From a Studio in Alexandria to the Harbour, the Streets of Kings Cross and Beyond
Sydney Photographic Workshops teaches in five kinds of settings, and each workshop is matched to the one that suits its subject.
| Location | Workshops held here | What you’ll practise on |
| Alexandria studio, 7 Mitchell Road | 8-Week Beginner Course, Speedlite Essentials, Intermediate Speedlite, Adobe Lightroom Course | Controlled light, models and still-life sets |
| Sydney Harbour Foreshore, Circular Quay | Photography Essentials, Night Photography Workshop, 8-week course field trip | Water, heritage and modern architecture, day-to-night light |
| Kings Cross | Street Photography Workshop | Backstreets, markets, neon and people on the move |
| Locations across Sydney, by SPW van | Portrait Photography Workshop, Travel Photography Workshop | Several venues in one day, chosen for the brief |
| Bondi, Cockatoo Island or your own venue | Group Smartphone Masterclass, school excursions, corporate training, private tuition | Whatever your group needs |
The Alexandria Studio: Your Home Base
SPW’s home base is a dedicated photography studio at 7 Mitchell Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, in Sydney’s inner south. Most classroom sessions run here, and the full-day Portrait and Travel workshops start and finish here too.
Getting to the Studio
- By train: Get off at Redfern Station and walk about seven minutes through the South Eveleigh precinct to Mitchell Road.
- By car: Street parking is available nearby. Check the signs for time limits before you leave the car, because some sessions run for several hours (the Speedlite workshops go from 8 am to 1 pm).
- Evening classes: The 8-week course offers a 7 pm to 9 pm option, and the Lightroom course runs from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, so you can come straight from work.
- Questions before you arrive: The office answers on (02) 9699 4255, Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm.
Why Some Workshops Need a Studio
A studio gives you control, and control is what you need while learning light. Indoors, your tutor can shut out daylight so you see exactly what a flash adds to a scene, which is why both Speedlite workshops run here. A Speedlite is a portable flash unit, and SPW lends them to students who don’t own one.
In our studio lighting workshop, Speedlite Essentials, you shoot a professional model or still-life subjects in groups of no more than eight. The Lightroom course uses the same space as a classroom, with a maximum of nine students working on their own laptops. One 8-week student summed the space up as a great little studio to learn in.
Sydney Harbour Foreshore and Circular Quay
The Harbour Foreshore around Circular Quay is SPW’s main outdoor classroom. Photography Essentials, the Night Photography Workshop and the week 6 field trip of the 8-week course all run here.
Few places pack this much subject variety into a short walk. Within a few hundred metres you have open water, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, sandstone heritage buildings such as Customs House, and the modern façade of the Museum of Contemporary Art. In one session you can practise wide landscapes, architecture, small details and people.
The light here teaches you exposure fast. Sun bouncing off the water produces bright highlights that can fool your camera’s meter (the sensor that measures light to set exposure), so you learn to check and correct each shot. As the afternoon fades, the light turns warm and low, then the city and ferry lights take over. The 8-week field trip is timed to cover that whole run, from daylight through dusk and sunset into night.
The compositional challenge is familiarity. These are some of the most photographed views in the country, so your tutor pushes you past the postcard angle and into lesser-known corners of the Foreshore.
- Photography Essentials: selected Saturdays, 12 pm to 4 pm (1 pm to 5 pm during daylight saving).
- Night Photography Workshop: selected Thursday or Friday evenings, 6 pm to 9 pm (7 pm to 10 pm during daylight saving). You will work with long exposures, keeping the shutter open for several seconds to record light trails and glowing water, so a sturdy tripod is essential. SPW does not lend tripods.
Kings Cross: Street Photography in One of Sydney’s Oldest Districts
The Street Photography Workshop runs on foot through Kings Cross, on selected Saturdays from 12 pm to 4 pm (1 pm to 5 pm during daylight saving). Your guide is photojournalist Glenn Lockitch, a long-time local who knows which lanes are worth your time.
Kings Cross rewards quick reflexes. Tall buildings and narrow backstreets throw patches of hard sun right beside deep shade, so the correct exposure changes every few steps. You learn to set your camera before a moment happens rather than after, because the people, colour and neon around you don’t wait.
After a short briefing on what makes a strong street photograph and your legal rights when shooting in public, most of the session is spent walking backstreets, markets and landmarks such as the Coca-Cola sign at the top of William Street.
On Location Across Sydney: Portrait and Travel Days
The two full-day workshops start and finish at the Alexandria studio and use SPW’s transport van to reach several locations in one day. Location fees are included, so you don’t need to plan the route.
- Portrait Photography Workshop: selected Saturdays, 9 am to 6 pm. You photograph professional models, styled by a hair and make-up artist, across more than one venue. The day leans on natural and available light, using reflectors and scrims (translucent panels that soften harsh sun), before finishing with flash on location.
- Travel Photography Workshop: selected Saturdays in peak holiday seasons, 9 am to 6:30 pm (11 am to 8:30 pm during daylight saving). After about an hour’s briefing in the studio, you head out with two tutors to shoot varied scenes that feel like a day on holiday, finishing at sunset.
The venues change with the season and the brief. If you want to know where a particular date is heading, call the team before you book.
Bondi, Cockatoo Island and Your Own Venue
Some sessions come to you, or to a location you choose. These are booked as private groups rather than public dates.
- Group Smartphone Masterclass: Bondi Beach is a popular choice, with surfers, lifesavers, sunbathers and street art to photograph, or SPW can run it at your premises. Groups need a minimum of six people.
- School excursions: Held at the Harbour Foreshore, Cockatoo Island, museums, your own campus or the Alexandria studio.
- Corporate training: Run at your workplace or on location, from product shots to team portraits.
- Private tuition: Available anywhere in Sydney, one-on-one or with a maximum of two students.
SPW also runs Iconic Photography Experiences with BridgeClimb Sydney at the Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Choose Your Setting, Then Book Your Workshop
Each location teaches its own lesson. The studio teaches control, the Foreshore teaches you to read changing natural light, and Kings Cross teaches speed and anticipation. Picking a workshop is partly picking which of those you want to build first.
If you’re still deciding on level, start with our guide to which workshop suits your level. If you already know, browse all our photography courses and check the next dates for the location that suits you. Either way, the fastest way to understand a place’s light is to stand in it with a tutor beside you, adjusting your settings as it changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find photography classes near me in Sydney?
Sydney Photographic Workshops is based at 7 Mitchell Road, Alexandria, about a seven-minute walk from Redfern Station. Outdoor workshops run around the Sydney Harbour Foreshore at Circular Quay and in Kings Cross, and private tuition is available anywhere in Sydney.
How do I get to the Alexandria studio by public transport?
Take the train to Redfern Station, then walk about seven minutes through the South Eveleigh precinct to Mitchell Road. The office can help with directions on (02) 9699 4255, Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm.
Is there parking near the studio?
Yes, street parking is available near the studio. Check the signs for time limits, since some workshops run for five hours or more.
Do outdoor workshops go ahead if it rains?
SPW checks the Bureau of Meteorology forecast on the day of each outdoor session. Light showers usually go ahead, but persistent or heavy rain means the session is postponed, and you receive a text message. Studio sessions are not affected by the weather.
Which workshops are held outdoors?
Photography Essentials and the Night Photography Workshop run on the Sydney Harbour Foreshore, and the Street Photography Workshop runs in Kings Cross. The Portrait and Travel workshops start at the studio, then travel by van to locations across Sydney.
Can SPW run a workshop at my school or workplace?
Yes. School excursions can run at your campus, the Harbour Foreshore, Cockatoo Island or the studio, and corporate training can be held at your workplace. The Group Smartphone Masterclass can also run at your premises for groups of six or more.
