Courses
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY with Matt Searles
Thursday 8th & Friday 9th January 2026 / 9.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: Standard $245 / Early-Bird $215
Venue: Mt Hutt College
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
This two-day course is intended for those with intermediate photography skills who would like to improve their landscape photography skills
If you’re already familiar with your camera but want to know how to improve your compositions or be more creative or technical with your images this is the course for you!
Attendees should have a DSLR or Mirrorless camera that offers full control, and ideally different lens choices, although some fixed lens advanced compact cameras will be suitable. For this reason s mar t phones and basic Point and Shoot cameras are not recommended.
During the course you ’ ll get to know more about:
- Effective composition and ‘ seeing ’ images without your camera.
- Optimizing the exposure and sharpness of your images
- Exploring different focal lengths and how they affect your compositions
- Long exposure photography, including the use of filters
- Shooting in raw format with a view to editing your images
The course consists of one day of room-based learning with a chance to put the skills learnt into practice during a field trip on Day 2. (Details of field trip will be confirmed closer to the time.
NB: The lunch add-on is for two lunches
Introducing Matt Searles
Matt Searles is a South Canterbury-based photographer specialising in rural, landscape, event and commercial photography. His work focuses on capturing a moment in time, whether it's a changing landscape, life's big (and small) occasions, or just the perfect light and shadow.
His corporate clients have ranged from small local businesses to large corporations, and he has experience also making images for the non-profit and educational sectors.
Matt's work has featured in magazines and newspapers in the UK, USA and New Zealand, and has also been featured in The Fujicast and Photography Daily Podcasts. The exhibition 'Land of the Close Sky' featured at Susan Badcock gallery, Geraldine, in October 2019 with landscape images from Matt's ‘Mail to Messy Mail’ Rural Postal Run . In June 2025 his ‘More than a Yarn’ exhibition at Methven’s Mt Hutt Memorial Hall Gallery. This five- year project explored sheep farming in the Rangitata Valley.
Follow Matt on Instagram to see his amazing work.
