+44 (0)203 370 2947 info@naturetalks.com
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Deer Rut Photography Workshop

Learn how to photograph the dramatic deer rut with Louis in Richmond Park

Richmond Park Deer Rut Photography Workshop

£139 per person · Four hours · Maximum seven guests

Monday 28th September | Fully Booked
Thursday 1st October | Fully Booked
Monday 5th October | (3 places left)
Saturday 10th October | (5 places left)
Thursday 15th October | (2 places left)
Friday 23rd October | Places Available
Tuesday 27th October | Places Available
Friday 30th October | Places Available
Friday 6th November | Places Available
Tuesday 10th November | Places Available
Friday 13th November | Places Available
Tuesday 17th November | Places Available

Stags bellow across the grassland, antlers clash and, on cold mornings, their breath hangs in the air. Experience the autumn deer rut in London while developing your wildlife photography with Louis Guillot, an award-winning wildlife photographer who has been visiting Richmond Park for 23 years.

Over four hours, you’ll learn to anticipate behaviour, work with the available light and feel more confident with your camera, with individual guidance throughout.

Book now and join Louis Guillot with Nature Talks UK on this deer rut photography workshop. Book together and save: £20 off two places or £60 off three places (Discount applies to places booked together for the same date and session – price adjusted automatically when you update yoshopping basket.)

Red deer stag walking alongside hinds against a softly blurred woodland background in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.

Workshop Overview

  • Photograph the red deer and fallow deer rut
  • Price: £139 per person; £129/person when booked for x2; £119/person when booked for x3
  • Duration: Four hours, around sunrise or sunset
  • Group size: Maximum seven guests
  • Suitable for: Beginners through to experienced photographers
  • Meeting point: Richmond Park gate (exact gate specified two days before workshop)
  • Included: Expert photography tuition, coffee and biscuits

What will you learn?

Whether you’re getting to grips with your camera or developing your creative style, Louis will tailor his guidance to your experience. We’ll work on:

  • Camera settings: Choosing autofocus, shutter speed and exposure settings to suit your subject.
  • Light: Making the most of soft light, backlighting and opportunities for silhouettes.
  • Composition: Using backgrounds, autumn colours and the surrounding landscape to strengthen your photographs.
  • Behaviour: Recognising interactions and anticipating moments before they happen.

With no more than seven guests, there’s time to ask questions, try different approaches and receive individual feedback. Beginners are welcome, you don’t need to know all the technical terms before you arrive.

Red deer stag facing the camera, with wide branching antlers above tall golden grass and dark woodland behind.

What sort of photos can I expect to capture?

During the rut, we’ll look for stags bellowing, clashing antlers and gathering groups of females. You might spot a male with bracken draped over his antlers or a younger stag approaching a hind while the dominant male is distracted. Learning to anticipate these interactions is a big part of photographing the rut. While particular behaviour can’t be guaranteed, our chances of finding deer are excellent.

Our workshops run around sunrise or sunset. Depending on conditions, we might capture golden backlighting, silhouettes or morning mist, while overcast skies offer soft light for portraits.

The deer will be our main focus, but we’ll also watch for other wildlife, from green woodpeckers feeding in the grass to jackdaws perched on the deer.

Red deer stag and hind among ferns beneath tall woodland trees in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.

Why is Richmond Park such a good place to photograph the deer rut?

Richmond Park’s deer are accustomed to people, making them easier to observe from a respectful distance. They remain wild animals, so giving them plenty of space is essential (see below about deer ethics in the park).

Autumn grass, bracken and old oak trees provide beautiful settings for both portraits and wider photographs. You can use the grass to create a soft, golden background or include more of the landscape to show the deer in their surroundings.

Louis will help you consider your position, the direction of the light and your composition, often, a small change in viewpoint makes a big difference.

Meet your Photography Guide

Louis Guillot wildlife photography guide for Nature TalksLouis Guillot is a wildlife photojournalist and zoologist born and raised in west London. He has been frequenting Richmond Park since he was a boy for the last 23 years so knows its habitats and photographic possibilities intimately. His work has appeared in BBC Wildlife, including a feature on London’s peregrine falcons, and received recognition in Nature Photographer of the Year and MontPhoto competitions. He is also an Emerging League Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, a network of photographers using their work to support conservation. Louis enjoys making photography approachable, explaining techniques clearly and helping people develop their own ideas.

Read more about Louis.

Practical Information

Who can join this deer photography workshop?

All levels are welcome. In a small group, Louis tailors his guidance to your experience and interests—from camera settings, focusing and exposure to composition, light, anticipating behaviour and creative techniques. You’ll leave with new skills and ideas to keep developing your photography.

What equipment should I bring?

A DSLR or mirrorless camera, a telephoto lens reaching at least 300mm, charged batteries and memory cards. A camera rain cover is useful; a tripod or monopod is optional.

Wear warm layers, a waterproof jacket and sturdy, preferably waterproof footwear. Gloves and a hat will help keep you comfortable while we wait for the action.

How much walking is involved?

We’ll walk between locations and spend time standing and watching. The ground can be uneven and muddy. If you have questions about accessibility or whether the workshop will suit you, please contact us before booking.

How will we photograph the deer responsibly?

The deer’s safety and welfare are paramount. We’ll stay at least 50 metres away, give more space when needed and avoid disturbing their behaviour.

This protects both you and the deer: an animal that injures someone may be put down, even if the incident resulted from that person’s irresponsible behaviour.

Louis will explain how to photograph the deer safely, recognise when to step back and avoid putting people or wildlife at risk.

Unsure whether your equipment is suitable?

Email info@naturetalks.com before booking and we’ll be happy to help.

 

Join Louis for four hours of wildlife photography in Richmond Park’s autumn light, developing your camera skills and fieldcraft with expert guidance. Choose your date and book!

Have a question? Email info@naturetalks.com or call 020 3370 2947.

You can also browse our FAQs or learn more About us.

Two red deer stags locking antlers in grassland, silhouetted against golden sunlight and mist.

BOOK YOUR WORKSHOP HERE

Hold your place for free

Hold Your Place for Free

Not quite ready to book? You may need time to check your availability, speak to your employer or discuss the trip with your travel companion. You can request a free, no-obligation provisional reservation through our website, by email or by phone.

How long will we hold your place?

  • If the trip departs within 10 weeks, your provisional reservation will be valid for 48 hours.
  • If the trip departs in 10 weeks or more, your provisional reservation will be valid for seven days.

Subject to availability, we will provisionally reserve your place for this period. If another customer wishes to book the final available place, we will contact you and give you the opportunity to confirm your booking.

There is no obligation to book. If you do not confirm before the provisional reservation expires, it will automatically be released.

Book with Confidence

In the unlikely event that Nature Talks UK cancels your trip, we will contact you promptly and provide the refund to which you are entitled under our booking conditions and applicable UK consumer law.

Richmond Park Deer Rut Photography Workshop
Travel duration1
Available places4
PriceFrom £139
Max participants7
Included
  • Coffee/Tea and biscuits
  • Expert photography tuition
  • Fieldcraft
Not Included
  • Meals;
  • Transport;
  • Tips;
  • Personal expenses;
  • Travel and cancellation insurance.
N

Photograph Richmond Park’s autumn deer rut

N

Develop your camera skills and ethical fieldcraft

N

Learn with award-winning photographer Louis Guillot

N

Maximum seven guests for individual guidance

N

Four hours of practical photography tuition

N

Sunrise or sunset sessions • All levels welcome

Two red deer stags locking antlers in grassland, silhouetted against golden sunlight and mist.
Red deer stag in side profile, bellowing across golden grassland with its breath backlit against a dark background.
Close-up of a red deer stag with its mouth open and vegetation caught in its antlers against green woodland.
Red deer stags grazing in thick mist as cyclists pass in the background in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.

Photo Gallery

Two red deer stags running through Richmond Park, London, with motion blur in the grass and trees. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Two red deer hinds standing in shallow water in Richmond Park, London, facing the camera. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Two red deer stags with heads lowered and antlers interlocked as they spar in open grassland.
Red deer stag bellowing among ferns, with its breath illuminated by golden backlight.
Red deer stag facing the camera, with wide branching antlers above tall golden grass and dark woodland behind.
Red deer stag partly hidden in bracken, with two walkers in the background in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Red deer stag in side profile, bellowing across golden grassland with its breath backlit against a dark background.
Red deer stags and hinds spread across grassland beneath mature trees in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Red deer stag and hind among ferns beneath tall woodland trees in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Two red deer rearing onto their hind legs and sparring with their forelegs in misty Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Little Owl silhouetted on an oak branch, with a fallow deer grazing in the blurred background in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Fallow deer standing among shaded trees and sunlit ferns in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Close-up of a red deer stag with its mouth open and vegetation caught in its antlers against green woodland.
Red deer stag bellowing among hinds in open grassland beside woodland in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Silhouette of a red deer stag facing the camera between dark trees beneath a golden sky.
Two red deer stags locking antlers in grassland, silhouetted against golden sunlight and mist.
Red deer stag walking alongside hinds against a softly blurred woodland background in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Red deer stag standing in pale grass and bellowing, with a cloud of breath glowing in warm sunlight.
Portrait of a young red deer stag with velvet-covered antlers rising above green ferns in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.
Red deer stags grazing in thick mist as cyclists pass in the background in Richmond Park, London. Photograph by Louis Guillot.

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