Learn photography in Cape Town

Photography Courses in Cape Town

This page sets out every way to learn with the school if you live in Cape Town or are visiting, what each one costs, and who it suits.

In person, one to one

Private photography lessons in Cape Town with Martin Osner

A private lesson is not a short course with a syllabus. It is your camera, your pictures and the one thing you want to get right, with Martin beside you. Any level is welcome, and if a course would serve you better than a lesson, he will say so.

Three ways to book Martin

Hout Bay studio, around the Cape, or Zoom

In the studio, Hout Bay. Three hours, hands on, with the equipment set up and running. $590 for one person, $890 for two.

On location around the Cape. Somewhere worth working, chosen nearer the time around the weather and the light. Half day from $690, full day from $1,190.

On Zoom, from anywhere. One or two hours, recorded for you to keep. From $190 an hour.

BOOK A LESSON WITH MARTIN

In person, one to one

Private lessons in Cape Town with Samantha Lee Osner

Samantha is a painter and mixed media artist who works with the camera, and she teaches what happens after the photograph is taken: Photoshop, editing, and turning a photograph into a finished piece of art.

One to one with Samantha

Photoshop, finally explained. Where to start when Photoshop opens and nothing makes sense, and the handful of tools that matter for a photographer.

From photograph to artwork. Layers, masks and painting by hand, the way she makes her own work.

In Hout Bay or online. Her online lessons are $90 an hour. Ask her about a session in the studio.

BOOK A LESSON WITH SAMANTHA

A few days in a small group

Photography workshops near Cape Town

A workshop is a few days somewhere worth photographing, with Martin and Samantha beside you in the field, and the group kept small enough that everybody's work is looked at properly.

From home in Cape Town

Photography courses you can start today, online

Most people in Cape Town who learn with the school start online, at their own pace, and then book a lesson or a workshop to put it into practice. Pick the one that matches where you are now.

Before you book

Questions people ask about photography courses in Cape Town

The questions that come up in nearly every call to the studio, answered the way Martin answers them on the phone.

Where can I do a photography course in Cape Town?

In Hout Bay, one to one with Martin Osner or Samantha Lee Osner, in the studio or out on location around the Cape. For a group, the workshops run a few days at a time in the Cape Winelands, the Overberg and on the southern Cape coast. And if you would rather learn at home, the courses are online and you start the same day.

What is the best photography course for a beginner in Cape Town?

Start with the camera itself. The Essentials Photography Course teaches ISO, aperture, shutter, light and composition in the right order, online and at your own pace, and you pay what you can afford for it. Then book a private lesson in Hout Bay to put it into practice with Martin beside you.

How much do photography lessons in Cape Town cost?

A private lesson with Martin starts at $190 an hour on Zoom. A three hour session in the Hout Bay studio is $590 for one person or $890 for two. A half day on location around the Cape is from $690 and a full day from $1,190. One to one lessons with Samantha Lee Osner are $90 an hour. The multi day workshops in the Western Cape are priced in rand and start at R19,500.

Can I learn one to one rather than in a class?

Yes, and that is how both Martin and Samantha teach in Cape Town. A private lesson is built around you: your camera, your pictures and the thing you want to fix, with nobody else setting the pace. Bring a friend or a partner if you like, there are two person prices.

Do I need my own camera?

Yes, bring the camera you have, because the point is to learn to use your own. You do not need an expensive one. Most people own far more camera than they know how to use.

Where can I study photography for a qualification in Cape Town?

If you want a certificate or a diploma, the University of Cape Town runs a digital photography short course, CPUT offers a photography diploma, and the Cape Town School of Photography and Orms run part time courses in town. Martin's school teaches the craft and the art of the photograph, not the certificate.

Pick one and start

Three ways to start learning photography in Cape Town

You do not have to get this decision perfect. Plenty of students start online, then book a lesson, then come on a workshop. The only mistake is waiting.

Not sure which? Get in touch with the studio and Martin will tell you honestly.