Photo course and holiday inspiration for 2025

This time of year can bring with it a mix of emotions. On one hand, we might be positive about the year ahead, proudly announcing our ‘fresh starts’ and ‘new chapters’ at every opportunity. However, on the other hand, the comedown from Christmas can take its toll, exacerbated by the cold, dark January conditions.

If all this sounds familiar, our special new year feature could be just the ticket. To follow, you’ll find photography courses and holiday inspiration that can not only cheer you up by giving you something to look forward to, but also help you improve yourself by learning something new. It’s the perfect guilt-free way to treat yourself!

Enrol on an online course

The internet puts the world’s knowledge in your pocket, so make the most of it. The countless online courses available could teach you everything you need to know about photography, and the beauty is that it can come directly to you – minimum effort for maximum returns.

An excellent example is our brand-new Photography News education centre, which offers a selection of free online courses. Each one is available via an automated email subscription that delivers a new lesson direct to your inbox every week. It couldn’t be easier! This newly launched resource is constantly growing, so keep an eye on the Learning section of our website to find something new to try.

If you are more experienced and finding it harder to uncover subjects and methods that you haven’t already tried out, don’t give up; they’re out there. Think outside the box and consider pursuing something more specialist in subject, rather than advancing on the generic topics. Once you have identified a niche, you might be surprised what you can find after doing some digging.

Permajet, for example, offers a number of courses that are devoted to getting the best out of your photo printing. There are free and paid-for options both online and in person that could bring a new lease of life
to your photography and, better yet,
another reason to shoot.

Take part in a workshop

While there’s no doubt that online courses are extremely convenient, there’s nothing quite like the hands-on nature of in-person photography workshops.

Being in the same place as your tutor means you can learn in practice and benefit from real-time feedback. Furthermore, the group environment allows you to bounce off people and establish relationships with like-minded learners.

There are lots of great workshops out there that cater to all genres, from studio-based courses to more adventurous outdoor experiences. For example, the Fujifilm House of Photography offers some excellent options at its Covent Garden base, while Light & Land operates some great single-day workshops in urban environments around the UK.

If you prefer something more in tune with nature, Chris Simmons Photography’s Cornish Seascape Workshops have earned him the accolade of best training provider in the Photography News Awards three years in a row.

Book a photography holiday

If you love the idea of in-person workshops, but feel a single day isn’t enough, why not try a photography holiday? Whether it’s in the UK or abroad, these longer-term learning experiences are unmatched for their immersion in not just a new environment and culture, but also genres or techniques.

Chris Simmons Photography also offers longer workshops of up to four days that include accommodation. Alternatively, providers like French Photographic Holidays have packages including food, accommodation and meticulously planned itineraries, so you don’t have to think about anything except the perfect shot.

Many other providers offer all-inclusive trips to the most interesting, remote and picturesque places in the world. It could be a landscape tour of Norway’s majestic fjords, a street photography workshop in the bustle of Havana or a wildlife safari in the Masai Mara. Whatever your dream experience is, these options cover all manner of photographic interests.

Travel and photography are my two greatest loves and this activity combines the two, so for me it’s a no-brainer. Judging by you being a reader of this publication, it’s likely you feel the same way, so why not take the plunge and choose something to book? I bet you won’t regret it.

In the meantime, check out the Photography News free online courses in our learning section here.