Looking for a photography workshop to help hone your skills? Great decision!
Sure, it’s true you can learn a lot on your own—whether through reading tutorials, taking online courses, or by good old-fashioned trial and error. But getting up close and personal with a professional photographer as you shoot is a valuable educational experience that can help take your photography business to the next level—and make the shots in your online portfolio website really shine.
This list includes photography workshops hosted by some of today’s most renowned photographers, along with photographic workshops that will take you to some of the most stunning destinations on the globe. There are options for all different budgets and skill levels. Which one will you pick?
Travel Photography Workshops
National Geographic Photography Expeditions
National Geographic hosts a variety of photography expeditions that involve traveling to remote locations where you can capture beautiful photos. National Geographic photographers accompany each photography workshop, so you can get some hands-on instruction from them.
Winter in Yellowstone Photo Expedition is a six-day National Geographic photography workshop that will provide plenty of opportunities to capture breathtaking photos of the scenery in and around Yellowstone National Park. For parts of the trip, you will travel aboard heated snow coaches and can accompany National Geographic photographers on photo walks to see the Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, and the colorful mineral pools of the Upper Geyser Basin.
This National Geographic photography workshop* also includes a visit to a National Geographic photographer’s home studio. This expedition costs $5,195 per person and has a maximum group size of 16. And, once you get home, we have all the hot tips on how to get published in National Geographic!
Italy Photography Expedition features iconic photo opportunities including the canals of Venice, the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum. You also get to take a tour of a local vineyard to capture photos of the grape harvesting process, and a visit to a gondola workshop. This 10-day National Geographic photography workshop costs $7,495.
Pictours Portugal
This company offers photography workshops and tours in Portugal and around the world. Workshops from Pictours Portugal feature a high teacher-to-student ratio: they typically have three photography instructors accompany photo workshops, which have a maximum of 12 participants.
Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop Series, Portugal is an all-inclusive photo workshop that features opportunities for photographing natural landscapes, seascapes, and historic and modern architecture. You will visit some of the most photogenic areas of Portugal such as the limestone palace and Cathedral at Mafra, and the charming coves and beaches on the Atlantic Coast. This workshop costs $4,340 per person.
Ultimate Vancouver Photography Workshop – From Super Urban to Super Natural is a five-day photography workshop. It will take you around Vancouver to see natural and constructed shorelines, as well as locations that make for some great candid urban street photography. This travel photography workshop includes classroom discussions, hands-on photography sessions, and post production. The cost to attend is $985.
Landscape Photography Workshops
Sea to Summit Workshops
This California-based company is known for being run by professional and passionate photographers. Their photographic workshops are kept small, at a maximum of 10 people, so all the participants can get some one-on-one time with the instructors.
Their Death Valley photography workshop offers unique geological features that make for some beautiful desert landscape photos. Two evenings of the photo workshop also focus on night photography, with an emphasis on light painting and static stars. You will learn how to plan your shoots, produce powerful compositions, tell a story with your photos, and better use your camera’s settings to achieve creative effects. This landscape photography workshop costs $1,195.
One-on-one photography workshops are also available by request. You can get personal instruction from professional landscape photographers Joshua Cripps or Jim Paterson. These workshops start at $300 for a three-hour session.
Erez Marom Workshops
Erez Marom is an award-winning landscape, travel, and wildlife photographer. He personally leads photography workshops in a range of exotic locations around the world.
The Saga of the Seas Faroe Islands photo workshop features sights including towering cliffs, beautiful beaches, and gushing waterfalls in a remote and untouched landscape. It costs $4,620.
The Giants of the Andes Patagonia photo workshop offers the chance to shoot some of the most stunning locations in South America, including lagoons, glaciers, and the Andean mountain range. In addition to being led by Marom, the workshop will be attended by photographer and Patagonia expert Jörg Bonner. It costs $6,360 to attend and includes accommodations in some of the best hotels in Patagonia.
The Desert Storm Namibia photo workshop is a 10-day workshop that will provide you with photo opportunities including petrified trees, ghost towns, and the immense red dunes of Sossusvlei. It also includes an open-door helicopter photography flight so you can capture some aerial photography of the unreal landscapes and the world’s largest dunes. This workshop costs $8,214.
Wildlife Photography Workshops
CNP Safaris
This South Africa-based company offers wildlife photography workshops and safaris. Each safari features guidance from award-winning wildlife photographers, specially-outfitted photographic safari vehicles, and the option to use their professional-grade cameras and lenses for free. Another bonus of CNP Safaris: you have a lot of flexibility in choosing dates, as each safari has several dates a month, almost year-round.
The Chobe Photo Safari photo workshop will take you through the Chobe National Park in Botswana. It provides opportunities to photograph a range of wildlife, from baboons to African Elephants. A CNP specialist will take you out on a boat for photo safaris twice daily. There are a variety of options for lodgings to suit different budgets. The most affordable wildlife photography workshop option is a campsite package which costs $1,795 for a four-night stay.
Serengeti Photo Safari – Grumeti takes you on daily safaris around the Grumeti game reserve, which is a great destination for wildcat photography. The area is also populated by huge herds of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope. The accommodations are in a luxurious lodge located in a secluded area of the game reserve. Photographic workshop packages start at $6,265 for a five-night stay.
Wildlife Workshops
This company specializes in wildlife and nature photography workshops for groups of about six people. Wildlife Workshops offers some unique wildlife photography workshops. Besides in-the-field instruction, these photo workshops also include some classroom time so instructors can review your images and discuss photography techniques.
Newfoundland Photography Workshop will give you many opportunities to capture great images of shorebirds, as Newfoundland is home to a population of 35 million of them, as well as 22 species of whales, and the world’s largest population of humpbacks.
This photo workshop is limited to six attendees who will be accompanied by two instructors. The wildlife photography workshop includes lodging and transportation. It costs $4,995 per person for six days and seven nights.
Birds And Wildlife of Panama Workshop is an ideal option if you want to photograph a wide variety of birds, as there are 987 different bird species in Panama. This is an 11-day trip that costs $4995 per person, including lodging, local transportation, and some meals.
Portrait Photography Workshops
Andrew French Workshops
Andrew French is a New York-based portrait and lifestyle photographer, with clients including publications like Time, Esquire, and Women’s Health. He hosts a variety of photography and lighting workshops to share his knowledge.
(Extra) Ordinary Portraits is a portrait photography workshop that aims to teach you both the technique and art behind taking beautiful portraits. It also covers tips on how to manage light in a daylight studio.
This workshop features a model-to-student ratio of one model for every two students. You can attend for either one or two days. The single-day package costs $495, and the two-day package is $850.
Princeton Photo Workshop
This New Jersey-based company holds classes, workshops, and photo field trips, all with the goal of teaching people to take better pictures. Their offerings include workshops to suit photographers of every skill level.
Portrait Photography from Start to Finish is a series of three portrait photography workshops: portrait photography basics, shooting portraits, and the polished portrait. The first photo workshop will teach you the fundamentals of composing interesting portraits, including how to capture the character of your subject, and how to manage light and backgrounds.
The second session is a hands-on shooting photographic workshop that addresses lens choices, posing, and more advanced lighting techniques. The third session is a post processing class where you can learn how to work with exposure, contrast, and color corrections in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
You can sign up for whichever sessions appeal to you, and if you want to do the whole series, it costs $395.
Wedding Photography Workshops
PhotoManhattan
PhotoManhattan is a well-established name in hands-on photography workshops. They offer courses, seminars, and workshops that focus on portrait, event, and wedding photography.
Wedding/Event Photography is a series of PhotoManhattan workshops that address all aspects of wedding photography, from location preparation to the business end. It includes topics such as equipment, shooting styles, lighting, posing, post-processing, and marketing. This New York City photographic workshop consists of three sessions that last four hours each at a total cost of $415.
Twig and Olive Photography
Located in New Orleans, this photography studio specializes in custom editorial weddings and portraiture. They also do a lot to educate photographers with a range of wedding photography workshops, tutorials, and seminars.
Wedding Shootout is a unique event. As opposed to a full-fledged workshop, Wedding Shootout doesn’t spend time teaching you about the business end of wedding photography. Instead, this workshop focuses on shooting, giving you the chance to build your portfolio working with a full wedding day setup.
That means you can get some practice working with couples, flowers, pastries, stationery, and more, with professional wedding photographers there to help. The shootout costs $500 to attend.
Consistent Trust: A Wedding Photography Workshop is a wedding photography workshop that addresses all areas of wedding photography. That includes business practices such as creating a successful brand and managing client experience.
Similar to the Wedding Shootout listed above, it involves a stylized shoot with models and attractive setups to work with. This workshop costs $695 to attend.
The Real Workshop
This North Carolina company hosts wedding photography workshops that help photographers overcome all the challenges involved with wedding photography.
The Real Workshop Asheville is a wedding photography workshop that involves classroom and hands-on time. It teaches best practices in topics ranging from dealing with difficult clients to handling tough lighting situations, and costs $1,300 per person to attend.
Online Photography Workshops
Strohl Works
Photographer Alex Strohl’s photography has been featured in publications like National Geographic, Forbes, and Vanity Fair, and he offers multiple online workshops you can access any time you need.
Strohl’s Adventure Photography Workshop comes with 43 video lessons covering his approach to photography, editing, and the sometimes overwhelming but super important business side of things. The workshop also includes Strohl’s six most popular presets (and a lesson on how to create your own), a supporting PDF, and has over 180 5-star reviews.
If seasonality is more your style, Strohl’s Summer Photography Workshop includes 90 minutes of video lessons on Strohl’s secrets to summer travel photography and editing. Students also receive two presets and a PDF with module recaps, notes, and links to his favorite tools.
According to gear experts Huckberry, Strohl is the go-to guy for travel photography.
“Here at Huckberry, we’ve got some downright badass ambassadors who inspire us daily with their unconventional, creative, and rugged lifestyles. Alex Strohl is one of our favorites, stirring up severe wanderlust with his outdoor photography. His photos have been featured everywhere from National Geographic to Forbes and Vanity Fair. So we’re beyond stoked to team up with him and offer a photography workshop that’ll cover everything from how to shoot and edit, to the nitty-gritty of running your own personal photography business. If you’re anything like us, at one point or another, you’ve dreamt of being a globe-trotting adventure photographer — well, here’s your chance to have a pro show you the ropes.”
Want More Photography Workshops?
If none of the photography workshops above seem like a good fit for you, there are a number of websites that provide listings of photography workshops around the world. They let you search by category, skill level, location, and more. Two of the best are the Photography Workshops Directory and the International Directory of Photography Workshops & Tours.
Once you’ve taken enough workshops and mastered your craft, you can top up your income by hosting your own workshops! Check out our guide to learn how to market your own photography workshops.
More on improving your photography skills:
11 Different Types of Photography To Help You Become a Better Photographer
How to Market Your Photography Business for Free
The Photographer’s Guide to Ethical Wildlife Photography
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