TOC Delivers Outdoor Photography Training for University of Manchester Students

In March, TOC partnered with the University of Manchester to deliver an outdoor photography training session for students, bringing our usual youth-focused teaching style to a university audience for the first time.

The session covered the fundamentals we teach in every TOC programme: how to hold and handle a camera confidently, the basics of composition, working with natural light, and getting comfortable shooting outdoors rather than in a studio. Students spent most of the session outside, putting each idea into practice immediately rather than just talking through theory.

For the University of Manchester, the partnership offered students a genuinely practical skills session outside their usual coursework. For TOC, it was a valuable opportunity to introduce our work to a wider audience, including students who may want to volunteer, intern, or simply learn more about what we do with young people across Greater Manchester.

Sessions like this also help us test and refine how we teach photography basics, feeding directly back into the sessions we run with younger participants through Active Future and Nature Vibes. We’re grateful to the University of Manchester for the collaboration and hope to build on it with further sessions.