Capturing Mood with Janet Miles

From Mark:

I’ve known Janet for years and she has been a wonderful supporter of Camversation! What strikes me most is her ability to find personality in the landscape. She recently earned her Associateship (ARPS) with a stunning panel of woodland multiple exposures, and honestly, the mood she captures is just sublime. Janet is a teacher by trade, so she has that wonderful, simple way of explaining complex creative techniques that makes you feel like you can head straight out and try it yourself. I’m really pleased she’s joining us to share her passions!

About the Series

Woodland photography is notoriously difficult; it’s often a mess of branches and light. Janet’s approach is different. She does not just record the trees: she uses the camera as a paintbrush to capture the stillness and the muted bird song of the forest.

Across two sessions, Janet will show us how to move beyond a standard snapshot to create images that feel like a moody fog or an autumn story unfolding. Whether you are using a high-end DSLR or just the phone in your pocket, these sessions are designed to help you stamp your mark on the landscape.

Session 1: Creative Trees and Woodland Mood

Wednesday 25 February 2026 | 19:00 GMT In this opening session, we focus on the foundation of mood. Janet will show us how she simplifies the forest chaos to find a central story.

• Intentional Camera Movement (ICM): Learn how to use longer exposures to turn a forest into a painterly wash of colour.

• The Camera in Your Pocket: A look at how phone apps and mobile technology can be used to enhance your creativity on the fly.

• Post-Processing for Atmosphere: How to take those raw files home and gently enhance the mood without losing the soul of the woods.

Session 2: Mastering Multiple Exposures

Wednesday 1 April 2026 | 19:00 BST Building on the first session, we dive deep into Janet’s speciality, layering. This is the exact technique that earned her prestigious RPS distinctions.

• In-Camera Layering: How to see the world in layers and combine them inside your camera for a dreamlike effect.

• Post-Processing Compositions: Using software to blend multiple moments into one cohesive, atmospheric image.

• Finding Your Voice: Understanding how to use these techniques to express how a place feels, rather than just how it looks.

Janet will share:

• The Art of Seeing: How to find personality in trees and plants that others simply walk past.

• Simplification: Techniques to strip away the clutter of the woods using shutter speed and movement.

• Technical Confidence: Clear, jargon-free instruction on ICM and Multiple Exposures, both in-camera and in post-processing.

• Mobile Mastery: How to use phone apps as a legitimate creative tool for high-end photography.

About Janet Miles

Janet is a Somerset-based photographer who holds an Associateship with the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) and a Credit with the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (CPAGB). A teacher of many years, Janet’s real passion lies in the essence of a subject, finding the hidden details and abstract patterns in nature. Her work is regularly featured in national magazines and she has won gold medals internationally, but her true joy comes from helping fellow photographers find their own creative spark.

This talk will be recorded and made available for four weeks after the event