Paul McDougall
Wildlife Photographer and Tour Guide
Learn Wildlife Photography – Trying to Improve your wildlife photography?
If you don’t have a plan…
- You spend money on trips of a lifetime and don’t get the results you want.
- You waste time struggling on your own.
- You guess instead of following a process.
And that leads to frustration and feeling constantly overwhelmed. Paul McDougall has given hundreds of new photographers advice, mentoring and tutoring to improve their photography. A workshop with Paul will work for you too.
Featured Workshop
Puffin Workshops
Location: Isle of May
Duration: Full Day dependent on sightings
Time of Year: May to July
Price: £130
20th May - 4 spaces. 22nd May 3 spaces
1st June - FULL. 2nd June 1Space
13th July - 4 spaces. 14th July 5 spaces
Join me for some puffin therapy!!
The Isle of May is home to an incredible array of wildlife, up to 200,000 seabirds can nest on the May, which can include 100,000 Puffins, there are also large colonies of Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and Shags (best time for Puffins is from April to end of July ) also about 300 seals live all year round on Isle of May. Porpoise and Dolphin and the odd whale can be seen, you just have to be on the trip on the right day and be a bit lucky.
The duration of our time on the island depends very much on the tides. But is usually between 2 and 3 hours. During our visit we will look to capture images of the incredible and iconic puffins. We will have a set shot list that we will try to achieve in our short time on the island with the stand out shots being the puffins with sand eels and fish in their beaks.
As with all my workshops I will be on hand to give advice on settings and various different shots that can be achieved. The goal is that you will go home with a full portfolio of puffin images.
The group will be a maximum of 5 people so there will be plenty of opportunities to work with everyone one on one if required.
The price includes the boat booking and photographic guiding throughout.
Featured Workshop
Osprey Workshops
Location: Callender
Duration: 3 hour time slot
Time of Year: July
Price: £90-£100pp
17th July - Spaces
18th July - Spaces
23rd July - Spaces.
Ospreys, Otter and Kingfisher. All possible from one hide!!!!
Although the hide does not give you the eye level viewpoint of some of the Osprey Hides in the UK it does give you some nice natural backdrops, some excellent views of Ospreys and non stop action.
On top of this Kingfisher are regularly seen and photographed from the hide and otters are seen on most days.
If anyone is interested in photographing Osprey at an affordable price then this would be a great workshop for you to try.
In addition to that you have a great chance of getting all 3 species in one workshop.
Ospreys dive incredibly quickly and often the whole sequence from dive and exit from the water is over in seconds, so therefore booking more than one slot will give you a better chance of achieving successful images. It will also give you more opportunity to see the other species that visit the hide.
As with all my workshops I will be on hand to give advice on settings and various different shots that can be achieved.
The group will be a maximum of 4 people so there will be plenty of opportunities to work with everyone one on one if required.
All Hide Bookings exclusively for our group are included in the price
Featured Tour
Nepal. Red Pandas
6th March - 15th March 2026
Due to a Cancellation I have one space available for this tour in 2026
Join me in searching for and photographing the elusive and rare Red Panda.
Photograph Red Pandas in India and Nepal in the Singalila National Park. The park has a good population of Red Panda and is the best location in the world to see and photograph the Red Panda.
Singalila National Park is a National park of India located on the Singalila Ridge at an elevation of more than 2300 metres above sea level. The Singalila Ridge separates the vast country of India from that of its smaller neighbor – Nepal.
We will be based in Nepal and will use this as our entry point in to the park which will enable us to photograph rare Himalayan wildlife in the Singalila National Park with its diverse and unique ecosystems. We will have the opportunity to photograph Red Pandas in India and Nepal.
If you want to add a rare and elusive species to your portfolio or experience a location off the beaten track then this is the tour for you.
Full tuition and guidance throughout the tour.
Places on Tour 5. Places Available 1 (Single) 2 Sharing.
Price £3950 per person
Featured Tour
Exclusive jaguar safari experience – Brazil Jaguar Photo Safari
1st - 8th August 2026
This is a small group Exclusive jaguar safari experience. Embark on a unique jaguar safari in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil, this tour offers an unparalleled opportunity to observe and photograph wild jaguars in one of the highest concentrations of these magnificent big cats in the world. One of our key objectives will be to capture the thrilling moment of a jaguar launching itself into action, targeting a caiman with remarkable precision. The Pantanal is known for its dramatic wildlife interactions, where the jaguar’s fierce hunts create an adrenaline-fueled spectacle. The sheer bravery of these cats as they confront such formidable prey will leave you in awe!
Throughout this Brazil Jaguar Photo Safari tour (apart from Jaguars), you can expect to encounter numerous wildlife species, including capybaras, giant river otters, Red Brocket, Grey Brocket, different bats, Marsh Deer, Collared Peccary, Giant Anteater, and a variety of birds and reptiles, making every moment an unforgettable adventure in the heart of nature.
Around the lodges, we can enjoy feeders frequented by a wide variety of native birds, including piping-guans, toucans, finches, macaws, parrots, and mammals such as Azara’s Capuchin, Crab-eating Fox, South American Coati and Azara’s Agouti.
A post trip extension is available for Argentina or it can be combined with the Chile Pumas of Patagonia Tour
All images used to advertise this tour are provided by A.W.E
Places on Tour 5 Places Available 2
Price £6750pp
Buy Gift Vouchers and Gift Experiences
The perfect gift for the novice or experienced wildlife photographer.
About
LEARN WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS
Beginners Workshop
Glasgow
Start with the basics. Learn everything you need to know to get started in wildlife photography. The workshop covers camera set up, basic settings, basic understanding of light and composition and much more. The aim of the workshop is to introduce you to wildlife photography and get you comfortable adjusting settings to achieve different images of common subjects.
Species Specific Workshops
Throughout Scotland
Is there a species that you have always wanted to photograph? Whether it be Pine Martens, Ospreys, Red Kites, Red Squirrels, Otters, Badgers, Dippers, White Tailed Eagles or something else. There is a workshop for you. Choose from any of my species-specific workshops that are either hide based or at a location that is renowned for that species. 1, 2, 3 and 4 day workshops available. Full tuition and guidance throughout the workshop.
Species Specific Tours
Worldwide
Whether it be trekking gorillas in Uganda, a Kenyan safari, getting up close to brown bears in Finland or searching for the elusive and rare Red Panda in Nepal. There is a tour for you. Choose from any of my species-specific tours to a destination that is a hot spot for that species. All tours are small group trips and are fully guided with expert photographic advice given throughout so you go home with images to be proud of.
Read my bestselling book
and learn all the skills you need
My book the Ultimate Beginners Guide to Wildlife Photography – from taking a shot to capturing a moment gives you all of the information that you need to start taking great images. The book is easy to read and simplified. It takes you through every step of wildlife photography and what you need to know. There are also 11 easy to follow assignments to give you some practical experience after each section. Available now on Amazon. It is the perfect place to start on your photographic journey.
Complete my online
training course and learn
all the skills you need
If reading the book is not for you then sign up for my online training course – Each section is pre-recorded and fully illustrated with images and diagrams. There are 11 modules packed full of information and hints and tips to help you become a better photographer. There are also assignments after each section so that you can put in to practice what you have learnt. It is the perfect course to give you all of the foundation knowledge and practical experience to start you on your photographic journey.
Available now on Udemy
Use Code WEBSITEOFFER
to get for £14.99.
Book a portfolio review
or online mentoring session
Do you just need a bit of advice or some help with reviewing your portfolio in a different way? Or do you just want some pointers on how your images can be improved? A Portfolio or Mentoring Session is your time to discuss exactly what you want to remotely or face to face. I will spend the time reviewing your images and give some hints and tips of how you can take your photography to the next level.
