Zoo Photography For Junior Explorers


Red Panda - Liwei
View more images

Our Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers workshop is a photography experience for the youngest of our customers (aged 6-9 years). This photography workshop offers the children and their guardian the opportunity to explore photography by taking images of different wildlife species at the Colchester Zoological Society. The main focus of the Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers workshop is for the children to learn how to approach photographing animals by moving towards them without being noticed, by observing the animals and assessing possible photo opportunities plus by looking from what angle the animal can be best presented and a better composition of the images can be achieved.

We will usually stay in an area with most popular animals like for example the sealions and penguins or the wolves and tigers to enable the children to learn more about photography and the animals as subjects for their photos. The duration of the Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers is 3-hours and we limit the number of participants to 2 children (ensuring that they will get the support, they will need and have access to good positions around the enclosures to take photos).


Barbary Macaque - Safi

As with all our photography experiences the ‘Junior Explorers’ will of course
  • Have the option to take a 30-minutes Online Photography Session prior to the photography workshop,
  • Have access to support with setting up their cameras and any photography related questions,
  • Be able to learn about the animals, they photograph and gaining a better understanding about the animals behaviour and potential photo opportunities.
On this photography workshop any type of camera from a digital SLR to a compact camera or even mobile phone could be used. Though saying this, cameras with a longer zoom range will be of benefit for the children. Furthermore, if a digital SLR camera or a bridge camera is available, the children and their guardians will also be able to learn more about the technical photography aspects like exposure, focus and other functional settings on the cameras.


Linne's Two-toed Sloth

As mentioned above, the Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers workshop has a duration of 3 hours (9:30 – 12:30) and will cost £110.00 per child (plus one guardian). The price includes a donation of 45% to the Colchester Zoological Society (this goes fully to wildlife conservation projects) , the option to have a 30-minutes Online Photography Tuition Session, guidance around the animal enclosures as well as one-to-one advice on any photography questions throughout the workshop (the price covers the entrance tickets for both; the child participant and the guardian).

Covered by the photography workshop fee is also that participants (both; the child participant and the guardian) will become members of Big Cat & Nature Photography for one year. The membership scheme with Big Cat & Nature Photography provides participants on our Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers workshop with a range of benefits from discounts when booking future events to access to Hints & Tips articles in our Members’ Zone and more. For more details please visit our Membership page (by clicking on the highlighted term).


Slender-tailed Meerlat

For 2026 we have scheduled the following Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers workshops so far:
..7 March 2026 (Saturday) - only 1 space left
10 May 2026 (Sunday) - spaces available
13 June 2026 (Saturday) - spaces available
12 July 2026 (Sunday) - spaces available
(Further dates will be added, if required)


Komodo Dragon

Below is a sample itinerary for our Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers workshop:
..9:30 Meeting in the zoo’s entrance building
..9:40 Rainforest Walkthrough
10:00 Worlds Apart
10:30 Sea Lions
11:15 Penguins
12:00 Amur Leopards
12:30 Finish
This itinerary is only an example. We try to explore a section of the zoo, which includes a favourite animal species of our young customers.
_ _ _ _ _ _

You can book your child’s space by completing the form at the end of this page. As this photography workshop will have only 2 child participants per event, I will check availability and e-mail you a link to pay for the photography workshop booking as soon as possible, usually within 24-hours of your booking enquiry submission. 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 the child and you best, or you would like to get a space on the Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers workshop as a present for your child or the one of a friend or family member, you can also buy a gift voucher and agree the photography workshop date at a later stage.

Please contact me via info@bigcatphotography.co.uk, if you have any questions.

Zoo Photography for Junior Explorers - workshop

Required fields are marked *
Name *
Your full name please
e-mail *
For us to contact you in context with this booking
Contact number *
Please provide either your mobile or landline number to enable us to get in touch in context with this booking.
Workshop Type Zoo Photography For Junior Explorers - Colchester Zoo
Workshop Dates *
Would you like to receive a gift voucher for this booking? *
Number of participants (children) *
Name of the workshop participant/s *
Please provide here the name of the child (children), who you book the photography workshop for.
Name of guardian/s
Please let us know, who will be the accompanying guardian on the day, if it is not you.
Additional Information
Please let us know if there is anything else you would like to get more information on, or if you think, we may need to know.
Where did you find out about us?
Terms and Conditions *
I have read and accept the terms and conditions
Data Protection Note Any information you provide on this form is solely to help us processing your booking and to contact you in this context.
No info required here, please press the button below.