Photography Skills courses & workshops in London

This intensive one-day workshop introduces street portraiture photography in the vibrant Brick Lane area of East London. Guided by your tutor, you will explore approaches to photographing people in public spaces, learning how to engage with subjects, work confidently on the street, and capture authentic portraits that reflect the character and diversity of the area.

Through practical shooting sessions, you will develop skills in observation, communication, composition, and the use of natural light while creating a small series of compelling environmental portraits and candid street images.

Do you sometimes take great photographs but feel that it’s hit and miss whether things come out how you want them to? Maybe you have a great camera but don’t know how to use it beyond Auto? Maybe you’re just mystified at what half the buttons on your camera actually do? Discover how to have more control over your image-making, even as a complete beginner. Getting the right amount of technical knowledge explained in an accessible way, plus lots of creative guidance will mean you can really enjoy taking great photographs. An ideal first step to start you off on your photography journey.

Push the limits of your photography beyond standard image-making and towards something more playful and experimental. Using hands-on interventions with your camera, experimental use of light or getting creative with your digital images. You'll also get a chance to try out traditional analogue techniques.

This course invites you to use light as a creative tool: shaping, trailing and transforming it to create expressive photographic images. Through guided experimentation, creative briefs, and group critique, you’ll learn how to control exposure, colour, and movement to produce images that glow, blur, shimmer, and surprise.

NB: This listing covers two versions of the same course. One is the full course, and the other is a condensed 1-day version designed as a short introductory 'taster'.

Shape, form, pattern and texture take on added significance in black-and-white photography. Without colour to guide the eye, contrast, lighting, and composition take on even more importance. Discover these elements and the basic rules of black and white photography

Shoot a roll of black and white film and develop it in traditional chemicals, learning two ways to view the images on your film (analogue and digital). Learn the process at City Lit so that you can set yourself up for doing it confidently at home.

Learn how pinhole photography works, try out different ways of making a camera. Discover exciting experimental ways of producing photographic images with the camera you’ve built.

Retouching for fashion and beauty photography.

This course will empower you with the skill set to achieve a retouched image at a commercial editorial level.

In this 3-session practical workshop, you will build your confidence to produce beautiful retouching focussing on skin and hair, colour grading and preparing your image both for print and web using Lightroom and Photoshop.

Add the finish that takes your image to a different level.

Delve deep into the world of photography, working with a selection of fundamental projects that will support you in developing the confidence and skills required for your own photographic practice.

The City Lit photography course offers both knowledge and practical experience within photography, exploring its various contexts and genres. You will get to grips with your camera, explore different photographic techniques and gain new skills using industry equipment and software. Working through a series of creative projects you will start developing your own ideas and finish the course with an extensive portfolio of photographic work.

Whether you are a photographer or a writer, this short course will give you ideas for combining words and images to discover new approaches and create new work.

Already comfortable with the basics of photography and ready to push your skills further? This course is designed to help you build confidence, deepen your technical understanding and expand your creative approach. With guidance from an experienced professional photographer, you’ll refresh core knowledge, explore more advanced techniques and gain fresh inspiration to develop your photographic voice.

Discover the basics of photography to improve your photographs and impress your friends. Learn about shutter speed, aperture, composition, light and taking pictures in different environments. This course is perfect for complete beginners or for adding new skills. Please take this course before enrolling on our intermediate courses.

Discover how to capture the bright lights and buzz of London’s West End after dark, conveying the energy of the city. This course will lead you through Piccadilly Circus, the London Eye and Waterloo Bridge and provide feedback on your images in the classroom.

Learn the basics of using flash on camera (speedlights) to enhance your images. Experiment creatively indoors and outdoors with different flash techniques, with a professional photographer on hand to guide you throughout.

Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.