Solo Snowdonia
Single and solo travellers can learn new skills in the dramatic setting of Snowdonia national park. This course is ideal for those starting off with a digital SLR camera, with in-the-field tuition as well as review sessions.
• Ventura Holidays (venturaholidays.co.uk), £199 sharing/£249 single room, including food and accommodation but excluding transport, next trip 14 October
Tuscany weekend
Even the accommodation on this trip could be a source of inspiration: a 300-year-old farmhouse in the rolling Italian countryside. Practise photography on trips to medieval abbeys and towns. The weekend is accredited by the Royal Photographic Society, and offers professional tuition in digital photography in groups of six.
• Go Learn To (golearnto.com), from £643pp including food, accommodation and transfers but not flights, next trips 7 October 2011, 18 May and 12 October 2012
Travel photography in Morocco
Hoping to turn your hobby into a career? This three-night travel photography workshop in Essaouira will teach you tricks of the trade, with mentored shoots and tips from a travel photographer from Wanderlust magazine.
• Wanderlust (wanderlust.co.uk), from £665 including B&B accommodation but excluding flights, next trip 25 November
New Orleans four-day course
Travel photographer and local Tyrone Turner leads this four-day workshop in one of the best locations for budding street photographers, taking advantage of New Orleans' exciting blend of cultures and vibrant nightlife. The only downside is the relatively large group – up to 25.
• National Geographic Expeditions (nationalgeographicexpeditions.com), from $1,875 with hotel and some meals but excluding flights, next trips 10 November 2011, 23 February and 19 April 2012
Delhi family photography
If you have a promising young snapper in the family (aged seven and above), treat them to an inspirational eight-day trip to India. A professional photographer will take them through a series of fun photo challenges around Delhi, the Taj Mahal and the Ranthambore national park – a gold star for anyone who snaps a tiger.
• Adventure Company (adventurecompany.co.uk), from £1,319 adults and £1,239 (children) including flights and B&B accommodation, next trip 8 April 2012
Cambodia 11-day tour
This trip aims to develop photography that appreciates local culture in a more meaningful way. The tour takes in many sides of Cambodia, including serene floating villages, the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat and the killing fields. The group is tutored by professional photographer Nathan Horton and guided by at least one local person at all times.
• Responsible Travel (responsibletravel.com), from £2,210 including flights and B&B accommodation, next trips 6 October and 17 November
Walking in the Lake District
Capture the stunning scenery of the Lake District on camera on a guided walking holiday with a professional landscape photographer. This four-night break includes group and individual tuition each day to improve your exposure, composition and processing skills. You'll stay in Hassness Country House near Buttermere, a tiny hamlet in the remote western lakes. Be prepared for some early starts to catch the best light.
• Ramblers Worldwide Holidays (ramblersholidays.co.uk), from £344pp, including most meals but excluding transport, next trip 21 April 2012
Havana and west Cuba retreat
Shoot Havana's faded colonial architecture, learn techniques for close-ups of its famed murals, and take some black-and-whites at a cigar factory – before reviewing your pics over mojitos and checking out the local music scene. You'll also head out to rural Cuba for portraits of tobacco farmers and to capture the dusk light over the limestone mogote hills. The trip ends with a pop-up exhibition back in Havana.
• Creative Escapes (creative-escapes.co.uk), £1,875 including shared half-board accommodation and all transfers and excursions, next trip 20‑29 February 2012
Riding in Andalucia
Digital cameras allow you to snap anything and everything on holiday – leaving you with hundreds of boring images to trawl through when you get home. Learn how to prioritise quality over quantity on a week-long trip teaching the art of storytelling through photography. You'll document your equestrian adventure through Andalucian bandit country with help from a fine art photographer and a technical expert.
• The Riding Company (theridingcompany.com), £1,990 including full-board accommodation but excluding flights, next trip 30 October
New Zealand adventure
This seven-day trip focuses on the vivid autumn colours and landscapes of the Central Otago highlands as well as the rugged southern coast of the South Island. Learn how to get the best shots of these photogenic surroundings under the guidance of the acclaimed Australian landscape photographer Peter Walton. Tuition includes easy-to-apply principles to improve your compositions as well as Photoshop techniques to give your landscape images greater impact.
• Adventure South (adventuresouth.co.nz), from £1,630 including most meals and all internal transport but excluding flights, next trip 15 April 2012
