Walks | drakephotography

Photography Walks

Night time photograph of the view of the Three Graces from the Albert Dock.

Would you like to capture photographs of Liverpool similar to those featured here on my website and in my books?
Just starting out in photography but don't know where to begin with your camera?
Simply looking for a new hobby that will get you out in the fresh air more?
Understand the basics but looking to take your photography skills to the next level?
Only in Liverpool for a short time and want to make the most of your visit whilst enjoying a day or evening of photography?
Or simply looking for something different to give as a gift to someone who enjoys photography?

My Liverpool photography walks and tuition are the perfect opportunity to learn more about your camera and photography and capture the beauty of the city around you. I offer evening, half-day, or full-day photography walks/tuition. All of my walks are offered as 1-2-1 tuition or as a small group of 2 or 3, and our start time can be flexible if you wish to capture the city after dark or even at sunrise.

I want people to enjoy photography as much as I do and so would like to think my friendly and patient approach to teaching means everybody will have a productive and enjoyable day. Every individual participant will also receive a personal one hour zoom session with myself at a later date, where I will use some of the photographs you have taken on the day to teach you how to edit your work effectively. If it is just your editing that you are looking to improve then I also offer the 1-2-1 zoom session on its own.

Who are these photography walks for?

Anyone with a camera or phone camera who wants to learn about photography and improve their photography skills at the same time as exploring one of the most photogenic cities in the world.

What will I learn?

This will largely depend upon your level of photography before you join me for the day and what you personally would like to achieve, but I aim to pass on as much of my knowledge as I can without overloading you ! I purposely limit the size of any group to a maximum of 3 in order to spend as much of my time with everyone. I also send out a survey prior to the day so that I know more about your photography experience and what you’re looking to learn, and whether you are hoping to visit any particular part of the city. Some of the topics covered will include:

Understanding the basics of exposure - Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO.

Getting to grips with a camera - what do all the buttons and dials do !

What lens should I use for what shot.

Focus - where exactly and when to use manual focus rather than auto focus.

What determines whether a photograph ‘works’ or not - importance of composition.

How to find originality in photographing a famous city or landscape.

Understanding how light and conditions are so important in photography.

When and where should I use a tripod. Low light photography and night photography (if evening walk).

How to take a series of photographs in order to ‘stitch’ together a panoramic shot.

How to edit your photographs effectively - I coach you individually via a 1-2-1 zoom meeting at a later date.

Where will we visit?

As Liverpool is a relatively small city with most locations within easy walking distance, we can cover the majority of the main landmarks within our time together. I will also take you to some of the lesser known spots within the city for further photo opportunities. If time permits we can take the ferry across the Mersey in order to capture the famous city skyline. Where possible, if there is a specific place you wish to visit or even if there is a specific photograph of mine that you wish to take yourself then I will always try and accommodate you.

The following is a sample itinerary of what you might expect during an evening photography walk:

Meet at the Beatles statue at the Pier Head.

Shoot the iconic Three Graces and surrounding architecture.

Capture the sunset and the blue hour light from around the Royal Albert Dock.

Photograph the Waterfront buildings as the many lights are switched on after dark.

Walk to a suitable location in order to capture light trails from the moving traffic.

If requested, head across to Seacombe in order to capture the city skyline and colours at night.

The following is a sample itinerary of what you might expect during a full day photography walk:

Meet at the Beatles statue at the Pier Head.

Take the ferry across the river in order to capture the magnificent skyline.

Shoot the iconic Three Graces and surrounding architecture.

Head over to the Royal Albert Dock for the classic views.

Walk up to Castle Street and the Town Hall. Possibility of going inside the Town Hall and shooting the beautiful staircase and dome.*

Stop for lunch and to review images so far and talk all things photography and Liverpool.

Walk to William Brown Street for the civic buildings and neo-classical St George’s Hall.*

Visit the Catholic cathedral and surrounding Georgian Quarter.

Walk to the stunning Anglican Cathedral and head up the tower for the views of the city.

Stop at the Chinese Arch before finishing the afternoon in Mathew Street, home of the Cavern Club.

*access to the interiors of these buildings dependent on their availability on specific days.

What equipment do I need?

Camera - these walks are aimed at all abilities. Although you will learn certain elements of photography using your phone camera, you will benefit more if you have a dedicated stills camera. That could be a simple point and shoot, an APSC, DSLR or a mirrorless camera.

Lenses - if you have them bring them - a standard zoom lens should be sufficient. The majority of my work is taken using a wide angle lens of 35mm.

A tripod will be essential for these evening /after dark walks but if you don’t have one I may be able to lend you one.

Suitable clothing for the expected weather - ideally an umbrella and drying cloth for your camera if rain forecast.

Comfortable shoes as we will be on our feet for most of the time.

A notebook or notes app as you may wish to make notes on some of the elements that I teach. However, after the event, I will email a handy page guide covering what we have learnt from our walk.

What are the costs and what is included?

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY RATES FOR 2025

3 hours as half a day or evening tuition is £80 for 1-2-1 tuition. If you know someone else who would also like to come on the walk then this cost becomes £60 per person. Maximum of 3 people.

6 hours full day or afternoon into evening as part of a group is just £120 per person or £160 for 1-2-1 tuition.

Mersey Ferry tickets and Liverpool Cathedral Tower entry may be an additional £10 if we visit these attractions.

All sessions include a free one hour 1-2-1 zoom call at a later date in order to improve your editing skills.

The stand alone 'how to edit your images' 1-2-1 zoom call is charged at £30 for an hour.

10% of all fees will be donated to the Whitechapel Centre, Liverpool’s leading charity for the homeless.

What dates are available and how do I book?

Walks can be booked via my shop page - the link below will take you there. Simply select the walk you wish to book from the list of options. Feel free to email me with any questions or if you wish to check availability before booking. Otherwise, once I receive your booking, I will send you or the person you are buying for, a confirmation email that you can then reply to with any dates (in priority order) that you would like to join me. I am fairly flexible and so will look to accommodate you on the most suitable one for us both.

Book a Walk

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Terms and conditions

Cancellations - All bookings must be paid for in full at the time of booking. Once a date is agreed between myself and the client, the booking will be considered confirmed. If the client wishes to cancel the confirmed booking more than 28 days before the agreed date then the client will receive 80% of the fee as a refund. If the client cancels less than 28 days before the agreed date then the client will receive 50% of the fee as a refund. However, if wishing to simply change the agreed date then please let me know as soon as possible and I will try my best to accommodate you. If this is less than 14 days before the agreed date then there will be a rescheduling fee. Please note these policies are in place to protect the time and preparation that goes into each and every walk and I really appreciate your understanding and co-operation.

I reserve the right to cancel the booking if more than 28 days in advance. I will then try and agree a new date with the client. If this cannot be done then the client will receive a full refund.

If the cancellation is out of my control then I may have to cancel with less than 28 days notice. This could be due to illness or natural disaster. In these circumstances we will try to arrange a new date. However, if this is not possible or not suitable for the client then the client will be entitled to a full refund.

Weather - Wherever possible we will still go ahead with the walk. However, if the conditions forecast are heavy rain and/or very windy then we will look to postpone to a new agreed date. If it is only during the walk that conditions become too much to continue properly then if possible we will find shelter and wait for them to pass, thus extending the duration of the walk. If conditions do not improve then we will look to rearrange a new date.

Please note, I cannot accept responsibility for any costs incurred by cancellation or postponement. These include travel and any accommodation expenses.

Insurance - I hold my own public liability insurance. However, this does not cover any client participating on my photography walk. All clients participate at their own risk and I cannot accept any responsibility for any injury or damage to a client or their property. I recommend that a client considers taking their own insurance policy to cover themselves against injury, accidental damage or theft.

Itineraries - Wherever possible the walk will be as close to the sample itinerary outlined above. However, due to weather, time constraints or external factors, this may not always be possible. Please be prepared to be flexible on the day. If you wish to visit somewhere specific please let me know on the advanced survey so I can try to accommodate you.

Legal age - All participants must be 18 years of age or older on the day of the walk. Under 18s are welcome to attend one of the walks if accompanied by a participating adult.

Complaints - If for any reason the client has reason to complain about the content then please speak to me during the walk and I will do all I can to resolve the issue. If this is still unsatisfactory to the client then please put the details of your complaint in an email within 7 days of the walk and I will look to resolve the best I can.