Family Photography Workshop, Stroud
INTRODUCTION TO family photography
Learn how to create beautiful, meaningful photographs of your family.
It doesn’t matter what camera you use (let’s face it, most of us use our phone cameras these days!). This workshop will teach you the skills to become a confident photographer, so you can find and document the moments that matter to you.
Hi, I’m Jen
Before I picked up a camera professionally, I trained and worked as a secondary school teacher, with a PGCE from UCL’s Institute of Education - if I can deliver a lesson that holds a room of teenagers’ attention, I can definitely make a day of photography genuinely engaging for you.
I’ve been a documentary family photographer since 2013, capturing real, unposed moments of family life - the mess, the lazy mornings, the in-between bits most people don’t think to photograph but end up treasuring. That’s the heart of what I want to pass on to you: how to be a more confident photographer, and also how to actually see and capture your own family, using whatever camera you’ve got.
Outside of workshops and client sessions, I’m usually found either in the garden or keeping up with my own toddler and 9-year-old. So I promise I understand exactly how chaotic family life can be, and just how tricky it is to make a good photograph when you’re the one in the middle of it all.
“What an experience. Jen is not only an amazing photographer, but she is also an inspiring teacher. Think Robin Williams in Dead Poet's Society meets Annie Leibovitz (if Annie Leibovitz was a documentary family photographer). I’d do this workshop again in a heartbeat.”
Inger
What type of photography will you learn?
Luckily, things have moved on from the days when children were dressed up in matching clothes and dragged to an unfamiliar studio where they smiled awkwardly for the camera. Today, family photography has become more about documenting authentic moments and creating memories of real life. This is the type of photography that we’ll be focusing on in the course.
This course is perfect for you if...
you take loads of family photographs, but the number you are happy with is disappointingly low
you see moments you want to capture, but the photos don’t reflect what you saw
a lot of your photos are posed, but you also want to capture real-life moments
you want to take more creative and meaningful photos but don’t know where to start
What you will learn:
Three simple fixes that stop your photos from looking like snapshots - and start looking like photographs
Creative composition techniques for capturing real life as it happens
How to read natural light in your own home and control exposure
How to spot the fleeting moments that tell your family’s story
How to turn everyday chaos into photographs you'll treasure
How you will learn
Learning will be active and fun using lots of visuals and examples. There will be opportunities throughout the day to practice and discuss each element you learn, and a nice balance of working on your own and with a partner.
Choose a date that suits you - spaces are limited on each.
The details
📍 Location: Amberley, near Stroud, Gloucestershire (full address will be sent with your booking confirmation)
⏰ Time: 11am–3:30pm, including a 30-minute lunch break
(bring a packed lunch: tea, coffee and biscuits provided throughout the day)
🚗 Parking: Available on the road outside
👥 Group size: Max 6 people
📷 What to bring: A packed lunch + the camera you most often use to photograph your family: phone, DSLR, mirrorless, whatever it is
A one-day, hands-on course to help you take more meaningful photographs of your own family — whatever camera you use, phone included.
📅 Date: Saturday 17th October 2026
⏰ Time: 11am–3:30pm (includes a 30-minute lunch break — please bring a packed lunch; tea, coffee and biscuits provided throughout the day)
📍 Location: Amberley, near Stroud, Gloucestershire (full address sent with your booking confirmation)
🚗 Parking: Available on the road outside
👥 Group size: Max 6 people
📷 What to bring: A packed lunch + the camera you most often use to photograph your family: phone, DSLR, mirrorless, whatever it is
💷 Price: £75 » Book with a friend and save 10% each (code FRIEND10)
You'll come away with practical composition and light techniques you can use straight away, plus plenty of time to practice on the day. Spaces are limited to keep the group small and hands-on, so early booking is recommended.
A one-day, hands-on course to help you take more meaningful photographs of your own family — whatever camera you use, phone included.
📅 Date: Saturday 5th December 2026
⏰ Time: 11am–3:30pm (includes a 30-minute lunch break — please bring a packed lunch; tea, coffee and biscuits provided throughout the day)
📍 Location: Amberley, near Stroud, Gloucestershire (full address sent with your booking confirmation)
🚗 Parking: Available on the road outside
👥 Group size: Max 6 people
📷 What to bring: A packed lunch + the camera you most often use to photograph your family: phone, DSLR, mirrorless, whatever it is
💷 Price: £75 » Book with a friend and save 10% each (code FRIEND10)
You'll come away with practical composition and light techniques you can use straight away, plus plenty of time to practice on the day. Spaces are limited to keep the group small and hands-on, so early booking is recommended.
A one-day, hands-on course to help you take more meaningful photographs of your own family — whatever camera you use, phone included.
📅 Date: Saturday 23rd January 2027
⏰ Time: 11am–3:30pm (includes a 30-minute lunch break — please bring a packed lunch; tea, coffee and biscuits provided throughout the day)
📍 Location: Amberley, near Stroud, Gloucestershire (full address sent with your booking confirmation)
🚗 Parking: Available on the road outside
👥 Group size: Max 6 people
📷 What to bring: A packed lunch + the camera you most often use to photograph your family: phone, DSLR, mirrorless, whatever it is
💷 Price: £75 » Book with a friend and save 10% each (code FRIEND10)
You'll come away with practical composition and light techniques you can use straight away, plus plenty of time to practice on the day. Spaces are limited to keep the group small and hands-on, so early booking is recommended.
“I am loving the practice and challenges and very grateful for all the material, inspiration, and advice, it’s been amazing. I had never totally realised how you can capture all those memories and milestones this way (if not more so!). This course has been just the ticket, just what I needed!”
Molly
Ready to take your family photography further?
Once you've completed Introduction to Family Photography, you can continue your learning with Advanced Family Photography — a follow-on in-person course designed to build on the skills you've already developed.