Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Photo Workshop & Expedition 2026

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21st – 29th August 2026

A field photography expedition built for photographers who want control, not presets.

We work directly with light, wind, tides and rapidly changing conditions — teaching how to think, decide and adapt when the landscape refuses to cooperate.

This expedition is about mastering composition, exposure control, single-frame images and panoramas in real Atlantic weather — not collecting viewpoints or following a fixed script.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Wild Atlantic landscapes shaped by light, weather and isolation

📅 August 21 – 29, 2026
📍 Outer Hebrides, Scotland | 👤 Max 8 Participants | 📸 Up to 4 Instructors incl. Jan Šmíd, Master QEP

A remote photographic expedition led by Jan Šmíd, Master QEP


Nowhere blends raw coastal beauty and minimalist elegance like the Outer Hebrides. From the glowing sands of Luskentyre and Seilebost to the ancient Callanish Standing Stones and the wild cliffs of Lewis, every scene is sculpted by wind, tide and shifting light.

We’ve spent weeks scouting across Lewis and Harris, testing access, light direction and tide patterns — so you can focus entirely on creativity. Every day brings a balance between iconic and hidden: the beaches everyone dreams of and the elevated viewpoints almost nobody photographs.

Why Late August?

Because it’s magic.
By late summer, the heather is in full bloom, the air is warm but clear, and the sun drops low enough to paint the land with endless golden hours. Atlantic weather adds fast-changing drama — clouds, glow, mist, rainbows — all in one evening.

📸 What to Expect

  • Long sunsets and soft twilight transitions

  • Turquoise beaches at Luskentyre, Seilebost, Scarista etc.

  • Callanish Stones in moody dawn light

  • Cliffs of Butt of Lewis with crashing waves

  • Remote hilltops overlooking Taransay and Sound of Harris

  • Heather-covered ridges glowing at sunset

Workshop Format

Small group, big focus. With max 8 photographers and up to 4 instructors, you’ll receive personal coaching in every session. We’ll cover everything from single-frame storytelling and long exposures to multi-row panoramas and field-to-file workflows, adapted to your level.

🎥 Get the feel: Watch our travel videos from Lofoten, Madeira and the Dolomites on YouTube to see the atmosphere, pacing and photographic results of our photo workshops and tours.

👉 Secure your spot now and transform your portfolio in 2026! Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity!


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Butt of Lewis Lighthouse – seascape in Outer Hebrides Scotland, photo workshop 2026, fotoexpedice Skotsko, fotoworkshop Skotsko, focení moře, maják Hebridy

Who Is This Scotland Photo Tour For? 🌦️🌊🏔️

Whether you’re a seasoned landscape shooter or a motivated beginner, this expedition is built to elevate your photography.

✅ Photograph world-class beaches, ancient stones and hilltop viewpoints
✅ Master long exposures, panoramas, bracketing and focus stacking
✅ Learn to read tides, wind and weather for dependable results
✅ Build a cohesive, storytelling portfolio guided by experts
✅ Enjoy small-group coaching and inspiring teamwork

🗺️ What Will We See During the Expedition?

Each day we follow the light — not the schedule.
Our adaptive plan responds to forecasts, tide and wind, ensuring we always shoot the best conditions.

Highlights include:

  • Callanish Standing Stones – sunrise and blue-hour silhouettes

  • Luskentyre & Seilebost Beaches – turquoise shallows and reflective sands

  • Butt of Lewis – crashing Atlantic waves and dramatic cliffs

  • Scarista & Northton – glowing dunes and abstract shorelines

  • Hilltops above Harris – sweeping panoramas at golden hour

  • Lochs & Heather Ridges – calm reflections and late-summer colors

  • and much more…

Outside golden hours, we’ll explore textures, villages and details for creative mid-day shooting and editing sessions.

🟢 Physically Accessible & Weather-Adaptive

This Scotland photo workshop suits all fitness levels. Most locations involve short walks; longer hikes are optional.
Multiple vehicles allow flexible routing — no one is left behind.

✅ Light walks only ✅ Personalized approach ✅ up to 4 instructors, multiple vehicles = personalized approach.

🎥 Pre-trip primer on long-exposure seascapes. Watch before Hebrides to arrive prepped and start getting silky water fast. But don’t stress: we’ll teach and practice everything during the expedition.

🎥 Video on getting exposure right for landscapes—how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO trade off and when to prioritize each. It gives a method to balance motion vs depth of field vs noise, with simple starting points you can test. Watch before Hebrides to build confidence; we’ll reinforce everything hands-on during the expedition.

📍 Location: Outer Hebrides, Scotland

📅 Dates: 21–29 August 2026

🧭 Meeting Point: Inverness Airport (INV) — meeting by 3 PM with departure for the ferry; alternatively Stornoway Airport (SYY) with evening pick-up after arrival.

👥 Participants: Max 8

👨‍🏫 Instructors: up to 4 – Jan Šmíd (Master QEP), Martin Strouhal (QEP), Pavel Drexler (Adobe Certified Professional), Michael Prouza

✈️ Flights: Group support available

💰 Price: 6990 USD

(🇨🇿 orientační cena pro CZ účastníky: 69 000 Kč — USD price applies to international bookings; CZK rate reflects local currency & local services)

💼 Deposit: 1990 USD

🏠 Accommodation: Premium cottages (twin rooms as standard; single room available on request for an additional fee)

🍽 Meals: self-catering or restaurants

🌐 Language: English (🇨🇿 český lektor k dispozici)

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Callanish Standing Stones at sunset on Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland — landscape photographed during the 2026 photo workshop with Jan Šmíd, Master QEP, fotoexpedice Skotsko 2026, fotoworkshop Skotsko 2026, fotografování Skotsko, Hebridy focení

✅ Why Join the Outer Hebrides Photo Workshop & Tour 2026

  • Led by Jan Šmíd, Master QEP — one of Europe’s most awarded landscape photographers.

  • Built from real on-site scouting — weeks spent across Lewis & Harris to ensure perfect timing, tides and access.

  • Designed for late-summer perfection — long golden light, blooming heather, and atmospheric skies.

  • You’ll shoot both the iconic beaches and elevated viewpoints few photographers ever reach.

  • Small-group format for maximum flexibility, personal mentoring, and creative focus.

  • No secrets, real techniques — composition, panoramas, long exposures, perspective control, bracketing/stacking, and a RAW-to-print workflow.

  • Premium comfort, inspiring company, and truly unforgettable locations.

Outer Hebrides Scotland landscape mosaic from the 2026 photo workshop with Jan Šmíd, Master QEP, fotoexpedice Skotsko 2026, fotoworkshop Skotsko 2026, fotografování Skotsko, Hebridy focení

📸 Recommended Photography Gear

To get the most out of your Hebrides photo expedition, we recommend bringing a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a sturdy tripod, and a selection of wide-angle to telephoto lenses. But don't worry — even if you shoot exclusively on a smartphone, you're still welcome! We adapt our approach based on your gear and experience level.

🎒 Not sure what to bring? After you register, you'll receive a detailed gear checklist, plus personal advice tailored to your needs.

🧭 Still deciding on your setup? No problem. As part of your expedition package, we offer:

  • Equipment consultations before the trip

  • Tips for optimizing your current gear

  • Guidance on choosing tripods, filters, cameras, or weather-proof clothing

  • (Limited) access to test gear during the expedition

  • Whether you’re a seasoned pro refining your kit or a beginner building a dependable setup, we’ll get you ready for the Outer Hebrides — from dramatic cliffs and Atlantic viewpoints to white-sand beaches and glowing heather ridges. Shoot full-frame, APS-C or mobile — you’ll be prepared for long-exposure seascapes, sweeping single shots, panoramas and atmospheric late-summer light.

✅ What’s Included in the Price ❌ What’s Not Included

  • 📸 Full photo instruction (up to 4 instructors incl. Jan Šmíd – Master QEP). Techniques for

    single shots, panoramas, seascapes, aurora borealis/stars, bracketing, stacking, and editing.

    Personal mentoring & daily image reviews

  • 🛌 8 nights accommodation — premium cottages. Full kitchen, laundry, premium amenities.

    Double occupancy standard; single room for an additional fee

    (subject to availability — request in advance).

  • 🚘 All transport incl. airport pickup & local transfers

  • ✈️ Flight assistance — route advice and group coordination (flights not included).

  • 🎒 Extras — pre-trip gear & clothing consult, printable packing list; optional Sony gear test

    (subject to availability — request in advance).

  • Flights to/from Scotland

  • Meals & drinks (self-catering/restaurants)

  • Travel/medical insurance

  • Entry fees (if applicable)

How We Work: Flexible, Real-World Shooting (what about the itinerary)?

There is no fixed day-by-day schedule. Each shooting session is planned around real conditions — light direction, weather, wind and tides — so we’re always in the right place at the right moment.

Thanks to extensive on-location scouting across Lewis and Harris, we choose locations dynamically: turquoise beaches in soft Atlantic light, storm-lit cliffs at the Butt of Lewis, reflective lochs, or elevated viewpoints above Harris when conditions align.

The focus is clear: top-quality landscape photography — single frames, long exposures and panoramas. Between key shoots, we explore both iconic and lesser-known locations, creating a complete and immersive expedition experience without rushing or box-ticking.

🎯 Our mission is simple: To help every participant create the strongest images possible — every single day.

This photo expedition is designed as an intensive field-based learning experience, where photography is taught directly in real landscapes and changing conditions. If you want to understand how expeditions, private courses and mentoring connect into one complete education system — and how individual formats complement each other — you can read a detailed explanation here.

For photographers who want to continue expanding their portfolio after the Outer Hebrides workshop, our top recommendations are the Alaska Fall Landscape & Glacier Photo Expeditions 2026 & 2027 — combining vast tundra colors, towering glaciers and the Aurora Borealis. You can also explore our early-season Iceland workshop, summer Lofoten tours and much more for a complete year-round mix of dramatic mountains, wild coastlines and Atlantic light. (fotoexpedice Aljaška 2026, fotoexpedice Aljaška 2027, fotoworkshop Aljaška).

❓ FAQ: Outer Hebrides Photo Workshop & Expedition 2026

  • Not at all — the expedition is designed for all skill levels, and our instructor team adapts everything in the field, from composition choices to exposure technique, ensuring that complete beginners learn fast while advanced photographers get targeted mentoring to refine their vision, workflows and consistency.

  • Late August brings a beautiful mix of soft golden light, long evenings, blooming heather and moody Atlantic conditions; you can experience sun, haze, dramatic clouds and light rain in the same hour — a gift for landscape photography because it produces depth, atmosphere and color transitions you simply don’t get in stable-weather destinations.

  • The expedition is built to be accessible for all fitness levels: most locations involve short, easy walks, while optional hilltop viewpoints are available for those who want more adventure; with multiple vehicles and instructors, nobody is pushed, nobody waits, and the pace always matches your comfort.

  • No problem — you can shoot full-frame, APS-C or even mobile, and we’ll help you get excellent results by teaching practical techniques for stability, long exposures, panoramas and clean RAW capture; after booking, you’ll receive a detailed gear guide plus optional pre-trip consultation to fine-tune whatever equipment you already own.

  • Absolutely — you’ll photograph famous places like Luskentyre, Seilebost, Callanish and the Butt of Lewis, but thanks to our extensive scouting we also take you to lesser-known coves, elevated viewpoints and remote ridges rarely photographed by visitors, giving you a truly unique portfolio beyond the standard Hebrides shots.

  • If you’d like to continue developing your landscape portfolio after the Outer Hebrides, the most meaningful next step is the Alaska Fall Landscape & Glacier Photo Expeditions 2026 & 2027 — combining vast tundra colors, huge glaciers and the opportunity to photograph the Northern Lights. For different seasons and moods, consider also our Iceland early-season workshop and our Wachau autumn expedition, offering a complete year-round blend of Arctic scenery, dramatic coastlines and unique northern light.

  • Ano. I když jsou stránky a komunikace primárně v angličtině, účastníci z Česka a Slovenska se hlásí pravidelně. Vše vysvětlíme jasně a srozumitelně, včetně techniky, postupů a práce v terénu. Nemusíte se bát jazykové bariéry. Český lektor je vždy k dispozic

📅 Limited spots available – Book your place now!

👉 JOIN THE EXPEDITION
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💡 Got questions? Reach out directly and we’ll help you with flights, equipment, or anything you need to prepare.

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