By Ellen Bell
By Gill Moon
By Ruth Lochrie
Manchester Urban Photography Workshop
LEARN URBAN PHOTOGRAPHY FROM
AN AWARD-WINNING MASTER
£135 per person
Max. of 3 attendees - lots of individual attention
NEW ROUTE - CANAL/M.EX. WALK
(2026 fully booked)
Each Spring and Autumn I lead urban and cityscape photography workshops in Manchester city centre; dates are given below.
Images taken by attendees
There will be a maximum of three attendees at each workshop, in order to ensure plenty of access to each shooting spot and to make sure you get as much guidance from me as you want. I can also model in some of the shots if so desired (you can see me in some of the images on this page).
Manchester is a major city with lots of potential for interesting and arresting photography. I have been creating Manchester-based city images for several years, both 'straight' (although often with alteration of colours in post processing) and creative (using intentional camera movement and/or multiple exposure).
In the workshops we can focus on straight or creative styles (or both) depending on the interests of the attendees. We will also shoot both during daylight and night time to get a wide variety of light and colour conditions.
'I would highly recommend doing one of Tony's workshops as it's very good value and you do take home a lot to think about for the future in your photography.'
- Linda Marshall
BOOKING
The fee is £135 per person per day.
Payment is due on booking via the buttons below. If you prefer to pay by bank transfer please contact me.
IMPORTANT - MAKE SURE THERE ARE AVAILABLE PLACES BEFORE BOOKING (see here) and MAKE SURE YOU BOOK THE ROUTE YOU PREFER
After booking I will email you further details.
SCHEDULE
The day lasts 6 hours in all, beginning in the afternoon and running into the evening. We will take one or two breaks for drinks/food. In case of very poor weather we will reschedule; however a moderate amount of rain is a good thing as it allows reflections!
ROUTES
Route 1 - This comprises a wide range of locations and image types, and there is opportunity for learning ICMs and combined straight/ICM shots (as seen on some of the images on this page) as well as light trails and multiple exposures.
We begin in St Peter's Square with the tram stops, series of arches etc., visiting the library and library walk. We continue on Mosley Street and visit several other spots, ending in Castlefield for some lovely night shots. As always, the exact sequence of locations/shots is flexible according to the interests of the attendees.
Route 2 - If you are interested in canals, industrial history, and multiple exposures, then this is the route for you. We start at the picturesque Peveril of the Peak pub, then follow the Rochdale canal north east towards New Islington. There are lots of opportunities for water reflections, close-up abstracts, and broader shots of the canal and other interesting buildings or scenes, both modern and historical.
Along the way we will stop at a few places ideal for multiple exposures, including those seen on this page in which a human subject is shown sharper than the rest of the scene. We will end up back in the city centre for light trails and other night-time shots.
I will soon post some example images taken on this route.
POST PROCESSING
You can also book a 2-hour post processing tuition session via Zoom at a mutually convenient time and date. This will cover both straight and creative image processing in Lightroom and Photoshop.
WORKSHOP DATES 2026
Saturday 10th October, 2.30-8.30pm - FULLY BOOKED
(sunset 6:24pm)
Saturday 17th October, 2.00-8.00pm - FULLY BOOKED
(sunset 6.08pm)
WORKSHOP DATES 2027
Saturday 6th March, 2.30-8.30pm - Route 1
(sunset 5.56pm) - 2 places available
Saturday 13th March, 1.30-7.30pm - Route 2 (canal walk)
(sunset 6.09pm) - 3 places available
Saturday 16th October, 1.30-7.30pm - Route 2 (canal walk)
(sunset 6.11pm) - 3 places available
Saturday 23rd October, 2.30-8.30pm - Route 1
(sunset 5.55pm) - 3 places available
BOOKING FOR ONE OR TWO PEOPLE ONLY
You can also book for one person only (i.e. 1 to 1) or two people only (e.g. you and a friend).
This means that there will not be anyone else on the workshop. If you wish to do this please contact me directly - do not use the payment buttons.
Fee:
1 to 1: £60 per hour
2 people only: £180 per person per day
CANCELLATION POLICY
If you cancel up to 14 days before the workshop you will get a full refund. If you cancel up to 48 hours before the start of the workshop you will get a 50% refund.
POST PROCESSING
After the workshop I will email attendees to see if they want to book a post-processing Zoom, and to arrange a suitable time.
The fee will depend on the number of attendees, so it will be payable after the Zoom.
FEES
4 attendees: £30 per person
3 attendees: £40 per person
2 attendees: £60 per person
1 attendee: £60 per hour (one hour should be enough)
Payment will be via bank transfer. I will provide the necessary details by email.
By Ellen Bell
By Alistair How
By Alistair How
What You Will Need
1. Camera
2. Tripod (needed for blue hour/night shots)
3. Medium range lens (I use my 18-55mm lens on a crop sensor camera - on a full frame something like a 24-70 would be suitable).
4. Wide angle lens (I use an 11-16mm lens) - very useful for many of the shots
5. Knowledge of how to use/alter camera settings, e.g. mode, manual/autofocus, ISO, aperture, focal length, live view, white balance, exposure delay, exposure compensation
Testimonials
'I have just attended the Urban Photography Workshop and what a fabulous day it was. Tony made me think outside of the box and has opened up a whole new genre of photograpy for me. His guidance was suited to what you wanted to achieve from the day. I would highly recommend doing one of Tony's workshops as it's very good value and you do take home a lot to think about for the future in your photography. Thank you Tony, I had a great time.'
- Linda Marshall
'Many thanks for Saturday, I had a great time and learnt lots that I hope to improve on.'
- Amanda Graham
'Enjoyable and educational!'
- Ruth Lochrie
'Thanks very much for today. Steve and I both enjoyed it and learned a lot.'
- Gill Moon
'I've no doubt there'll be a massive improvement in any future images by being able to follow the video guidance [recording of the editing Zoom] more closely. Thanks again from both Gill and me. We really feel that we've gained so much from both of the workshops, and I'd advise anyone considering signing up to do so.'
- Steve Moon
'Thank you so much for a truly great Urban Workshop yesterday. We did a lot! ... More than good value!'
- Florence Talks
'Thanks very much for a great session yesterday. It was really enjoyable as well as informative, and gave me the opportunity to try several new ideas.'
- Michael T
'I have just been processing some of the shots that I took on Tony's
Urban Photography workshop last month, and with his direction, I think that I have produced some excellent images. The workshop was extremely interesting both for the guided photography and for Tony's broad knowledge of the history of the places we visited. The workshop was well thought out and organised and I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in urban landscapes. We also got guidance into achieving some of the remarkable effects that you can see in Tony's gallery of shots, something I hope to take away and put my own spin on.'
- Chris Jordan
'Even if you think you know Manchester, Tony will take you to some wonderful locations that you didn’t know existed, at the right time of day and then point out the perfect shot. You’ll have a day to remember.'
- Jon Moffatt
'I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday’s workshop and am part way through going through my numerous images. Compared to my normally more sedate and considered landscape or wildlife photography, the workshop was fast paced and varied. I totally appreciate the goal was to expose us to a variety of locations, opportunities, situations and techniques. You achieved this goal! I managed to capture some satisfactory results on the day, but, perhaps more beneficially to me in the longer term, I am noting ideas to apply in the future.'
- Les Stringer
'a very instructive day!'
- Sheila Brown
View images by workshop attendees
My Manchester Images - Route 1
My Manchester Images - Route 2
Attendees' Images
