Big Cats Plus Photograpy - Colchester Zoological Society
Join us on one of our
Big Cats Plus Photography
workshops at the Colchester Zoological Society
Amur Leopard - Crispin
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Big Cats Plus Photography
workshops at the Colchester Zoological Society
Amur Leopard - Crispin
View more images
The Big Cats Plus Photography workshop at the Colchester Zoological Society is a great opportunity to take photos of the Amur leopards and tigers, the cheetah and other animals along the way while learning about camera settings and other technical photographic aspects. On this photography workshop, participants will benefit from learning more about the different big cat species and their situation in their natural habitat plus about the animals at the zoo. An important aspect of wildlife photography is knowing more about the animals and their behaviour as this can help you to get more interesting images.
Through the approach of not going behind the scenes but learning what to look out for when photographing big cats and other animals at a zoo, our customers will be able to utilise, what they have learnt when coming back on their own to the Colchester Zoological Society or going to any other zoo or wildlife park. For example, our customers will be able to learn how to deal with challenges like taking photos through the fence and through glass (dealing with reflections and other obstacles) .
Participants on our Big Cats Plus Photography workshop will have access to advice and help with the settings on their camera throughout the event. Barbara works also with the keepers of the Colchester Zoological Society to enable participants to be at the different enclosures at times, when the animals are most likely to be active. Based on the 7-hour (6.5 hours in winter) duration of the photography workshop we will revisit, in particular the big cat enclosures throughout the day. This will ensure that participants have different photo opportunities and won’t miss out even if the tigers and/or leopards decide to do, what they naturally do during the day (sleeping) .
Amur Tiger - Tatana
Our Big Cat Plus Photography workshop will start at 9:30 and finish at 16:30 (16:00 from November to February). The maximum number of participants per photography workshop is limited to four (4). We believe that smaller groups are more beneficial to our customers in view of getting good positions and having support available when needed.
In addition to having support available throughout the event, participants have the option to have a 30-minutes online photography session before the photography workshop. Through this, participants will get one-to-one tuition on the level, they require. The session could cover anything from an introduction to the exposure and focus settings, to refreshing previously gained knowledge or learning more about how to approach wildlife photography. The combination of individual tuition and then taking photos of big cats at the zoo while having support available, makes this photography workshop an ideal preparation for people, who are planning to go on a tiger safari or on any other wildlife tour.
Cheetah - Anika
The price for the Big Cats Plus Photography workshop will be £143.50 per participant from 21 December 2026 onwards (the current price of £141.5 per participant will still apply until and inclusive of 20/12/26). The fee for the Big Cats Plus Photography workshop covers
- Guidance around the zoo and support on camera settings plus any photographic questions,
- A 30-minutes online photography session,
- The entrance fee to the zoo plus a snack voucher (a contribution towards your lunch),
- A donation of 45% to the Colchester Zoological Society (this goes fully to wildlife conservation projects)
Covered by the photography workshop fee is also that participants will become members of Big Cat & Nature Photography for one year (our workshops are meant to start and/or reignite an interest into wildlife photography or photography in general).
The membership scheme with Big Cat & Nature Photography provides participants on our Big Cat Photography workshop with a range of benefits from discounts when booking future events to access to Hints & Tips articles in our Members’ Zone and to post any photographic questions on our Facebook Members Group page, and getting answers through this. For more details please visit our Membership page (by clicking on the highlighted term).
As mentioned, we limit the number of participants on our Big Cats Plus Photography workshops to 4 photography customers (minimum of two per photography workshop). Additionally we do allow up to 1 non-photographer guest per photography workshop (we recommend to buy the guest ticket online prior to the workshop day). However, please do check with us before bringing anyone (including a carer) along to ensure the guest space is still available (saying this, the Colchester Zoological Society is of course open to everyone, and if you bring partners, family and friends, they are welcome to spend the time around the zoo while the photography workshop participants will focus on the cats and other wildlife / entrance tickets can be bought online directly via the Colchester Zoological Society website).
Amur Leopard - Esra
The dates, listed below have been scheduled for the Big Cats Plus Photography workshop at the Colchester Zoological Society in 2026/27. This includes again a date (19/02/2027) within a school holiday period. This is meant for teachers and university staff in particular; (people, who can’t take time off during school terms):
13 November 2026 (Friday) - 3 spaces left
19 February 2027 (Friday) – spaces available
12 March 2027 (Friday) - spaces available
..7 May 2027 (Friday) - spaces available
18 June 2027 (Friday) – spaces available
17 September 2027 (Friday) - spaces available
15 October 2027 (Friday) – spaces available
(as in previous years, we will add further dates, if demand exceeds the space availability on the above-mentioned dates)
Amur Tiger - Taiga
Below is a provisional itinerary for our Big Cat Photography workshop:
--9:30 Meeting in the zoo’s entrance building
--9:40 Amur Leopards
....Cheetah
….Animals along the way
11:30 Lunch Break
12:15 Amur leopards
13:00 Amur Tigers
….Animals along the way
….Revisiting any of the cats
16:30 Finish (16:00 from November – February)
This itinerary is only an example as changes may occur, based on requirements by participants and/or circumstances around the animals at the zoo or any other conditions.--9:40 Amur Leopards
....Cheetah
….Animals along the way
11:30 Lunch Break
12:15 Amur leopards
13:00 Amur Tigers
….Animals along the way
….Revisiting any of the cats
16:30 Finish (16:00 from November – February)
Feedback from participants on previous Big Cats Plus Photography workshops:
By Bryan:
"Barbara, Thank you for a very enjoyable day and for sharing your tips and tricks. I came away with some amazing photos. I would highly recommend this experience for others."
By Andy Wales:
"fun day out at Colchester photographing the big cats. Made a lot easier by Barbara's knowledge and tips and came away with some very usable images, even shooting through glass."
By Chris Moore:
"A lovely day at the zoo. Barbara knew just where to go for the best shots of the animals. Also when to go when the animals were at their most active - usually at feeding time. Knowing the keepers and other staff, she was able to anticipate when things were about to happen. Very knowledgeable on photography and always willing to share valuable suggestions. Thank you, Barbara, you made it a worthwhile journey from Somerset."
By Phil Hale:
"Thank you Barbara. A really helpful tutorial before hand and a great day at Colchester Zoo - learned a lot and have some amazing big cat (and other animal !) photos"
By Steve Brown:
"Great day just before the lockdown. Excellent itinerary, plenty of time at the enclosures, with great advice and tips shame the day flew by...👍👍👍 would highly recommend this course and great value for money."
By KAREN WHITE:
"Thanks for a great Valentines Day at Colchester Zoo, Barbara. Got some super photos of the big cats especially the Amur leopard cubs and their Mum which my friends all love! I will definitely be recommending your photography days to other friends. Thank you - Karen"
By Tony Pay:
""Thank you for a great day taking photos of Big Cats. It was nice talking to you and passing on some of your skills. I now have about 200 photos to wade through!"
By Bev Osbourne:
"I just wanted to say a huge thanks again for all the photography hints and tips you gave me. We had an amazing time in Namibia (subsequently) – and I was able to take some shots that I wouldn’t have bothered with before."
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You can book your space/s by completing the form at the end of this page. Provided it is not indicated above that there are no spaces or only 1 or 2 spaces available for the photography workshop of your choice, you can proceed to our online shop via the 'Payment Link' (in the green message box that comes up after you have submitted the booking form) to pay either the deposit or the full fee from there (the full fee is required when asking for/buying a gift voucher or when booking 4 weeks or less prior to the photography workshop date). For more details about the booking process, please check our Terms and Conditions.
Please read also the Entry Terms & Conditions of the Colchester Zoological Society.
If you are not sure about which date would suit you best, or you would like to get a space on the Big Cat Photography workshop for a friend or family member, you can also buy a gift voucher and agree the date at a later stage.
If you have any questions, please contact me via info@bigcatphotography.co.uk.