Photography · Beginner
Wildlife Photography Course
Explore Aotearoa's wild side through the lens.
24/7 Access to Course Materials
Passionate and Experienced Tutors
Self-Paced Study
Flexible Payment Options Available
About This Course
New Zealand's landscapes and wildlife are a rare training ground, and this course is built around them. You'll learn the camera craft specific to wildlife and nature work — fast-moving subjects, unpredictable light, and long lenses — alongside the fieldcraft and ethics that responsible wildlife photography demands.
By the end, you'll have a body of work built from real time in the field, along with the editing skills to bring those images home.
It suits photographers with at least a basic handle on their camera who want to specialise in a genre most general courses only touch on briefly. Wherever you're based — see our locations pages for region-specific spots worth exploring — the fieldcraft and ethics taught here apply nationwide.
What You'll Learn
Module 1
Getting Set Up
The gear and camera settings suited to unpredictable outdoor and wildlife conditions — what to carry, what to leave behind, and how to have it ready before the moment happens.
Module 2
Mastering Exposure
The exposure triangle through a wildlife lens — fast shutter speeds to freeze motion, the aperture and depth-of-field choices that separate a subject from a busy background, and working confidently in manual mode when there's no time to think.
Module 3
Understanding Animal Behaviour
Read behaviour to anticipate the moment before it happens — the difference between a photographer who reacts and one who's already framed the shot.
Module 4
Colour, Exposure & Control In Natural Light
Manage the unpredictable natural light you'll meet in the field, from harsh midday sun to low dawn and dusk light, and the metering and white balance choices that keep colour honest in each.
Module 5
Fieldcraft & Ethics
Responsible, low-impact practices for photographing wildlife in the field — getting the shot without disturbing the subject or the habitat it depends on.
Module 6
Editing Wildlife Images
A Lightroom workflow built for wildlife work — bringing out detail, colour and sharpness without losing the authenticity of the scene, plus retouching technique for the shots that need a little more.
Module 7
In The Wild
Apply everything you've learned to genuine wildlife photography sessions out in the field.
Module 8
In The City
An unexpected but valuable extension — spotting and photographing wildlife in urban and semi-urban environments, where the fieldcraft still applies even if the setting looks nothing like it.
Module 9
Building A Wildlife Portfolio
Assemble a portfolio that reflects your time in the field.
Where This Can Take You
Real paths our graduates have gone on to pursue — the exact direction is up to you.
Your Tutors
Deb
Head Tutor — Landscape & Travel Photography
Seasoned photographer and educator with a passion for landscape, travel, macro, and food photography. As Head Tutor, Deb reviews assignments across nearly every course on offer, and her feedback consistently comes back to the same principle: strong technical fundamentals are what let a photographer's own style come through, rather than getting in the way of it.
John
Tutor — Nature, Travel & Sports Photography
Experienced photographer with a passion for nature, travel, and sports photography, bringing a fresh perspective. John's own work is shaped by chasing fast-moving subjects and unpredictable outdoor light, which comes through directly in the feedback he gives students working through the same challenges in their own assignments.
Study Wildlife Photography Course From Your Region
The course is identical everywhere — these pages cover what it's like to study it from each region, including where local students practise.
Meet the tutors who'll be giving you feedback
Real working photographers review every assignment you submit and tell you what to change.
See the Videography Course
Not sure this is the right course? Compare it against another popular option.
Read course FAQs
Answers to the questions students ask most before enrolling.
Success in Focus
What Our Students Say
“I found the course very informative and really enjoyed how I could do each module at my own pace. Deb was very responsive and provided valuable and encouraging feedback. I especially liked how detailed the Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom modules were and the video resources. The course has definitely given me a solid foundation to build upon and I realise I am heading in the right direction with photography.”
Kylie
“I've just completed a photography course through learning online, the help I got was amazing and the course was extremely good. I learnt so much from this course and I would highly recommend going through them if your looking for a course to study from home.”
Samantha D'Silva
“I have just completed my Professional Photography course. Deb was my tutor and she was very helpful and quick to respond. The course information was very easy to understand and 'the work at your own pace' curriculum was super helpful being a Mum of 2.”
Gabby
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