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EST. 2007
ADMISSIONS OPEN
KERALAM, INDIA
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Specialisation in the PDAP diploma

Wildlife Photography Coursewith Filmmaking in India

The wildlife photography course at Creative Hut Academy is a specialisation in the one-year PDAP diploma, taught at a photography college in Kerala for students from all over India. You learn the full PDAP syllabus, then build your photography and film portfolio on wildlife.

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EstablishedSince 2007film and photography

Who joinsAll Indiafully residential

MentorsWorking prosshoot for a living

RecognisedKGTE and
NCVETand Adobe

Who this course is for

Built for people who want to work in the wild.

You have finished Class 12 or a degree and want a career in wildlife photography or filmmaking. No prior experience is needed. You commit to one residential year of field work, mentoring and review.

Photography and filmmaking

Two crafts, one year.

The wildlife photography course and the wildlife filmmaking course run side by side. You shoot stills and film on the same subjects, in the same field days.

Great hornbill perched on leafy branch, wildlife photography course at Creative Hut Academy

Wildlife photography course

Birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and landscapes. You build a still portfolio from real field work.

Hazina, wildlife filmmaking course student film, Creative Hut Academy

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Wildlife filmmaking course

Behaviour, sound and story. You shoot and finish a short wildlife film, graded and cut by you.

What is the wildlife course at Creative Hut?

You photograph and film live subjects from the first weeks.

The wildlife photography course is the wildlife specialisation of our one-year PDAP diploma. You study the full common syllabus: photography, lighting, cinematography, editing and AI filmmaking. From your first stage, your assignments, field work and final portfolio are set in wildlife, mentored by working wildlife photographers and filmmakers.

You finish with a wildlife portfolio, a short wildlife film and a showreel, ready for media houses, OTT platforms, magazines and conservation organisations. No prior experience is needed.

Leopard stalking past a fallen log, wildlife photography course at Creative Hut Academy

Admissions Open · 2027 Batch

Thirty seats.
15+ states.
One campus.

Admissions for the residential batch are open, and seats are first come, first served. Message us now, or leave your details and we'll reach out.
A residential photography and film college since 2007.
Placement support, and 520+ alumni working in visual media
Photography, cinematography and AI filmmaking under one roof
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The Year, At a Glance

What you actually do.

The craftThe long lenstaught in the field

Your subjectsBirds and mammalslive, in the wild

Moving imageWildlife filma short film in your portfolio

Field skillsBehaviour and hide workplanned with mentors

You leave withA field portfolioa film and a showreel

The rhythmShoot every weekhands on, not lectured

What You Photograph

Bird, nature, macro and landscape.

Your portfolio covers six subject groups, so you leave with range across bird, macro and landscape work.

Great hornbill perched on leafy branch, wildlife photograph by John Thomas, Creative Hut AcademyBirdsBird photography

Asian elephant tusker standing in forest, wildlife photograph by Aman John Thomas, Creative Hut AcademyMammalsBehaviour, action

Green lizard climbing tree trunk, wildlife photograph by Aswin K, Creative Hut AcademyReptilesField detail

Blue tree frog resting on large leaf, wildlife photograph by Alen Shibu, Creative Hut AcademyAmphibiansWetland life

Birdwing butterfly perched on jasmine flowers, wildlife photograph by Harikrishnan, Creative Hut AcademyInsectsMacro photography

Bengal tiger walking in misty teak forest, wildlife photograph by Kasina Bhanu Prakash, Creative Hut AcademyLandscapesNature, habitat

Nyasi, The Grassland, wildlife cinematography by Keaton Lemos, Creative Hut AcademyNyasi, The GrasslandWildlife cinematography by Keaton Lemos

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Wildlife Cinematography

Wildlife filmmaking course: the film is half the portfolio.

You shoot motion on the same subjects: long lenses, gimbals, natural sound, and a short wildlife film edited and graded by you. AI filmmaking tools support your planning and post work.

View portfolio

The Field Is the Classroom

One of the richest wild regions on earth.

The campus sits at the edge of the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot, with national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across India within reach. Forest, wetland, and grassland are all a field trip away, so you photograph real subjects, not studio setups. Field tour costs are separate and are not included in the course fee.

Rufous treepie perched on branch, wildlife photograph by Arjunj Nair, Creative Hut Academy

Birds and forest

Thattekkad

Kerala's first bird sanctuary, a magnet for resident and migratory species, and a training ground for long-lens bird work.

Bengal tiger looking back close portrait, wildlife photograph by Aman John Thomas, Creative Hut Academy

Tigers and elephants

Periyar

A tiger reserve around a forest lake, where you learn boat photography, distance, and patience with large mammals.

Nilgiri tahr resting on hill, wildlife photograph by Aswin K, Creative Hut Academy

Range and altitude

Western Ghats

Shola forest, grassland, and endemic species. The terrain teaches you to adapt light, lens, and approach to the habitat.

Beyond India · International tours

Wildlife does not stop at the border. Our students have already photographed on safari in Tanzania and Kenya, among the richest wildlife on earth. Travel and stay for these tours are charged separately.

Thomson's gazelle scratching with herd resting on grass, wildlife photograph by Pandav Kavya Ajaykumar, Creative Hut Academy

Tanzania

Serengeti and Ngorongoro

The great migration, big cats, and the open savanna.

Leopard guarding kill in thorn tree, wildlife photograph by Pandav Kavya Ajaykumar, Creative Hut Academy

Kenya

Masai Mara

Big cats and the dramatic river crossings of the Mara.

Student Work

What a year in the field looks like.

Wildlife photographs and films made by Creative Hut students during the one year wildlife photography and filmmaking course in Kerala.

Wildlife photography by our students

36 stills

Asian openbill stork perched on branch against blue sky, wildlife photograph by Vineeth, Creative Hut Academy student

Birdwing butterfly perched on jasmine flowers, wildlife photograph by Harikrishnan, Creative Hut Academy student

Barn swallow perched on bare branch, wildlife photograph by Geevarghese Joseph, Creative Hut Academy student

Black bee feeding on leaf, wildlife photograph by Harikrishnan AV, Creative Hut Academy student

Bird hanging upside down feeding on berries, wildlife photograph by Muhammed Mushin, Creative Hut Academy student

Pierrot butterfly perched on white flower, wildlife photograph by Arjunj Nair, Creative Hut Academy student

Black headed ibis walking in reeds, wildlife photograph by John Thomas, Creative Hut Academy student

Black butterfly with red spots perched on purple flower, wildlife photograph by Vishnu S Girish, Creative Hut Academy student

Black kite soaring in clear sky, wildlife photograph by Arun Narayanan T, Creative Hut Academy student

Blue butterfly feeding on yellow flower, wildlife photograph by Vineeth Kumar R, Creative Hut Academy student

Hippopotamus yawning wide in water, wildlife photograph by Pandav Kavya Ajaykumar, Creative Hut Academy student

Common kingfisher perched on reed stem, wildlife photograph by Muhammed Nihal TK, Creative Hut Academy student

Brown butterfly resting on wet leaf, wildlife photograph by Mewari Umsong, Creative Hut Academy student

Spotted deer stag walking on grass, wildlife photograph by Anshul Sani, Creative Hut Academy student

Cormorant taking off from water, wildlife photograph by John Thomas, Creative Hut Academy student

Cotton pygmy goose splashing on water, wildlife photograph by Harikrishnan V, Creative Hut Academy student

Darter drying wings standing in water, wildlife photograph by S Athira, Creative Hut Academy student

Egyptian vulture soaring in sky, wildlife photograph by Jaganathan R, Creative Hut Academy student

Asian elephant tusker standing in forest, wildlife photograph by Aman John Thomas, Creative Hut Academy student

Blue tree frog resting on large leaf, wildlife photograph by Alen Shibu, Creative Hut Academy student

Asiatic lion resting under thorn trees, wildlife photograph by Aswin K, Creative Hut Academy student

Orange iguana resting on branch, wildlife photograph by Deepak Verma, Creative Hut Academy student

Thomson's gazelle scratching with herd resting on grass, wildlife photograph by Pandav Kavya Ajaykumar, Creative Hut Academy student

Orange tree frog clinging to green stem, wildlife photograph by Joyal Joseph, Creative Hut Academy student

Blackbuck resting in dry grass, wildlife photograph by Aswin K, Creative Hut Academy student

Tree frog eye close up on leaf, wildlife photograph by Ashin Mathew, Creative Hut Academy student

Glassy tiger butterfly hanging from leaf, wildlife photograph by Ashwin AS, Creative Hut Academy student

Blue tailed bee eater perched with wings open, wildlife photograph by Harikrishnan V, Creative Hut Academy student

Blue dragonfly perched on dry leaf, wildlife photograph by Deepak Verma, Creative Hut Academy student

Sambar deer staring close portrait, wildlife photograph by Bharathi Murugan, Creative Hut Academy student

Cormorant spreading wings on branch, wildlife photograph by Vijay Raj MG, Creative Hut Academy student

Butterfly feeding on yellow daisy, wildlife photograph by Athira PB, Creative Hut Academy student

Butterfly with orange patterned wings resting on leaf, wildlife photograph by Divya Sakunde, Creative Hut Academy student

Damselfly face close up on pink bud, wildlife photograph by Ebin PJ, Creative Hut Academy student

Darter perched on log in lake, wildlife photograph by Harikrishnan VK, Creative Hut Academy student

Golden oriole perched on branch, wildlife photograph by Vishnu Vijaykumar, Creative Hut Academy student

View portfolio

Documentary Work

Wildlife films by our students.

Wildlife film gallery

Five films

Changaram Wetlands, Documentary by John Thomas, Creative Hut AcademyChangaram WetlandsDocumentary by John Thomas

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Tanzania: The Many Faces, Wildlife and people, by Kavya Ajay Pandav, Creative Hut AcademyTanzania: The Many FacesWildlife and people, by Kavya Ajay Pandav

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Man-Animal Conflict, Wild elephants in Kerala, by Sampath Kumar, Creative Hut AcademyMan-Animal ConflictWild elephants in Kerala, by Sampath Kumar

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Elephant Dilemma, Documentary by Heet Dave, Creative Hut AcademyElephant DilemmaDocumentary by Heet Dave

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Rekla Race, Documentary by Arunkumar, Creative Hut AcademyRekla RaceDocumentary by Arunkumar

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Wildlife photography portfolios

Five portfolios

Epiphany, Photography portfolio by Kavya Pandav, Creative Hut AcademyEpiphanyPhotography portfolio by Kavya Pandav

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Aviania, Bird photography portfolio by Pandav Kavya Ajaykumar, Creative Hut AcademyAvianiaBird photography portfolio by Pandav Kavya Ajaykumar

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The Photopedia, Photography portfolio by Kasina Bhanu Prakash, Creative Hut AcademyThe PhotopediaPhotography portfolio by Kasina Bhanu Prakash

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Bara Mama, Photography portfolio by Keaton Lemos, Creative Hut AcademyBara MamaPhotography portfolio by Keaton Lemos

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Nature's Nook, Photography portfolio by Aswin K, Creative Hut AcademyNature’s NookPhotography portfolio by Aswin K

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Behind the scenes: classes, field trips and campus

Three videos

Creative macro photography class, Inside a Creative Hut classroom, Creative Hut AcademyCreative macro photography classInside a Creative Hut classroom

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Thekkady birds study tour, Field trip with photography and cinematography students, Creative Hut AcademyThekkady birds study tourField trip with photography and cinematography students

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Boys hostel, Staying facilities on the campus, Creative Hut AcademyBoys hostelStaying facilities on the campus

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The Year, Step by Step

From first frame to field-ready portfolio.

The year runs in four stages. Each stage ends with work you can show.

01
Photography craft

Foundation and the long lens

You learn exposure, light and telephoto craft. You finish with a graded set of ten wildlife images.

Telephoto craftAF trackingComposition
02
In the field

Field craft and animal behaviour

You work in the field: hide work, reading behaviour, light timing and the ethics of the wild. You finish with a photo essay on one species.

Hide workBehaviourField ethics
03
Moving image

Wildlife cinematography and post

You shoot motion with natural sound, edit in DaVinci Resolve and grade. You finish with a short wildlife documentary.

CinematographyDaVinci ResolveDocumentary
04
Going professional

Portfolio and the business

You build your portfolio, film and showreel, and learn how the genre pays, from stock to clients. You finish ready to pitch.

PortfolioShort filmWorking pro

Train on Real Glass

Pro bodies and telephoto reach.

You train on Sony bodies, super telephoto lenses, tripods, gimbals and a full edit suite on campus. Bring your own camera, lens, gimbal and laptop for daily assignments.

Powered by Sony

Mirrorless bodies · fast tracking autofocus for moving subjects

Super telephoto lenses · the reach wildlife demands

Tripods, gimbals, hides · field rigs for stability and stealth

Edit and post suite · Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, colour grading

Where This Takes You

A genre with real demand.

Wildlife skills travel. Graduates work with media houses, OTT platforms, wildlife magazines, NGOs and conservation organisations, in photography, cinematography, and documentary film.

Wildlife photographer

Assignments, stock, and personal projects.

Wildlife cinematographer

Documentary and short-form film for the wild.

Conservation media

NGOs, reserves, and research storytelling.

Travel and content

Eco-tourism, brands, and creator work.

Skills you can sell

The portfolio you leave with maps directly to paid work. Each skill below is a service you can offer.

Bars show relative demand across the genre, not guaranteed income.

Stock and licensingHigh
Documentary and filmGrowing
Conservation clientsSteady
Eco-tourism and travelStrong

SrinagarDelhiJaipurAhmedabadMumbaiGuwahatiKolkataHyderabadBengaluruChennaiCAMPUS · KOTTAYAM

A National Campus

Students from across India.

Our students arrive from the north, the metros, the northeast and the south. You live on campus and shoot beside them for the full year.

All India
student intake
100%
residential
550
student portfolios

One year. Master it.

Intake for the wildlife photography course is small and admissions are rolling. Message us and our team will walk you through the course, fees and dates.

Message UsStart application

Why Creative Hut

Since 2007, one campus, full immersion.

01

Live where you learn

You stay on campus in a residential Gurukul model, shoot every week and are mentored daily.

02

Photo and film together

You graduate able to shoot the still frame and the moving sequence.

03

A working studio

The campus has produced 550 portfolios and 200 short films. Your work is reviewed the way a commissioning editor would review it.

04

Recognised and equipped

KGTE, NCVET-MESC, and Adobe recognition, gear powered by Sony, and faculty who work in the field.

Common questions

Wildlife photography, answered.

Questions about the wildlife photography course at Creative Hut Academy.
Message us

Is this a wildlife photography course in India?

Yes. It is the wildlife specialisation of the one-year PDAP diploma at Creative Hut Academy, a photography college in Kerala that takes students from all over India. Every class is common to all students. You learn wildlife photography, bird and nature photography, wildlife videography and documentary filmmaking, build a field portfolio and a short documentary, and graduate ready to work in the genre.

Who can join the wildlife photography course?

Anyone after Class 12. No prior photography experience is required. It suits complete beginners and working photographers who want to specialise in wildlife.

Does the course cover cinematography and documentary film?

Yes. You learn wildlife cinematography and videography, natural sound capture, editing in DaVinci Resolve, and colour grading, and you produce a short wildlife documentary film alongside your photography portfolio.

Do you go on field trips to national parks and sanctuaries?

Yes. Fieldwork is central. You photograph live subjects across forests, wetlands and wildlife sanctuaries in the Western Ghats and beyond. Field tour costs are separate and are shared at admission.

Can students from outside Kerala join?

Yes. Creative Hut is a fully residential campus and students join from across India. Hostel, food, and training are all on site.

What equipment do I need to bring?

Every specialisation student brings their own camera, lens, gimbal and laptop for daily practice and assignments. The campus is powered by Sony, and professional bodies and telephoto glass are available for coursework.

What does the course fee cover?

The fee is residential and all inclusive: tuition, hostel and food for the full year. Campus cameras, telephoto lenses, lighting and studios are available for coursework. You bring your own laptop and personal items. Field tours are not included in the fee and are charged separately.

What will I graduate with?

A professional wildlife portfolio and a short wildlife documentary film, built across the year, along with the KGTE, NCVET-MESC and Adobe recognitions earned alongside the diploma.