Junior Academy of Photography
Private Photography Courses.
for young people aged 11 and above.
I guarantee an immediate improvement in photography, confidence, creativity, self esteem, motivation and technical abilities.
The history of the junior academy.
Founded by myself (Paul Hands) in 2023 on the back of a single Parent requesting support with home educating her son who had expressed an interest in photography. I took my first student under my wing, having 12 years experience of running 1:1 and group photography workshops for adults. After having lots of success and bearing witness to the rapid growth seen in my students and noticing a dramatic increase in parents making contact to request the same service for their children, I have now opened up this special education to everyone.
I’ve been shooting professional photography as a freelance photographer for over 12 years successfully with some major organisations including The Treasury, English Heritage, Diabetes UK, Cineworld and Leicester University plus with celebrities like HRH Prince Edward, Sir David Attenborough and Chef Marco Pierre White.
I’ve also studied photography at college and university, gaining a level 3, HND and a BA Hons. in photography and video.
I have my own studio in Burbage, Leicestershire and am a father myself to a hyper active 7 year old daughter, who’m I am teaching photography to, with lots of success already.
I’m a patient teacher and love teaching photography with a passion and know how to find the creative genius in others.
Join The Paul Hands Junior Academy of Photography Program
This is a unique opportunity, not available anywhere else!
The program is an ongoing course in photography, where your child will attend regular sessions on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. They will start as a beginner and progress through the ranks to intermediate and advanced junior photographers.
This will be a group session with between 4-6 students per class.
They don’t even need to own a DSLR because they can use one belonging to the academy for free.
I’m also DBS checked, certificate available for viewing upon request.
On the program, they will learn so many things to do with photography from the basics of the camera and how to completely understand how to use a DSLR. They’ll learn how to create photographs using professional compositional techniques, how to use the light and lighting, shooting inside and outside and in a wide variety of differing environments, using a studio with professional studio lighting and backdrops for people and products.
I will teach them how to read and understand a photograph!
They will be going on local adventures to photograph things like landscapes, street photography, astro landscapes, nature, wildlife, urban photography and will be encouraged to create projects, recording everything in sketch books. They’ll also learn how conduct themselves safely in public and will build their confidence and self esteem.
Your children will be taught skills that they cannot get anywhere like they can at the academy.
They will be given the gift of freedom and creativity!
I’ll also teach them how to use an Apple Mac, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop and how to create a professional filing system. I’ll also teach them how to make films and use Final Cut Pro video editing suite.
I will train your kids to become photographers and develop their skills to a very high level, where they can easily achieve functional qualifications if desired.
More importantly they will be able to transfer these skills to any area of their lives and will be transformed, able to see the world in such a vastly different way.
Your kids will make new friends, creating artwork with camera’s and with other like minded kids too.
Each class will be held on a Thursday evening from 5-8pm and will involve some homework and include opportunities for additional day trips.
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To become a member of The Paul Hands Junior Academy of Photography…
Choose one or two sessions per month or one session per week:
One session (monthly) = £40 per month
Two session (fortnightly) = £75 per month
Four sessions (weekly) = £125 per month
The higher the frequency at which they learn will obviously benefit them more and also once per month will still give them the same skills but over a longer period of time.
There is a waiting list of up to 6 months to join the academy program, so if you would like your child to get in to photography and learn all the professional creative skills needed to propel themselves in to an amazing career or even to learn the skills as a hobby, join the waiting list now…
Alternatively, you can book in for a private 1:1 workshop, see below for more details.
1:1 private photography tuition.
Lessons available are booked in blocks of three hourly sessions on an ongoing basis and focus on teaching the practical aspects of modern photography.
DBS checked with certificate available for viewing upon request.
The kind of things your kids will learn is:
How to handle, set up and use a modern DSLR
Photographing safely in public
Seeing, reading and measuring the light
Designing professional compositions
How to read and understand a photograph with contextual referencing
Historical photography research
Post production using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
Documenting their progress visually in Sketch Books
The production of physical prints including framing
Outdoor excursions for photography
Genres’s covered include; Landscape, Street, Portraiture, Studio, Astro, Sunrise and Sunset and more
Exhibition visits
Future advice and guidance on career paths.
The skills your children will pick up on these private workshops will be totally transferrable throughout their lives but will give them the gift of nurturing their creativity, design and critical thinking skills for the best start in moving towards adult life.
Parents Reviews:
“My daughter enjoyed an amazing workshop with Paul this weekend, in the workshop she enjoyed learning how to use her camera, composition techniques and even some post production.
Paul has a great way of explaining the complex and daunting subject of photography to kids in a way that makes it easy to digest and apply whilst not losing any of the real substance of the subject.
Thank you Paul for igniting a spark that I am sure will be burning for many years to come!!”
“My son attended an all day workshop with Paul, and not only learned the mechanics of his camera, but how to take shots that will go on the wall!
Can’t recommend Paul enough. His manner is professional yet calm and his own passion for photography is expressed through his own amazing work.”
The Paul Hands Junior Academy of Photography Students Gallery
All photographs below have been made by kids attending my private photography classes.
How it works and pricing:
Start by choosing how many sessions you would like your child to begin with.
Parents can stay with their child for reassurance free of charge, if desired and can even participate for a small additional fee.
Camera hire is also available.
You can save money by block booking 3 sessions at a time.
Ongoing Course:
The ongoing course is booked in blocks of 3 sessions at a time.
Ongoing course (block booking of 3 x 4-hour sessions - £140 each) = £420
Ongoing course (block booking of 3 x full day sessions - £225 each) = £675
Parental participation is £50 per mini session and £75 per full day session.
Camera hire = £25 per session.
Tripod hire = £15 per session
Usually the child will enrol on to an ongoing course following a successful one off mini session, to ensure the workshops are right for your child.
One Off Workshops:
4 Hour Mini Session = £175
Parental participation = £50
Full day Workshop = £275
Parental participation = £75
Camera hire = £25
Tripod hire = £15
Contact me directly to discuss your child’s private photography tuition, hit the button below, call me on 07854 956 970 or email: paul@paulhands.co.uk
