lean timms

p h o t o g r a p h y w o r k s h o p

s o u t h e r n h i g h l a n d s

n s w

a u s t r a l i a

7 t h / 8 t h m a y 2 0 2 5

Photo of Lean teaching by Sophie Bellard.

TWO DAY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

OSBORN HOUSE, BUNDANOON, NSW

WORKSHOP DETAILS:

Workshop Dates: Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th May, 2025

Two Day Workshop Tickets: $2800 + GST.
Please note we will be taking payments in two instalments - half when you book and the final half a week before the workshop, due Wednesday 30 April, 2025.

Workshop Location: Osborn House, Bundanoon, Dharawal Country.

Workshop Time: 8:30am - 6:00 pm both days.

Guest Teacher: Rhiannon Taylor - Hotels, interiors and travel photographer.

Suitable For: This workshop is formatted for all photography lovers and levels - including small business owners keen to up skill and create their own content, absolute beginners ready to dive in and learn a new art form, photography lovers wanting to step up and improve on their skills, those wanting to become professional photographers, and fellow photography professionals already in the field who are interested in furthering their industry insight, networking opportunities and creative nourishment. As a teacher it's my absolute priority to provide value for everyone, at all photography levels.

Catering: Delicious morning tea, lunch and cocktail hour will be prepared for us both days by the incredibly hospitable team at Osborn House.

Please Note: Airfares, transportation to and from the workshop and accommodation are not included. However, the team at Osborn House have generously offered a discount for anyone who would like to stay at the hotel during the workshop - a hotel discount code will be sent to you once you book your workshop ticket.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:

Join me in the picturesque Southern Highlands of New South Wales for an immersive and fun two days of learning, as I openly share everything I know about the art of photography with you. This two day photography workshop will be absolutely packed to the brim with educational, creative, inspiring and insightful content. It's the perfect opportunity to launch into the world of photography, or to give your current photography skills a confidence boost, some guided direction, or some delicious nourishment. As a small group we will explore the art of visual storytelling by embracing light, creative composition and working through your own photography style. We will focus in on the subjects of food, travel and lifestyle photography. We will explore our cameras manual settings and together work through the skills and secrets of editing/post processing. We will lift the curtain and have candid chats about industry insight and thriving in a creative business. I will share the ins and out of my own personal photography style and process, but most importantly will be there to help guide yours. The workshop will be part theory and part practical, to cover all learning styles, and with plenty of time to play and photograph our two days together.

Our esteemed guest teacher and one of my all-time favourite Australian interiors photographers Rhiannon Taylor will be sharing insights and perspective gained from more than a decade photographing some of the world’s most revered travel and lifestyle brands. Her experience capturing the essence of luxury hotels will give us such gorgeous inspiration and guidance when we later work to create our own photographic story within the walls and grounds of the exquisite Osborn House. We will have the privilege of exploring and photographing elements of the hotel - having just photographed the hotel myself, I can’t wait for you to see (and capture!) the lush interiors designed and styled by former Soho House Design Director, Linda Boronkay.

Throughout our two days together we wil be delighting in the best seasonal produce from the local area, prepared by Osborn House chefs. This will be two days of celebrating pure indulgence. Nothing but a treat.

You will go home with an abundance of photography knowledge, the ability to shoot your camera on manual settings, the confidence to approach and capture a scene using natural light, inspiration to photograph, curate and share your own stories through imagery, a new group of creative friends and an experience so special you won’t ever forget it. Two full days means so much to cover! I can’t wait to share everything I know and love about photography with you!

Photo 4 by Sophie Bellard, photo 5 by Alicia DeSario

TOPICS WE WILL BE COVERING:

Natural light digital photography 101
We’ll dig into photography and camera basics, and why it’s important that you understand and use them. You’ll walk away with a thorough understanding of the (magical!) exposure triangle and be able to use your camera’s manual settings to help you confidently capture a number of different subjects and styles. For the professionals, I will provide lots of juicy layers here, and will share my own personal professional tips and go to settings.

Light
Nothing gets me more excited than reading and embracing natural light. We’ll explore light direction first, it’ll blow your mind. We’ll find light and shadow and all the ways they can both make a photograph sing. We’ll work with harsh light and soft light and learn how to manipulate the outcome of both. We’ll follow it around inside, and go hunting for it outside. I’ll share with you all my tips on light and bright photography along with the contrasting moody chiaroscuro style.

Composition
The way a photograph is framed can completely shift the way a subject is viewed. It’s a really fun game. We will play with lots of different perspectives, angles, and formulas and I’ll give you plenty of helpful guidance to develop your own composition style, too.

Storytelling
No matter the subject, a story is always worth being told. We could spend the whole two days on storytelling alone. I have a special formula, you’ll love it. I can’t wait to dig into this with you.

Interior Photography
Photographing interiors is a beautiful and fun process, and the interiors of Osborn House is the absolute perfect place for us to play. Rhiannon and I will share our tips for taking a photograph that helps to make an interior space look delicious and inviting, for both commercial and storytelling / editorial purposes.

Travel/Location Photography
This one makes my heart sing. It’s really all about sharing a genuine sense of place and we will get to do this together by shooting our own personal travel ‘assignment’ photographing Osborn House. We will have endless stories to tell, from the unique interiors and charming hotel grounds, to the dramatic scenery provided by the Southern Highlands in Autumn - I can’t wait to show you all the incredible spaces and moments I discovered on my recent visit, and uncover some new ones with you!

Post Production/Editing
I will step you through my editing flow, both on Lightroom and phone. We will cover basics, explore your style, exporting tricks, and develop your own preset.

Industry Chat
Let’s chat openly - the best type of industry chat. Marketing, pricing (actual numbers!), getting published, pitching, image licensing, editorial insights, creative inspiration etc, etc. This part is always juicy, insightful, and fun. Anything and everything is on the table.

Q&A’s
I want to answer any and all of your questions. We will have plenty of time for questions throughout the workshop, and special allocated time toward the end of our second day. I am an open book and want you to go home with loads of information and value no matter what your level in photography - so please bring your questions and we can chat through them as a creative group together.

ABOUT LEAN:

Lean Timms is an international travel and lifestyle photographer working across editorial, commercial and publishing fields. Lean is currently based on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, Canberra Australia.

Forever exploring and full of curiosity for this world, Lean’s greatest love is to discover and document inspiring places and stories. Lean’s approach to photography is driven by natural light, in situ spontaneity, storytelling and capturing a genuine sense of place. 

A once upon a time creative arts high school teacher, Lean loves to teach and share, and has been lucky enough to teach photography at workshops and retreats all around the world.

Select Photography Clients and Publications:

Tourism Australia
Condé Nast Traveller
QANTAS Travel Insider
Australian Traveller
Vogue Living
Lonely Planet

Photo 1 of Lean by Doreen Kilfeather, photo 2 of Lean by Alicia DeSario, photo 3 of Lean by Zoe Helene

ABOUT OUR GUEST TEACHER - RHIANNON TAYLOR

With more than a decade of experience as a leader in her field, Rhiannon Taylor has forged a career photographing high-end interiors, design-led hotels and the world’s most esteemed travel and lifestyle brands.

With experience that spans New York, Melbourne and more than 50 countries globally, Rhiannon is recognised for her ability to execute small and large-scale projects and bring each client’s unique vision to life. Always reaching for the unexpected, she unveils transient moments of beauty and light in her work.

Applying her eye for detail, Rhiannon offers a clear vision on composition backed by her studies at RMIT University (BA Photography Hons) and experience working for revered design, travel and lifestyle brands such as Aman, Six Senses, Marriott Bonvoy, Montblanc, and the Estee Lauder Group.

Rhiannon’s photography can regularly be seen in Conde Nast Traveller, VOGUE Living, Belle and other premium publications, and as the founder and Editor in Chief of In Bed With she captures her passion for exploration as a trusted voice on the best hotel stays.

For moments in between, Rhiannon loves sharing her curiosity for the world with her husband and two kids.

Instagram: @inbedwith.me

Photos by Rhiannon Taylor

ABOUT OUR LOCATION - OSBORN HOUSE

Surrounded by rolling hills, sweeping bushland and lush gardens, escape to a world away from the world where a one-of-a-kind, truly bespoke experience awaits in the Southern Highlands. Pairing understated elegance and laidback luxe, Osborn House is a unique boutique hotel offering where relaxed retreat and playful guest house meet. Steeped in history dating back to the 1890s, Osborn House is a lovingly restored, impeccably styled 5-star luxury boutique hotel in the heart of the Southern Highlands. Designed and styled by former SOHO House Design Director, Linda Boronkay, Osborn House pays homage to the past with a contemporary twist. Providing a world class, highly personalised experience, Osborn House is unlike any other hotel offering in Australia.

Throughout the workshop we will be dining at Osborn House and treated to the hotels exceptional hospitality. With a focus on seasonal and local produce, the menu changes regularly with a commitment to great food and exciting Latin American food experiences and flavours remaining at the very core of Osborn House.

We will be in photography heaven here, with the hotel as our playground for two full days.

PAST WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIALS:

- What can I say other than wow! I didn't really know what to expect before embarking in this course, but Leans x2 day photography workshop absolutely blew my sock off. Lean is such an incredible teacher, no stone was left unturned, and the beautiful work book we got to keep has been a really lovely reference to return too. Lean was able to teach a broad range of students with different backgrounds and photography knowledge and keep everyone highly engaged. I honestly couldn't recommend this course more highly. I have walked away far more confident behind my lens and it was simply the best weekend with like minded creatives. If you get the opportunity to do this course, just book the ticket. you won't be disappointed. Sarah Miles @sarahmiles.studio

- Why would I do a photography workshop? I was asked this many times in the lead up and over the course of the 2 day workshop with the incredible Lean Timms. No I didn’t need to know which buttons to press or that my subject would be blurry at 1/20 of a second and to be honest I didn’t even know what I would learn, I just knew I had to go. The last 2 years I came to feel unworthy and undervalued in many ways, some obvious, some subtle and some I convinced myself of. I stopped creating, I stopped sharing and I stopped trusting myself. But in the two days I spent with Lean, and a group of other women - all carrying their own problems to solve and self doubts - I watched them teach, share and create with such heart and generosity that they shifted something in me that I didn’t think could be shifted. In what will come as no surprise to anyone, I got a bit teary saying goodbye to Lean and even in the car on the way home as those voices seemed to fade. Now despite family, friends, some beautiful clients and psychs over the last couple years convincing me of my worth as an artist, sometimes it really does need to come from someone you admire, someone who doesn’t even know you (and maybe someone you have stalked on instagram for years). If you need to learn any of the above, including the buttons on your camera (which she teaches so incredibly well!) then you too need to spend a couple of days with Lean and the incredible people she surrounds herself with.  - Anitra Wells @anitrawells_

- The most incredible experience spent with Lean. The way she facilitated the workshop was truly exceptional-so seamless, engaging, and inspiring. A very supportive and enriching space, making the entire experience even more special. We all agreed and wished it didn’t have to end. - Tanya Ewen - @tanyaewenphotographe

- Lean is magic. Her workshops are packed with detail and yet somehow easily digestible. She makes difficult concepts accessible and so. damn. beautiful. But Lean’s workshops are so much more than just the content: the locations, the food, the styling, her guest teachers - every detail is so considered and beautiful and specially created to inspire. Lean’s genuine, natural and joyful energy is contagious, and she is unfailingly generous with her time, her knowledge, her experience, and her encouragement. The workshop was a significant investment for me at the time, but turned out to be worth every cent - the weekend I spent with Lean, her fabulous co-conspirators and my equally brilliant fellow attendees was an absolute highlight of my year. I think we're all still buzzing, six months later! You're in for a treat! - Jane McCormack @_jane_mccormack

- I did Leans photography workshop and it has been one of my favourite investments ever into my photography. I was already a working photographer. And I got so much out of this course. The way Lean uses an image to tell a story. The way the workshop is crafted so everyone, beginners and established photographers and anyone in between get value out of it is a unique skill. Leans words will stick with you for months to come and she pours herself into the two day course. You also get the incredible friendships of likeminded people you meet over the two days. Most of which I still talk to on a weekly basis. If you’re on the fence about this I promise it’s worth it. Every dime. It will change the way you approach photography and help you show the way you see the world. Tess Lehman @tessdoes_

- Where do I start in describing my experience of a Lean Timms workshop... words like generosity, wisdom, creativity, inspiring, absolute care, dedication to her craft and profession... whilst high praise, only touch the surface of the powerhouse that Lean is and the quality of what she presents. I was so pleasantly surprised by the way she nurtured and held a large group of women to explore and develop in our photographic practice. Next level. Lean catered for a diverse group of skills in such a way that even the most seasoned photographer is humbled by the simplicity and grace in which she works. Whether you are looking to start your journey with photography, deepen your understanding or be inspired by a different perspective, Lean Timms workshops are the bomb! - Jennene Greenall @jennenegreenall_photographer

Are you keen but not quite sure yet? Do you have some questions for me? Please send me an email and I would love to chat more with you!

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Please kindly note that this is a strictly non-refundable workshop. However we do understand that things change and life happens, so should you need to reschedule we are more than happy to rebook you to another workshop at another time. Valid travel insurance is also encouraged for your trip. Thank you for understanding.

It would be a joy to learn, create and connect with you at Osborn House this May. I hope so much to see you there.

Lean. X