Thinking about improving your photography skills? In today’s digital world, you do just that from the comfort of your own home by taking a photo course online! With a whole host of online classes to choose from, you may be wondering which photography course is best. Here is our roundup of best online photography classes:
Introduction to Landscape Photography with Tiffany Nguyen
Moment is a photography company that sells photo gear (for both your phone and your DSLR) and offers a variety of online classes for all photography levels. In her lesson, Tiffany Nguyen (@tiffpenguin) has developed the perfect guide to snap gorgeous, compelling landscape photos – sharing her formula for composition, lighting, editing, and more. Check out the full course details here.
Adobe Photoshop CC – Essentials Training Course
Once you take your photos, you’re going to want to edit them to perfection! Hosted on Skillshare, this extensive course features more than 8.5 hours of video and 87 comprehensive lessons. Geared toward beginners, this course taught by Daniel Scott is project-based using real examples so you can get to know all of the tools and features of Photoshop. Click here to sign up for this class!
(Psst: if you already know the basics, Daniel Scott also teaches Adobe Photoshop CC – Advanced Training Course, which might be more your speed!)
The Fundamentals of Photography with John Greengo
If you really want to master photography, you need to know your camera just as well as you know the settings on manual mode. The Fundamentals of Photography, hosted on Creative Live and taught by seasoned photographer John Greengo, teaches you every part of photography – from bringing together the elements of manual mode to choosing the right gear and taking advantage of natural light. John will also teach you to step back from your images and analyze your vision.
Plus, sometimes, Creative Live streams this class live for free! You just have to check their website for upcoming dates. Miss the free streaming date? Creative Live has a variety of streaming plans that start at $11/month, or you can buy one-off classes. Get more details on the class here.
The Essential Lighting Techniques
A good photo is a combination of many factors – composition, focus, lighting, et cetera. Lighting may be one of the trickiest aspects of photography as it can be constantly changing. In this course hosted on Udemy, you’ll learn different lighting techniques, modifiers, setup for white and black backgrounds, how to work with butterfly and Rembrandt lighting, feathering, and much, much more! Get the full details for this course here.
Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography
Through Masterclass, you can get a front row seat to classes taught by the masters of their particular field. Fine art portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz shares stories from her long career and even takes you behind the scene of a Vogue photo shoot. This lesson will focus less on gear, and more on how to bring your ideas to life. See more details and payment options here.
Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images of a World in Motion
Part of the MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW), this collegiate level course of journalism is perfect for anyone looking to improve their documentary skills. This course focuses on honing your photographic “eye” and encourages you to work on your own photo documentary project. All of MIT’s OpenCourseWare classes are free to the public; click here to learn more and download your coursework!
Inner Vision: The Magic of Risk
BKC is a learning-focused creative community dedicated to providing smart, no-nonsense photography classes. Ready to go beyond your normal snaps? This online class explores the question, What would happen if…? It’ll push you to get curious, explore more, do the work, and take risks in the process. Taught online for six weeks, you can learn more about the class here. (Also, BKC does offer some in-person classes if you’re in the Bushwick area!)
Wedding Photography: Complete Guide to Wedding Photography
This is the class for anyone interested in trying their hand at wedding photography. You’ll learn just about everything of the wedding photography business process – from setting up your business and creating your brand to putting together a great equipment kit and tips for posing and interacting with your clients. Check out more about this class here.
iPhone and iPad Photography with iOS 14
Let’s face it: even if we own DSLRs or mirrorless cameras, we always have our phone on us – which comes in handy when you want to do a spur-of-the-moment photo shoot! Get to know all of the camera features on your iPhone and iPad so you can take full advantage of everything your device has to offer. This course is hosted on Lynda, and you can sign up here!
Discover The Art of Street Photography with Magnum photographers
Street photography is a complex medium all on its own – get unique insights, knowledge, and experience from seven world-class photographers. Through the on-demand video lessons in this class, you’ll be guided in the process of honing your street photography skills. Learn more about this class here!
Seeing Through Photographs
Offered by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and through Coursera, this course uses a diversity of ideas and approaches so you can close the gap in seeing and then understanding artful photographs. You’ll look through 100 photographs from MoMA and get a deep understanding of the history of photo and its importance. Enrolling in this class is free with an option to pay for a certificate of your studies; click learn to learn more!
Mom Photography School by Kayla Brint
This one’s for all the moms out there who want better pictures of their kids! With a monthly membership, it’s more than just a lesson on how to use your camera – it’s an on-going learning experience. Taught by professional photographer Kayla Brint, you’ll get a new lesson each month with photo prompts plus monthly Q&As, access to a group with other moms in MPS, and help and support from Kayla with your photos. Get more details on this online learning community here!
What photography classes have you taken? Tell us what you learned in the comments below!
