November is always a lovely month to get out with the camera — the last of the autumn colour hanging on in the woodlands, crisp coastal air, and the promise of winter light creeping in. This month I ran two very different sessions: a group woodland walk at Nant Mill and a 1:1 landscape session at Newborough Beach on Anglesey. Both produced some cracking images, some great learning moments, and plenty of muddy boots.
Below is a little look at what we got up to, with a few of my favourite shots from each day.
We had a fantastic group of seven join the November Nant Mill woodland walk. The woods were still looking beautiful, even though the river was in high flow after heavy rain. High water levels make those classic “soft flowing water” shots trickier, simply because more of the rocks are submerged and the flow becomes harder to control in long exposures — but that’s all part of shooting outdoors. Every condition gives you something different to work with.
One of the big themes of the day was polarisers — how they work, why they work, and what they can do for woodland photography. I took a comparison shot during the session showing a polarised vs non-polarised frame, and it’s such a useful visual for understanding the difference they make when cutting glare off wet leaves and water.
My favourite images from the morning came right at the end. After switching into my wellies, I waded into the river itself to get a lower, more immersive angle. That little change of perspective made all the difference.
It wouldn’t be a Nant Mill update without mentioning that I’ll be back in April for the bluebells — one of my most popular woodland workshops of the year. If you want to join me for that one you can book your place here.
The second outing this month was a 1:1 workshop with Steve, a regular on my photowalks who wanted guidance in a new location and a chance to work more deeply on composition techniques.
Newborough Beach is a stunning spot: sweeping views along the Welsh coastline, beautiful dunes, and on this visit, freshly snow-capped peaks in Eryri glowing in the distance. We were hoping for some long-exposure opportunities among the rocks, but the weather was so calm that the sea barely moved. Sometimes it just doesn’t play ball — but the light was so gorgeous that it hardly mattered.
My favourite shot of the day was a moment I spotted from afar: two walkers making their way along the beach. I jogged up the dunes to the tree line to re-frame the scene, using the trunks to anchor the composition. A nice example of knowing the shot you want before you take it, and repositioning yourself to make it happen.
We also talked through the filter system I use — the K&F Concept Nano-Xcel Pro square filter set. It’s slightly more cumbersome than screw-on filters, but completely avoids the risk of extra vignetting and gives you more flexibility with longer exposures.
If you’ve ever wanted to take your photography further or focus on a specific skill, a 1:1 is the best way to do it. These sessions are:
Fully tailored to the learner
Suitable for all levels, especially beginners
Focused on the skills you want to develop
Great for composition coaching
Helpful for understanding camera settings and exposure
Ideal for seascapes, ND filters and long exposure techniques
Run at your own pace in a location of your choice (within reason!)
A brilliant gift idea – gift vouchers available
Next month brings one of my favourite annual walks: Sunrise on the Solstice, taking place on 21 December. It’s a peaceful, reflective way to start the shortest day of the year, and the low winter sun often gives us some beautiful moments to work with.
All upcoming sessions — including the new 2026 workshops — are listed on my website.
Thanks again to everyone who joined me this month. November has been a brilliant mix of woodland colour and coastal calm, and I’m already looking forward to seeing what December brings.
See you out there with a camera,
Liam
