Photography workshops · Melbourne
Photography workshops in Melbourne, with Dani Watson.
Eight hands-on workshops across the city, from your first camera class to long exposure seascapes. Small groups, real locations, and an award-winning photographer beside you the whole time.
- From $130Per person
- 2–3 hoursOn location
- Max 8Per group
- All levelsStart to specialise
- Small groups, max 8
- Master of Arts, RMIT
- AIPP · RPS
- Hasselblad Masters finalist
- Instant online booking
At a glance
Learn one skill. Properly.
Each workshop is 2 to 3 hours on location: a short demonstration, guided shooting and feedback on your own images. No lecture theatre, no slides for an hour. You learn a technique, see it done, then do it with your educator beside you.
Every workshop is marked Start, Build or Specialise. Start if your camera still lives on auto. Build once the settings make sense. Specialise when you want a particular look.
- Price
- From $130 pp
- Length
- 2–3 hours
- Group size
- Max 8
- Levels
- Beginner to advanced
- Where
- Melbourne CBD, Docklands, Port Melbourne, Parkville and the bay
- Booking
- Online, instant confirmation
All workshops
Choose the skill you want to build.
Prices are per person in AUD. Open a workshop to see what you’ll learn, where you meet and what to bring.
8 options shown
- Most booked
Camera foundations
Beginner Photography
Take your camera off auto. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focus, practised around the State Library and Swanston Street.
Check dates & bookWhat you’ll learn
- Exposure triangle: aperture, shutter speed and ISO
- Focus modes and sharp handheld images
- Reading the histogram and metering
- Composition: thirds, lines, framing
- A settings routine you can repeat
Meet State Library Victoria, 328 Swanston St, Melbourne
Bring Mirrorless or DSLR with manual controls, charged battery, memory card.
- New
No camera needed
Smartphone Photography
Better photos with the phone you already carry. Composition, light, portrait and night modes, and five-minute edits.
Check dates & bookWhat you’ll learn
- Using the camera app properly: exposure lock, focus, grid
- Light and composition that make phone photos stand out
- Portrait, night and long-exposure modes
- Editing on your phone in five minutes
- iPhone and Android covered
Meet Melbourne CBD laneways (confirmed at booking)
Bring A charged phone with free storage. A small power bank helps.
- New
Melbourne laneways
Street Photography
Photograph people and city life with confidence and respect. Timing, layers, light and zone focusing.
Check dates & bookWhat you’ll learn
- Zone focusing and settings for fast moments
- Finding a scene and waiting for the subject
- Layers, gestures and light
- Ethics and etiquette in public
- Building a small street series
Meet Melbourne CBD laneways (confirmed at booking)
Bring Camera with manual controls (a small prime is ideal), or a phone.
- Night
Melbourne after dark
Night Photography
Long exposures, light trails and sharp city lights at Flinders Street Station and Federation Square. Wednesdays at sunset.
Check dates & bookWhat you’ll learn
- Tripod set-up and remote or self-timer release
- Long exposure settings and light trails
- Focusing in the dark
- White balance under city light
- Handheld night shooting
Meet St Paul's Cathedral steps, cnr Flinders and Swanston St
Bring Camera with manual controls and a tripod (tripods available to hire).
- Blue hour
Twilight and reflections
Docklands Blue Hour
The forty minutes between sunset and night, when the sky turns deep blue and the city lights up.
Check dates & bookWhat you’ll learn
- Timing the blue hour
- Balancing sky and artificial light
- Reflections and composition on the water
- Long exposure for smooth water
- Exposure bracketing
Meet Docklands Sunset Point, 179 Harbour Esplanade
Bring Camera, tripod (available to hire), remote release if you have one.
- Sunset
Sunset to dusk
Princes Pier Sunset
One of Melbourne's most loved piers, from golden hour into dusk. Bright skies, silhouettes and leading lines.
Check dates & bookWhat you’ll learn
- Exposing for sunset skies
- Silhouettes and leading lines
- Graduated and ND filters explained
- Shooting into the sun without losing detail
- Colour and white balance
Meet Princes Pier, Pier St, Port Melbourne
Bring Camera, tripod (available to hire), a warm layer.
- Wildlife
Melbourne Zoo
Zoo Wildlife
Timing, autofocus and composition for animals in motion. Shoot through glass and fences. Zoo entry not included.
Check dates & bookWhat you’ll learn
- Continuous autofocus and tracking
- Shutter speeds for movement
- Shooting through glass and wire
- Eye contact and behaviour
- Clean backgrounds
Meet Melbourne Zoo main entry, Elliott Ave, Parkville
Bring Camera, your longest lens, Zoo entry ticket (not included).
- New
ND filters and water
Long Exposure Seascapes
Smooth water, streaked skies and minimal compositions. ND filters, exposure maths and tide timing on Port Phillip Bay.
Check dates & bookWhat you’ll learn
- ND and graduated filters
- Calculating long exposures
- Reading tide and weather
- Minimalist seascape composition
- Processing long exposures
Meet Port Phillip Bay pier (confirmed by tide and weather)
Bring Camera, sturdy tripod, ND filters if you own them.
Swipe for more →
Bookings open securely on this page through CapturEDU, Dani’s photography education studio. Gift vouchers available for any amount.
How every workshop runs
Explain. Demonstrate. Photograph. Review.
You won’t sit through hours of theory. You learn a technique, see it done, try it straight away and improve it while your educator is beside you.
- Explain
What the setting changes, and when you’d use it.
- Demonstrate
A clear example before you set up your own shot.
- Photograph
Guided shooting time to test settings, light and composition.
- Review
Feedback on your images and one clear thing to practise next.
Private themes
Drone, architecture, macro and light painting.
Specialist subjects are taught one-to-one, built around your equipment and goals. Private lessons are $165 for one hour, or $150 an hour for two hours or more, in Melbourne or on Zoom.
- Private
- Private
- Private
- Private
Your learning path
Ready for more than a few hours?
Workshops are the first step. When you want a whole day, a journey or a body of work, these are the next ones.
How much do photography workshops in Melbourne cost?
Group workshops are $130 to $149 per person for 2 to 3 hours, in a group of no more than eight. Private lessons are $165 for one hour, or $150 an hour for two hours or more. A full-day private workshop is $1,000.
Which workshop should a beginner book first?
Start with Beginner Photography (2 hours, State Library Victoria). If you only use a phone, choose Smartphone Photography. Every workshop is marked Start, Build or Specialise so you can see what comes next.
Who teaches the workshops?
Most sessions are taught by Dani Watson, an award-winning landscape photographer and educator with a Master of Arts in Photography from RMIT University, AIPP and RPS membership, and Hasselblad Masters finalist recognition. Workshops are run through CapturEDU, Dani’s photography education studio.
What camera do I need?
A mirrorless or DSLR camera with manual controls suits most workshops. Smartphone and Street workshops also work with a phone. Tripods are available to hire for night, blue hour, sunset and long exposure sessions.
How big are the groups?
No more than eight people, so your educator can check your settings and give individual feedback throughout the session.
What happens if the weather is bad?
If conditions make a session unsafe or unworkable, you will be moved to another date or your booking will be transferred.
Do you teach drone, architecture, macro or light painting?
Yes, as private lessons. They are taught one-to-one so the session can be built around your gear and goals.
Can I give a workshop as a gift?
Yes. Gift vouchers can be bought for any amount and used for any workshop, lesson or mentoring program.
Start learning
Prefer one-to-one?
Two hours with your own educator, on location in Melbourne, built around your camera and goals.