Welcome to the Blackthorn

The Blackthorn Centre School of Photography provides expert training courses in digital photography in our professionally equipped lightroom, darkroom and lighting studio. We specialise in beginners courses, portrait courses and Photoshop or Lightroom courses, as well as specialist courses for the landscape, wedding and glamour photographers. The Blackthorn is a UK based professional photography training centre, located near Cricklade in the south-west of England.

We cater for the complete beginner through to the professional photographer. We have a photography course to suit your requirements whether you are looking for a day, weekend, evening course, or a group or One to One session. Learn all the important fundamentals of photography with our Starting Photography courses. Each course has been carefully designed to guide students through every aspect of the subject in a clear and logical way, yet encouraging individual creativity.

Whatever your level of photographic experience, our courses are designed to suit your needs. Our Beginners courses assume no previous experience and will enable the complete beginner to learn the fundamentals of photography in a fun and informative atmosphere.

Intermediate and advanced photographers will enjoy our fresh approach to creativity in the lightroom, the studio and on field trips. Whatever your level our photography courses will enable you to further your photography to higher level.

For professional photographers, serious hobby photographers and anyone going digital for the first time the school has a course for you.

Each pupil is constantly monitored and assisted. Students are encouraged to look upon their work with a critical yet constructive eye. You will quickly learn to appreciate the effect a lens or exposure will have on the finished print.

Our digital photography courses cover the techniques used for colour and monochrome image-making. Beginners' photography courses start by teaching students to understand their cameras and how to get the best results from them. We use professional level equipment to teach Photoshop, Lightroom, colour management, and high quality printing on a wide format HP Designjet Printer.

All courses are limited in the number of students allowed to enrol to ensure maximum learning and individual attention. It is therefore advisable to book courses well in advance.

Our Beginners courses cover the camera and its controls and composition, editing and printing.

Learn the magic of Landscape Photography course on this popular photography course.

With our Portrait Photography course you will learn about studio lighting as well as speedlites and hand flashes to master the techniques involved in producing high quality portraits.

For the photographer working professionally as a wedding photographer, or the person who has been asked to take a wedding and wants to get it right on the day there is our creative wedding photography course. 

Learn how to process your Images and to print and colour manage on our photoshop and Lightroom courses. We use Photoshop CS5, Elements 8 and Lightroom 3 but other programmes can be covered on request. For the monochrome enthusiasts we offer Digital Black and White courses.  

We also specialise in travel photography courses, wildlife photography courses, and arrange trips abroad capturing those special images.

The Blackthorn Centre School of Photography is located just outside Cricklade on the Wiltshire - Gloucestershire border, South-West England, UK. We are within easy travelling distance from Swindon, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Oxford, Bristol, Bath, Reading, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. If travelling a further distance such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle or Kent, we can assist in  arranging accommodation for weekend courses.

Who are the courses for? Anyone with an interest in photography irrespective of age. Ideal for the beginner; get it right now and save years of frustration, ignorance and disappointment. Of great assistance to GCSE, A level, City & Guilds, LRPS, ARPS and Art College Degrees.

Will I be out of my depth?

Certainly not! Whatever your level of photographic or computer skills, our courses are designed to suit your needs. Beginners are made welcome and our friendly and patient approach to photography. The more experienced photographers enjoy our fun but informative approach encouraging individuals to take their photography to a higher level.

What equipment will I need?

Any DSLR, or compact/Bridge camera with settings that can be changed. You must be able to control both the aperture and shutter speeds of your camera. "Compact" cameras, without adjustable f-stops, focus and shutter speeds will have their limitations on our courses. Centre cameras are available to be borrowed for a specific course. Please request at the time of booking the course if you require centre equipment to borrow. For the intermediate and advanced courses a sturdy tripod, and shutter release control will be useful. These items are not however essential and the centre does have equipment which can be borrowed. Other lenses if you have them and lens hoods can be of use for certain courses but not essential. Wet weather clothing and a packed lunch on field trips.

What do the courses involve?

Each course has been carefully designed to guide students through every aspect of the subject in a clear and logical way, yet encouraging individual creativity.
Whether in the studio or on location, attention is always paid to picture composition, depth of field, choice of lens, film, exposure, last but not least, print quality.
Each pupil is constantly monitored and assisted. The emphasis is always on making students look upon their work with a critical yet constructive eye. In this way you will quickly learn to appreciate the effect a lens or exposure will have on the finished print. Mistakes are quickly identified and corrected.
The Photoshop courses, which run in our purpose built lightroom, allow the student to learn the use of techniques such as RAW conversion, use of layers and masks. Learning how to build up your pictures to produce exciting and creative images. It is fun learning!
All courses are limited in the number of students allowed to enrol to ensure maximum learning. It is therefore advisable to book courses well in advance.

Why are our students so successful?

Our team of highly experienced lecturers have been teaching photography locally for fourteen years and during that time we have made many friends whilst teaching students. Several continue to enrol on courses purely to enjoy their photography and friendships made whilst attending our courses. Since opening the Blackthorn has encouraged ‘cascade teaching’ so any student having difficulties can be given individual tuition on a one to one basis.

'My first visit to this centre. A very high standard of work & an obviously enthusiastic team. Refreshing to see!'
Ian Kent-Robinson, City & Guilds Assessor 20th July 1998