Auckland Street Photography Workshops

Spend some time learning some tips and tricks to improve your street photography in a fun filled workshop.

​Topics discussed during the Workshop whiling exploring the streets and back alleys of downtown Auckland:

  • The different types of street photography: candid, portraiture and environmental
  • Discuss the difference between street and portraiture photography
  • How to look and “Find” the street opportunities
  • Recognizing the visual elements of good street composition​
  • Thinking in black and white as well as colour
  • Practical tips for street photography
  • The best camera settings for different types of street photography
  • Review, discuss and friendly critique of some of your own images

SCHEDULED WORKSHOPS:
Scheduled workshops typically consist of three sessions:

  • 90 minute online teaching sessions in the week ahead of the practical workshop
  • 2 hour practical workshop, walking round Auckland CBD looking for photo opporunity and sharing practical tips
  • 90 minute ‘show and tell’ interactive feedback session where participants share their favourite images taken during the workshop

I don’t currently have any workshops scheduled but the structure is typically:

  • Week night 7-8.30pm      Online tutorial
  • Weekend day 11-1pm     Practical in Auckland CBD
  • Week night 7-8.30pm      Image review 

Cost is $120 per person – maximum group size is 8.

Drop me an email if you are interested if joining a scheduled workshop in future [email protected]

INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL GROUP TUITION:
I am always happy to arrange individual or bespoke small group sessions to show you the streets of Auckland. These sessions can be tailored to your particular skill level or interest, and allow a more focussed session.   

Location and timing can be tailored for your availability. Drop me an email if you’d like to discuss options  [email protected] 

Team Building Events

Fancy something different for your next work team building event or an interesting social activity with friends?  Auckland Street photography team building workshops are a great way to get your group together, gently challenge yourself and have fun.

Sessions can be tailored to your requirements.  Generally we start with a fun talk on how to find amazing street photography opportunities around the local area.  Teams then head out on a ‘treasure hunt’ finding and taking photos of specific items items before meeting back for a fun ‘show and tell’ session.  It’s amazing what creativity can be unleashed when you are encouraged to explore the world through a different lens.

The focus on these sessions is noticing the world around you, rather than technical camera settings, and participants are encouraged to use their mobile phones to take pictures. Our experienced presenters can incorporate any key themes or messages you’d like to focus on during the session (this may be particularly relevant for Corporate Team Building exercises).

Typical duration is 4 hours, although this can be tailored to your group’s availability and choice of location.  Sessions structure is flexible.  Drop me an email if you’d like to discuss options  [email protected] 

Dave was fantastic to work with and really easily understood what we were aiming to achieve for our community with the workshop. He was great to communicate with and really open to the approach we took with our workshop and subsequent exhibition of local people’s work. Dave is an engaging speaker, and the workshop participants really enjoyed his presenting style and his patient, supportive approach. We’d work with Dave again in a heartbeat!

Alexis McCullough, Auckland Libraries

Thank you very much for spending time with us on our 1st staff teambuilding this year. We enjoyed it a lot and learned about photography especially with the ‘treasure hunt’ activity and debrief time. The team never stopped talking about it during our lunch and our way back to the office. It is so wonderful to partner with you.

You are highly recommended to any person that will ask me about you. Two thumbs up! Cheers!

Jon Mendoza, Every Nation Auckland City

For those looking for more indepth photographic training, then the four session can be run as a two hour online tutorial session followed later in the week by a two hour wander round round the streets of Auckland. Participants have said this is a great way to structure the workshop as it gives people time to take in and reflect on the concepts, and prepare themselves (and their equpiment) for the practical session. Timing of the tutorial session and the practical session can be arranged to suit the group.

Like all our workshops, the content can be tailored to your group’s skill level(s) and needs. This type of workshop is suitable for groups up to about 8 people, and participants can be of any skill level with their camera.

If you want to try a new genre, and step outside of your comfort zone, then I highly recommend Dave’s Street Photography Workshop. Dave shared his knowledge, tips, and experience all in such a warm and friendly way. Central Auckland was a perfect spot to explore new ideas, we felt very safe in a small group, and arrived home buzzing from the experience.

Angela Harris Cambridge Photography Club

Workshop Reviews

Comments from attendees on my workshops (some via the New Zealand Photography tour’s TripAdvisor page):

Highly recommended introduction to this fascinating genre of photography. Dave is a very experience photographer and specialist in Street Photography. It was great to start the Tour with Dave giving us a very valuable insight to his approach to the subject along with many tips and important protocols for us to follow before we hit the streets… all shutters at the ready. The Auckland City Central location for the Tour was excellent and the small group made it possible for quite personal attention. Very informative and a lot of fun. It is surprising how much we ‘miss’ while out walking, but that has all changed now. Kerry, Auckland Street Photography – TripAdvisor comment

Lots of fun, found Dave’s tips and tricks really helpful. I’m a bit of an introvert, being with other photographers gave me the confidence to approach people and ask to take their photo. Great to be shown different ways to capture candid shots and look at different areas of Auckland. TripAdvisor comment

Robert and Dave did a great job with very professional organisation and setting up a great environment for learning. I’ll admit that I was feeling pretty timid about taking photos of people in the street setting before joining this workshop but they made it seem easy. I ended up taking photos of people and objects that I would never have previously considered. If you have the chance, JUST DO IT!  TripAdvisor comment

Having never had the courage to attempt photographing strangers at random before I was somewhat apprehensive. Being in a group made that considerably easier and FUN. I learnt a considerable amount about technique and gained confidence from being part of the group. And most important about the day I had FUN.  TripAdvisor comment

I did [Dave’s street photography workshop] a few weeks ago – totally changed how I saw the streets. Dave showed me that ‘cat’ works better than ‘puppy’, how to ask people if I could shoot them, and how to create iconic images. Oh, and those all-important camera settings. Prue, Facebook comment

Dave was informative and extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of street photography, how to take the pics, how to be unobtrusive, camera settings, great locations and what do do if someone didn’t like you taking their image. Would thoroughly recommend this course to any budding street snappers. TripAdvisor comment

I had the pleasure of spending a morning with Dave as he helped me develop confidence and knowledge in using my new camera. He made me feel comfortable and confident almost immediately. In no time he developed an understanding of my (lack of) pre-existing skills, and started sharing all of his knowledge in taking amazing photos through the streets of a beautiful city. I had fun learning this new skill, and got some beautiful photos out of it. I find now that I look at the people and places around me differently. TripAdvisor comment

I had a great morning doing the Street Photography course with Dave. He is very knowledgeable on the topic and has an approachable teaching style. Shows great ethical awareness around the freedoms and responsibilities of photographing in public places. I learnt several new camera and subject techniques over the course of the morning, and even though I’ve already photography central Auckland quite thoroughly, he still managed to take us through some spots that were new to me.  I came away from the course with equipped with new knowledge as well as more confidence that I’m on the right track.  All-in-all an incredibly fun, entertaining and insightful morning. TripAdvisor comment

Great way to spend a morning honing your photography skills:   Great way to learn some tips and tricks about street photography, just the inspiration I needed to get my camera from out of the cupboard. Dave was a great tutor, moved the group along at their pace and was great at sharing advice.TripAdvisor comment

Dave has a lust and zeal for life and all its quirks that those with far fewer worries in the world could be quite jealous of. From the mundane to the mad, the interesting to the absurd, Dave captures moments and objects that few of us ever notice … and perhaps don’t need to. Dogs Today Magazine

You probably wouldn’t find a more prolific street photographer than Dave Simpson.  He photographs the Auckland city streets on a daily basis and is highly experienced in the art of street photography and how to find engaging images … Be prepared to have fun as you wander the city streets with Dave, and to put yourself on the edge a little too. Photography On The Edge, Photographic Society of New Zealand 65th National Convention Workshop guide

Other workshops

  • Beginners Guide to Photography course (to help you understand the basics of photography and get the best out of your digital camera). 
  • Lightroom (the industry standard software for organising and editing your photos)
  • Photoshop skills.  
  • Using and integrating Photomechanic in to your workflow (professional software used by photojournalists and sports photographers around the world
  • I’m also available to head out with you to a community event or location, and we can work together to improve your photography ‘out in the field’. 

Whatever your level of experience, I’d love to help you learn new skills!

Drop me an email if you’d like to discuss further:  [email protected]

About Auckland Streets

Dave Simpson APSNZ LRPS has well over a decade of experience photo streets across the world. He attempts to make sense of the work through his often humorous look on the everyday.  Dave is also an experienced concert photography. You can see more of his work on his DaveSimpson.org website and blog

Email:  [email protected]

Auckland Streets is a venture of Dave Simpson Photography Ltd