Want to shoot film?

Shoot your first roll of black-and-white film, with the theory and hands-on practice to expose it confidently.

The Basics of Analog Photography: Shoot It!
Level Beginner No prior experience needed
Duration 4.5 hours
Group size 8 people Small class — individual attention from instructor
Where Alserkal Avenue, Dubai Warehouse D36, Alserkal Avenue
Camera Loan available Bring an SD card
Language English

Syllabus

What you'll learn

  • A short history of film photography
  • How film cameras work
  • The exposure triangle, applied to film
  • Light meters and the Sunny 16 rule
  • When (and how) to break the exposure rules
  • A guided shooting activity on the streets of Alserkal

Who this is for

Suitable for any level of film photographer. We cover the exposure triangle in class, but if you want to truly master it, take Photography Level 1 or 2 first.

What to bring

  • A 35mm SLR or 120 film camera with lens and fresh batteries
  • Notebook and pen
  • (A roll of B&W film is provided.)

10+ years' experience

Meet your instructor:

Every GPP class is led by a working photographer with years inside the GPP studio — they've seen where students get stuck, and walked hundreds of people through it.

Meet Arnold Barretto5+ years photography experience3+ years teaching at GPPArnold Barretto (b. 1996, India) is an analog photographer, designer, printmaker, teacher and book artist based in the UAE. He received his BFA in Studio Arts from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2019, focusing on Photography and Graphic Design, and later interned as a Work Scholar in the Production Department at the Aperture Foundation in New York.Working primarily with analog processes, his practice centers on the tactile and intimate nature of image-making, exploring themes of identity, space, and desire. His work invites slow, contemplative engagement through material and form. In his practice he also teaches workshops in printmaking, photography, and bookmaking.Barretto has exhibited in the United States and the UAE. He was a 2023 fellow of the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (SEAF) and was part of cohort 5 (2025–2026) of the Teaching Artist Fellowship at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi.He has self-published two artist books: Glimpses (2024), a limited edition of hand-bound riso-printed zines featuring cyanotype portraits, and Jesus Will Save You (2025), a personal and palpable exploration of the self in relation to home, religion, and family.View Arnold's full bio

What students say:

A sample of what people who walked into a GPP workshop walked out saying — every one a real five-star Google review. Read them all on Google →

★★★★★
based on 1,197 Google reviews
Read them all on Google →
  • 5★ 1141
  • 4★ 42
  • 3★ 6
  • 2★ 2
  • 1★ 6
y maifia
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Great course, great teacher. It was totally worth it. Thank you Laura

Wafa Yahya
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

I took the mobile photography class at GPP. It was absolutely inspiring and really motivated me to take more photos. I think I discovered a new hobby today thanks to this class. I definitely want to come back and take a …

Pooja Parmar
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Laura was great and the class is very informative and easy to follow.

Patrycja Juzwiak
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

I recently attended photography course organised by Gulf photo plus education and it was fantastic. Laura was amazing, she explained everything in such a simple, clear way and made it perfect for beginners. I learned so …

Darren Joseph
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

The cyanotype workshop was amazing! And the photos displayed and the print material displayed were also amazing. Thanks a lot!!

Hande Toprak Gultekin
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Very inspiring and fun. Thanks to Laura for the amazing training

Kamila Alim
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Loved the class! Learned so many useful things, especially on rules and how to see and find things to picture 😍and got so inspired by the teacher Laura❤️

Nazely Mardirossian
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

The workshop was amazing, have learned so much and im so excited now to buy my camera and start putting all what I've learnt into practice and move to the next level. Thank you so much Laura you are an amazing instructor

zoyia hussain
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Laura short course was insightful and practical. She explained all concepts thoroughly.

Jo-Anne Classen
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Amazing workshop with Laura today she gave me a totally different perspective and a few more ideas on great ways to use your phone for pictures

Lynn Bye
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

A great class - we learned so much! Will definitely book another class 🙌📸

Seher Mir
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Excellent beginner level class on how to make the best of your camera! I found the class really useful.

Rissy Isabel McGrath
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Lots of technical information but helps on practical applications for improving photography skills. Definitely recommendable! And lovely tips from Laura!

Sonia Chia
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Had a great experience taking a phone photography class at Gulf Photo Plus. The session was easy to follow, practical, and gave me a new perspective on shooting with just my phone.

Darweesh BK Al Qubaisi
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Really great class with Laura, sparked my interest in photography!

Ekaterina Pogodina
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

I got to know about this place when visited an art festival at Alserkal Avenue and since then love to come back. Planning to attend a workshop one day.

Marina V
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

I thoroughly enjoyed this course! Laura was incredibly engaging and knowledgeable, turning complex topics into easy-to-understand lessons.

Joe Williams
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

If you want to learn photography, there's no better place. Laura was a great instructor both knowledgeable and warm in style. We learned the basics while also putting theory into practice around Al Serkal and in the gall…

Belen Lauret
★★★★★
GPP Workshops

Thank you so much Lara, for teach me so many new things, taking photo with my phone.

Princy Bishtb
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Took smartphone photography class from Gulf photo plus, Laura was awesome she helped a lot with clearing all the basics and editing. I can already see drastic change in my photography style.

Irupe Canet
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

Highly Recommended! I recently attended the Level 1 Photography Workshop and absolutely loved it. It was perfectly structured for beginners, clear, hands-on, and super engaging. The instructor explained everything with p…

n
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

Laura was absolutely lovely and all her advice was so easy to follow! She covered tips about framing, composition, as well as editing and it made such a huge difference :) definitely recommend bc she’s also just so fun to learn with ☺️

Shiv Charan
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Laura was very knowledgeable and lively. Would definitely recommend the photography class for beginners and anybody with a decent smartphone

Navneeta Sirohi
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Wonderful workshop for learning tips and tricks to click fab photos with your smartphone!

Rohit Ramanathan
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Wonderful experience attended the smartphone photography and editing class. Laura was very professional and knowledgeable. Walking out with a lot of new things learnt. Posting a couple of sample shots clicked after the learning.

Family dsouza7526
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

I thought I knew enough about my iPhone but clearly didn’t. Laura made the class so easy to understand, and now I can use the simplest tools to shoot and edit images I’ve always wanted to. Thank you Laura and thank you Gulf Photo plus.

Kristina Prokhorova
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

Attended a great workshop on photography level 1. Laura was amazing, she taught all the basics of using camera for great beginning in photography.

Sarah Alhosani
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

This was my first photography class at Gulf Photo Plus, our instructor Lora was very interactive and helpful. We covered aperature, shutter speed, iso and many more relevant topics. I am definitely feeling more confident…

Nina Zatsch
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

I had a great experience at the smartphone photography and editing workshop. Laura taught us so many things and gave us tools on enhancing day-to-day photos taken with our phones. Thank you!

Alpha
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

Enjoyed the level 1 beginners class! Laura teaches in a fun and relaxed way and gives all the necessary information to start feeling confident with my camera. I will definitely join the level 2 to continue my education with her!

Annouska R.K
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

Photography Level 1: Super thorough content depth, well-paced class taught by Laura. Although an avid photographer, this has given me more confidence with the functions and theory. Looking forward to taking the Level 2 class.

UMITA SINGH
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Had a wonderful class with Laura today. Got to know a lot about my phone camera really worth it. Anyone who loves to click pictures must join.

Leanna Newman
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Had an amazing morning with Laura learning how to maximise my smartphone photography. She’s a very fun and knowledgeable teacher with great experience. Alserkal was the perfect setting. This will be very beneficial for m…

Laila Hamdan
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Great session by Laura on smartphone photography, very informative and enlightening.

Martyna Piasek
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

I took the level 1 photography course with Laura and it was great! She explained the semi manual modes and it was very practical - would recommend to anyone interested in photography :)

Esperanza Gaviria
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Love the Level 1 photography workshop with Laura. Very interesting content, it’s exactly the level of information I needed to start getting more value from my camera. I 100% recommend it and will for sure be doing the Le…

Alpana Depala
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

The Smartphone workshop with Laura was really fun and insightful.

Naavya Marwaha
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

The photography level 1 class was such a fun, and informative experience - the instructor really really takes into account everything a beginner would be looking for and think about. The class is well timed, informative,…

aly m.
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

The photography level 1 workshop was very helpful and fun, Laura was awesome!

Yasmine Zoya
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Just completed smartphone photography + editing class with Laurel, 3 hours passed so quickly, was super informative and fun. Totally recommend!!

Marionne James
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Had such a lovely experience at Laura’s smartphone photography class — super insightful, easy to follow, and I walked away taking much better photos!

rym
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Just wrapped up a photography class / workshop with Laura. Learned so much about taking better photos and editing from my iPhone. Great experience. Strongly recommend.

Mithun Sredar
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Cane for the smartphone photography class. Laura was amazing, gave a totally different perspective of how photos needs to be framed. Really recommend for those who love to take photos and leave memories

Carly Phillipson
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Fantastic smartphone workshop - it was informative and fun. Thank you Laura

Peter Wilson
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

A great smartphone photography course with Laura. Probably the most “efficient” course I’ve ever done - massive improvement in my photos just for three hours listening and experimenting. And enjoyable too. Highly recommended.

Hannah Watkins
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

Did the Level 1 Photography Workshop - really good! Laura took us through everything step by step in a way that really helped things make sense. Very excited to practice everything we learned. Highly recommend!

Jenny McNab
★★★★★
Smartphone Workshop

Excellent smartphone photography course run by Laura. Very useful on many levels.

Fiona Robertson
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

The Photography Level 1 course was extremely comprehensive. Laura knows her stuff and makes a complex subject easy to follow! Thanks so much, loved it.

Elliot “CavemanGamer” Dib
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

Great workshop. Laura was amazing, very informative and learnt a lot of things that youd never be able to learn reading a manual. Photography level 1, highly recommend

Julian Floyd
★★★★★
Photography Workshop

We really enjoyed this course and learnt a lot from Laura about composition and telling interesting stories with our photos. Also some cool hints and tricks with the smart phone and editing tools.

Located in Alserkal Avenue

Where we teach + learn

Gulf Photo Plus storefront, Warehouse D36, Alserkal Avenue
Warehouse D36, Alserkal Avenue
Al Quoz 1, Street 8
Dubai, UAE
RTA parking all around Alserkal Avenue · about an 8-minute walk from the metro station.
Get directions

Free loan camera

No camera? No problem!

Film bodies are personal, and analog gear is too varied to standardise — but if you don't have one, we've got you. Tick the box at checkout and we'll set you up with a 35mm film body from the GPP loan fleet. Or bring your own if you've got one.

  • Loan a 35mm film body from us — tick the box at checkout
  • Or bring any 35mm SLR / 120 camera you own and we'll make sure it's workshop-ready
  • Film stock and fresh batteries available at the GPP shop on the day
Loan camera for The Basics of Analog Photography: Shoot It!

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay on the day of class?

You'll need to pay before class to lock in your seat. Book online, or visit GPP during open hours and we'll process it for you.

Do I get a certificate?

We're not an accredited institution, but we're happy to prepare a custom certificate of completion. Email us at least 3 days before your workshop and it'll be ready at the end of class.

I don't own a camera — can I still attend?

Yes — we have a limited number of loan cameras, free of charge. Just tick the loan-camera box at checkout to reserve one, subject to availability.

Reschedule & cancellation policy
  • Reschedule up to 7 days before the workshop — full refund or rebook.
  • Within 7 days but more than 72 hours: no refund, but you can rebook.
  • Within 72 hours: no refund, no rebook.
  • Bookings can only be transferred once.
  • Minimum age is 16. Younger? Email us first.
What is the typical class size?

Workshops are capped at 8 students so every person gets real attention from the instructor. Many of our classes run with fewer than that.

Will I actually shoot during the workshop?

Yes — every GPP workshop is hands-on. You'll spend the majority of your time practising with a camera, getting feedback on the spot, and applying each concept as soon as it's introduced. We don't run pure-lecture classes.

Where exactly is GPP, and how do I get there?

Gulf Photo Plus is at Warehouse D36, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai — inside Dubai's contemporary art district. RTA parking all around Alserkal Avenue; about an 8-minute walk from the metro station.

Can I take this workshop privately?

Yes. All our workshops can be taken privately — solo, with a friend, or as a small group of your choosing — with a fully customisable curriculum. Pricing starts from AED 500 / hour. Email info@gulfphotoplus.com to enquire.

Do you offer workshops in Arabic?

All public workshops are taught in English. Arabic-language private workshops are available on request — just mention it when you reach out.

What if my workshop gets cancelled by GPP?

If we cancel a session for any reason (low enrolment, instructor unavailability, force majeure), you'll receive either a full refund or first-priority transfer to the next available date — your choice.

The Basics of Analog Photography: Shoot It!

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