Beginner DSLR / Hybrid Photography Course

Master photo composition and manual settings on your camera



2.5 hours Class size 1 to 8

label $90 - $109 (or 4 payments of $22.50 - $27.25 Afterpay)
($109 per guest when you book for 1 guest, $99 for 2 guests, $95 for 3 guests, $90 for 4+ guests. $150 per class surcharge applies for private classes)

This is a fun and creative hands-on photography learning experience, in the scenic and iconic surrounds of The Rocks and Sydney Harbour. Perfect for beginners.

You'll learn all about photo composition, controlling ISO, aperture and shutter speed, and put theory into practice in this hands-on photography class. Learn all that your camera's manual mode has to offer!

You'll get photo critiques so that you get the immediate feedback you need to further refine your skills.

You'll focus on travel photography, which includes street portraits, architecture, still life, landscapes, and nature.

You'll get lots of practical "Dos and Don'ts" tips in digital photography, and you'll gain confidence as a photographer.

Your Sydney teacher will be either:

  • Chris L Jones - an advertising, editorial and commercial photographer based in Sydney, Australia. He has worked with a wide range of clients and would describe himself as a lifestyle, people, food, travel and occasional art photographer.
  • Or Alfonso Calero - over the past 20 years, Alfonso has photographed everyone from politicians to artists and everything from exquisite food to amazing landscapes. He has won numerous photography awards, and speaks English, Japanese, Spanish and Tagalog.

If you are booking for a minor (under 16 years of age) to attend, they must be accompanied by a paying adult
If you'd like a private class, please see details and book it here


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Save $20 when you book with a friend

Knowledge required
No knowledge required.
 
What to bring
You'll need a digital camera with manual settings available (not smartphone or Point & Shoot); should be fully charged, with plenty of memory space for new photos. Bring your camera manual too if you have it.
 
Suitable for

Suitable for adults, and kids (minimum 8 years old).

An adult must accompany any attending kids, and must pay for a separate ticket.

This would also be a unique gift for her, gift for mum, anniversary gift or birthday gift.

Location

cnr mills and kendall lane The Rocks NSW (varies by date; click the date selector to see details)

Beginner DSLR / Hybrid Photography Course location
Your teacher
Alfonso's Photography Tours
Alfonso's Photography Tours

Learning Adventures

4.9 (402)
Instagram followers3k

Alfonso's Photography tours was founded by Alfonso Calero, a multi-award winning photographer with over 20 years' experience. He's recruited some of Australia's best photographers and teachers to provide you with informative, fun and inspiring photography experiences.

Alfonso's team provides regular photography classes where you can gain some new skills and knowledge, discover your artistic style, and also discover (or rediscover) Australia's beautiful cities. They also provide custom photography courses on request.

Verified reviews

We only show reviews from customers who have paid for and attended this class


Louise Nelson • Oct 2023

6 ClassBento workshops attended • 4 reviews


Alfonso is friendly and a great teacher. His passion for photography is contagious! I feel confident using my DSLR, now knowing the fundamentals. If you want a great day out and learn to take great photos this is the class for you.

Rowyn Pepper • Sep 2023

2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews


Super helpful, informative and enjoyable, the walk around the area was an added bonus with all the history.

Briony Lee • Jul 2023

3 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews


Alfonso was an amazing teacher who taught me a lot about the settings for different types of camera shots. It was a really fun experience that took us to some great locations around the Rocks. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about photography composition and manual settings.

Maliha Rahman • Jun 2023


Great introduction to some of the technical parts of photography and learning how to use your camera in different circumstances. As a beginner, I learned a lot and felt more confident to test out the functions on my camera. There are also some lovely locations throughout the Rocks.

Photography class review by Maliha Rahman - Sydney

Shen Wong • Apr 2023


Terrific course and location - the combination of the photo instruction and history tour was excellent. A great afternoon despite the rain. Recommended.

Kelly Peterson • Feb 2023

2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews


I was expecting to sit in a classroom for this course Nope! We met in The Rocks and immediately started walking around, while learning. We learned technical details of our DSLRs as well as tips for for taking better pictures. Really enjoyed Alfonso (the instructor) and it was fun working with the other people in the class.

Barbara Hastings • Jan 2023

6 ClassBento workshops attended • 6 reviews


You literally cannot go wrong with this delightful photography class! Firstly, Alfonso is the most low-key yet knowledgeable instructor. He absolutely knows his stuff, and REALKY knows how to teach in a way that encourages attendees to do their best. Spending the afternoon taking photos around The Rocks was wonderful-much better than in some stuffy studio! The challenges were bite-sized, and as easy or as difficult as you make them for yourself. He gives you soooo many red out ed to take away that it’s almost impossible to go wrong after the class is over. Highly recommend!

Jessica Peig • Dec 2022


Alfonso provided a great workshop on the basics of photography in manual mode. He gave us mini tasks throughout the course to put what we have learnt into practice. Incredibly approachable with any questions you may have.

Stephen Palucci • Nov 2022


Chris was very informative and clearly knew his way around the camera. Whilst I feel as though their is so much more to learn about DSLR photography, I feel as though he helped me better understand the essential which I can use as a platform to improving my skills down the road.

Nadine Venturato • Sep 2022


Had a fantastic day learning and was happy my son came along with me. We both learnt a lot about the basics of the camera and then went on to use that knowledge to take photos of the opera house that evening showing the tribute to Queen Elizabeth.
Thanks for the wonderful learning and looking forward to another trip.

Nicole Masterson • Sep 2022


Very useful information and I learnt a lot in the time frame. I will definitely recommend it.

Elizabeth Harding • Aug 2022


Great course for beginners, Alfonso introduced us to camera and composition basics with some gentle challenges that got us using our new skills. Group was small enough to ask questions and get feedback, and discovered some great new shooting spots as a bonus

Michelle Barraclough • Aug 2022


Had a really great time doing this course and learnt a lot. Looking forward to putting it into practice.

Kirsten Crosby • Aug 2022

8 ClassBento workshops attended • 7 reviews


I went with my son who is a beginner. I have some experience. We both got a lot out of the class. Alfonso was really great. Covered a lot of topics, and had time for everyone. Highly recommend.

Manon Gunderson-Briggs • Aug 2022


Excellent course for beginners. Alfonso is very knowledgeable and a really great teacher. Highly recommend.

Monique • Jul 2022

2 ClassBento workshops attended


The teacher was very knowledgeable and helpful which made the class enjoyable. Lots of tips for beginners.

Nicholas Paz • Jul 2022


Was awesome, Alfonso was really informative, friendly and catering.
The crew in the class were also really friendly, interactive and sweet to deal with!

Rebecca Glavan • Jul 2022


Alfonso was friendly and very knowledgeable. The Rocks is a beautiful part of Sydney to photograph and the mini assignments that Alfonso sets are a fun way to learn.

Christopher Watson • Jun 2022


We are all good at setting our cameras on auto to take lots of photographs, but with a little input such as your course, we can improve ourselves and take much better ones, therefore I can say that the course was well worthwhile. Alfonso was very knowledgeable, helpful and easy to talk to. He didn't mind us asking dumb questions which put me in particular at ease in the group. The group was a nice size so that you weren't forgotten about when tasks were set and reviewed afterwards.
A postscript: I am very pleased ClassBento supports Dementia Australia. My wife was diagnosed with Alzheimers a while ago and is now in a home. Its terrible. Chris Watson

Peter Beveridge • Jun 2022


Alfonso (and Chris) provided a great introductory course on how to use your camera and generally improve your photography - in a great setting. Well worthwhile and enjoyable.

Abigail Bautista • May 2022

2 ClassBento workshops attended


Small group (5) allowed both group and individualised teaching, Alfonso was so knowledgeable and tailored his communication and teaching to meet all our needs, very happy with this intro course

Elizabeth Weiszbach • May 2022


Definitely worth doing this class if you are a beginner to the "Manual Modes". Alfonso explained everything clearly and was very patient in answering all questions. His knowledge helped me understand my camera better, how to set up the shots and how to get some great photos in the different modes. We visited some beautiful locations around The Rocks in Sydney which made for stunning photos. I definitely had some "A-Ha" moments and felt I learned a lot in this one class. Would absolutely recommend this class.

Vanessa Opazo • Mar 2022

5 ClassBento workshops attended • 4 reviews


This class was so good
I had no idea about photography and I feel I got a good understanding on how to use my camera and take some great shots after 2.5h.
Alfonso is very knowledgeable, patient and nice. He makes everything sound less intimidating than what it looks like.
We were lucky to have a sunny day and were moving around The Rocks area. We discovered some beautiful new spots where we practiced our new skills and spent a lovely afternoon overall.
I booked it with my partner. It was a great couple activity. We also got to interact with the rest of the group and learned from them too.
Highly recommend it!

Kat Krzyslak • Nov 2021


The class was great fun, Alfonso explained everything in a way that was easy to understand and made the whole experience very enjoyable! I've learned a lot and got to see Sydney from a different perspective:)

Mariah Owen • Jun 2021

2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews


I thoroughly enjoyed this session!
Alfonso was able to explain the technical components in a way that was easy to understand and remember. We walked to different locations around The Rocks to try different styles and techniques. He was very enthusiastic and provided great feedback. I now have a lot more confidence using my camera.

Robert Moore • May 2021

2 ClassBento workshops attended


It was an absolutely amazing experience going through all the functions my camera has to offer.

Claire Brooke • May 2021


Alfonso was very knowledgeable on all the cameras in our group, I done the class alone and felt welcomed and Alfonso made the group excited about chasing the sun for great light, different creative shots with movement cars challenges throughout. Would recommend!

Joan Lee • Apr 2021

3 ClassBento workshops attended • 3 reviews


Alfonso was a lovely teacher - friendly, polite, and easy to talk to and ask questions to. During the class I was able to learn more about the different functions on my camera and experiment with the various settings to understand how they can help you achieve the look you want in your photos. It was a good introductory course, I walked away with loads of information to take away and digest! Thanks for the class Alfonso :)

Szandra Bolla • Mar 2021


Alfonso was great and answered many of my questions. I really enjoyed that we put theory into practice and received feedback on the spot.

Kristoff Clark • Sep 2020


Alfonso’s class was great! As a newbie he explained things well, with just the right level of detail (rather than confuse), and also lined up some cool hands-on experience during the class - in particular with an unexpected Indian taxi that we used to practice shutter speed work.

His free ebook is a really helpful tool that I’ve continued to use since the class too.

I’m planning on joining one of his night lessons soon!

Ioulia Stepanova • Jan 2020


Great teacher with lots of knowledge and an interactive teaching style. We visited some beautiful places in The Rocks which I didn’t know of and learned a lot in a short time. I liked the challenges and they helped me remember the basics of photography. I enjoyed the tips and tricks about composition. A great course if you want to learn the basics and if you want to have some great pics of Sydney.

Sabin Maharjan • Dec 2019


Very friendly and good instructor
Had great time. Got tips to increase my skills.

Thank You Alfanso

Lyndal Hayward • Nov 2019


My 13 year old son and I loved Alfonso’s class. We both learnt so much and have some beautiful shots of Sydney to take away with us. Thanks Alfonso.

Jose Bajonero • Nov 2019


Alfonso is an amazing person and photographer, the locations that he chose to teach us were beautiful and the class was really practical and interesting. I hope to see you again. Thanks a lot Alfonso!

Vinayak Kallappa • Oct 2019


Very nice teaching, knew thoroughly about camara and photography.
Though I had the camera for few years,
I did not know a thing about different manual settings.
With the money. Good that I attended the class.

Kyle Leadbeatter • Jul 2019


Alfonso was a wonderful teacher and my partner and I thoroughly enjoyed the course. We're already booked in for the night photography course and can't wait to enjoy another of Alfonso's classes.

I learnt some really great, simple, and quick tips that improved my photography immediately. I feel like I've got so many more tools to shoot better and do all the things I wanted to do with my camera. I have a Canon 750D so entry level DSLR but I enjoy photography when I travel. Alfonso has given me much more confidence in being able to shoot great holiday pics and use all the functions on my camera.

It was also a really great, fun way to spend the afternoon. Would absolutely recommend this to everyone!

Edward Ratanasena • Apr 2019


Our Teacher was Chris, not Alfonso.

I felt that the lesson could be structured a little better. He started off talking about P mode on the camera, we went off to take some photo's and then only after that did he teach us more fundamentals such as how to hold the camera and to ensure our lens was clean.

I learnt a lot about the technical aspects of photography (iso, aperture, shutter speed) but not so much about composition.

Pauline Forster • Mar 2019


Loved the day even with a few rain showers Alfonso Kept us busy and dry even though we were out doors. He is an expert and taught us how to get the best out of our camera and our shots. Highly recommended for all levels. I am a beginner and I learnt so much. There were 6 of us and he explains everything clearly and helped everyone. Don't miss his classes they are a must. Thank you Alfonso for dropping my friend and I off on your way home, so much appreciated on a rainy evening.

James Tang • Feb 2019


It was a very good course. I learned quite a lot of things from Alfonso. I felt confident controlling the camera after I've been to the course. I'll definitely recommended this course to anyone.

Tiana Davies • Jan 2019


Fantastic course, Very knowledgeable teacher, useful information explained simply, well worth the money for time

Joshua Englund • Dec 2018


Very informative and Alfonso structured the course exactly to what my needs were. He talked to through everything and made sure I understood and grasped the concept before putting it into practice which was great. We were fortunate enough to have all kinds of weather which was great for experimenting with different techniques, especially using the manual setting.
Great time, very informative, great value for money, I would highly recommend Alfonso to anyone looking to learn about photography.

Peter Petrovski • Dec 2018

2 ClassBento workshops attended


Alfonso was a great teacher he showed us practical tips which built upon each other. He didn’t let some rain stop him from giving us a great class either. Would check out another of Alfonso’s classes for sure.

Elisabeth Nunura • Aug 2018

2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews


It was amazing, I learned so much about my own camera, learned about photo composition, controlling ISO, aperture , and shutter speed it was so good, and walking around the Rocks it was so good, recommended definitely.
so many tips especial learn so much about my own camera
Thank so much Alfonso and Chris

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