Our highly popular beginners course gives Older Teens a solid footing in photography and teaches you how to become master of your camera, whether you’re using compact or digital SLR. Great for (potential) GCSE Photography or Art students, if you’re looking for your Duke of Edinburgh Extra Skill or want to know how your camera works and become a proficient photographer.
It’s fun, practical and covers all the basics. From photographing friends to creating eye-catchy compositions this course will provide you with the core skills to make your photography stand out from the rest.
You will learn how to:
- use different camera settings for creative effect
- set a correct exposure in different modes and various situations
- create strong images and unusual pictures
We get to shoot out on location with fun briefs and projects, with a brief introduction to photo editing in Photoshop depending on the group.
Locations visited are likely to include Covent Garden where we are based, and may also include nearby locations to vary our sibject material, usually within walking distance for these slightly shorter length sessions on Thursday evenings. Longer sessions on Saturday/ during our Holiday courses allow for some destinations by tube/ a bit further away.
Overview of course key points:
- build skills
- a bit of theory (or more, depending on the course and the group’s requests/interests)
- lots of practical
- fun and engaging, laughter, care, attention and be yourself
- max. group size of 6
- get to know/discover more of London – explore (e.g. Brick Lane, Green Park for wildlife in the park, Camden Town for street photography in the market, Embankment and South Bank for skate boards and graffitti, head to Greenwich by boat on the Thames, tunnnels for lighting and shutter speed tricks, portraiture and (almost) anything you can think of to capture with your cameras)
- post-production and editing introduction using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
- Mango Lab certificate of attendance
- an excellent meeting space for camera-enthusiasts looking to grow their creative and media skillsets.
This course can be used as a Skill for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. It also leads on to our Intermediate and Saturday courses where skills are refreshed and developed further.
Our 6:1 ratio means spaces are limited, so book early to secure your space.
Course requirement: None! We provide free loan DSLR cameras, so please contact us if you would like to borrow a camera for this course for this course and we will reserve one for you. Or bring your own and learn what all the settings and buttons do, and more – ideally it would have M, Tv/S, Av/A and P programme modes.
Computers will be provided or bring your own laptop (usually for the last class, depending on the course you are doing) with the correct software already loaded and working.
Level: Beginners and upwards. Review, revise, play & advance.
Age range: 16-19 year olds (and a bit either side).
This is our older group. For younger Teens, see our Teens page.
Class size: 6
Our 6:1 ratio means spaces are limited, so book early to secure your space.
Any of our courses, whenever they run, can always count towards your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme Ezxtra Skill.
And here is what one of our 16 year old Older Teens wrote for us about our Beginners courses:
“This course will introduce you to the skills needed in photography. They are the foundations that all photographers rely on. Each course is flexible; there is no ridged timetable, so you’re taught throughout the course based on what you learned the previous session.
South Bank skate-park
The course is broken down into a few stages, but they can be moved around depending on how the events flow!
- Talking about interests and ideas as a group
- Explaining key features of the camera and understanding how to use it (them)
- Practice taking photos using the skills you’ve just learned (mainly using ISO settings, shutter speeds, apertures and making sure focus is sharp)
- Shutter speed skills can be used for blurring and freezing
- Aperture skills allow you to explore depth of field
- Use the manual settings to creatively control how you capture photos
- Learn accurate focusing in manual and various automatic modes, including tracking a subject
- Possible gallery visits to inspire and analyse professional photographers’ work
- Composition and how to build a photograph
- Introduction to Photoshop and/or Lightroom if the group would like to learn some photo editing skills
©Charlotte
You’ll be given hand-outs with tips and instructions, so don’t worry if you find it hard to remember things at first! After a short while, the skills become second nature through lots of engaging practical!
Our tutors will take you around London to various locations – as a group you can decide where you’d like to go. We want to make sure everyone feels interested in what they’re doing!
This course is specifically for older teens of ages 16 – 19. We know that some older teens will want to be around people their own age and with similar interests or plans for the future, so this will allow them to feel more relaxed in their environment and make new friends more easily.
If you’d like to take this course, you don’t need any prior experience as we start right from the beginning an dmove forward fairly quickly. You don’t need to have any specific GCSEs or be taking A Levels – just an enthusiastic attitude towards creativity and photography.
If you haven’t yet taken or chosen A’ Levels, this course could be an excellent way to decide whether it’s something you’d like to take at school / college. It’s also a great way to pick up some extra skills that could complement future courses.
- No qualifications needed
- Ideally a DSLR camera if you have one – if you don’t you can borrow one (free!)
- A USB stick with approx. 16GB capacity allows you to take away your images and edited images
- A memory card with approx. 8-16GB capacity (and space on it!) if you are bringing your own camera
- (A tripod or other equipment – if you don’t have any, like the camera, you can borrow from us, for free)
- A little money for tube/bus tickets (Zip/Oyster Card) and bring your own or buy snacks if the group needs an energy boost
- Your mobile phone (CHARGED! Always useful!)
- A bag you are comfortable to carry (size & capacity)
- You need to be sure that you are comfortable with your commute to and from each session – we’re based in Covent Garden
- Your creative brain! But we will guide you if you feel you don’t have this yet…!
There are a number of different careers this could help get you started with, whether you want to do photography full time or as a handy hobby!
Ideas include:
- Photographer
- Documentarist
- Travel writer
- Journalist
- Graphic designer
- Artist
- Author
- Illustrator
- Magazine editor / layout designer
- TV / film camera operator
- Advertising art director
- Photo / film editor
- Media planner
- Teacher
- Visual merchandiser
- Web designer
On location portraiture
River Thames sunsets
Experimenting with wildlife and zoom lenses
Capturing speed
PHOTOGRAPHY + CAMERA BASICS
Holidays | Half-Term | Term: London & Cornwall, in person & online 2023-2024
Christmas / December-January holidays 2023-2024:
Mon 18 – Thurs 21 Dec / Fri 22 Dec
Wed 27 – Fri 29 Dec
Tues 2 – Fri 5 Jan 2024
Then February half-term, Easter, May half-term, Summer holidays 2024.
BEGINNERS for Older Teens Photography & Camera. London, in person. Max. 6 students per group.
12 hours total £342 inc. VAT
Free DSLR camera loan as part of the course. Let us know and we will reserve one for you!
DECEMBER HOLIDAYS 2023 / 2024
Mon 18 – Thurs 21 Dec / Fri 22 Dec
Wed 27 – Fri 29 / Sat 30 Dec
Tues 2 – Fri 5 Jan 2024
Week 1: Monday 18 – Thursday 21 December (18, 19, 20, 21 December 2023) LONDON
Mon 18 Dec – Thurs 21 Dec, 10am-1pm, MORNINGS, 12 hours. Max. 6 students per group. £342 inc. VAT
Mon 18 Dec – Thurs 21 Dec, 2.30pm-5.30pm, AFTERNOONS, 12 hours. Max. 6 students per group. £342 inc. VAT
FRIDAY ONE-DAY COURSE 22 December | LONDON
FRI 22 Dec, 11.30am-1.30pm, then break for lunch, then 2.30-5.30pm ONE DAY, 5 hours. Max. 6 students per group. £160 inc. VAT
Week 2: Wednesday 27 December – FRIDAY 29 December (27, 28, 29 Dec) LONDON
Wed 27 Dec – Fri 29 Dec, 10am-1pm, – THREE morningsMORNINGS, 9 hours. Max. 6 students per group. £265 inc. VAT
Wednesday 27 December – SATURDAY 30 December (27, 28, 29, 30 Dec) LONDON – FOUR afternoons
Wed 27 Dec – Sat 30 Dec, 2.30pm-5.30pm, AFTERNOONS, 12 hours. Max. 6 students per group. £342 inc. VAT
Week 3:
Tuesday 2 January – Friday 5 January (2, 3, 4, 5 Jan) LONDON – 4 mornings
Tues 2 Jan – Fri 5 Jan, 10am-1pm, MORNINGS, 12 hours. Max. 6 students per group. £342 inc. VAT
Tuesday 2 January – Friday 5 January (2, 3, 4, 5 Jan) LONDON – 4 afternoons
Wed 27 Dec – Sat 30 Dec, 2.30pm-5.30pm, AFTERNOONS, 12 hours. Max. 6 students per group. £342 inc. VAT
Contact us to book for courses or with any questions: 0203 002 4991 / info@themangolab.co.uk.
All our in-person group courses, one-to-one training and online training can be used towards Extra Skills for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Christmas / December-January holidays 2023-2024:
Mon 18 – Thurs 21 Dec / Fri 22 Dec
Wed 27 – Fri 29 Dec
Tues 2 – Fri 5 Jan 2024
COURSES in 2024
February half-term 2024: Mon 12 Feb – Thurs 15 / Fri 16 Feb and Mon 19 – 22 / Fri 23 Feb
Easter holidays 2024: Week 1: Mon 25 – Thurs 28 March; Week 2: Tue 2 – Fri 5 April; Week 3: Mon 8 – Thurs 11 / Fri 12 April
May half-term 2024: (Mon 27 May: Bank Holiday) Tues 28 – Fri 31 May
Summer holidays 2024: June, July, August – Mondays to Thursdays
Contact us to book for in-person courses, while we update booking buttons: 0203 002 4991 / info@themangolab.co.uk.
ONLINE sessions: via Zoom /Teams, 1:1
Custom times, divided over days, weeks or more: you let us know what works for you, how frequently, etc. We suggest sessions of 1-1.5 hours for most younger students.
For older students book or ring for advice on what fits and works for you.
From Beginners to Advanced, whether you are starting out or already looking to interview for art college or enhance your art career, we have an excellent track record in inspiring the next generation of creatives, supporting arts students going on to college, and growing established artists!
Book here online or ring us to discuss/book: 0203 002 4991.
3 hours Beginners (and beyond) Photography, Camera, Software training and more: online course face-to-face with professional photographer and expert tutor £135 inc vat.
Custom dates and times, divided over days, weeks, etc. Buy block of 3 hours.
6 hours Beginners (and beyond) Photography, Camera, Software training and more: online course face-to-face with professional photographer and expert tutor £270 inc vat.
Custom dates and times, divided over days, weeks, etc. Buy block of 6 hours.
9 hours Beginners (and beyond) Photography, Camera, Software training and more: online course face-to-face with professional photographer and expert tutor £405 inc vat.
Custom dates and times, divided over days, weeks, etc. Buy block of 9 hours.
12 hours Beginners (and beyond) Photography, Camera, Software training and more: online course face-to-face with professional photographer and expert tutor £540 inc vat.
This is our usual group course length, which covers all the basics, practical and a session on editing, and more – a solid foundation to get your new skill started.
Custom dates and times, divided over days, weeks, etc. Buy block of 12 hours.
Any of our courses, whenever they run, can always count towards your Extra Skill for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
Book here online or ring us to book on 0203 002 4991 or email us at info@themangolab.co.uk.