Welcome to Photocourse NZ at Photospace, 37 Courtenay Place, Wellington, New Zealand.

Shooting Film - new workshop. Two Saturday half-days - 16th and 30th August 2025. Numbers limited. Booking now.

Photocourse-1, intro to Creative Photography, 4x Tuesday evenings + Sat. workshop, starts 5th August. Booking now. 6 places only.

Photocourse 2 - The Portrait - 6 Tuesday evenings + workshop from 23rd Sept to 28th October, 2025. Booking now.

Film and Darkroom courses and workshops running July-September, 2025

• Darkroom 1 intro course, 4x Monday evenings, 4th-25th August
• Darkroom 1 intro weekend workshop, 23rd-24th August
• Darkroom 2 printing course, 4x Monday evenings, 8th-29th September
  
• Darkroom 2 printing weekend workshop, 13th-14th September
  

Only four places are available on each of these so please book early.

Introduction

Cameras and photo-processing software continue to improve, making it seem easier to take professional-looking photos, and this is even more evident with the latest cellphones. "You press the button, we do the rest" was Kodak's tagline in 1888, and that vision has continued to develop with new technology and take over. Automated snaps are a good stepping-off point, but there is far, far more about photography that is open for you to explore.

Aside from the major question of what to photograph (something we address in depth in our intermediate-advanced level courses) there are these considerations:

• What do all the controls do and how are they important creatively?
• How do I compose a photo well?
• Am I shooting from the best possible viewpoint?
• How can I shoot better landscapes/portraits/photos at night?
• How do I understand light quality, and control and capture it?
• Once I've taken some good photos, what should I do with them?
• Is the history of photography important? What/who should I know about?
• How can I begin to use the language of photography to express my personal viewpoint and concerns in photographs?

In our real-time, small-group photography classes, we answer these questions and more, and help you on the journey to becoming a photographer.

Our photography courses and workshops will help you find your own balance between the technical and creative sides of photography - the science and the art - and show you how to develop your photographic eye so you can capture and create images that are visually strong, technically sound, impressive, personal, and uniquely your own vision and expression.

We've been teaching photography here since 1999. Our beginning, intermediate and advanced photo courses and workshops are based on practical assignments and hands-on experience to help you understand both the aesthetic and technical sides of photography. And we even teach film-based photography and darkroom processes - developing and printing your own black and white photos.

Benefits of Photocourse NZ photography courses and workshops:

• Experienced, knowledgeable, professional tutors
• Constructive in-person feedback on your photography
• Central Wellington location as a permanent base
• Photographic art gallery, darkrooms & professional photo studio on site
• Group limits of 8 or fewer, with a tutor-to-student ratio of 1:5 or better. This ensures our courses and workshops are interactive, social and fun - unlike sitting at home alone in front of a screen
  
• Beginner, intermediate & advanced courses and workshops are offered for longer term creative development and progression, including group exhibition projects
  
• New Zealand's most established specialist photography gallery - Photospace Gallery - and a professional photo studio are right here.

We've held group and solo photography exhibitions at Photospace Gallery as a result of our intermediate-advanced courses - PC3 and PC4 -  and some of these students have gone on to have solo exhibitions at other galleries and venues.

Our courses are popular and group sizes are limited, so please book early or you may miss out. We are happy to discuss your requirements and offer advice before you book. Deposits are required to confirm places on all our courses and workshops.

Learn the basics of film shooting and get feedback on your photos. Two Saturdays - 16th & 30th JAugust 2025

Photocourse 1 - Intro to Creative Photography. This is a new, more concise version of Photocourse 1. It will run over 4 Tuesday evenings from 5th August 2025. Expressions of interest and deposits welcome now. Limit of 6 people.

Studio lighting intro workshop . Running August, 2025. Expressions of interest now. 4 places only per workshop.

Darkroom 1 - Film & Darkroom Weekend Workshop. 4 places only. Running 23-24 August 2025, bookings welcome now. Photo: John Williams

Photocourse 2 - Intro to Portraiture. running 23rd September-28th October, 2025. Register your interest now. 6 places only.

Darkroom 1 - Black & white film and darkroom, 4x Monday evenings - running on 4th-25th August 2025, Booking now - 4 places only per course.

Darkroom 2 - Black & White Printing weekend workshop running 13th-14th September 2025, expressions of interest welcome now. 4 places only. Photo: James Gilberd

Photocourse 4 - mentored long photographic project, running next 2026-2027. Expressions of interest welcome now. Limit 6 places. (Pinhole photo by J.Gilberd.)