friendship. I was truly grateful to all of them and thankful of their support. I returned to Uist on 2 more occasions to further my education on the Islands, both creatively and from a business perspective.
I published 2 YouTube videos to help promote the islands – My Favourite Beach in the Outer Hebrides
And The Isles of Barra & Vatersay in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. You have to visit these Islands.
It was a massive boost for me that the first guests to attend this first Workshop to the Uists had all been away with me before. But, I was still more nervous than normal before the Workshop. I was going into the unknown in so many ways. I had no previous experience on how the week was going to be structured. Although I was very familiar with the Outer Hebrides weather systems, was Uist going to have a different one, a more unique one. I was unfamiliar with the travelling distances between locations, how long would it take to get from A to B. I already knew from my 2 previous trips, the Vodafone network barely worked when away from the hotel. I really must change to EE, which appears to offer much better coverage in the Highlands. This could potentially pose problems whilst trying to navigate around the Islands. Therefore, I was extremely pleased and relieved that Gary Beaumont agreed to accompany me on this first Workshop. Without him, I may have got lost a few times and who knows, my clients may have missed an opportunity to get a great shot. Thankfully, mostly down to Gary, these opportunities were never missed and in fact, they were all captured. My guests came back with some quite brilliant imagery, photographs that very few others have. Gary’s presence has now given me the confidence to run a Workshop in the Uists by myself.
But, as you can see, it takes alot of time, research and visits before I am confident that I can offer fantastic value for money on my Workshops. Alot of care and preparation goes into their organising. I want my guests to have an amazing experience, one they will talk about for years to come. I care very deeply about this, sometimes too much.
But, it has been so worthwhile. I am now confident that I made the right business decision to run Photography Workshops to the 7 islands that make up the Uists. I have added further Workshops to the Islands with the knowledge that I can introduce so many photographers to the magic that is the Uists.
So do you fancy the chance of capturing some of the most spectacular scenery the British Isles has to offer?
Join me on a journey which will take you to some of the most remote landscapes in the British Isles.
The Uist Islands are a rarity on the modern, crowded, highly urbanised island of Britain. You could get lost up here for weeks – and that still wouldn’t be enough time.
Please read some of the Testimonials from the 1st Workshop on the Uists.