Curated list of online resources to learn photography
On our tours, we often discuss resources for learning photography and in this article, I want to introduce you to some of my favorite online resources that will help you to become a better photographer. It’s not gonna happen overnight, it takes time and effort. Malcolm Gladwell says in his book Outliers that it takes 10 000 hours to master something and photography is no exception.
I want to point out that the list below is not a comprehensive list of online photography resources, but rather a curated list of resources I like and use myself. Below you will find countless hours of amazing and easy to understand photography tutorials from some of the best teachers out there. You can get some courses for free as well.
Disclaimer: This article may include affiliate links. That means that if you purchase something, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Skillshare
I use Skillshare on a weekly basis for learning new things. You can access all courses and use the free one month trial and if you enjoy the platform, use this link and save 40 % on your subscription. As of 2023, they host 1500+ courses on photography.
A couple of classes that may interest you are:
- Adobe Lightroom Essentials Course
- Fundamentals of DSLR Photography
- Landscape Photography: Shooting Epic Travel Photos
On Skillshare, you can learn literally anything. From digital marketing, programming in Python, editing videos in Final Cut Pro to knitting or gardening.
CreativeLive
CreativeLive is one of my most favorite photography channels out there. Not only you can purchase 600+ classes on photography and video, but you can also watch some of the classes online for free. The classes vary in length and price ranging from roughly $20 to $130 or you can buy a subscription (for $15/month) and gain access to all courses available.
I am a big fan of Matt Kloskowski, he’s a great photographer and a very entertaining teacher, check out his classes on:
My other great passions are landscape and travel photography. Some of the classes I can recommend are:
Udemy
If you want to learn anything, there’s a good chance you will find it on Udemy, of course, photography included. These courses can be done by anyone, so the mentors don’t necessarily have to be pros. The course rating is a good starting point to evaluate if it’s going to be any good or not.
Prices range from 10€ to 200€, however, most of the courses cost around 50€. Some of the popular courses on the site include:
- Adobe Lightroom Classic CC & CC: Photo Editing Masterclass
- Photography Masterclass: Your Complete Guide to Photography,
- How to Be a Professional Outdoor and Nature Photographer,
- Long Exposure Photography: Shoot Your Own Stunning Photos.
KelbyOne
I see Scott Kelby as one of the pioneers of digital photography. After having published numerous books, he launched an online education platform named KelbyOne. It uses a subscription model where you get access to thousands of photography lessons taught by professionals for $9.99 a month.
Fstoppers: Photographing the world
Elia Locardi is one of my favorite photographers. It didn’t take long until I discovered the tutorials he had created together with Fstoppers. The series is called Photographing the World and consists of four tutorials sold separately. The first one is about landscape photography and post-processing, the second one about cityscapes, astrophotography and advanced post-processing, the third is also about cityscapes and the fourth about landscapes.
All tutorials show on-site shooting videos and then post-processing all the way from the RAW files to the final images. You get the sample RAW files and PSD files, so you can work along on the same pictures as Elia does in the video. Each tutorial is pricey but it offers great value that can impact your photography for years to come.
Here’s the introduction video the Photographing the World: Landscape photography and post-processing.
Conclusion
These are resources I can greatly recommend for further learning and improving your photography skills. I know there are many more resources out there, but I wanted to introduce you to the ones I use and trust.
Over to you… What are your favorite resources for learning photography online? Share with us your favorites in the comment section.
Oh this is fantastic ! Thanks again Jan for showing us around and giving us all the tips and tricks. Nothing like one on one interaction and actually doing everything live – the resources you post here are great. I have been following the courses on Lynda but they go a bit deeper and too technical which is why I would actually want to make a shift now 🙂 and explore the ones you recommend.
Sangram, you’re most likely welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. You are right – one on one regulary is the best way to learn. I’m sure you’ll find some suitable courses on some of the other websites. Good luck and have fun learning! 🙂
Thanks for this great resource list Jan. I am right back into photography again having done the tour with you in Prague last month. I am looking forward to learning more!
I’m glad you like the list, Brad and very happy that I have helped to ignite a flame for photography in you while our tour in Prague. Let me know if you would like to help to choose a suitable course for you 🙂 Have fun!
I LOVED my Prague photo tour with you last week when I was in Prague, Johnny! Thank you so much for guiding me with my photography in beautiful Prague! Hopefully I will be able to return to Prague one day. Thank you also for this list. It will be very useful for me to help me further develop my photography abilities.
Anne, you are most certainly welcome. Hopefully these resources will help you to develop your skills until we see each other the next time 🙂