Workshop: Film (and identify) Bees & Beasties
A macro filming workshop, with nature connection and observation!
Saturday 2nd May - 10am to 4pm | Kinlochard Village Hall & The Community Field
Step into the small, intricate world of bees and other incredible insects - things like moths, spiders, hoverflies and butterflies - and learn how to film them beautifully in close-up, using both professional and smartphone equipment.
This beginner-friendly workshop combines nature connection, filming, and wildlife identification. You’ll spend time both indoors and outdoors learning to spot, identify and film the amazing tiny lives that exist all around us.
By joining this workshop, you’re also contributing to real ecological data, which will be recorded in public databases and help build understanding of the world around us.
Check out some of the films on this page to see what can be achieved!
What you’ll learn
Simple, effective macro filming techniques, to capture amazing shots of bees and other insects using:
professional Fin Films cameras and macro lenses
your phone - using built-in settings, or with an affordable clip-on macro lens
How to use light to improve your footage, including:
soft diffused lighting
simple DIY techniques you can recreate at home
Core principles of composition and capturing shots for storytelling
How to spot and identify common bees and insects (such as moths, spiders, hoverflies and butterflies) & how to log your findings into public databases
This is not a highly technical course - it’s about getting out into beautiful surroundings for a fab day out in nature, observing all the little things closely, and learning by doing.
About Janine & Fin Films
You’ll be learning from Janine, a freelance BBC Producer/Director/Camera operator who also set up the first film unit at WWF-UK.
Alongside her film making career, Janine has trained in ecological surveying and species identification (including bees, badgers, dragonflies and more). She has a particular eye for spotting what’s often overlooked - so expect a day of discovery!
She also has facilitated attention-based practice in nature, with training in ecopsychology, mindfulness (in nature), shamanic practice in nature (deep listening to landscape) and Active Hope methodology.
All together, these skills allow her to read landscape through different lenses.
A unique optional bonus
After the workshop, you can opt in to have your footage edited into a short 20-30 second sequence with music - something beautiful and tangible to keep for yourself or share on socials.
Check out the films on this page for an idea of what you might achieve:
Honeybees in a domestic garden
Autumn Dancing Insects
White-tailed bumblebees being born!
Tiny portraits
Spidery Love
Little Things in Spring
Carder Bee’s Proboscis
Who is this workshop for?
Complete beginners
Anyone curious about wildlife and filming
People interested in contributing to citizen science
Those who want a gentle, creative day outdoors in nature!
Note: this is an adult workshop, but children can accompany a ticket-holding parent or guardian (no additional ticket required) if Fin Films is notified
A basic level of fitness is required, but this is not a walking workshop - just light movement outdoors.
Location
Kinlochard Village Hall
The nearby Community Field (a biodiverse piece of land which Janine has surveyed for a recent community acquisition!)
What to bring
Your smartphone
A notebook to record information
A packed lunch
Weather-appropriate clothing (we’ll be outdoors whatever the weather)
Sturdy footwear
(A full kit list will be provided after booking)
Cost
£65 — full-day workshop
£35 — (optional add-on) a gorgeous 20–30 second edited film of the shots you filmed on the day
Secure your place using the ‘BOOK NOW’ button on this page
See cancellation policy below
Safety
Janine is outdoor first aid trained, and your comfort and safety are always a priority.
Other notes
Booking is essential - spaces are limited to keep the group small and supportive.
Come ready to slow down and notice the extraordinary little things!
If the weather turns or insect activity is low, we’ll adapt. There is always something to observe and film in nature, and that’s part of the process.
Cancellation policy: cancellations within 5 days of the event cannot be refunded due to hire of equipment and facilities, but transferring the fee to another workshop, or 1:1 training is fine. Out with this period a full repayment can be made, minus the payment processing fee.
