North Wales, Portmeirion & Bodnant Garden – Creative Flower Photography with Polina Plotnikova | Wild Photography Holidays - Photography & Adventure Travel

North Wales, Portmeirion & Bodnant Garden – Creative Flower Photography with Polina Plotnikova

Highlights include…

• Gorgeous flower locations
• Luxury Hotel Portmeirion
• Bodnant Laburnam Arch
• Portmeirion secret gardens
• Blue Poppies
• Wildflower meadows
• Coastal landscapes & walks
• Pre-visualising for creativity
• Multiple exposures in camera

Introduction

Flower photography is dear to many of us and our three night/four day workshop in Snowdonia is the perfect opportunity to really experiment and take your creativity to a new level. This workshop is led by Polina Plotnikova and assisted by WPH directors Geraldine Westrupp and Martin Sammtleben

During this workshop Polina will help participants to investigate new ways of approaching flower photography by demonstrating and encouraging participants to discover something unique in a flower, something hidden or not necessarily obvious at first sight. She will open new possibilities using techniques and ‘gadgets’ that you may have heard about but never had the opportunity to try out (nothing too complicated!) We will practice the art of pre-visualising your creative flower shot and encourage you to find your own unique way of expressing yourself with the camera.

There will be room for all sorts of approaches on this workshop – those who appreciate the natural beauty of plants and try to stay true to their original look will love our time in the gardens during outdoor sessions. Those who prefer not to limit their point of view to purely botanical aspects of flowers will be able to play with wide range of creative in-camera techniques. Both approaches will be equally interesting to apply during our indoors session focusing on creative flower portraiture with art backgrounds. We will investigate the importance of matching your flower with background and explore ways to create your own textures that can be used either in post processing or in-camera. We will experiment with multiple exposures in-camera together with tips and tricks during post processing your flower images.

Polina is part of the Lensbaby International Trailblazers Team. During this workshop she will demonstrate how to work with various Lensbaby lenses/optics and she will show participants how special effect vintage lenses can liberate and boost your creativity. If you have one do bring it along, if you don’t own one yet you will be given the opportunity to experiment and potentially transform your creative flower photography.

Our Locations

Bodnant Garden

Nestling in the foothills of Snowdonia North Wales, National Trust Property Bodnant Garden drop dramatically from manicured lawns and grand, flower-filled terraces, through buzzing wildflower meadows and shrub-filled glades, into awe-inspiring dells of water gardens and towering trees. Our workshop is timed to catch the fabulous and much visited laburnum arch.
Bodnant Garden website

Portmeirion Village

Located on a private peninsula overlooking stunning coastal scenery, the Italian Riviera meets rural Wales with a riot of colour and architectural styles at Portmeirion Village. The village is well known as the location for the 1960s cult TV series The Prisoner. It comprises a cluster of colour-washed buildings around a central piazza, scenic surroundings, superb flower gardens and extensive woodlands. Discover the exotic Japanese Garden with its pagoda and lily-covered lake. Uncover secret sites like the Dog Cemetery, tangle Wood, Ghost Garden and Shelter Valley. In the oriental garden, we find a classic temple overlooking the Chinese bridge and lake. Guests can take a small train and disembark at any point to explore one of the several paths that take them along coastal paths with stunning views. The white sandy beaches of the Dwyryd Estuary surrounding Portmeirion Village are incredibly photogenic with vistas all around including across the estuary towards the Snowdonia National Park.
Portmeirion Village website

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Llandudno

Arrive at our Llandudno Hotel. We have chosen to base ourselves here for the first night as there is a good train service from many places in the UK. If you wish to use your own car then this is fine, there is car parking at both our venues. We can meet and drop off participants arriving by train. We will meet for the first time as a group at 18:00 in the hotel reception for introductions, a workshop briefing and dinner. (D)
Landsdowne House Hotel

Day 2: Bodnant Garden & Portmeirion Village

After a relaxing breakfast we will drive for fifteen minutes through the River Conwy Valley to our location for the day, Bodnant Garden. This is a stunning National Trust Garden. Late afternoon we will drive to Portmeirion and settle in to our historic hotel in the grounds of this famous ‘Italian’ style village set in creatively designed gardens boasting vistas over a tidal estuary. (B,D)
Hotel Portmeirion Village

Day 3: Portmeirion Village

A full day in Portmeirion. During the bright hours 10:00-13:30 there will be a workshop with Polina Plotnikova. After lunch we will set off for more photographic explorations of this lovely village with its surrounding coastal and forest paths. Before we meet for dinner we will have time to work on some of our images for a presentation on the last morning. (B,D)
Hotel Portmeirion Village

Day 4: Portmeirion Village and Depart

Early morning light and a pre breakfast photography session in and around the village. After breakfast we will meet for a workshop with Polina 10:00-12:00 followed by a presentation of the participants favourite images from the workshop. After lunch we will depart, transfers will be included to Llandudno. (B)

What’s Included

• Transfer to and from Llandudno railway station
• One night hotel Llandudno
• Two nights hotel Portmeirion Village
• Breakfast and dinner
• Transport during the workshop
• Entrance fees to Bodnant and Portmeirion

What’s not Included

• Lunches
• Beverages and alcohol
• Transport to and from Llandudno
• Anything not mentioned above

Accommodation

Our first night in Llandudno will be at good quality hotel. Our two nights in the Portmeirion village will be at the four star Castel Deudraeth Hotel located in the Portmeirion Village.

Travel to Llandudno

By Rail

Llandudno is well connected by Rail from various UK locations. We will transfer participants from Llandudno Station to the first night hotel during the afternoon of day one and back to Llandudno Station in the late afternoon on day four.

By Air

The closest airports to Llandudno are Manchester and Liverpool there are train connections from these airports to Llandudno Station. (also from London airports).

By Road

If you wish to travel to Llandudno in your own car this is fine. There is a private car park at our first night Llandudno Hotel and also at Portmeirion Village. Whilst at the Portmeirion village we will not be using cars as our photography will be in and around the village. It may be that guests wish to stay in Wales before or after the workshop so having a car could be rather useful.
You will need to arrive at the hotel by no later than 18:00 on the first day of this workshop/break.

Food

We will eat our evening meals together. In Llandudno we will eat in a local restaurant. In Portmeirion Village we will eat at the hotel. One Lunch will be in at Bodnant Garden and two lunches at Portmeirion Village, these are not included. Please ensure that any special dietary needs are mentioned on the booking form.

Complete Itinerary and Full Details

This page is only a brief summary. A complete itinerary and more details can be found in our trip description PDF
It is important that you read this full day-to-day description and further information for this holiday before making your booking.