Photography courses and workshops in London

Best for: Foodie photography

If your avocado-snapping game is weak, dress up your #brunch with the help of a food photography class. Jargon-free advice on lenses and lighting will give your images, erm, bite, while an open-minded approach to bringing in props will definitely add a touch of spice to proceedings.

Best for: After-hours photography

London is full of life at night but shooting in low light  is one of the hardest challenges for a budding photographer. Get your head around ISO settings and other nocturnal essentials with the ten-week course: ‘Night Photography from the City to the River’. London Met’s Whitechapel base provides the chance to shoot on location around Brick Lane and beyond.

Best for: Producing prints

Before Photoshop and Instagram filters, you had to rely upon darkroom magicians like Photofusion’s Nick Jones to turn an average picture into something more eye-catching and dynamic. Having spent more than 30 years printing for countless world-class photographers, Nick is generous with his extensive knowledge, teaching complex darkroom techniques in a way that is as clear and precise as one of his exhibition-quality prints. Find out more here. 

Best for: Urban exploration 

Having amassed 600,000 Instagram followers in just two years, this Leica-endorsed collective now offers practical workshops with founders Walter Rothwell, Craig Reilly and Alan Schaller. While boasting a recognisable aesthetic – it’s all silhouetted figures and clever geometry – the trio encourage individuality on their guided walking tours and help you to develop confidence when pointing your lens at random strangers. Find out more here. 

Best for: Fashion snaps

With a fabulous name like Carlos Lumiere, it’s no wonder that the Spanish-born photographer was drawn to the bright lights of the fashion world, working for the likes of L’Oréal, Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga  and Lacroix. His two-day ‘Introduction to Fashion Photography’ workshop, run from his Southwark studio, will have you shooting on medium-format cameras and directing professional stylists and models. Find out more here. 

Best for: Keeping it natural

Photographer Matthew Maran runs workshops on Hampstead Heath periodically during the year, capturing the park in each season. The focus is on engaging with nature through photography. As well as shooting, the day includes group discussions and an image editing and printing session at the end of the workshop. Participants will leave with an exhibition quality print of their best image. Find out more here. 

Best for: Old-school analogue pix

Photographer Eddie Otchere and filmmaker Dan Fontanelli set up this open-access darkroom and studio on the fourth storey of Peckham Levels following a successful Kickstarter campaign at the end of 2017. Regular film-developing and darkroom-printing workshops are held alongside popular analogue photo walks. Find out more here. 

Best for: Mastering the manual setting

Housed in a fantastic Grade II* listed building designed by ‘rogue’ architect Charles Harrison Townsend in 1892, the Bishopsgate Institute is a centre for culture and learning. Among their huge roster of educational options they offer several photography courses, including six-week-long series of evening courses for beginners (Level 1) or intermediates (Level 2). They also run one-off ‘Take Great Photos in a Day’ crash courses, aimed at teaching technical knowledge and encouraging creativity.

Best for: Architecture

Architecture education organisation Open City holds regular photography tours, helping Londoners to see their city in a new light. Among the courses is a two-and-a-half hour tour of the city, starting at St Paul's. The tours are lead by architectural photographers who will guide walkers through pitfalls to avoid and techniques to use to get the best images of the capital illuminated at night. 

Best for: Taking the next step in portrait photography

Although many of the National Portrait Gallery’s workshops focus on drawing they do also offer occasional photography events that are worth keeping an eye out for. These often pop up around November, taking inspiration from the yearly Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition, and are lead by practising professionals.