Photography For Beginners – Your Free Course

Our beginner photography course will help you understand the basics of light and how your eye fixes lighting. How to get your camera to catch what your eye sees to produce better pictures. The tutorials will also help you understand your camera and how to take pictures with it. If you would like to go a step further, our best recommendation is to take our 365 Days of Photography Course.
Listed below are lessons hand-picked to help you get started. Make a goal for yourself of when you will finish all the photography lessons.

Lesson: 1

young man taking photos.
Photo Tips
Taya Iv

How to Get Into Photography: The Complete Guide

Now more than ever, more individuals are thinking of becoming or have become professional photographers. The most straightforward answer to becoming a professional photographer is

Lesson 2:

Basic Camera Settings
Beginner
Natch Anan

Basic Camera Settings

Did you recently purchase a new camera but are not sure which camera settings to use? You’re not alone. Most beginner photographers are initially overwhelmed

Lesson: 3

exposure triangle.
Beginner
Daniel Wright

Understanding the Exposure Triangle

The exposure triangle is the foundation of photography. An intuitive understanding of exposure is crucial for advancing in the art of photography.

Lesson: 4

lens aperture closeup
Beginner
Kevin LJ

What is Aperture? An Introduction Lesson

Aperture in photography is a diaphragm in lenses that controls the amount of light that can enter the camera. This function works in a similar

Lesson: 5

Lesson: 6

What is ISO
Beginner
Derek Watterson

What is ISO?

The acronym ISO refers to International Standards Organization. This gives us absolutely no clues as to how it is relevant in photography. The ISO setting

Lesson: 7

digital noise.
Beginner
Daniel Wright

What is Digital Noise and How to Reduce It

Noise in photography is a complex issue that needs to be addressed, especially as you enter the professional arena. Managing noise in your photos often involves a combination of capturing the lowest noise possible in-camera and making further reductions to noise levels in post processing. Learn more in our detailed step by step guide.

Lesson: 8

Lesson: 9

white balance in photography
Beginner
Kevin LJ

Understanding White Balance in Photography

ContentsWhy it’s Important to Control the White Balance Settings on Your CameraWhat is White Balance?How to Determine and Adjust White Balance Settings?White Balance PresetsAuto White

Lesson: 10

Lesson: 11

Lesson: 12

tonal range.
Beginner
Jonathan Jacoby

Understanding Tonal Range in Photography

Can’t wrap your head around the concept of tones in photography? Our comprehensive guide on tonal range is just for you!

Lesson: 13

night photo with light streaks for digital camera modes
Camera Settings
Kevin LJ

Understanding Digital Camera Modes

Digital camera modes are often misunderstood and an area of confusion for many new photographers. This article takes you through the basic camera modes.

Lesson: 14

Beginner
Kevin LJ

How to Shoot in Manual Mode

Manual camera settings may be challenging for beginner photographers. In my opinion, shooting in manual mode with your camera is a great way to learn

Lesson: 15

Camera Settings
Kevin LJ

Camera Metering Modes Explained

Knowing how and when to use which metering mode can initially be a bit confusing. You can learn about the various modes in this article.

Lesson: 16

focus modes.
Camera Settings
Jonathan Jacoby

Focus Modes: When and How to Use Them

Looking to master focus and composition? Level up your skills with this in-depth focus modes guide for digital photography!

Lesson: 17

dslr camera exposure settings.
Beginner
Kevin LJ

What is Exposure in Photography?

In photography, your exposure determines what gets recorded on your camera’s image sensor. The science behind exposure in photography is called Sensitometry. Getting the right

Lesson: 18

Camera Settings
Kevin LJ

How Do You Know if You Have a Correct Exposure?

Setting a correct exposure is foundational to good photography. But what is a correct exposure?  A correct exposure is one that you are happy with.

Lesson: 19

closeup of an exposure compensation dial on a dslr camera.
Camera Settings
Natch Anan

Exposure Compensation: How to Use it Correctly

Pick up a digital camera nowadays and one of the things you’ll instantly notice is the Exposure Compensation on the menu screen. It’s the strange-looking

Lesson: 20

Lesson: 21

Lesson: 22

Lesson: 23

Road leading lines through an arched bridge
Composition
Kevin LJ

How To Use Leading Lines in Composition

Knowing how to use leading lines in photography is one of the key composition skills beginner photographers can acquire. Learning composition starts with an understanding

Lesson: 24

Lesson: 25

8 Reasons Why Your Photos Are Blurry
Beginner
Kevin LJ

8 Reasons Why Your Photos Are Blurry

No photographer likes to see that their photos are blurred. Wondering ‘why are my pictures blurry’ is the cause of much frustration. The good thing

Lesson: 26

Lesson: 27

Lesson: 28

Cameras
Kevin LJ

10 Different Types of Cameras

From DSLRs, mirrorless cameras to the iPhone, it’s easier than ever to find a digital camera and start taking great photos. We’ve compiled a list

Lesson: 29

Lesson: 30

Lesson: 31

Lesson: 32

Lesson: 33

Lesson: 34

focal length explained.
Beginner
Daniel Wright

Understanding Focal Length and Angle of View

Understanding focal length helps photographers determine what lenses to invest in and which lens to use on a particular shoot. Focal length describes one of

Lesson: 35

Lesson: 36

most common types of lighting
Lighting
Catherine Gaither

How to Use These 13 Types of Lighting in Photography

Lighting is the most important consideration in photography. It’s what makes the photograph possible. So, let’s get a better understanding of what we are talking

Lesson: 37

Lighting
Kevin LJ

How to Avoid Making Bad Lighting Mistakes

Good lighting is essential to good photography. Bad lighting mistakes can ruin an otherwise fabulous photograph. This is frustrating for any photographer. Learning how to

Lesson: 38

types of photography
Beginner
Daniel Wright

51 Types of Photography Genres and Styles

Photographers around the world practice a wide range of photography genres and styles. Each offers a unique perspective and creative approach to capturing images.

Lesson: 39

Lesson: 40

Analyze a Photograph
Composition
Kevin LJ

How to Analyze a Photograph (4 Simple Steps)

Analyzing a Photograph Learning to analyze a photo requires introspection and self-analysis. Whether is a photo you have taken or one taken by another photographer.

Lesson: 41

Lesson: 42

Photo Tips
Kevin LJ

A Glossary of 251 Most Essential Photography Terms

Photography terms are numerous and can be super confusing for new photographers to get their heads around. But having a good understanding of the photography

If you’re new and just starting out with photography or an amateur photographer looking to improve your creative photography skills or learn the basics of digital photography, try one of our premium beginner photography classes.

Photography is fun, and now it’s easier than ever for beginners to get started with an online digital photography class that you can watch anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Learn the basics like exposure, focus, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and more. We have some of the best online photography classes that teach you to go beyond auto mode and learn to take amazing photographs using different camera modes and settings.

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