AFTER being made redundant during the pandemic, a former college photography teacher is launching a new set of courses to introduce others to the wonders of the craft.

Ian Turpin taught digital photography at Sir John Deane's Sixth Form College in Northwich until lockdown hit.

His passion for teaching has pushed him to launch Enjoying Photography – adult evening courses and day workshops.

Ian first started to take photography seriously in 2006 and is now hoping his courses at Winsford Academy will help inspire Northwich and Winsford residents to pick up a camera themselves.

Speaking about how the idea was born, Ian said: "Unfortunately Covid-19 caused the bottom to drop out of 'night school', and I was made redundant.

"This is me starting again.

"I’m hugely passionate about photography, and I love teaching.

"Working with a large range of different people together as a group is a real challenge, but it’s the students that make it even more enjoyable.

"It gives me a lot of fulfilment to see them discover the wonder of photography.

"It’s my ambition to encourage others to become better photographers.

"All the students I taught made the effort to get out, often on very miserable Monday and Tuesday nights, so I felt it my duty to give them something a bit special.

"I want people to have fun – because that’s truly when people learn.

"My experience of 'photo workshops' was very much 'do this, do that, put your tripod here, see you later'.

"There was no follow up, and no engagement.

"It’s very difficult to progress when you only get a few hours and there is no feedback.

"My experience is that the majority of people I’ve spoken to were photographers who were trying to teach, rather than being actual teachers of photography.

"I like to try and use lots of different ways to impart the information to my students.

"We talk, we laugh, we write, we listen, we create.

"If you’re expecting to just turn up and be lectured, that’s not the case at all."

Ian intends to run his courses from Winsford Academy on Mondays, starting January 10, 7-9pm.

For more information, visit enjoyingphotography.com.