These days, it may seem that every person and their dog is a “professional” photographer. But in the wise words of Annie Leibovitz—“photography is like this baby that needs to be fed all the time. It’s always hungry”—and we couldn’t agree more.
Regardless of whether you’re merely equipped with a second-hand 35mm film camera or you’ve gone and blown your savings on a drone or 360-degree camera, there’s always more to learn in the world of photography. So grab your nearest lens and get ready to max out on all the photography know-how.
Here are all the best online photography courses.
Paid Online Photography Courses
Leica Online Photography Courses
German camera company Leica (pioneers of the world’s best of the best camera lenses) offers up various online photography courses that you can up your skills with. Occasionally, there are online workshops set to a specific date which you can book online. The “Introduction to Photoshop” with Christian Fletcher (the award-winning landscape Aussie photographer) is a solid choice if you’re wanting to refine your editing know-how but you can also opt for one-on-one online training with a Leica Akademie instructor through Skype or Zoom for more specialised training.
Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography
If there was ever a god of photography, it would, without a doubt, be the legendary Annie Leibovitz. Best known for incredible portraits of celebrities like Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rhianna and of course, Cardi B’s famous front-cover on Vogue, learning anything photography-related from this talented human is worth twice its weight in gold. This Masterclass online photography course isn’t the cheapest but it’s by far the most thorough. You’ll work through modules like portrait photography, creating concepts, working with light, studio vs. location, working with your subject and the technical side of photography too.
A Complete Guide To Photography
The good news about Udemy’s best online photography course is that you actually don’t need any fancy camera equipment to start. Perfect for absolute novices (and on lying on the more affordable end of the scale). The online course will teach you how to take epic images (and sell them) for photos taken by a smartphone, mirrorless or even DSLR camera. You’ll also be taken what gear is the best for you pending its use and your budget.
Your Road To Better Photography
If you're not a complete rookie when it comes to working a DSLR and you know the difference between your aspect ratio and your aperture, bring your attention to this solid online photography course. This course is made to help anyone who wants to further experiment with their digital camera’s settings so you can max out your skills and up your photo quality.
Free Online Photography Courses
Learn Photographic Exposure Best Practices
This free online photography course is all about nailing exposure, the foundation of taking an epic photo. The course delivers on taking you through all the universal photography rules you should have under your belt, plus you’ll also be taking through exposure’s three variables—ISO, shutter speed and aperture. You’ll learn how to use this “exposure triangle” to fix exposure and the histogram tool to analyse your camera’s meter readings during photoshoots and post-production ie. when you’re editing in Photoshop or Lightroom.
10 Do’s & Don’ts In Photography
If you’re looking to fast-track your photography knowledge in a quick and free online photography course, this one has your name all over it. You’ll learn all the absolute basics in a simplified way including how to hold your camera, true stops, flash, prime lenses, RAW images, tilts, high ISO and how to properly clean all your camera equipment so improve their functionality and durability too.
Drone Photography Basics
It may not be your classic online photography course but nevertheless, this free online drone course is an absolute winner for anyone who’s recently purchased a drone. This easy online workshop will take you through all the fundamentals of understanding how to plan, film and edit your drone photos and good news, there’s no previous knowledge needed.
Don't forget to check out all the best online courses here.
Image credit: Jakob Owens