The 10 best photography classes in NYC

Penumbra Foundation is a non-profit photographic arts organization with a mission to bring the opportunity to learn skills and educate people in a diverse and evolving international photographic community. They have several courses like Introduction to Lighting and Creating Narrative Through Still Life Photography, plus many others, all helping people of various skill levels learn more techniques within the photography world. Classes are taught in small groups to help ensure everyone gets 1-on-1 help from the teacher. 

This school caters to budding photographers and photo hobbyists, giving them both coursework and a confidence boost. Newbies can start off with lessons on getting better acquainted with their equipment and then take on subsequent course levels on composition, exposure, editing and building a portfolio. There are also courses designed for kids and teens, and seasonal classes and workshops extend to travel, street photography and landscapes.

The costs associated with pursuing photography can add up, so this school emphasizes its rewards program and discounted rates. Classes are tailored to suit various skill levels, from amateurs to the more advanced, including a course on Digital Photography I—Mastering the Fundamentals. For those who have the basics down, instruction can get specified in areas like weddings and events, landscape, street photography, portraiture, TTL Flash and video. There’s also a strong emphasis on the technical side of photo taking, such as instruction in editing with Photoshop and Lightroom. Classes can be taken in person at the studios or online, with options for private one-on-one instruction or intensive learning sessions also offered.

Explore the urban jungle camera in hand with this unique experience that combines city walking tours with lessons on how to capture the best photos while you're on the go. Tours take you to Central Park, Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge, the NYC subway and many other destinations. Classes include a three-day intensive Photo Boot Camp under the direction of photographic pros who teach you the finer points of camera settings, composition skills and other improvements to your photography chops as you snap away at famous landmarks and icons of NYC.

Led by professional photographer JP Pullos and his team of instructors, this photo school enrolls students who want to promote their business visually or are merely avid lovers of photography. Group and online courses plus private lessons match up with those interests by addressing common scenarios that budding shutterbugs often encounter. Instead of applying memorization and technical jargon, courses take on an intuitive learning method involving a mix of class instruction and field practice.

Open to all levels and experience, The Art of Intuitive Photography focuses on enhancing your instinct and intuition regarding photography, helping you to learn how to see things differently and improving your compositions. There are beginner classes available, as well as ones for more experienced photographers. Taught in small groups to ensure everyone has equal opportunity to grow their expertise and skill.

With its office based in Manhattan, this photography school conducts courses online that are open students around the world who want to go pro or just further their skill set. Currently, the institute offers programs ranging from a beginner’s course on the fundamentals of digital photography to more niche subject such as travel, portraiture and weddings. Video making and photo editing are also included in its digital catalog.

With more than 400 courses offered a year, the curriculum at this school runs the gamut, ranging from digital media and darkroom practice to certificate and degree programs. Classes are offered throughout the year, with accelerated courses in January and the summertime, weekend workshops and one-day intensives. Plus its state-of-the-art facility with black-and-white and color labs, digital labs and a professional shooting studio and a distinguished faculty encompassing videographers, journalists and editors really bring creative expertise to the forefront.

So film photography is dead, right? Not so fast. Gowanus Darkroom is keeping the craft alive with classes that will teach you all the finer points of how to mix chemicals, develop negatives, and properly use an enlarger to make prints. Digital scanners are also available if that's your jam.

Are you ready to take of that set of training wheels called automatic mode on your camera and take pictures like a real pro? Does the idea of taking to the skies and learning the art of drone photography get you stoked? Are you itching to take your camera into the streets, and nail that perfect shot on the fly? Well here's some good news: You can learn all of those and and more at the various photo classes being offered as part of NYU's continuing education program.