Course Information, Syllabus, Pricing + FAQ

Chris Bray's 1 day photography courses are inspiring photographers all around Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra, helping them learn photography and get the most out of their DSLR cameras with a unique combination of practical and theory sessions hosted in zoos and other amazing venues! Regarded as Australia's leading intensive photography course and backed by Australian Geographic, Canon and Lowepro, each is limited to just 14 people, and they sell out fast - so book now!

Do you leave your camera on Auto mode? What a waste! Not sure what aperture does, or how to control it? What are all those buttons, what lenses should I get, and what's exposure compensation and histograms anyway? Let award winning Australian Geographic photographer Chris Bray help you unlock the creative power of your DSLR camera in a friendly, small-group environment with 1-on-1 time, and start taking 'lucky photos' every time! Don't have a DSLR camera or tripod? No worries - you can borrow a Canon 600D and tripod from us for free! Use a Nikon or something? No worries, we teach all brands!

Extra Information

Kicking off between 7 and 10:00 AM (times vary on location), the 9 hour day includes catered meals, entry to the zoo (or other venue), theory lessons, practical outdoor sessions, ample time for questions and discussions, one-on-one tuition, prizes and more. You can bring your own Digital SLR, or borrow one of ours if you don't have one - which makes this course a great opportunity to experiment with a DSLR before you splurge and buy one.

The day's schedule is carefully designed to maximise your learning. We hold our courses in small groups (14 or less) and only at selected venues that provide a pleasant, modern boardroom for our classroom environment, complimentary tea & coffee as well as wonderfully catered meals (lunch, morning & afternoon tea), at a location conveniently accessible from town, and with immediate access to a variety of interesting photogenic subjects outside for practical sessions. For example, in Sydney, our courses are held at the Taronga Zoo Function Centre boardroom - where else can you step out of a stylish boardroom and take photos of lions one minute, waterfalls the next, and then turn around and practice Sydney Harbour landscape views?

The day is split between theory lessons and practical sessions where new skills are taught and then practiced. Although carefully orchestrated in terms of the layout, sequence and content, the theory lessons are friendly casual sessions, presented on a digital projector with plenty of slides illustrating concepts, and open invitations for comments and questions. A take-home lecture-slide booklet is also provided so instead of trying to madly write things down, you can instead focus on absorbing and learning.

Each day course also includes a photography assignment, where you're sent out to capture a photo to fit a given brief, and our lucky winner gets an awesome Lowepro Primus AW camera backpack worth $330!

Courses go ahead, rain hail or shine (besides, some of the best photographs are taken in those flat-light conditions of rainy overcast days - but bring an umbrella just in case!).

The full payment needs to be made up-front to confirm your place in the course, however should something happen and you can't attend, then we can refund you the full amount minus a $150 non-refundable deposit per person.

Pricing

Course Syllabus

The Chris Bray Photography 1-Day Course is designed to walk you through a comprehensive learning curve covering everything from basic composition through to depth of field, lighting, histograms and more. It doesn’t matter if you're a newbie, amateur or semi-pro photographer, you'll find the day interesting, informative and invaluable – filled with tips and tricks that'll help you 'Take Better Photos'.

You can download the full syllabus below as a PDF document. In summary though, the major headings include:

Download Syllabus in PDF format

DSLR vs Compact Cameras Parts of the camera Getting Ready to Take a Photo Taking a Photo Composition - Top 10 Tips Basic Exposure Theory Exposure Compensation Histograms Aperture and Depth of Field Shutter Speed and Movement ISO Low Light Photography Tripods Timers The Exposure Triangle Advanced Camera Modes Lighting Flash White Balance Filters Lenses The Digital Advantage Photographing Wildlife Photographing People Camera Care Sensor Cleaning JPG vs RAW Storing and Backing Up Tips for Turning Pro

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q) Is there a minimum age to attend?
• A) Yes. You must be 14 years or older to attend.

• Q) Can I bring my young baby?
• A) No sorry. Unfortunately babies cause too much distraction to you and others in the class. Some brest-feeding mums may opt to have their partner visit the zoo/venue for the day with the baby, and they can meet-up during our meal brakes which works well.

• Q) Can you cater for specific diet requirements?
• A) Yes of course! Please just enter any special requirements as a comment during the online booking process and we're happy to pass these on to the caterers! Easy!

• Q) What lenses should I bring?
• A) All of them! Why not? That way you'll learn about your whole kit. If you only have one, then that makes your decision easier - one is fine too! You'll be able to borrow some fancy new lenses on the day too, like macro lenses, fisheye etc.

• Q) I don't use Canon brand cameras - is this course still for me?
• A) Yes of course! All the theory is exactly the same, and we know our way around every brand of camera and will make you feel just as comfortable as if you were a Canon user.

• Q) This is a surprise gift. How can I get a gift certificate?
• A) That's generous of you! Sure. Just fill in the photography course booking form online as usual, putting their name down, and you can also tick the box saying 'yes I'd like a gift certificate', but importantly put YOUR email contact for the booking, so when we email the gift certificate it comes to you instead of them! The same with the phone number - put yours instead of theirs in case we need to call to check something.

• Q) The course is sold out! Can I put myself on a waiting list?
• A) Yup! Drop us an email (through the contact page) with your phone number and which course you wanted to attend, and if someone pulls out we'll give you a bell. You should also go to the main 'Photography Course Booking' page and enter your email address to the waiting list under the respective city, and that way you'll automatically be alerted when we open up new dates for that city in the future!

• Q) I can't make the date! When's the next course?
• A) If you go to the main 'Photography Course' page and enter your email address to the waiting list under the respective city, you'll automatically be alerted when we open up new dates for that city in the future! Easy!

• Q) Is food and venue entry included?
• A) Yes of course! All venues include amazing catering for lunch, morning and afternoon tea, as well as tea & coffee on arrival. If the course is at a zoo, then yes, zoo entry is included. The day is completely self-contained.