Guest Speaker

Dramatic landscape photograph with peach tones showing the sun setting between clouds above a bay of wading birds

Photography guest speaker based in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, offering in-person talks in Scotland and online presentations worldwide


If you’re looking for a guest speaker for your camera club, photographic society or rotary club, then please look no further! I’m an experienced public speaker and am never fazed by the prospect of standing up in front of a busy lecture theatre (or presenting online using Zoom).


“One of the best speakers to date!”

LIVINGSTON CAMERA CLUB

A bride and groom holding hands and walking on a woodland path with sunlight streaming through the trees

Gobsmacked!

A travelogue with a difference. Compelling watching. We were all blown away.

Excellent!

SANDY YOUNG, PRESIDENT, CROMARTY CAMERA CLUB

  • Photograph of a woman smiling and sitting on a rock with a bay and causeway in the background
  • Photograph of a man wearing shorts sitting on a rock and smiling, with the sea and a causeway in the distance

Landscape Photography, Wedding Photography & A Travelogue with a Difference!

I have a choice of photography presentations for you.

2-hour Photography Presentations

Let’s assume you’re looking for a guest speaker to fill a two-hour slot, with a short break half way through, and a Q&A session at the end. In this scenario, I’d give you a choice of the following photography talks:

  • A Travelogue with a Difference: A Photographer’s Professional and Personal Journey
  • Scottish Landscapes and Wedding Photography

1-hour Photography Presentations

However, if it’s just 45 minutes to an hour, including a Q&A session, I can offer you the following photography talks:

  • Scottish Landscape Photography
  • Scottish Wedding Photography

Full details of these presentations, including pricing, are contained in my eBooks. To view or download these, simply click the text or images below, and you will automatically be redirected to a new browser.

A Travelogue with a Difference: A Photographer’s Professional and Personal Journey

If you’re looking for something a bit special, then this is the photography talk for you. It will have your members crying one minute and laughing out loud the next. In this presentation, I’ll tell the story behind my journey into professional photography. It’ll be split into two sections: my professional experience; and my personal story.

With my professional journey, I’ll reflect on the enormous challenge that was presented to me in 2017, when I set up my photography business after being made redundant. Although I was super busy, I certainly wasn’t ‘living the dream’ in those first few years. However, all of that changed in 2020 when the first covid lockdown hit and I revamped my business. I’m excited to tell you the rest of the story!

With my personal journey, I’ll recount the horror of my dad’s premature death coinciding with the peak of my first full season of wedding photography. I’ll contrast that dark time with the joy of my childhood, with a selection of photographs from my family albums. I’ll then take you through my ongoing ‘Before and After’ photography project, in which I travel around Scotland to ‘re-create’ some of these old family photographs, as a tribute to my dad. Expect to be moved by this story, but I promise that it’s uplifting as well as poignant.


Scottish Landscape Photography Presentation

With my landscape portfolio, I’ll tell the story behind the images, show maps with the locations, and provide numerous tips on composition and planning. I’ve travelled extensively throughout the Scottish islands, but I’ve also built up a portfolio of my local area, the Black Isle peninsula near Inverness.

I’ll pitch this talk at a level that will appeal to everyone, i.e. not overly technical but not overly simplistic either. This presentation will encourage your members to set their alarm clocks early and get out and about!


Scottish Wedding Photography Presentation

I’ve photographed over two hundred weddings, so I’ve no shortage of images to show you and stories to tell! In this presentation, I’ll explain how I broke into the wedding industry, how I go about shooting a typical wedding, and what I deliver to my clients. I love to blend my love of the outdoors with my weddings, so you can expect to see lots of couples braving the elements in scenic locations for their photographs!


Photography Guest Speaker Fees

In-Person Presentations

If you’d like me to attend your club or society in person, then I’ll provide a customised quote based around the length of the talk, travel time, mileage and any other expenses.

Online Presentations to Small Groups

Online presentations to camera clubs, photographic societies and other small groups will be priced at the following rates:

1 hour Zoom session: £70
2 hour Zoom session: £100

This applies to my pre-existing talks, detailed above.

Online Presentations to Larger Audiences & Other Exceptions

Additional fees will apply for large audiences and for bespoke presentations, e.g. where an existing presentation has to be restructured to fit a particular remit.

CONTACT KAREN
Photograph of a white Eriskay pony grazing on low-lying sand dunes with a blue sea and rocky hills beyond, under a blue sky

“I loved your dedication to get ‘the shot’;
very inspirational.

I found your talk extremely informative and easy to understand, and I enjoyed listening to your enthusiasm and passion.

Thank you very much for sharing your pictures!”

STACI MCNEIL, MEMBER, INVERNESS CAMERA CLUB

Photography Guest Presentations in Scotland

I’ve travelled the length and breadth of Scotland in recent years, in order to present to the organisations listed below. Most of my talks have been to camera clubs and photographic societies. However, I can also pitch my work at a non-technical level. Maybe your group is interested in photography but isn’t familiar with the jargon! Regardless of the audience, I try not to be overly technical. Instead, I prefer to focus on the stories behind the images, and less so on camera settings. I’ll be happy to answer questions and get chatting to your members during the interval.


Online Photography Presentations on Zoom or Skype

I’ve also given a number of presentations to camera clubs on Zoom and Skype, particularly since the pandemic, including the ones listed below. Presenting online has allowed me to reach groups beyond Scotland from the comfort of my office here in the Highlands; I’ve presented to organisations in England, Wales, the Netherlands and even the USA. It’s no problem at all if there’s a significant time difference; in this scenario, I can pre-record my presentation for you, which you can then either download or stream online.


“Glenrothes Camera Club was delighted to invite Karen to our club where she entertained our members with a display of her stunning work.

Karen’s presentation was not only informative but she managed to keep everyone’s attention throughout with her dedication and passion for photographing our beautiful country.”

ALAN SINCLAIR, PRESIDENT,
GLENROTHES CAMERA CLUB

Upcoming Photography Talks

A bride and groom holding flowers and smiling at each other in long grass next to a rock with a mountain in the background

Practical Landscape Photography Sessions

Maybe you’re looking for more than just a guest speaker. If so, I’d be happy to discuss the possibility of organising a landscape photography workshop for your members. I typically run photography workshops for individuals and couples (you can read more about this here). However, I’ve also hosted camera clubs and school groups in the past. I can accommodate groups of up to 10.

Of course, I’ll not be able to provide the same level of one-to-one tuition with a group. Nor will I be able to feed everyone, or fit the group into the back of my car! You’d be welcome to organise a minibus. But, the simpler (and cheaper) option would be to car share and have a couple of your members volunteer to drive, and I’ll lead the way between the locations. Your members just need to bring a packed lunch, be ready to pick my brains, and have an average level of fitness!

Five photographers with cameras and tripods engaged in landscape photography on a beach with sand and rocks

“Just had to say what a fantastic time Nairn Camera Club members had on the Black Isle workshop.

Your smiling, easy-going way relaxed even our newest members and had them producing better quality work in a short space of time.

Thanks again and I am sure we will be booking another workshop for the club in the near future!”

DAVE FREEMAN, PRESIDENT, NAIRN CAMERA CLUB

I’d love to hear from you if you’re in need of a photography guest speaker or workshop leader, and I still have some space in my calendar for the coming season. Please get in touch using the link below. Let me know if you’re looking for an in-person or online presentation, photography workshop, and your availability.

CONTACT KAREN

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