One might not realise it at first glance, but Liverpool as a city contains some of the most hidden picturesque scenes of any city in the country. Even a native Liverpudlian might not realise just how much the Pool contains that’s worth capturing on film!
Photography has very much become a part of everyone’s lives with the advent of smartphone cameras and social media, after all. That said, we all know the difference between an Instagram story taken on an iPhone camera with as much artistic value as a wet paper towel and a proper photograph taken by someone who understands the discipline.
Photography is an art, after all!
Just like any artistic skill, photography can be trained. The reason photography is on the rise so much is because people want to share memories of beautiful moments and memories. If that’s the case, surely it’s worth it to invest time to learn how to properly capture that magic, so that the photographs are actually worth looking back on?
Or if you're in Scotland, our article on Glasgow photography courses may be of interest.
What is the best way to learn photography in Liverpool?
One may be tempted to think that learning photography is as simple as learning how to focus your camera, and you’re sorted. However, even a brief glance at the discipline will reveal there is so much more to it than this.
Even at the most fundamental level, there are a huge range of styles of photography that all focus on different things that you can choose to specialise in, such as:
- Portrait photography
- Family, seniors, and babies are all subspecialties of the blanket term portrait
- Headshot photography – meant for actors or anyone building a portfolio
- Fashion photography
- Commercial photography
- Advertising photography and graphic design fall under this general term
- Wildlife and nature photography
- Landscape photography – more of a panoramic expression than nature photography
- Photojournalism
- Macro photography – imaging small particles or organisms
- A macro photographer shoots fine detail in jewellery as well as tiny animals and insects
That’s not to say you can’t learn multiple subdisciplines, but as you begin your photographic journey, you will quickly realise each of these subdisciplines has their own specific skill set you will need to learn and train.
The best way to do this is without a doubt learning from a professional photographer. Fortunately for those looking for photography lessons, Liverpool has no shortage of excellent professionals who offer to share their skills.
If you'd like to do the same in London, we have an article about photography courses in the capital.
Matthew Rycraft
A professional wedding photographer with a litany of experience in many fields of photography, and a portfolio that one could trawl for days and still not reach the end. Mr Rycraft is certainly experienced, then! On top of this, he has been teaching photography for almost as many years, being one of the go-tos for Liverpool photography courses for a while.
He can offer you a range of services from one-off pointer sessions to a three-month course comprehensively covering all aspects of professional photography, down to website management, business planning, and marketing.
What we love about what Matthew does with his course is tailor it specifically for you in advance of the session, going over whatever areas of your photography you feel need the most work. His endless experience can’t really be beaten either, especially for the price, as little as £39 for his shortest plan.
Especially for those looking to train to find photography jobs in Liverpool, we can’t recommend Matthew enough.
We’re less enthused about the relatively short session duration: the shortest plan is only a 25-minute session. While he is good at condensing a lot into this time, there is only so much that can be learnt in this timeframe.
If Liverpool is too far away, reading about photography classes in Birmingham might be useful.
Melvin Nicholson
On the other end of the price spectrum, we have the equally experienced and talented Melvin Nicholson, a landscape photographer with a portfolio that is nothing short of breathtaking. A veritable wizard of the DSLR, Mr Nicholson will show you all the details of composition, lenses, filters and so on to craft the perfect photo in a depth that you really won’t find anywhere else.
Over the course of his eight-hour session, you will be able to practise how to take landscape shots like the absolute best of them.
What we love about Melvin’s one-on-one courses is the sheer depth and extensiveness of them. Even at £395 as the base cost, with the option to add on up to two of your mates for £100 extra each, the eight hours of training is well worth the price.
You’re unlikely to find anyone else in the country, let alone Liverpool, who can offer you the same depth of knowledge and better prepare you for photography jobs in Liverpool than Melvin.
What we’re less enthused about is the near-exclusive focus on the actual photography elements, with less time given to post-processing or editing. These are elements that professional photographers will need to be experienced with, and will need to be learned at some point in any photographer’s career.
You can also learn photography in Edinburgh.
Are there photography societies in Liverpool?
The easiest way to get access to a number of photography studios in Liverpool as well as the resources that come with these is to join a photography society. The two premier options in Liverpool are the Maghull Photography Club and the South Liverpool Photographic Society, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Maghull Photography Club
A Liverpool photography club with one of the friendliest evening photography courses Liverpool has to offer, the Maghull Photography Club is an ideal environment for both amateur and experienced photographers to come together.
They offer tutorials, hold competitions, and generally offer everything an amateur photographer could want. They welcome all forms of photography into their ranks, from traditional film photography to more modern methods.
The club meets every Monday night at 8pm, from September through May, and boasts a full calendar of events, one for every meeting except holidays. They have become one of the premier spots for photography in Liverpool, and with good reason.
Especially for the amateur photographer, with no annual membership fee and a charge of only £4 per meeting, their flexibility is unmatched. Their combination of evening sessions and not forcing you into a commitment makes them ideal for those with full-time jobs who have photography as just a hobby, making it more accessible than ever.
To find photography clubs in Manchester, take a look at our article!
South Liverpool Photographic Society
Founded over seventy years ago, this historic society again has a wide range of disciplines in its ranks, but by comparison to the Maghull Photography Club runs their events all year round. Every Sunday, they host their improvers group workshops, where you can exchange tips and ideas with other amateur photo enthusiasts in a welcoming environment.
Every meeting will always have something new for you, with a different activity every week to broaden your horizons and sharpen your skills. With both an annual membership at £75 and one-off guest passes of £5, your options for how you want to engage are not restrictive either.
If you find yourself in Belfast, you also join a photography class there.
Can you take photography courses with Liverpool College?
In the conversation of photography courses in Liverpool, there is a certain elephant in the room that we haven’t touched on yet. The photography courses Liverpool Community College offer are a great, well-rounded and well priced way to learn photography in Liverpool.
The City of Liverpool College level 1 photography course is open to everyone who wants to learn everything from composition to photoshop and all in between.
The course itself is a ten-week program consisting of a pair of one-hour long sessions a week, culminating in a project to be submitted in the form of a final exam. The entire course costs only £220, but does expect students to pay for their own course materials, perhaps most crucially their own camera.
Those who haven’t already invested in a camera may prefer to rent a camera rather than buying one until they know what they want. Equipment can quickly become expensive, so it’s smart to wait until you have a little more expertise in the field before parting with so much money.
Find a photography course in Cardiff!
Can you learn photography online?
Perhaps after all of this, none of the photography lessons Liverpool have to offer have taken your fancy. That’s okay! One of the greatest parts of technology is the sheer amount of stuff there is on the internet that anyone can access, and this extends to learning photography.
Once you remove the geographical limiter you will find a huge, almost endless number of people who can offer you group courses or one-on-one tutoring in photography. You can even combine these with things such as an online degree from the University of Creative Arts or an offline training program to get the best of both worlds!
Check out this blog for photography classes around the UK.
Find out where you can take photography lessons in Leeds in this article.
The great convenience of online tutoring is that it can be done from the comfort of one’s own home, with the perfect tutor for you. Here on Superprof there are over 700 qualified photography tutors who can give you a vast ocean of knowledge in any number of photographic disciplines. Whether that takes the form of being an experienced portrait photographer wanting to transfer your skills to landscape photography, a new photographer wanting to find your way around a camera, or anything in between, Superprof has a tutor for you!
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