Primates Photography Workshop
Join us on our new
Primates Photography
workshop at the Colchester Zoological Society
Chimpanzee - Napoleon
Primates Photography
workshop at the Colchester Zoological Society
Chimpanzee - Napoleon
On our Primates Photography workshop, participants can observe and photograph the wide variety of primates at the Colchester Zoological Society, including apes, monkeys, and lemurs.
The Primates Photography workshop will run from May until September again in 2026. Over the spring and summer months, when the weather is warmer, there will be plenty of action around the more than 20 primate species at the Colchester Zoological Society. We will tailor the Primates Photography workshop around where we anticipate good photo opportunities and most of all around what ape, monkey and lemur species, participants would like to see and photograph.
Photo opportunities may vary depending on weather conditions and any circumstances around the animals. We will consider this when planning the route.
This photography workshop type will be of benefit for people, who plan to see some of the primates like orangutans, chimpanzees, or lemurs in their natural habitat or for people, who simply love primates and like to photograph them. Our customers will be able to learn on the Primates Photography workshop how to get photos, through observing the behaviour and anticipating potential photo opportunities through this. Throughout the photography workshop, participants will have access to advice on any photography aspects and help with the settings on their camera.
Pileated Gibbon - Leie
Additionally, our customers 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 a level, they require. The session could cover anything from an introduction to basic photography aspects (for example exposure and focus settings) to refreshing previously gained knowledge and how to approach, taking photos of wildlife in their natural habitat.
The Primates Photography workshop will start at 9:30 and finish at 16:30. The maximum number of participants per photography workshop is limited to four (as we feel that smaller groups are more beneficial to our customers; getting good positions around the enclosures and having support available when needed).
Golden Lion Tamarins - Tree Trunks with baby (July 2025)
The price for the Primate Photography workshop is £141.50 per participant. The price will cover
- Guidance around the zoo and support on camera settings plus any photographic questions,
- A 30-minutes online photography tuition session,
- The entrance fee to the zoo plus a snack voucher to get lunch during the workshop,
- 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 Primates 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 our Members meeting. For more details please visit our Membership page (by clicking on the highlighted term).
As mentioned, we limit the number of participants on our Primates 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 primates / entrance tickets can be bought online directly via the Colchester Zoological Society website).
Bornean Orangutan - Mali
We have scheduled the following Primates Photography workshops at the Colchester Zoological Society so far for 2026:
15 May 2026 (Friday) - spaces available
..3 July 2026 (Friday) - spaces available
18 September 2026 (Friday) - spaces available
(Further dates will be added, if required)
Ring-tailed Lemur
Below is a provisional itinerary for our Primates Photography workshop:
9:30 Meeting in the zoo’s entrance building
9:40 Morning Photo Session
9:40 Morning Photo Session
Chimpanzees
Gibbons
Golden Lion Tamarins
Lemurs and Gelada Baboons(from the boardwalk)
Barbary Macaques
Mangabeys
Gibbons
Golden Lion Tamarins
Lemurs and Gelada Baboons(from the boardwalk)
Barbary Macaques
Mangabeys
12:00 Lunch Break
12:45 Afternoon Photo Session
12:45 Afternoon Photo Session
Tamarins, Marmosets and Titi Monkeys
Squirrel and Saki Monkeys
Orangutans
Capuchin Monkeys
Orangutans
Squirrel and Saki Monkeys
Orangutans
Capuchin Monkeys
Orangutans
16:30 Finish
This itinerary is only an example as changes may occur, based on requirements by participants plus seasonal behaviour and/or other circumstances around the animals or any other conditions.
Pygmy Marmoset
Feedback from participants on previous Primates Photography workshops:
By Claire Hughes:
"I had such an amazing time on the Primate Photography Workshop. It rained pretty heavily at one point, but that honestly didn’t take away from the experience at all. Barbara organised the day brilliantly around the weather so we could make the very most of our time, and she also listened carefully to what I wanted to get out of the experience. I came away really happy with the photographs I took. Barbara, is so knowledgeable about the animals and photography, but also about conservation work happening around the world. I learned so much and really enjoyed every part of the day. I’m already looking forward to joining another one of her workshops in the future."
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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 what date would suit you best, or you would like to get a space on the Primates Photography workshop for a friend or family member, you can also buy a gift voucher and agree the date at a later stage.
Please contact me via info@bigcatphotography.co.uk, if you have any questions.