Workshops
Leaves of Change
Leaves of Change:
An Autumn landscape photography workshop in the Scottish Highlands.
October 22–24, 2027
Pitlochry & Highland Perthshire, Scotland
3-day residential photography workshop
Based at Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry
Maximum 8 photographers
An autumn photography experience in the Scottish Highlands
Join Scottish landscape, adventure and conservation photographer Micah Stanbridge for an immersive photography workshop based around Pitlochry and the surrounding Highland areas.
Timed for the height of the autumn colour, Leaves of Change: Scottish Highlands Landscape Workshop is an opportunity to step away from the everyday, spend time immersed in nature and explore a more deliberate approach to photography in the wild.
Over three days, we’ll chase the changing colours of ancient woodland, explore the movement of rivers and waterfalls, and find solitude in some of Scotland’s finest Highland landscapes.
Rather than simply moving between locations, we’ll take time to look, experiment and respond to what we find, using changing light and conditions as the starting point for our photography.
The emphasis is not on chasing one perfect photograph. You’ll have plenty of time to explore, experiment and create images you’re proud of, while slowing down, observing and finding inspiration in nature — building the confidence and creative tools to make stronger, more personal photographs wherever you go next.
Workshop details:
Dates: 22-24 October 2027
Location: Pitlochry & Highland Perthshire, Scotland
Accommodation: Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry
Group size: Maximum 8 participants
Price: £1,500 per person
Deposit: £300 to secure your place (non-refundable)
Balance: £1,200, due 30 days before the workshop.
For bookings made within 30 days of the workshop, the full workshop fee will be payable at the time of booking.
Minimum numbers
Leaves of Change requires a minimum of four participants. We’ll confirm that the workshop is going ahead no later than 35 days before the start date. If minimum numbers aren’t reached, you’ll have the choice of a full refund or transferring your booking to a future workshop.
Cancellations
We understand that plans can change. If you cancel more than 30 days before the workshop, any payments made will be refunded, less your £300 deposit. Cancellations within 30 days are non-refundable unless we’re able to fill your place.
If the workshop is cancelled by MICAH Photography Ltd., all workshop fees you have paid will be refunded in full.
About the workshop
More than camera settings
Knowing how to operate a camera is important. But understanding why you’re taking a photograph is much more interesting.
Throughout the workshop, I’ll share my approach to photographing landscapes and wild places — from researching locations and reading weather and light, through to building a composition and deciding when to shoot and when to wait.
Together, we’ll explore:
turning the landscape in front of you into a photograph — finding compositions among woodland, rivers, waterfalls and wider Highland views
working creatively with autumn colour, changing light, weather and moving water
making deliberate choices about focal length, exposure and depth of field to support your creative intent
slowing down, exploring possibilities and refining a composition rather than chasing the obvious photograph
reviewing what works, experimenting with different approaches and developing greater confidence in your own photography
There will be demonstrations throughout, but plenty of time for you to work independently, experiment and ask questions!
The Experience
Autumn around Pitlochry offers an extraordinary variety of photographic possibilities within a remarkably compact area.
Loch Tummel opens onto the classic Highland views, while The Hermitage offers towering woodland, waterfalls and an incredible display of autumn colour. Nearby rivers and lochs create opportunities for reflections, movement and more intimate compositions, while the surrounding glens and moorland offer a very different Highland perspective.
By late October, rich autumn colour, shifting light and moody skies bring the landscape to life. This is Big Tree Country at its finest.
Our exact locations will remain flexible. Rather than following a rigid itinerary regardless of conditions, we’ll use the weather, light and autumn colour to determine where we have the strongest photographic opportunities.
That’s part of the workshop too: learning how to make those decisions when nature doesn’t follow the plan.
Package includes:
Two nights’ accommodation at the historic Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry
Breakfast each morning, lunches and refreshments throughout the workshop, and three-course dinners on Friday and Saturday evening
Transport between the hotel and all photographic locations
Three days of small-group landscape photography tuition, limited to six photographers
Individual guidance and feedback throughout the field sessions
Image review and editing sessions at the hotel
Pre-workshop information, recommended equipment and preparation guide
What you’ll need to arrange
Travel to and from Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry
Personal camera equipment
Appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear
Travel and equipment insurance
Your Instructor
Micah Stanbridge
Landscape, adventure and conservation photographer
Micah is a Scotland-based professional photographer working across landscape, adventure and conservation storytelling.
Alongside his landscape and conservation work, Micah works commercially with organisations including AECOM, WSP and Tetra Tech on projects across the UK.
His photography has taken him from the Scottish Highlands to the Arctic, Central Asia, Madagascar and beyond. But it is growing up in Scotland that has most shaped his relationship with wild places, photography and the stories we can tell through them.
His approach to teaching isn’t about prescribing where to put the tripod or giving everyone the same photograph to make. Instead, he aims to help photographers understand how to read a landscape, make their own creative decisions and develop the confidence to find their own photographs within it.
Leaves of Change brings these ideas together in a landscape Micah knows like the back of his hand, in one of the most beautiful seasons of the year to photograph it.
Who is this workshop for?
Leaves of Change welcomes photographers with a range of experience levels. You don’t need to be an expert, but a basic familiarity with your camera will help you get the most from the workshop. Whether you’re looking to build confidence with your photography or are a more experienced photographer seeking fresh inspiration and a more considered creative approach, the small group allows for individual guidance and space to develop your work at your own pace.
The workshop will be particularly suited to photographers who want to:
experience and photograph Scotland’s ancient woodlands, waterfalls, lochs and Highland landscapes at the height of autumn
strengthen their composition and learn to see photographic possibilities more confidently
better understand how aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focal length can be used creatively
become more confident responding to changing light, weather and unfamiliar landscapes
experiment with techniques such as long exposures, movement and more intimate landscape photography
move beyond familiar formulas and develop a more personal approach to their images
With a maximum of six participants, there will be plenty of opportunity for individual tuition as well as time to work independently.
Equipment
You’ll need a camera with manual controls, a tripod, and your usual photography equipment. A detailed equipment, clothing and preparation guide will be provided before the workshop.
Filters can be useful for capturing movement but are not essential.
Most importantly, bring curiosity and a willingness to experiment.
A Flexible Highland Itinerary
The itinerary will remain deliberately flexible so that we can make the most of the conditions.
Day One — Arrival & Autumn Landscapes
Meet the group at Atholl Palace before heading into the landscape for our first photography session, working with autumn woodland, water and changing evening light.
Meals provided: Three-course welcome dinner at Atholl Palace, with tea and coffee.
Day Two — Into the Landscape
A full day exploring Highland Perthshire, responding to the best available light and conditions. We’ll combine demonstrations and individual tuition with plenty of time to work independently, before returning to the hotel for an image review and editing session.
Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch and refreshments throughout the day, followed by a three-course dinner at Atholl Palace.
Day Three — Refinement & Reflection
A final field session will allow you to put the ideas from the weekend into practice, followed by a review of our work and a discussion about carrying what you’ve learned into your photography beyond the workshop.
Meals provided: Breakfast, lunch and refreshments throughout the day.
Locations and timings will remain flexible so we can respond to weather, light, access and the best autumn conditions.
About Atholl Palace Hotel
The Atholl Palace Hotel is a historic 4-star Scottish Baronial-style hotel set in 48 acres of wooded parkland and award-winning gardens overlooking Pitlochry in Perthshire, Scotland. Its location gives us easy access to the surrounding woodlands, rivers, lochs and Highland landscapes, while providing a comfortable place to return to after time in the field.
Breakfast and three-course evening meals will be served at the hotel, and we’ll also use our time there to review images, edit and discuss the day’s photography together.
