GARY P HAYES BLUE MOUNTAINS WORKSHOPS & TOURS

Read what people say about Gary’s Workshops

Join renowned Blue Mountains based Aussie photographer and educator Gary P Hayes in a range of specialised workshops that offer something special to all levels of photographers visiting the Heritage listed Greater Blue Mountains. Gary has a full NSW Eco Parks License to run commercial tours and workshops and follows best practise. License No: LIC15/161

For private one-on-one or group tours go here …Cancellation policy at bottom of this page.

Gary’s Blue Mountain’s Photography Workshops are unique in that they integrate quality photo training in his purpose designed Training Gallery, on the edge of the escarpment in Mount Victoria, combined with many well known and lesser known photo locations in this amazing region. Based on the skill-set and needs of each 2-4 person group and one-on-ones, the locations and training sessions will be tailored for each team with everyone learning from each other and Gary will inspire with his passion for emotive landscape capture and mind’s eye post production.

      Read what people say about Gary’s Workshops

What participants have said…

I recently attended the starry night astro photography workshop and it was incredible! Gary’s knowledge of photography, the nights sky and post processing lead to some amazing photos that you can be proud of. Not only was the workshop lots of fun, full of beautiful Blue Mountains locations, Gary also tailored the workshop to our interests. I can’t wait to attend my next workshop. Thank you Gary. — Jodie Morrison

I attended the weekend workshop on waterfalls in the Blue Mountains and, let me tell you, the experience was about more than just photography. Gary’s impressive knowledge of the area and storytelling as a whole means that the technical aspects that you learn have a context and a purpose… I’m already planning the next one! — Gregg Savage

I did the Waterfalls Workshop last Friday and had a fantastic day. Gary was very patient, a great tutor and he knows where the best photo ops are. Would highly recommend and will be back for some of his other workshops — Julianne – Sep 2020

I had a great time in early August on the Hidden Blue Mountains workshop with Julien, Peter and Gary Hayes. The Gardens of Stone was amazing and Gary’s photographic knowledge is immense. From angles to leading lines, processing, he knows how to convey it to you also, thanks again and catch up sometime — Peter Hickey – Hidden Blue Mtns

Gary has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the  mountains. Showed us the most amazing places to capture the best of this area in the perfect light.. Gary was a delight as our guide, friendly and knowledgeable. — Lesa Corrine

Thank you so much for making it an amazing day. I hope to book a similar experience in the future.— Lynette Bester 2018

I just wrapped up a weekend with Gary’s Hidden Blue Mountains workshop and wow it exceeded all my expectations! Gary’s knowledge of the local area is unsurpassed, and he definitely took us to hidden parts of the greater Blue Mountains… His hospitality and guidance was fantastic and we all had a great time exploring unique landscapes. I can’t wait to join him for another trip to discover even more of this amazing part of Australia. — Paul Mock – Hidden Blue Mtns

Took the Astro course with Gary. Weather wasn’t that hot due to clouds but Gary put the miles in to find the best vantage points for the conditions. Very knowledgeable and happy to pass it on.— Jason Bunce

Recently completed the overnight Astrophotography workshop. Gary was not only knowledgeable and helpful, he showed flexibility in the workshop structure both before and during the night, as the weather wasn’t going to play the game initially. Gary passed on information and techniques in a friendly, easy to understand manner and was both mindful and attentive to the various skill levels within the group and adjusted his mentoring style to suit. After the workshop, Gary was more than happy to field follow up questions via email and offered some valuable guidance once we went into post production. — Dan Dwiar

Did the astrophotography workshop with Gary. Went to places I didn’t think about, and the wealth of knowledge regarding the Blue Mountains make Gary the perfect guide. The enthusiasm of Gary is sure to inspire you. I can thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who loves photography. I will book more courses in the future— Jeffrey Brew 2018

I am most grateful for Gary’s time, and photography passion for the Blue Mountains, that he so generously shared with us. Gary has been an excellent tour leader, informative, down to earth, and so knowledgeable about the secret insights of each location that he has explored for so many years. As a result I walked away with images that I would not have been able to get on my own for sure. Even though I’m far away in California, I’m looking forward to take an other tour with you soon. — Klaus von Schwanebach

I arranged the hidden Blue Mountain photography workshop for my hubby’s suprise birthday gift. It was a fantastic experience for him to chill out and do something different away from his workaholic lifestyle. He felt so energetic with all the hiking and wonderful sites visited and of course, photos he never knew he could take himself. Gary was so inspiring and full of knowledge. We highly recommend this workshop for those who want to do something fun and to explore the Blue Mountains from a different perspective. — Cindy W – Hidden Blue Mtns

Gary’s Autumn Workshop was fantastic. The whole day was extremely well organised and nothing was too much trouble. With Gary’s knowledge of photography combined with his knowledge of the local area his workshops are a must. Highly recommended.— Scott Lambert

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Workshop Style Browse the workshops above and book your place by clicking the links. If you would like some more insight on the workshops Email Gary first.

All workshops will cover four primary areas photography in detail alongside each specialised theme:

• The Photographers Voice (pre-visualising, emotion & location research)
• Light and Composition (the anatomy of a great shot)
• Understanding Camera & Equipment as a Tool (technical)
• Basic Post Production Techniques (how to make your image shine)

Terms Note: workshops will only take place with a minimum of 3 and maximum of 4 participants. In the event of less than 3 a full refund will be given to all or change of dates discussed. The non-refundable deposits listed in each workshop are only for those who pay a deposit only and pull out less than a week out. Full payment for workshops are due 3 weeks before the workshop date. Gary has full public liability insurance covering the group in Blue Mountains NP and his training gallery and all appropriate permissions prior to the workshop will have been setup with NSW NPWS office.

Pre-requisites for all workshops

Note: photographers without all of the camera equipment below will be instructed in how to get the best out of what they have and see the advantage of extra equipment.

• PASSION: It is inspiring to Gary and the other photographers if you have a great attitude and can make the best of whatever the weather throws at us or your expectations of the workshop. We will come away with great pictures regardless.
• BRING: A good quality hiking tripod and familiarity with using it.
• BRING: A decent quality DSLR or Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and have a working knowledge of it.
• BRING: Two or three lenses. Suggest an ultra wide (14 to 20 ish), wide (24-35 ish) and medium telephoto (60-100 ish). Or combinations in zoom lenses.
• OPTIONAL: Filters. Any combination of – neutral density, 5 or 10 stops. Graduated neutral density 2 and/or 3 stops. Polarizer circular. It is not critical to have filters as we will explore blending and/or HDR techniques without using them.
• DO YOU: Have a moderate level of fitness and able to walk confidently on rocky terrain with camera equipment (this will vary on each workshop but call for information if in doubt). Gary is not liable for equipment damage, so use protective camera bags at all times when moving between locations or exploring new spots as a group.
• BRING: Comfortable hiking shoes, good camera back pack and waterproofs/warm clothes in case the weather goes south.
• READ: It is recommended that you orientate yourself with the mountains by reading my introduction post A Landscape Photographers Guide to Visiting the Blue Mountains Australia which helps break down the geography and refers to many of the locations we will be exploring.

Cancellation Policy

Important! Please read before payment:

Cancelled because of Gary:

It is rarely the case that Gary has to cancel a tour or workshop and this will either be due to 1) His illness 2) Location/Environment issues (eg: bush fires, pandemics) 3) Personal emergency date clashes or 4) Very inappropriate weather forecast

If a workshop is cancelled the following will happen

• A new date will be discussed and set with all participants
• Participants moved to the next available similar workshop after discussion
• Participants moved to another type of workshop after discussion
• note: once a new date has been set above and the workshop goes ahead the rules below apply
• A full refund given to the participants in the event of total cancellation only

Cancelled because of Participant/s:

Sometimes circumstances mean a person cannot participate in a workshop or tour. Regardless of the reasons why they cannot make it, the workshop/tour will still go ahead without them and because of the difficulty in finding new participants or in the case of solo tours, losing the dates in short timeframe here is the refund policy, and cancellations must be requested via email. (note: to cover yourselves it is recommended you get travel / event insurance to cover any costs due to personal circumstances or emergencies).

Refund Policy … If YOU cancel

• 60 days or more you will receive a full refund, minus a $50 admin and PayPal fee
• 30-59 days you will receive 50% refund
• 29 days or less you will receive a 20% refund
• less than 5 days out, no refund