Tutors
Photography - The Art of Drawing with Light!

The Bluedog Workshops and Retreats are run by professional photographic tutors.

Passionate about photography, excited to take on new technology and dedicated to passing on their knowledge, the team at Bluedog are wonderfully talented professional photographers from varied fields in photography.

They all continue to work as professional photographers and have the confidence and patience to take you on exciting paths with your work. Each has taught various aspects of photography throughout Australia - both face-to-face on and on-line. You may be a good photographer but that does not mean you can teach and all the team continue to be students always striving to learn themselves and better their own photography.

Their wealth of knowledge and the philosophy of keeping the Bluedog workshops numbers small ensure participants receive individual attention to gain the maximum benefit and all their questions are answered.

Join us and under the guidance of professional photographers explore the world of photography, learn hands on and meet new friends.

Meet some of your tutors:

Danielle Lancaster

Danielle Lancaster
Danielle is a Director of Bluedog Pty Ltd. After studying at the Queensland College of Art, Brisbane she has since had an exciting and varied career: car racing photographer, wedding and portrait photographer and for the past 17 years successfully operated as a freelance photojournalist working for numerous corporate, government and private sectors both nationally and internationally. She has also been part of many solo and group exhibitions.

Danielle holds a Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training and has lectured in photography (digital and film), art history and design. She has delivered many workshops and spoken at conferences for the Queensland Government, Queensland RADF, Shire Councils and other authorities within Australia and New Zealand.
Click Here to read Danielle's short bio.




Paul Ewart

Paul Ewart, Director/Photographer, Peter Lik Publishing  (SEQ). Peter Lik Publishing is a 14-year-old company that is well-known and well regarded for its production of premium publications showcasing  destinations through the use of high-quality, high-resolution photographic imagery. Paul previously worked for 14 years at Tourism Queensland as Director - Creative Marketing Services, assuming responsibility for the quality and direction of the vast majority of imaging content produced and used to position Queensland as Australia's most recognised tourism brand. During that time he discovered and mentored Peter Lik who is recognized  as one of the worlds most successful landscape photographers and has photographic  galleries across the USA as well as Australia. In the last four years since leaving Tourism Queensland Paul has concentrated on the being behind the camera with the updateing of images for the Peter Lik product, as Peter is now living in the USA and concentrating on his galleries. Paul is shooting both digital SLR (Nikon D2x) and Hasselblad Xpan formats and has been working with a digital workflow for over six years. Paul's most recent photographic assignments have included commercial shoots for clients such as Dreamworld, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, Story Bridge Adventure  Climb, Noosa North Shore Resort, Mirvac , Tourism Queensland and Townsville Enterprise.
Nick Lancaster


Nick Lancaster

A qualified signwriter Nick claims he got "sick of carrying camera bags" so he picked up a camera and with his proficient eye for detail has been capturing dramatic images for many years. Proving photography can be learnt by doing it, Nick has had many images featured in national and international media, in exhibitions and continues to work for corporate clients as a member of the Bluedog team.
Virginia Ireland


Virginia Ireland

Virginia holds a Diploma in Photography after finally taking the plunge. "Photography has always been a passion and even from a young age I was constantly behind a camera. I was the person who could be relied upon to always have a camera handy so I decided to learn the ins and outs of photography. The most important part of me that makes me who I am is my family. My four beautiful girls and one slightly outnumbered husband is the most rewarding aspect of my life though photography remains my deep passion." Virginia's current list of clients includes the Doomben Racecourse, Discount Drug Stores, Studio 54, Group One Farriers, More 2 Fashion and Virginia is also gaining a reputation as an excellent wedding and fashion photographer. Virginia is a member of the AIPP.

Photo kindly supplied by Craig King ©

Colin Rayfield
Colin has been involved in Photography since the time he fixed his parents' broken Box Brownie - so he could photograph SPUTNIK, the first satellite to go into orbit. Before high-end technology, this skill required the camera to be held firmly on a front fence post, and pointed UP into the night sky. From this humble beginning, he went on to be a War Photographer "up the sharp end" as a soldier - then on to Freelance Photography in Sydney, covering local bands and performers, fashion models, visiting shipping liners, Prime Ministers, the French government, Brisbane's Expo 88, and being a National Parks Photographer (his favourite subject, the Spotted Tail Quoll, was constantly stalked - and glow worms recorded - as well as slithering after snakes of all types).

Chasing after snakes lead him into Central Australia, where he joined a BBC documentary crew, attempting to film the world's deadliest snake, the Inland Taipan. (The snake was filmed and everybody survived, despite the photographer having to nurse a Taipan on his lap for 1200 kms).

Colin has taught photography students at the Qld College of Art, Diploma Photography students at Southbank TAFE, as well as an on-line course in the UK, and a NIKON correspondence course in Australia. Teaching Photoshop, since the early 1990s, has kept him quietly amused, with some very creative manipulations, which he's happy to pass on to anyone who has an interest.

He is currently involved in looking skywards to photograph clouds / storm patterns in the summer seasons. 'Everybody should try at least ONE lightning or storm shot, if they're serious about Photography. So, next time a thunderstorm turns up, rush OUTSIDE with your camera - it's only water.'


Christine Retschlag

Christine is an Australian journalist with 18 years’ media experience including Brisbane’s Courier-Mail; The Gold Coast Bulletin; Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post; The London Newspaper Group and Tourism Queensland. These days she works as a freelance travel & feature writer for newspapers and magazines in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. In 2006 she was named the  Australian Travel Writer of the Year Trade/Industry and won the Jack Butters Memorial Award for Travel Writing Excellence at the largest travel writing awards in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2007 she won the Australian Society of Travel Writers Award for Best Australian Story over 1000 words. Christine is a co-author of Best Foot Forward – 30 Years of Australian Travel Writing, published in 2006, and is also Director of WriteClick – www. writeclick.com.au – a global data base of travel writers and photographers.


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