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

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 - not like sitting in a big classroom or at home alone in front of a screen
  
• Beginner, intermediate & advanced courses and workshops are offered for longer term creative development and progression, culminating in 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.

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Studio lighting intro workshop . Running Tuesday evenings 12th and 19th November 2024, booking now. 4 places only per workshop.

Photocourse 1 - Intro to Creative Photography. This is a new, more concise version of Photocourse 1. It will run in February 2025. Expressions of interest and deposits welcome now.

NEW COURSE: Photocourse 2 - Intro to Portraiture. Starting running 29th April, 2025. Expressions of interest welcome now.

Darkroom 1 - Film & Darkroom Weekend Workshop. 4 places only. Running autumn 2025, expressions of interest welcome now. Photo: John Williams

Darkroom 2 - Black & White Printing workshop running 12-13 Oct 2024 (fully booked) and then running autumn-winter 2025, expressions of interest welcome now. 4 places only. Photo: James Gilberd

Photocourse 4 - mentored long photographic project, running next 2025-26. Expressions of interest welcome now. Limit 6 places. (Pinhole photo by J.Gilberd.)

Darkroom 1 - Black & white film and darkroom, 4x Monday evenings, autumn & winter 2025, expressions of interest now. 4 places only per course.

Photocourse 1 Daytime - Monday/Tuesday, running in summer 2025. expressions of interest welcome now, 6 places only.