Emerging Trends in Photography Workshops and Finding the Right Expedition

Whether you’re new to photography or a seasoned veteran, photo workshops can help you learn new skills while connecting with other photographers.

Today’s workshops are all about the hands-on experience, taking photographers out of the classroom and into the real world. New trends are emerging that are making these workshops more exciting and attractive to photographers of all levels.

Emerging Trends in Photography Workshops  

Photo workshops are evolving. We’re moving from the studio to the great outdoors. Now more than ever, workshops are combining the photographer’s love for travel with their desire to learn and hone their craft.

Bigger, Better Travel Photography Workshops

Experiential travel is one of the biggest trends in travel photography workshops. These events are focused on one country or city, which gives photographers the opportunity to become fully immersed in the experience.

Instead of one-day or weekend events, photographers have the opportunity to spend several days or more than a week in a particular location.

Expeditions can be found in all parts of the world. Whether you want to capture the dramatic landscapes of Ireland, take a step back in time in Croatia or get lost in Paris, there are outdoor workshops for you. Outdoor photo enthusiasts will also find expeditions that involve hiking or kayaking to destinations that are off the beaten path.

No matter where in the world you are – or want to travel – you can find a photo adventure vacation.

Wildlife Workshops

Along with courses on capturing local wildlife, we’re seeing nature workshops that are offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences. From chasing exotic birds in Costa Rica to capturing the stunning gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda, these workshops offer the opportunity that even professional photographers may miss out on.

Along with exotic locales and unique expeditions, wildlife workshops are becoming more focused. You’ll find expeditions focused on capturing orangutans, horses, bears, birds and a wide range of other wildlife.

Of course, there are also wildlife-based workshops in far-off destinations, like Madagascar and the Amazon rainforest.

Portrait Workshops

Along with conventional workshops on studio portrait photography, we’re seeing more workshops focused on a country’s people and its culture. This exploration provides photographers with numerous opportunities to shoot candid portraits in outdoor settings while becoming immersed in the local culture.

Along with cultural-based expeditions, you’ll also find workshops with a narrower focus, such as headshot photography.

Techniques, Post-Production and the Creative Process

From composition to post-processing techniques and exploring the creative process, photographers will find a range of skills-focused workshops. These events may not provide the hands-on experience that an expedition offers, but they give hungry photographers the chance to improve their technical and creative skills.

3 Tips for Searching and Finding the Right Workshop

If you’re interested in joining a workshop, you may be wondering where to search and how to find the right one for your needs. These three tips can help:

1. Use a Reputable Site, like R O A M , to Searching for Workshops

Searching for individual events can be time-consuming and confusing. Luckily, reputable sites like R O A M (www.roamsearch.com) make it easy to search by destination, date and/or genre, so you can find a workshop that fits your needs in one place. Each workshop listing includes detailed itinerary information and what’s included with the cost of the expedition.

2. Consider Your Purpose or Goal

What do you hope to get out of the workshop? Do you want to learn how to improve your landscape photography? Maybe you want to learn how to take better photos of wildlife, or you just want an opportunity to travel with like-minded folks and take once-in-a-lifetime photos.

Understanding your purpose or goal will help narrow down your options when searching for workshops. With so many expeditions to choose from, it helps to have an idea of what you want to get out of the experience. Otherwise, you may walk away feeling unfulfilled.

3. Consider Your Skill Level and the Workshop Requirements

You’ll find that many workshops welcome photographers of all skill levels, but some expeditions are designed for certain levels. They may be beginner focused, or they may be suited for advanced users.

Along with the skill level, you’ll also want to consider any other requirements that may be listed. If the tour includes hiking and/or kayaking, you should feel confident that you can handle the physical requirements of these expeditions.

Most workshops have few requirements and welcome photographers of all experience levels. Travel companions are also welcome in most cases.

It’s now easier than ever for photographers to participate in workshops all over the world, and many of these expeditions are focused on either a particular skill or a particular type of photography. These niche-based workshops allow photographers to work on the exact skills they may need to improve, or simply enjoy a unique photographing opportunity in a dream location.