Leiden Photography Workshop and Historic Photo Walking Tour

Photograph Leiden’s landmark De Valk windmill from the surrounding public viewpoints. Use its distinctive shape to practise perspective, symmetry, scale and creative use of negative space. This is an exterior photography stop only; the workshop does not enter the windmill museum.

A city gate dating back to the 1600s. We will learn about the catastrophic siege of Leiden and the city's miraculous recovery.

A characteristic early windmill very close by to Rembrandt's place of birth. We will learn about Rembrandt, the impact he had on art, and the tragic life he led.

Walk beside the stately Rapenburg canal and photograph reflections, bridges and historic university buildings. Learn to read changing light, balance architecture with water and use foreground elements to create a stronger sense of place.

Pause outside Leiden University’s historic botanical garden and Academy Building. Use entrances, trees and architectural details to practise framing and visual storytelling while learning how this area shaped Leiden’s identity as a city of knowledge. The workshop does not enter the ticketed gardens.

Explore the atmospheric Pieterskwartier around Leiden’s oldest parish church, with its brick façades, narrow lanes and layered views. Practise changing your viewpoint, isolating architectural details and creating depth in a travel photograph. Entry to the church is not included.

and the Renaissance façade come together. Apply the workshop’s lessons to one final hero image, combining light, layers, timing and a clear focal point.

At Leiden’s historic covered grain bridge, watch for boats, cyclists and everyday life around the Nieuwe Rijn. Practise anticipation and timing—the decisive moment—while composing with the bridge, water, reflections and surrounding façades.

Leiden’s oldest hill, where the circular medieval wall and elevated viewpoints provide a first exercise in framing and perspective. Walk up to the freely accessible wall circuit, photograph the brick arches and city skyline, and learn how to simplify a busy scene into a clear composition.

e streets surrounding Hooglandse Kerkgracht. Use the contrast between imposing architecture and small street details to practise scale, leading lines and natural framing. Entry to the church is not part of the workshop.