Discover how to get the most out of your camera and start creating images you’re proud of. In this hands-on beginner-friendly course, you’ll learn the technical essentials of digital photography while exploring the creative choices that bring pictures to life. Guided by expert photographers, you’ll master manual controls, experiment with composition techniques, and develop your own photographic style through both studio learning and location shoots around London.
Whether you’re looking to document your travels, capture portraits, or explore artistic photography, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to take control of your camera and produce striking images.
What you will learn
Over the duration of this course you will:
- Master the exposure triangle: ISO, aperture, and shutter speed
- Confidently handle DSLR cameras
- Choose the right focal length and lens for different subjects
- Work with manual and semi-automatic modes (M, A/Av, S/Tv, P)
- Control depth of field and f-stops for creative focus
- Capture motion — freeze the action or create movement effects
- Use autofocus modes and focus points effectively
- Apply composition techniques for balanced, engaging images
- Understand JPEG vs RAW and choose the right file format
- Set white balance for accurate colour in changing light
- Practise on location at iconic London spots (eg. Borough Market, Tower Bridge, Covent Garden)
Benefits of Taking This Course
Learn the skills that turn snapshots into stand-out shots. This course gives you the confidence, control, and creative tools to capture images that truly reflect your vision.
- Shoot with confidence: Understand exactly which settings to use and why
- Unlock creativity: Use light, lens choice, and framing to tell stronger visual stories
- Hands-on practice: Apply new techniques immediately in real-world scenarios
- Personalised feedback: Receive supportive, constructive advice from your tutor
- Solid foundation: Prepare for more advanced or specialist photography courses
- Efficient workflow: Simple habits to improve consistency and results
Master Your Camera
Take full manual control and move beyond automatic mode
Light Like a Pro
Read natural light and set white balance for perfect colour
Pin-Sharp Focus
Select autofocus modes and points for precise results
Compose with Purpose
Apply framing and visual balance to guide the eye
Motion Mastery
Freeze or blur movement for impact
RAW to Ready
Manage your files for maximum editing flexibility
CLASSES STARTING SOON
| DATE | DAY | TIME (BST) | DURATION | TUTOR | VENUE | PRICE | BOOKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 2025 - 21 Oct 2025 | Tue | 18:30-20:30 | 6 weeks | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book Now Click the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
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| 27 Sep 2025 - 28 Sep 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
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| 9 Oct 2025 - 13 Nov 2025 | Thu | 18:30-20:30 | 6 weeks | James Ross | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
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| 25 Oct 2025 - 26 Oct 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
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Useful information
Complete beginners or those with basic photography knowledge who want clear, practical instruction and guided practice.
Please bring a DSLR camera with full manual controls. If you don’t have one, you can borrow a DSLR for use during class time.
Your camera’s manual, fully charged battery, an empty memory card, comfortable shoes, and a light bag. A lightweight tripod and external flash are useful if you own them.
Yes. The course combines classroom sessions with location shoots at London landmarks (locations may vary).
Manually set your camera for any scene, use lenses effectively, control focus and exposure, compose creatively, and work confidently in different shooting environments.
Our Approach
Our photography classes are designed to fully equip you with the technical knowledge you need to get the most out of your photography, and provide you with projects and exercises to utilise your creativity. The classes are limited to a small size, so our tutors are able to offer you the technical support you need, give you practical hands-on experience and constructive feedback to develop your photography skills.
All of our classes involve focussed, classroom based theory learning, but major on practical exercises. We are committed to offering an enjoyable experience as we guide you through comprehensive technical training and build your confidence as you explore your creative ideas and experimenting with various techniques.
What our students say
Our Tutor has done an excellent job with us. He made sure we understood the basic principles of how to control exposure in our cameras and let us explore and put the skills into practice. He was also strongly encouraging towards leveraging our creativity and the results could be appreciated in the last session when all the students presented their photographs. The course overall strongly exceeded my expectations. Thanks a lot!
Alfonso - Photography Beginners
HEAR FROM OUR STUDENTS
Our students talk us through what they learnt over the 5 days, about their camera, and themselves!
Students on this course move onto
Many students use this course as a springboard to explore more specialised areas of photography. Whether developing a professional portfolio or simply refining your creative style, moving on to advanced classes allows you to deepen your technical skills, experiment with new genres, and produce work with even greater impact.
| DATE | DAY | TIME (BST) | DURATION | TUTOR | VENUE | PRICE | BOOKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 2025 - 21 Oct 2025 | Tue | 18:30-20:30 | 6 weeks | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 27 Sep 2025 - 28 Sep 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 9 Oct 2025 - 13 Nov 2025 | Thu | 18:30-20:30 | 6 weeks | James Ross | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 25 Oct 2025 - 26 Oct 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 8 Nov 2025 - 9 Nov 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | James Ross | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 14 Nov 2025 - 19 Dec 2025 | Fri | 19:00-21:00 | 6 weeks | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 6 Dec 2025 - 7 Dec 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 3 Jan 2026 - 4 Jan 2026 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | City Academy Photography Tutors | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 8 Jan 2026 - 12 Feb 2026 | Thu | 19:00-21:00 | 6 weeks | City Academy Photography Tutors | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 17 Jan 2026 - 18 Jan 2026 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | City Academy Photography Tutors | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 27 Jan 2026 - 3 Mar 2026 | Tue | 19:00-21:00 | 6 weeks | City Academy Photography Tutors | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
Select your Entry Level:
PAYMENT OPTIONS
ONLINE & PHONE PAYMENTS
Online – To book your selected class/course online, just click Book Now next to your chosen class/course.
Phone – We would be happy to take your booking over the phone, just call us on 020 7042 8833.
CASH & CHEQUE PAYMENTS
Cash - You are welcome to pay cash, just come and see us at our office: City Academy, 38 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4RN
We offer a full refund or full credit if you cancel at least 72 hours before the start of your booking.
We cannot offer any refund if you cancel less than 72 hours before the start of your booking, or if you do not attend.
(For more information please see our terms and conditions)
10% DISCOUNT AVAILABLE
If you book 2 or more different classes/courses at a time we can offer you a 10% discount. If you wish to take advantage of this offer please enter 2ORMORE in the promotional code box when booking online, or quote the code when booking over the phone. Please note that this offer cannot be applied when you are booking two or more of the same class/course.
| DATE | DAY | TIME (BST) | DURATION | TUTOR | VENUE | PRICE | BOOKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 2025 - 21 Oct 2025 | Tue | 18:30-20:30 | 6 weeks | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 27 Sep 2025 - 28 Sep 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 9 Oct 2025 - 13 Nov 2025 | Thu | 18:30-20:30 | 6 weeks | James Ross | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 25 Oct 2025 - 26 Oct 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 8 Nov 2025 - 9 Nov 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | James Ross | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 14 Nov 2025 - 19 Dec 2025 | Fri | 19:00-21:00 | 6 weeks | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 6 Dec 2025 - 7 Dec 2025 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | Holly Falconer | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 3 Jan 2026 - 4 Jan 2026 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | City Academy Photography Tutors | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 8 Jan 2026 - 12 Feb 2026 | Thu | 19:00-21:00 | 6 weeks | City Academy Photography Tutors | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 17 Jan 2026 - 18 Jan 2026 | Sat | 10:00-16:00 | 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) | City Academy Photography Tutors | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
| 27 Jan 2026 - 3 Mar 2026 | Tue | 19:00-21:00 | 6 weeks | City Academy Photography Tutors | Photoion Studio, Waterloo | £285.00 | Book NowClick the gift icon to gift this course | Book Now Gift this courseClick the gift icon to gift this course |
|
Select your Entry Level:
PAYMENT OPTIONS
ONLINE & PHONE PAYMENTS
Online – To book your selected class/course online, just click Book Now next to your chosen class/course.
Phone – We would be happy to take your booking over the phone, just call us on 020 7042 8833.
CASH & CHEQUE PAYMENTS
Cash - You are welcome to pay cash, just come and see us at our office: City Academy, 38 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4RN
We offer a full refund or full credit if you cancel at least 72 hours before the start of your booking.
We cannot offer any refund if you cancel less than 72 hours before the start of your booking, or if you do not attend.
(For more information please see our terms and conditions)
10% DISCOUNT AVAILABLE
If you book 2 or more different classes/courses at a time we can offer you a 10% discount. If you wish to take advantage of this offer please enter 2ORMORE in the promotional code box when booking online, or quote the code when booking over the phone. Please note that this offer cannot be applied when you are booking two or more of the same class/course.
-
Photoion Studio, Waterloo
14 Lower Marsh
All City Academy tutors are experienced professionals from theatre, film/TV and performance industries. So whilst they're training you they may also be rehearsing for a West End show or working on a movie. We like that and we do believe it makes a difference in class.
Take your pictures to the next level with our five-day Photography Summer School. Gaining a further understanding of the technical and aesthetic aspects of photography.
Use state of the art filmmaking and post-production equipment to write, direct and edit a short film in the Adult Filmmaking Summer School
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