Capturing Light and Character: Portrait Photography Workshop with Roj Whitelock

At Mill Tye Gallery, we were delighted to welcome award-winning London photographer Roj Whitelock for a sold-out Portrait Photography Workshop — an inspiring, hands-on morning dedicated to the art of photographing people in natural light.

Held in our first-floor studio overlooking the Mill pond, the space buzzed with curiosity, creativity and conversation as Roj guided participants through the principles of portrait photography — from understanding exposure and direction of light, to working confidently with a live model.

This was a rare opportunity to learn from a London-based portrait specialist right here in Suffolk, and it was wonderful to see how each attendee developed their confidence and creative eye throughout the day.

“Another great opportunity to experiment working with a model, using natural light. I always learn something new to take away. It was inspirational!”— Jane Wakeman

“Such a fabulous portrait workshop with Roj Whitelock. An excellent presentation explaining all the principles of portrait photography and lighting. Then lots of time to experiment photographing the model with input from Roj as we worked.”

Participants explored:

• How to read and shape natural light

• The essentials of exposure — aperture, shutter speed & ISO

• Using light direction to sculpt a subject

• Modifying light with diffusion, reflection and shadow

• Techniques for posing and interaction with a live model

The balance of theory, demonstration and practical experimentation made for an energising and supportive atmosphere. As one attendee shared:

“Very informative — from how to hold the camera more steadily to understanding the exposure triangle. Great explanations and lots of hands-on experience.”— Angela Armstrong

Our thanks go to Roj for his generous and insightful teaching, to our wonderful model Maia for her professionalism and patience, and to everyone who joined us — it truly was an inspiring day of learning and creativity.

If you missed out this time, don’t worry — we are running another People & Portraits Workshop with Roj Whitelock in Spring 2026.

For more information and to book, visit WORKSHOPS

Stay tuned for dates via our newsletter and social media, or sign up to the website to find out more about upcoming creative workshops.