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:

• Photoshop and Lightroom for Landscape Photographers or
• Mastering Long Exposure Photography.

My other great passions are landscape and travel photography. Some of the classes I can recommend are:

• Nature and Landscape Photography,
• Landscape Photography,
• Travel Photography: The Complete Guide.

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.