Wildlife Photography Courses & Schools in 2027

If you want to get properly good at wildlife photography in 2027, you have three real routes: a university degree, an online course you work through at home, or a field workshop where someone stands next to you while a leopard walks past. They cost wildly different amounts. A recorded online course can be under £100. A ten-day safari with a famous name can go past $15,000.

I’ve grouped the best options by type below, with the latest published fees, how long each one takes, and whether it’s online or in person. Most providers haven’t released 2027 prices yet, so where a figure is from a 2026 listing I’ve said so. Expect a small rise, usually a few percent, when the new prices come out.

One honest bit of advice before the list. No course replaces hours outside. The best ones just make those hours count for more, because you stop repeating the same mistakes.

wildlife photography courses & schools for 2027

Fees are the latest published figures I could find. Check the provider’s own page before you book.

Best wildlife photography schools (degrees and diplomas)

A degree makes sense if you want this as a career and you’re starting near the beginning. You get years of fieldwork, equipment you couldn’t afford alone, and tutors who know people in the industry. It’s also the most expensive route by far, once you add rent.

Falmouth University: BA (Hons) Marine & Natural History Photography

This is probably the best-known wildlife photography degree in the UK. It’s based at the Penryn campus in Cornwall, where you’re minutes from the coast and moorland. The course covers land and underwater work, conservation storytelling, and some filmmaking.

• Duration: 3 years full time, or 4 with a professional placement or foundation year
• 2027 entry: starts 13 September 2027; the UCAS deadline is 13 January 2027
• Fees: UK students pay the capped home fee, listed at £9,535 and rising to about £9,790 a year. International students should budget around £19,950 a year
• Good for: anyone who wants underwater as well as land wildlife

University of Cumbria: BA (Hons) Wildlife Media

Cumbria’s course mixes photography and documentary film with real ecology. You study animal behaviour and habitats alongside camera work, and the Lake District is on your doorstep.

• Duration: 3 years, or 4 with an integrated foundation year
• Fees (2026/27): £9,790 a year for UK and EU students, £16,000 for international students. 2027/28 fees should land close to this
• Good for: people who care about the science as much as the pictures

Light & Life Academy, Ooty (India): PG Diploma in Travel, Nature & Wildlife Photography

If you’re in South Asia, this is the name that comes up most. It’s a private photography school in the Nilgiri hills, and the wildlife diploma runs about a year, split into roughly 6 months of teaching, 4 months of specialisation and 2 months of portfolio work. You have to live in Ooty for the whole course.

• Fees: third-party listings put it at about ₹5.2–5.9 lakh a year, plus GST. Confirm directly with the academy
• Good for: students who want a shorter, practical, portfolio-focused diploma without UK prices

UWE Bristol: MA Wildlife Filmmaking

This one is for moving image rather than stills, but plenty of wildlife photographers end up doing both. Bristol is the centre of the natural history TV industry, which helps with contacts.

• Duration: 1 year
• Fees: about £17,250 for international students on the 2025 listing
• Good for: graduates who want to move into documentary work

Best online wildlife photography courses

Online courses are where most people should start. They’re cheap and you can pause them, and you can rewatch the bit on autofocus modes as many times as it takes. What they can’t do is see you in the field. So pick one that gives feedback on your photos if you can.

The School of Photography: Wildlife Photography Course with Andy Rouse

Andy Rouse is one of the UK’s best-known wildlife photographers, and this course is a straight, practical walk through how he works. There are 38 videos (about 5 hours), 12 worksheets and some raw files to practise editing on. It’s pitched at intermediate shooters.

• Fee: £97 one-off with lifetime access, or included in the £16/month (£144/year) membership
• Duration: self-paced, about 5 hours of video
• Format: online, recorded, with a certificate at the end

Learning with Experts: Wildlife Photography with Heather Angel

Heather Angel trained as a zoologist and has been photographing nature for decades. Her course is short, four lessons, but the expert option is the real draw. She marks your four assignments herself and gives personal feedback over four weeks.

• Fee: £35 for the peer option (you share work with classmates), £125 for the expert option with tutor feedback. It’s often on sale
• Duration: 4 lessons; plan on at least 2 hours of shooting per lesson
• Format: online classroom of up to 20 people, start any time

Australian Photography School: Certificate in Wildlife Photography

This is the most structured online option on the list, closer to a part-time qualification than a video course. It runs about 20 to 30 weeks, you get 12 months to finish, and tutors are reachable by phone and email six days a week. Some bundles include a camera you keep.

• Fee: full price is on enquiry; payment plans start from about AU$30 a week
• Duration: 20–30 weeks, self-paced, 12 months access
• Good for: beginners who want deadlines and a certificate

Cheaper starting points

If you’re not sure you’ll stick with it, a general photography course on Udemy (often around $20) or Coursera will teach exposure and focus well enough. Learn those first. Wildlife-specific courses make much more sense once you can change settings without thinking.

Best in-person short courses, workshops and photo safaris

This is where you learn the things video can’t teach: fieldcraft, reading behaviour, staying quiet in a hide for three hours. Prices jump fast once flights and lodges are involved, so it helps to start local.

Nottingham Trent University: Wildlife Photography short course (UK)

A good, affordable first step if you’re in the UK. You photograph birds, mammals and insects in green spaces around Nottingham, learn to build hides, and edit in the university’s Mac suites. You need to be comfortable with manual mode before you go.

• Fee: £575 on the 2026 listing
• Duration: one week (Monday to Friday) or five Saturdays; the next Saturday run is 17 April to 15 May 2027

EcoTraining: Wilderness Photography (South Africa)

EcoTraining is better known for training safari guides, and it shows. This 7-night course in the Makuleke Concession, in the far north of Kruger, covers exposure, wildlife camera setup, composition and Lightroom, while you live in a bush camp.

• Fee: ZAR 31,750 per person for 2026 (about US$1,750), plus park fees
• Duration: 7 nights
• Good for: the best value proper safari course I found

Kambaku II Boat Safaris: Photographic Safari & Workshop (southern Africa)

Small groups, boat-based game viewing, and a theory workshop to start you off. Accommodation, meals and activities are all included in the price.

• Fee: €1,755 for 4 days or €3,070 for 7 days (2026)
• Duration: 4 or 7 days

Pangolin Photo Safaris (Botswana)

Pangolin built its whole business around photographers. The boats have gimbal mounts on swivel seats, groups are capped at eight, and a photo host sits with you on every outing. The Best of Chobe trip mixes a houseboat and their Kasane hotel.

• Fee: from about US$6,891 per person sharing on set 2026 dates
• Duration: 7 to 9 days
• Good for: elephants, birds and river wildlife at eye level

Premium workshops with big-name photographers

Trips led by well-known pros sit in a different price bracket. Kevin Lisota’s 9-day Zimanga workshop in South Africa starts at $9,995, and several 2027 Botswana trips are listed at $13,000 to $16,000. You’re paying for the leader, tiny groups and the best hides. Worth it for some people, but not where I’d start.

Online vs in-person: which should you pick?

For most people the answer is both, in that order. Learn the camera online, then spend real money on a field course once you know what you’re doing. Turning up to a safari still unsure about shutter speed wastes days you’ve paid a lot for.

A few questions to ask yourself before you pay:

1. Do I want a career or a better hobby? A career is the only good reason to do a three-year degree.
2. Can I already shoot in manual? If not, start with a cheap online course.
3. Will anyone look at my photos? Feedback is the single thing that speeds people up most. Pay for it.
4. What wildlife do I actually want to shoot? Birds, big cats and underwater all need different skills and different trips.

FAQ

Do I need a degree to become a wildlife photographer?

No. Most working wildlife photographers are judged on their portfolio, not a qualification. A degree helps with contacts, kit access and time to practise. It also helps if you want related jobs in conservation media or documentary film.

How much does a wildlife photography course cost in 2027?

It depends on the type. Online courses run from about £35 to £150. Structured online certificates cost more and are often paid weekly. UK short courses are around £145 for a day and about £575 for a week. Safari workshops start near US$1,750 and go above $15,000. A UK degree is about £9,790 a year for home students and £16,000 to £20,000 for international students.

How long does it take to learn wildlife photography?

You can learn the technical basics in a few weeks with a good online course. Getting consistently good images usually takes a couple of years of regular shooting. That’s because fieldcraft and patience only come from time outside.

Are online wildlife photography courses worth it?

Yes, especially for camera settings, autofocus and editing. They’re worth the most when someone reviews your photos, like the expert option on Heather Angel’s course. A course with only videos and no feedback is easier to drift away from.

What camera gear do I need for a course?

Most courses expect a camera you can use in manual mode and a telephoto lens. Around 300mm or longer is the common minimum. For in-person courses like NTU’s, a macro lens is useful too. Some online certificates include a camera in the price.

What’s the best wildlife photography course for beginners?

On a budget, start with Heather Angel’s course or a general photography course to learn exposure. If you want structure and a certificate, the Australian Photography School course is built for beginners. For your first field trip, EcoTraining’s 7-night course is good value.

When should I apply for a 2027 degree?

For UK undergraduate courses starting in September 2027, the main UCAS deadline is 13 January 2027. Popular safari workshops can sell out a year or more in advance, so book those early as well.

Final thoughts

If I were starting from zero in 2027, I’d do one cheap online course with feedback, shoot local birds and parks for six months, then save for one good field course. Only go for a degree if you’re sure you want this as a job. Whatever you pick, go out more than you think you need to.

Prices were checked in October 2026. Many 2027 fees haven’t been published yet, so treat these figures as a guide and confirm on each provider’s site.

Sources

Best of Botswana 2027 workshop

Falmouth University: Marine & Natural History Photography

UCAS: Falmouth course listing, 2027 entry

Bachelorsportal: Falmouth fees

University Compare: Cumbria Wildlife Media fees 2026/27

CollegeDekho: Light & Life Academy fees

IDP: UWE Bristol MA Wildlife Filmmaking

The School of Photography: Andy Rouse course

Learning with Experts: Heather Angel course

Get Course: Australian Photography School certificate

Nottingham Trent University: Wildlife Photography short course

City Academy: Wildlife Photography courses

EcoTraining Wilderness Photography (via Safari Frank)

Kambaku II: 4-day and 7-day workshops

Pangolin Best of Chobe itinerary

Kevin Lisota: Zimanga workshop