Is this for you?
This workshop is for small business owners and marketers thinking about visual content as a discipline, not just "what should I post on Instagram tomorrow." You're somewhere on a spectrum: maybe shooting on your phone and feeling held back by it, maybe owning a camera you don't fully understand, maybe paying for content you're not sure is good value. You want a clear-eyed view of what visual content your business actually needs, what you can credibly make yourself, and what's worth paying someone else to do properly.
Half-day workshops run in person only at our four West of England venues. Tea and coffee provided. Capped at small groups so the trainer can work with everyone in the room.
What we'll cover
Four hours covering visual content as a working discipline, from strategy down to the practical mechanics of making things that look professional:
- What visual content your business actually needs, and what you can stop making (most businesses overproduce content nobody needs)
- The fundamentals that make any photo or video look professional (light, sound, framing, composition) applied across phones, cameras, and everything in between
- Photography for small businesses: what to shoot, when, and how to make it look intentional rather than accidental
- Video for small businesses: when it's worth making, when stills do the job better, and the formats actually working in 2026
- The "make it yourself versus hire it out" decision: what you can credibly produce on your own, what's worth paying for, and how to brief a professional well so the money isn't wasted
- Kit honestly assessed: which equipment is genuinely worth owning for a small business, and which is marketing-driven nonsense
- A working session: planning a piece of visual content for your own business, with the trainer's input
What you'll walk away with
By the end of the four hours, you'll have:
- A clear-eyed visual content plan for your business, drafted in the room, focused on what actually matters
- A working understanding of the fundamentals that make any image or video look professional, regardless of what's shooting it
- A short, honest list of kit worth owning for your specific business, and what to leave on the shelf
- A simple framework for deciding what to make yourself and what to hire out
- A first piece of visual content briefed and planned, ready to shoot or commission that week
- Course notes you'll actually refer back to
- A certificate of completion
About the trainer
Laurie Nicholls
Laurie works closely with brands and businesses to create video content. She has been working in broadcast documentaries for 15 years, she is a regular National Geographic camerawoman and has travelled the world working for some of the biggest brands on earth such as Disney and Warner Brothers. She is renowned for her visual flair and passion for storytelling, and that's what brings her to us at CoMagnify.
Video content is the most powerful tool we have in our marketing arsenal. Done well, it can revolutionise your digital reach and engagement. Narrative and storytelling are key to this and are universal across all video content creation. Laurie is the master of storytelling, and she's got some secrets she's ready to share with you.
This workshop is led by Laurie or Nick, depending on the date. You'll be told who's teaching when you book. Both bring serious professional visual experience: Laurie's 15+ years in broadcast television and documentary, Nick's 25+ years in branded content and award-winning photography.
Where and when
This workshop runs across our four West of England venues:
- Bristol — SpaceWorks, BS5
- Cheltenham — Ramada by Wyndham, GL51
- Swindon — Delta Hotels Swindon, SN3
- Thornbury — Thornbury Golf Centre, BS35
Pick a date and venue at booking. Tea and coffee provided. If you'd like to plan a real piece of content for your business during the practical session, bring a notebook or a laptop. Otherwise just bring yourself.
Common questions
Is this just an extended version of the iPhone Photo and Video workshop?
No. The 90-minute iPhone Photo and Video for Business workshop is specifically about getting the most out of your phone. This half-day is broader. It covers visual content as a discipline, including phones, cameras, photography, video, planning, briefing professionals, and the strategic question of what your business actually needs to make. Different audience, different scope.
I don't own a "proper" camera. Will I get value from this?
Yes. The workshop is designed around the principles that make visual content work, and those principles are the same whether you're shooting on a phone, a £400 mirrorless, or a £4,000 cinema camera. You'll leave with a clearer view of whether you should buy a camera at all, and which one if so.
Will we shoot anything during the workshop?
The practical session focuses on planning and briefing: what to shoot, why, how. You won't leave with footage in the can, but you'll leave with a real piece of content fully planned, ready to execute. We've found that planning is where most small businesses fall down, not the shooting itself.
Can I bring a colleague?
Each booking is for one place. If you'd like to bring a colleague, book a second place. It's a per-attendee cap on group size, not a per-business one.
What kit do I need to bring?
Just yourself and a notebook is plenty. If you'd like to plan content on a laptop or tablet during the practical session, bring one along. It's optional.
Will this be recorded?
No, and there's a deliberate reason. Visual content trends move fast. What looks fresh on social media today looks tired in six months. Every CoMagnify workshop is current as of the day it runs, and we spend time covering not just what works now but what we expect to change in the coming weeks. You can't get that from a recording.
I'd prefer training tailored to my business specifically. Can you do that?
Yes, see our Bespoke Training page.
Cancellation policy
Plans change. We get it. Cancel up to 7 days before the workshop for a full refund. Within 7 days, we'll happily transfer your booking to a future date at no extra cost. Just email info@comagnify.com.
If we have to cancel a workshop ourselves (rare, but possible), we'll refund you in full and give you first option on the next available date.