by Helen Davies, 2025 attendee
Art of Macro Online Course
Transform Your Macro Photography in 15 sessions!
The Art of Macro is a live online macro photography course combining fieldcraft, technical mastery and artistic development. Hosted from the UK and attended by photographers worldwide, it offers small-group teaching, personal guidance, and one of the most comprehensive macro learning programmes available anywhere.
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Two parallel groups
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Spring and Summer sessions, April to August
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Maximum 25 attendees per course
96% rated the course Very Good or Excellent
93% gave 9 or 10 out of 10 when asked how likely they were to recommend it
Based on 28 responses to the 2026 post-course survey
Course 1: Tuesdays 7-9pm
Course 2: Wednesdays 7-9pm
Same content, same format - choose the day that suits you best
2027 course fee:
£275 per person, available until 31 January 2027
£299 from 1 February 2027
Fifteen two-hour sessions, plus a 45-minute orientation, recordings, image feedback, the private Facebook group and the complete Art of Macro PDF book.
What if you have to miss a week?
Every live session is recorded, so if you have to miss a week (holidays, life, etc.) you can catch up in your own time - no problem at all. You can still do the assignments and submit images for feedback & editing demos, and watch that on the recordings.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
“I thought I had a fair amount of experience in macro photography, but still learned lots of new tips that have helped me improve my images. I would highly recommend the course.”
- Gillian Moon, award-winning macro
photographer
WHY LEARN FROM ME?
Multi award-winning macro photographer, including:
- MPAGB
- ABPE with over 80 awards, including 8 gold & 4 silver medals
- Overall winner of IGPOTY 2023
- over 60 IGPOTY awards in total
Educator for more than 30 years
7 years' experience teaching and delivering talks on macro photography
Extensive experience in photographing insects, flowers and fungi
Publications in Digital Camera, Amateur Photographer, N-Photo and more
Numerous competition-winning images published in The Times, The Guardian, Photography News, the BBC, Outdoor Photographer, RPS Magazine, and other publications
by Angela Wright, 2025 attendee
by Miles Turnbull, 2025 attendee
Including practical videos like this one, showing you how to find insects in the field.
WHAT YOU WILL GET FROM THIS COURSE
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In-depth learning of skills and knowledge to allow you to create competition-level macro images
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An understanding of my artistic approach - focused on looking, composition, and light
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Optional weekly assignments for real-world practical learning
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Frequent feedback & editing demos on your images
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Build an effective editing workflow
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Access to recordings of all talks
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Support from a professional educator
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Live Q&A every week
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A supportive community of fellow macro photographers, including access to a private Facebook group shared with current and past attendees.
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Free extensively detailed and illustrated PDF book
2nd, Macro Art, IGPOTY 2022
1st, World of Fungi, IGPOTY 2022; Overall winner, N-Photo POTY 2024; 1st, Nature, ReFocus Awards 2023; Runner up, Adaptalux Awards 2026
COURSE CONTENT 2027
Summary
1. Introduction and Gear
2. Fieldcraft
3. Technical Skills
4. Artistry
5. Processing
6. Advanced Techniques
7. Review sessions
1. Introduction
Course aims; foundations of macro photography; learning approach; gear considerations; discussion & image sharing.
2. Fieldcraft
Understanding subject behaviour; seasonal timing; weather; approach techniques; discussion & Q&A; image review.
3. Technical Skills I
Image quality fundamentals; noise control; capture technique refinement; discussion & Q&A; image review.
4. Technical Skills II
Exposure; shutter speed; sharpness; stability; lighting considerations; discussion & Q&A; image review.
5. Technical skills III
Depth of field control and focus stacking; how to focus bracket and get full coverage of sharpness; manual and automatic focus bracketing; discussion & Q&A; image reviews.
Me with my gold medal-winning panel at the opening of the RHS Portfolio Competition, June 2025
6. Artistry I
Moving beyond technical correctness to visual beauty; subject and perch selection; discussion & Q&A; image review.
7. Artistry II
Composition, lighting, colour relationships, backgrounds & background distractions; discussion & Q&A; image review.
8. Processing I
Editing RAW images, with a demo in Lightroom; denoising and sharpening; focus stacking using stacking software (Helicon Focus and Photoshop); discussion & Q&A; image reviews, and demo editing with them.
9. Processing II
Correcting stacking and capture artefacts; refining and finishing images in Photoshop; discussion & Q&A; image review.
10. Advanced techniques I
Creative approaches to elevating your macro photography; water droplets; lighting refinements; bokeh control; discussion & Q&A; image review.
11. Advanced techniques II
Foreground/background blur; specialist lenses; discussion & Q&A; image review.
12. Review session
Discussion & Q&A regarding any course topic; review of your images with processing demos.
13. Special Extension Session I - Beyond Insects
A 2-hour talk on subjects other than insects - flowers, fungi, and more (takes place on the Tuesday 2 weeks after session 12)
14. Special Extension Session II - Ultra Macro
A two-hour talk on shooting subjects at high magnification (up to 5x) - gear, techniques, and artistry
(takes place on the Wednesday 2 weeks after session 12)
15. Final Review (four weeks after session 12)
Image review session with processing demonstrations and final questions.
NOTE: Course content may be refined as I continue to develop the programme.
BOOKING - 2027 COURSE
Early-booking price: £275
Available until 31 January 2027
£299 from 1 February 2027
Please pay using the buttons below.
COURSE FEATURES
The Art of Macro provides TWO identical courses of fifteen 2-hour Zoom sessions on macro and close-up photography, suitable for all levels of macro experience - from beginners to award-winning photographers.
The sessions have been carefully designed to engage participants and maximise their learning and enjoyment. Each course has the following features:
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Fifteen 2-hour sessions taking place from 7-9pm BST (2-4pm ET) on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, plus a 45-minute orientation session
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Taking place in the spring and summer so you can do outdoor insect/flower photography during the course
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A maximum of 25 attendees per course, to ensure you get plenty of individual attention
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Learn all the important skills needed to shoot and edit great close-up images
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A mixture of lecture, videos and discussion, with lots of opportunity to ask questions and share ideas, including small group breakouts
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Optional assignments designed to help you practise and consolidate each technique at your own pace.
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Feedback on your images and advice on how to improve them including lots of processing demos
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A private Facebook group where attendees can share work, exchange ideas, and support each other’s progress throughout the course.
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Each session recorded and made available to attendees
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Receive a free copy of my extensively detailed and illustrated pdf book, The Art of Macro
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Learn from a multi-award-winning macro photographer and experienced teacher, with a Masters in Education and a Masters in Developmental Psychology
1st, Macro, Photography News POTY 2025
COURSE DATES 2027
All sessions begin at 7pm. Sessions last two hours, except for the 45-minute orientation.
For the main course sessions, attendees choose either the Tuesday or Wednesday group on booking. The two special extension sessions are open to both groups.
Pre-course orientation — Tuesday 6 April
1. Introduction and Gear — 13/14 April
2. Fieldcraft — 20/21 April
3. Technical Skills I — 27/28 April
4. Technical Skills II — 4/5 May
No sessions on 11/12 May
5. Technical Skills III — 18/19 May
6. Artistry I — 25/26 May
7. Artistry II — 1/2 June
8. Processing I — 8/9 June
9. Processing II — 15/16 June
10. Advanced Techniques I — 22/23 June
11. Advanced Techniques II — 29/30 June
12. Review — 6/7 July
No sessions on 13/14 July
13. Beyond Insects — Tuesday 20 July
Special extension session open to both groups
14. Ultra Macro — Wednesday 21 July
Special extension session open to both groups
No sessions on 27/28 July
15. Final Review — 3/4 August
GEAR: ESSENTIAL
Camera
Macro lens or other set-up which allows close-up photography (e.g. reverse ring, extension tubes, close-up filter, long lens)
Tripod
Tripod head
GEAR: RECOMMENDED
Remote shutter release
Clamp (for holding a plant)
Lighting (e.g. LED panel, flash, torch)
Light stand(s)
Scissors
Water spray
RECOMMENDED KNOWLEDGE
How to find and operate the following camera controls:
- mode
- MF/AF
- filesize
- aperture
- shutter speed
- ISO
- live view
- zoom in on live view
- image review
- zoom in on image review
- exposure delay
- select/move focus point
- exposure compensation
- histogram
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Art of Macro course suitable for?
The Art of Macro is a live online macro photography course designed for photographers who already understand the basics of exposure and want to take their macro photography to a much higher level. It is ideal for serious enthusiasts, club photographers and competition photographers who want to improve both fieldcraft and artistic development. Some experience of macro photography is helpful, but you do not need to be an expert.
Do I need specialist macro photography equipment?
A dedicated macro lens is strongly recommended. The course focuses on practical field-based macro photography for insects, flowers and fungi, so being able to work at 1:1 magnification is important. You do not need specialist stacking rails or exotic lenses - the emphasis is on techniques that most photographers can apply in real outdoor conditions.
Is this course suitable for photographers outside the UK?
Yes. Although the macro photography course is hosted live from the UK, participants regularly join from around the world. All sessions are recorded, so if time zones make live attendance difficult, you can watch the recordings at your convenience.
How many places are available on each course?
Each course is limited to a maximum of 25 participants. Keeping the group small allows for meaningful image reviews, personal feedback and an interactive learning experience rather than a large anonymous webinar.
What topics are covered in the course?
The course covers fieldcraft for insect macro photography, techniques for flowers and fungi, natural and LED lighting, depth of field control, focus stacking, background management, composition, and post-processing in Lightroom and Photoshop. There are also dedicated image review sessions where I provide detailed feedback and live editing demonstrations.
How much time commitment is involved?
There are 15 live online sessions (each approximately two hours) plus a 45-minute orientation session. Participants are encouraged to practise between sessions, but the structure is designed to fit around work and family commitments.
What learning materials are included?
Participants receive access to an extensive PDF book based on my teaching materials, along with session recordings and supporting resources. The materials are designed to provide one of the most comprehensive macro photography learning programmes available online.
Is the course mainly about creative indoor macro work?
No. While creative approaches are included, a major emphasis of the Art of Macro course is outdoor fieldcraft and producing clean, natural, high-quality macro photographs in real-world conditions.
Testimonials
Feedback from the 2026 course
'This course was a great way to remain focussed on macro photography throughout the summer. It covered a huge amount of taught material, starting with the basics and progressing to advanced techniques. Tony also made time to answer questions, demonstrate editing techniques and critique our images. Due to this, the course was suitable for both beginners and more experienced macro photographers. I thought I had a fair amount of experience in macro photography before starting the course, but still learned lots of new tips that have helped me to improve my images. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in learning about, or improving their skills, in macro photography.'
- Gillian Moon
'Before attending Tony North's 'Art of Macro' workshop, I'd had some minor success with macro photography at club level. However, I felt that if I wanted to compete successfully at national level, my images needed to have greater detail, stronger composition and a more artistic quality.
Tony's experience, knowledge and, above all, his method of teaching have given me the additional skills, techniques and creative ideas to take my macro photography to the next level. The course has really opened my eyes to what is possible and has given me a much clearer understanding of how to create images that are not only technically strong, but also have a greater artistic impact.
'I would highly recommend 'The Art of Macro' to anyone looking to improve their macro photography, whatever their current level.'
- Stephen Moon
'A fantastic way to begin macro photography - discovering effective and successful techniques right from the start and receiving improvement feedback along the way!'
- Alison Fletcher
'I really enjoyed this course and spread over the summer period, gave a focus for projects to be developed. Tony pitched the teaching at a level that was good for all participants, was very encouraging but gave precise and helpful critique of submitted images so that we could all take onboard suggestions. Overall a very useful course.'
- Caroline Howe
'Tony is an exceptional teacher and goes above and beyond in this workshop passing on his extensive knowledge on the art of macro photography.'
- Pauline Crawley
'The course was terrific. It was jam-packed with useful information on gear, composition, artistry, post-processing, and more. There’s an emphasis on insects, but there also was plenty of information about photographing fungi, flowers, abstracts, and other non-insect subjects. And much of what I learned, especially about composition and about post-processing, will be useful to me in the other nature photography I do. A course well worth taking.'
- Tina Hay
'Tony is one of the leading exponents of macro photography in all its forms. No matter how experienced you are, his course will widen your knowledge and understanding of macro. In addition to being hard working Tony provides a wealth of material to support the course and is always available to every participant. I wholeheartedly recommend Tony’s course.'
- Paul Statter
'The copy of Tony’s Macro “Bible” and the weekly informative and interactive workshops has provided me with a wealth of information to develop my macro photography. Highly recommended.'
- Nick Bowman
Feedback from the 2025 course
''The course was absolutely fabulous! I learned so much and have been so inspired. Inspired enough to face the bete noir that was PS - that I have avoided for years! The FB group supplied just the right balance of camaraderie and peer-pressure and the other members of the course provided lovely feedback on images posted too.'
- Angela Wright
I am in awe of Tony North’s macro photography and his accomplishments. His student image reviews during the course, macro photography technique recommendations and post-processing options all provided for a packed learning experience. I highly recommend this course for anyone wishing to pursue the art of macro photography. Thank you Tony for an exceptional learning experience.'
- Abby Bookhultz
'I think you're an amazing photographer and teacher, Tony. You are a most patient person with your photographic subjects, camera and lighting setup, and post-processing workflow. You're also patient with the myriad questions we all have and kindly encouraging about our growing skills.'
- Sally Stone
'I thought the course was excellent, Tony. It really moved my photography forwards, not just with macro, but more generally as it challenged me to improve many other aspects such as exposure and processing. The consistent structure inspired me to learn more about my camera and photography generally and be inspired to do more!'
- Sue Cranmer
Attendees' Images
Taken later in the course or afterwards. I'm very proud of the progress they made!
