This 6-week workshop series introduces the intricacies of digital product photography, a form of digital photography. Participants will learn to photograph their own work using a DSLR camera, exploring fundamental camera techniques and methods for controlling light and colour to produce professional-quality images.
The series will also introduce selected post-production techniques utilising Adobe software to enhance and refine your photographs.
These workshops are ideal for anyone looking to capture their own physical work, whether in 2D or 3D. They are especially suited for those preparing a digital portfolio, enhancing a professional portfolio, creating a personal website, or showcasing work through digital exhibitions and social media.
This 6-week workshop series provides a comprehensive introduction to product photography, guiding participants from capture to post-production. In the first three weeks, sessions take place in our digital photography studio at Gray’s School of Art, where participants learn essential camera techniques and the principles of image formation, including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, and camera stability. Workshops explore depth of field, exposure, white balance, focus modes, and optical distortion, while participants gain a practical understanding of the properties of light and learn how to control light to aid image capture. The use of photographic accessories, such as clamps and adjustable arms, as well as studio lighting and reflectors, is introduced to help craft professional-quality images and isolate subjects effectively.
For the first three weeks, participants are invited to bring their own work in either 2D or 3D format, suitable for tabletop still life or product photography. Examples include a product you have designed, a small sculpture, a piece of jewellery, a garment or textile, or a sketchbook.
In the latter half of the series, the focus shifts to post-production in one of our Mac labs, where participants will experiment with Adobe applications Bridge and Photoshop to refine and enhance their photographs.
Over three of the six sessions, participants will be introduced to essential image manipulation tools and will learn to explore colour profiles to ensure faithful reproduction of their subjects, correct lens distortions, adjust white balance, remove backgrounds, perform blemish control and work with layers and masks.
Workshops combine demonstrations, guided instruction, and independent practice, allowing participants to apply techniques directly to their own images.
The series concludes with guidance on saving images for multiple platforms and opportunities for feedback and discussion, equipping participants with the skills to produce compelling, professional-standard digital imagery. By the end of the workshops, participants will have gained confidence in product photography, developed insight into working in a studio environment and post-production processes, and be able to create polished images suitable for portfolios, digital exhibitions, and online presentation.
Learning Methods
This workshop will be delivered on campus from 18:30 – 21:00 every Wednesday for 6 weeks, excluding public holidays.
The workshops can only accommodate still life or product photography. We are unable to accommodate a model as part of the session, unless a participant chooses to model themselves. This is due both to the health and safety limitations of our workshop spaces and the intended nature of the workshop.
Equipment
Participants are required to bring their own DSLR camera and SD card. If needed, a DSLR camera and SD card can be provided for use during the workshop. The workshop accommodates up to 8 participants, who will be encouraged to work collaboratively or in pairs during studio sessions and to share any equipment provided.
During post-production sessions, each participant will have access to a computer to support independent experimentation during the workshop. Please note that access to Adobe applications will be available only during the workshop sessions.
Please note that we are unable to accommodate the storage of participants’ work.
Portfolio Preparation
This series of workshops focuses exclusively on product photography. While it may help in communicating your work through images, it does not provide any advice or guidance regarding portfolio preparation.
If you are considering applying for an undergraduate degree at Gray’s School of Art and would like guidance on preparing a portfolio, you can join one of our portfolio preparation courses:
Activity Summary
- Minimum of 8 students, maximum of 8 in the group
- 15 hours of teaching in total over 6 evenings, 18:30 – 21:00
Timetable
- Week 1: 21 January - first workshop
- Week 2: 28 January
- Week 3: 4 February
- 11 February - no workshop due to public holiday
- Week 4: 18 February
- Week 5: 25 February
- Week 6: 4 March - last workshop
Assessment
This workshop is not formally assessed.
Workshop facilitator
Photographer Steve Smith lecturers full time at North East Scotland College. His early photographic career centred around the fashion industry, working for fashion houses and magazines including Dazed and Confused and i-D Magazine. His commercial practice laterally included celebrity portraiture for InStyle Magazine, The Telegraph and The Times. Recent personal projects have witnessed him exhibit his photographic work, collaborate with artists for The British Art Show and produce his first short film screened at the Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival and awarded an honourable mention at the UK Seasonal Short Film Festival in Autumn 2022.
Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this workshop.
This workshop is suitable for beginners.
Required Age
All students are required to be at least 18 years of age on the commencement of the workshop.
For Academic Year 2025/2026
Course fee: £205 per person
The fee is to be paid as part of sign up process and prior to the first session.
After completing the registration form, you will be directed to the payment page. Your place on the course is not confirmed until payment has been received. If you have any difficulties locating the payment link or if you have registered for this course but have not completed the payment form, please contact us for a direct link to pay which will bypass registration.
Additional Costs
Essential core materials are provided.
The following course-related costs are not included in the course fees:
Workshop Cancellation & Changes
If minimum participant numbers for this 6-week workshop are not met, the workshop will be cancelled and participants will receive a full refund.
If you’ve signed up and paid for this workshop but need to cancel, please email us at engage@rgu.ac.uk at least 7 days before the first evening session begins.
If the named practitioner is unable to deliver the scheduled workshop, the session may be cancelled or delivered by an alternative facilitator.
Disclaimer
Fees are regularly reviewed and published for each series of workshops. Tuition fees are fixed for the duration of a workshop/course at the rate confirmed during the application process.
Any questions?
Get in touch with the Engage Team and we'll do our best to help.