Manchester Academy of Photography

I attended the beginners course with Richard in July and would highly recommend the course to anyone who wants to learn how to use a camera manually. Richard has a very informal and relaxed approach to teaching and it didn't take long before we were taking great photos in full manual mode. I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend course and intend to join Richard on a more advanced course once I get to grips with my new camera. Thanks Richard.

Two really amazing days, despite the Manchester weather. I learnt so much about the manual mode and will be taking my learnings into practice now by coming out of 'auto'. I really enjoyed the mini assignments we were given and the balance of theory and practical was perfect.

The course was exceptional. There was varying different abilities and everyone seemed to get the value they were looking for. I was a complete novice coming into the course (couldn’t get out of auto mode) but now I have completed the course am able to fully utilise my camera in manual mode. I would even consider myself an amateur photographer now ? . Richards delivery of the course was excellent, easy to digest information plus he made it fun and enjoyable. I’ll definitely be contacting Richard regarding other courses in the future. Highly recommended.

I attended the 2 day beginners course run by Richard and had a great time. Richard is a brilliant teacher. He is so knowledgeable and patient, and when he showed me how to operate my camera on manual I had a lightbulb moment when I finally understood how all the elements came together, which is something I have always struggled with. Richard worked us hard, sending us off on various assignments, which were all great fun. We covered so many different topics and learned an incredible amount. I use my camera on manual almost all the time now and I would recommend this course to anyone.

Fantastic course led by a great teacher who worked at a pace that was easy to understand and follow. Excellent opportunities to explore your own creativity and practise the theory taught. Lots of new techniques and skills learned. Would thoroughly recommend and I will definitely be coming back for another course.

Had a thoroughly enjoyable time on the two day Introductory course. It's ideal if you have a DSLR or bridge and want to learn how to use manual mode in order to get the best out of your camera and photos. You learn a huge amount over the two days and there's a good balance between classroom time and outdoor practical shooting. The fun and interactive way it's taught makes things easy to remember and apply - plus it really does make a big difference to the quality of the photos you're taking. Richard is an excellent teacher, very patient and has a great way of making the more complex aspects of the course simple and straightforward to understand. At the end of the two days everyone in the class had mastered manual mode and was taking photographs that looked great, putting into practice everything we'd learnt. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this course - it's excellent, fun and will make you banish auto mode forever!

This course was really informative and good fun. Everything was explained really clearly and I would recommend it to others.

This is an excellent course - informative, well-paced and good fun. And with lots of time for practical sessions too. Richard Gaskill is a skilled photographer and teacher and kept the whole group engaged throughout the weekend. Thoroughly recommended.

As usual the course run by Richard was fun and informative with the group size being ideal for lots of one-to-one assistance. Only gripe was we didn't have a break half way through to check the quality of the gluhwein.

A very enjoyable and informative weekend on the Introduction to Photography course. Richard is very knowledgeable and explained the technical aspects of the camera in a simple and easy to remember format. I came on the course hoping to understand how to use my camera in manual mode and came away with the attitude "I'll never use the Auto mode again". Highly recommended.

Fantastic 2 days kicking the ‘auto’ habit into touch! I learned so much over the weekend and can definitely see a massive improvement in my photography after taking on board the rules of the exposure triangle, depth of field, composure and thirds. Richard Gaskill was the perfect tutor and mentor to all 6 of us, providing considered and relevant feedback throughout, finally ‘The Wonder Inn’, Shudehill, provided a great base for our weekend’s activities too. I can totally recommend the Manchester Academy of Photography.

Great beginners course, right balance between theory and practice with quick but stimulating assignments, absolutely recommended.

Brilliant course from start to finish. Perfect class size. Well prepared sessions. Good balance between theory and practice. A relaxed environment but we covered a lot of ground. I couldn't praise this course too highly.

I would really recommend this photo course to everybody it was brilliant really helpful Richard was great explained everything really well learnt a lot so thankyou Richard it wasa great weekend.

The Introduction to Photography course was an outstanding entry-level guide to the art of manual photography. As someone looking to create professional photographs, this course gave me the skills to craft well-lit, composed images as well as providing me with the acumen to understand where previous photographs had failed. Switching off “auto” is no longer a danger, but a must. A genuinely enjoyable way to spend any weekend!

As a complete novice I wanted a course which would help me get to grips with manual on my DSLR. On the weekend course, Richard delivered the right balance of theory and practical application, as well as making it fun to do. We had a really great, interesting group of people too. Brilliant!

Such a fantastic and inspiring weekend!

Thoroughly enjoyed the two days on the introductory course. We were a mixed ability group, but Richard and Peter made sure everyone was included, despite levels of ability. The classroom based information was useful, but more importantly the ability to get out and take photos has given me the confidence I needed to continue photography. Many thanks to you both.

I attended the introduction to digital SLR photography course and had a great time with Richard, Peter and other course attendees learning how to be in control of my camera using manual mode and thinking about the composition of a photograph before taking it. Many thanks, Richard and Peter. Definitely learned a lot during the weekend.

Having recently purchased my first D-SLR camera. To get the best experience of using my camera in manual mode I attended the beginners course run by Richard and Peter and as the saying goes 'what a difference a day makes' this was surely the case after attending the course. It has given me the insight to recognise a photo opportunity other than just pointing my camera and getting repetitive photos. Although they are professional photographers their patience guidance and illustration on the day were at a level that the most inexperience photographer couldn't fail to learn. I would recommend the course to anyone wishing to Improve their photography, I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and the company of all involved.