GET MORE FROM YOUR COMPACT CAMERA

If you feel that you could be taking better photos with your compact camera, this workshop is for you. It will show you how to get the best from your camera, whatever its make and model. This is a hands-on workshop so you will have the opportunity to take various photographs, using all the key features of your camera, and review your images.
Improve Your Images with Good Composition
You'll also learn the basics of good composition which will help you to transform your photographs from 'snaps' into images you're proud of.
Please Note
This workshop is suitable for compact cameras with Scene Modes (e.g. Landscape, Portrait, Macro etc.) and no facility to set Aperture.
Compact Cameras with Aperture Priority
Compact and 'bridge' cameras with an Aperture (A or AV) setting on the mode dial (see right), are included in our Explore Your Digital SLR Part 1 workshop, as your camera shares most of the features of an SLR.
Dates, Venues & Prices for this Workshop
| Region | Day | Date | Venue | Cost £ | Places | Reserve Your Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon & Cornwall | Sat | 13 March 2010 | Lanhydrock, Cornwall SLR cameras also included in this workshop. |
70.00 | FULL | |
| Devon & Cornwall | Mon | 15 March 2010 | Knightshayes Court, Devon SLR cameras also included in this workshop. |
60.00 | 3 | |
| Devon & Cornwall | Sat | 17 April 2010 | Lanhydrock, Cornwall SLR cameras also included in this workshop. |
70.00 | 2 | |
| Devon & Cornwall | Mon | 7 June 2010 | Knightshayes Court, Devon SLR cameras also included in this workshop |
60.00 | 3 | |
| East Anglia | Sun | 18 April 2010 | Ickworth House, Suffolk |
65.00 | >3 | |
| East Anglia | Sat | 24 April 2010 | Hylands House, Chelmsford |
65.00 | >3 | |
| East Anglia | Sat | 8 May 2010 | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk |
65.00 | >3 | |
| East Midlands | Fri | 23 April 2010 | Hardwick Hall, Derbys. (run alongside SLR Part 1) |
75.00 | >3 | |
| East Midlands | Fri | 28 May 2010 | Clumber Park, Notts. |
65.00 | >3 | |
| East Midlands | Fri | 25 June 2010 | Hardwick Hall, Derbys. |
65.00 | >3 | |
| East of England | Sun | 2 May 2010 | Stanwick Lakes, Northants. (Run alongside SLR1 Part 1) |
70.00 | >3 | |
| East of England | Sun | 23 May 2010 | Anglesey Abbey, Cambs. (Runs alongside SRL1 workshop) |
70.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sun | 14 March 2010 | Osterley Park, W London |
70.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sun | 14 March 2010 | Central London The Thames, Millennium Bridge & St Paul's Cathedral, Training Suite Union Street SE1 |
75.00 | 2 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 20 March 2010 | Petworth House, W Sussex |
65.00 | FULL | |
| London & South East | Sat | 20 March 2010 | Kenwood House, London |
75.00 | FULL | |
| London & South East | Sat | 20 March 2010 | Central London The Thames, Millennium Bridge & St Paul's Cathedral, Training Suite Union Street SE1 |
75.00 | FULL | |
| London & South East | Tues | 23 March 2010 | Witley Common, Surrey |
55.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 27 March 2010 | South London |
75.00 | FULL | |
| London & South East | Sat | 10 April 2010 | Capel Manor Gardens, N London A Taste of Spring |
65.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Mon | 12 April 2010 | Central London The Thames, Millennium Bridge & St Paul's Cathedral, Training Suite Union Street SE1 |
70.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Wed | 14 April 2010 | Tilgate Park, W Sussex Family Photography Day - Young Photographers Under 16 yrs Course Fee only £45 (Accompanied by an Adult Only). |
65.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 17 April 2010 | Kenwood House, London |
75.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Tues | 20 April 2010 | Witley Common, Surrey |
55.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 24 April 2010 | Petworth House, W Sussex |
65.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Mon | 24 April 2010 | Central London The Thames, Millennium Bridge & St Paul's Cathedral, Training Suite Union Street SE1 |
70.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 8 May 2010 | South London |
75.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sun | 9 May 2010 | Osterley Park, W London |
75.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 10 May 2010 | Central London The Thames, Millennium Bridge & St Paul's Cathedral, Training Suite Union Street SE1 |
85.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Fri | 21 May 2010 | Eastbury Manor, E London Friday's only! |
65.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 22 May 2010 | Central London The Thames, Millennium Bridge & St Paul's Cathedral, Training Suite Union Street SE1 |
85.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Tues | 25 May 2010 | Witley Common, Surrey |
55.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 29 May 2010 | Bodiam Castle, E Sussex |
65.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 5 June 2010 | Central London The Thames, Millennium Bridge & St Paul's Cathedral, Training Suite Union Street SE1 |
85.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 19 June 2010 | Petworth House, W Sussex |
65.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 10 July 2010 | South London |
75.00 | >3 | |
| London & South East | Sat | 7 August 2010 | Bodiam Castle, E Sussex WW2 Weekend |
65.00 | >3 | |
| North and Mid Wales | Sat | 27 March 2010 | Coed y Brenin, Gwynedd |
55.00 | >3 | |
| North and Mid Wales | Sat | 10 April 2010 | Chirk Castle, Wrexham |
60.00 | FULL | |
| North and Mid Wales | Sun | 16 May 2010 | Chirk Castle, Wrexham |
60.00 | >3 | |
| North and Mid Wales | Sun | 6 June 2010 | Coed y Brenin, Gwynedd |
55.00 | >3 | |
| North and Mid Wales | Sat | 19 June 2010 | Erddig, N Wales |
60.00 | >3 | |
| North and Mid Wales | Sun | 27 June 2010 | Penrhyn Castle, N Wales |
60.00 | >3 | |
| North and Mid Wales | Sat | 21 August 2010 | Coed y Brenin, Gwynedd |
55.00 | >3 | |
| North East | Sun | 14 March 2010 | Beamish Museum, Co. Durham |
70.00 | FULL | |
| North East | Sat | 20 March 2010 | Ormesby Hall, Middlesbrough |
65.00 | FULL | |
| North East | Sun | 11 April 2010 | Gibside, Newcastle upon Tyne |
65.00 | FULL | |
| North East | Sun | 18 April 2010 | Beamish Museum, Co. Durham |
70.00 | 3 | |
| North East | Sat | 16 May 2010 | Beamish Museum, Co. Durham |
70.00 | >3 | |
| North East | Sun | 23 May 2010 | Gibside, Newcastle upon Tyne |
65.00 | 3 | |
| North Midlands | Sat | 13 March 2010 | Biddulph Grange Gardens, Staffs. This is a combined Compact and DSLR workshop. |
70.00 | >3 | |
| North Midlands | Sat | 24 April 2010 | Attenborough Nature Centre This is a combined Compact and DSLR workshop. |
70.00 | >3 | |
| North Midlands | Sat | 22 May 2010 | Calke Abbey, Derbys. This is a combined Compact and DSLR workshop. |
70.00 | >3 | |
| North West & Scotland | Sun | 16 May 2010 | Tatton Park, Cheshire |
70.00 | >3 | |
| North West & Scotland | Sun | 28 May 2010 | Manchester YHA |
70.00 | >3 | |
| South | Mon | 22 March 2010 | Winchester City Mill SLR cameras also included in this workshop. |
60.00 | FULL | |
| South | Sun | 28 March 2010 | Bath, Avon SLR cameras also included in this workshop. |
70.00 | 3 | |
| South | Sat | 24 April 2010 | Dyrham Park, Glos. SLR cameras also included in this workshop. |
70.00 | >3 | |
| South | Mon | 26 April 2010 | Lacock Abbey, Wilts. SLR cameras also included in this workshop. |
65.00 | 1 | |
| South | Sat | 29 May 2010 | Dyrham Park, Glos. SLR cameras also included in this workshop |
70.00 | 1 | |
| South | Sat | 19 June 2010 | Portsmouth Historic Dockyard SLR cameras also included in this workshop |
70.00 | 3 | |
| South | Mon | 21 June 2010 | Winchester City Mill SLR cameras also included in this workshop. |
60.00 | 3 | |
| South | Mon | 5 July 2010 | Lacock Abbey, Wilts. SLR cameras also included in this workshop |
65.00 | 3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sat | 13 March 2010 | Snowshill Manor, Glos. |
70.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sun | 14 March 2010 | Attingham Park, Shropshire Special Introduction Price for great new venue |
55.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sat | 27 March 2010 | Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton |
65.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Fri | 9 April 2010 | Harcourt Aboretum, Oxford |
65.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sat | 10 April 2010 | Coughton Court, Warwickshire |
70.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sun | 11 April 2010 | Bewdley & Severn Valley Railway |
65.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sat | 24 April 2010 | Snowshill Manor, Glos. |
65.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sun | 9 May 2010 | Central Birmingham |
70.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sat | 15 May 2010 | Coughton Court, Warwickshire |
70.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sun | 30 May 2010 | Coughton Court, Warwickshire |
70.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sun | 6 June 2010 | Brockhampton Estate, Herefordshire Great new venue for this workshop a great day out |
65.00 | >3 | |
| West Midlands & Cotswolds | Sat | 12 June 2010 | Attingham Park, Shropshire |
65.00 | >3 | |
| Yorkshire | Sun | 14 March 2010 | Nostell Priory, Yorks. |
70.00 | FULL | |
| Yorkshire | Sun | 21 March 2010 | Longshaw Estate, Peak District |
70.00 | FULL | |
| Yorkshire | Sat | 27 March 2010 | Nostell Priory, Yorks. |
70.00 | FULL | |
| Yorkshire | Sun | 11 April 2010 | Nostell Priory, Yorks. |
70.00 | 2 | |
| Yorkshire | Sun | 25 April 2010 | Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, N Yorks. |
70.00 | 2 | |
| Yorkshire | Sun | 16 May 2010 | Nostell Priory, Yorks. |
70.00 | >3 | |
| Yorkshire | Sun | 11 July 2010 | Longshaw Estate, Peak District |
70.00 | >3 |
Reviews
Just to say that we enjoyed the ‘Get more from your compact camera’ workshop at Clumber Park on 14/9 /08. We had a fair way to come but it was well worth it, as we found it a very useful and practical day. You will see us back for another day, we’re sure.
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Once again thank you very much for a wonderful day at Hardwick Hall on Thursday. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and meeting the other people there on the day. I certainly found the presentation and content to be just what I needed as having spent many days (and nights!) reading the manual for my new bridge camera, I think I had somewhat confused myself on which settings etc I should be initially concentrating on, and the course certainly sorted out that for me. I am now trying to concentrate more on getting those settings to become second nature and understanding how to use them to better effect, as well as continuing to think about composition. I am now looking at which course to do next time.
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This workshop was really helpful in taking me from basic Auto mode pictures to taking limited control of the options within the camera settings - even to discovering the menu settings! To be told that I can set my camera to Aperture priority and develop the same picture at slightly different f-settings was also an advantage. Practical shots in a beautiful setting was a bonus.
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Just letting you know how much Jenny and I enjoyed the course yesterday. I spent the rest of yesterday evening reading my manual thoroughly and taking photos in my garden. I'm amazed how many incorrect assumptions I had made about my camera. I now feel in control of my camera and by looking at photos on my PC as soon as I took them I was able to see the difference made by changing the settings. I will also know what to look for when I make my next camera purchase - which I'm sure I will do soon as I feel really excited about moving on to thinking about composition.
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I just wanted to say a tremendous thank you for the course I recently attended at Calke Abbey, "EXPLORE THE FEATURES OF YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA". It was a great day and I really enjoyed meeting the group of people that were there on the day. Unfortunately, it was that good, I went out and purchased a Canon Digital SLR camera!
About This Workshop
Equipment
Optional equipment - a tripod (full height).
Times
Most of our workshops run from 10am to 4pm, but please check your Joining Instructions for full details.
Note
Please note that there may be occasions when compact and SLR camera users are combined on the same workshop, in which case you will be split into separate groups as appropriate during the day.
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Progression from this workshop is to:
- Composition - How to See and Compose Great Photographs
- Landscape & Travel Photography Part 1
- Portrait Photography - Family & Friends
- Close-up & Macro Photography
- Photo Walks (see individual workshops for details).

