Taking online photography courses is a great way to learn to tell stories through still visuals; it’s a great hobby to start, and you can also pursue it as a full-time career. But why should you take an online photography course instead of an offline one?
Offline photography courses are going to cost you a hefty amount. That’s why you can choose to learn photography through online photography courses at your pace. And what exactly do you learn in these online photography courses?
These online photography courses will teach you everything about photography, such as fundamental rules of photography, composition, framing, use of lighting, and much more, all at your comfort and convenience.
That’s why, in this post, we have researched and summarized the best 11 online photography courses in 2023, both paid and free. So, you can learn as per your requirements and become a professional photographer.
List of Best Free Online Photography Courses
This post is divided into two parts: one is free, and the second one is paid.
So, here are the best online photography courses which you can take in 2023 for absolutely free to master all the basics of photography.
1. Photography Made Easy [YouTube]
Starting with a course that will teach you all the basics of photography, such as composition, aperture, exposure, lighting, etc. This is a great course to clear out all your fundamentals of photography, and it is created by Chris Bray, who is an award-winning Austrian Geographic photographer.
This is a short-duration course that comprises 11 lectures, and as the title of this course suggests, this course makes photography easy through its great storytelling and narration. Apart from this, you’ll get suggested practice sessions and extra details for comprehensive understanding. So, if you want to learn all the basics of photography, then this online photography course is perfect for you.
Topics Covered:
- Learn photography
- Get off ‘Auto Mode’: Photography Basics
- Top 10 composition tips
- Lenses made easy
- Practical photography made easy
- Learn photography fast
- For full details, visit the link given above.
Duration: 2.5 – 3 Hours
Certificate: No
Perks: Lifetime Access, Expert Knowledge for free.
2. Basic Photography Course [YouTube]
This is an intensive online photography course with 29 video tutorials that discusses all the photography basics in great detail, such as aperture, white balance, advanced photography lighting, and much more. This course will not only teach you basics but also will give you advanced level photography knowledge.
This course is created by Photography Educators, who are reputed to teach photography to aspiring photographers, and hence it is a great course for beginners. But there’s only one drawback to this course is that it is only available in Hindi and thus not a suitable choice for non-Hindi speakers. So, whether you are a beginner or an intermediate, this course will help you to upgrade your photography skill.
Topics Covered:
- What is shutter speed?
- Best camera lenses and types of lenses.
- Set white balance
- Composition in photography
- Raw vs JPEG, which is better?
- For full details, visit the link given above.
Duration: Approx 10 Hours
Certificate: No
Perks: In-depth knowledge, Free and lifetime access.
3. Full Photography Course For Beginners [YouTube]
This is one of the finest photography courses on YouTube; you’ll be taught everything about photography. Starting with the basics, such as the usage of the camera and lens and how to use them properly, then moving on to technical things such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and much more. And gradually, this course will teach you in-depth knowledge of compositions, histograms, and even editing techniques.
This course is created by an award-winning photographer named Chris Parker and who has an experience of more than 2 decades. And in this course, he has put all his knowledge for you to learn absolutely for free. So, what are you waiting for? Take this course and start your photography journey.
Topics Covered:
- Intro Chapters
- Camera Types
- How your camera works?
- Painting with lights
- Secret tools
- Discover ISO
- For full details, visit the link given above.
Duration: 4 Hours
Certificate: No
Perks: Expert Knowledge, Well-Structured Course, Lifetime Access
4. Learn Photography with Easy Lessons [YouTube]
In this course, as the name suggests, all the topics are separated into small duration lessons, which are very easy to understand and then practically apply yourself. This covers various topics such as exposure, lighting, shutter speed, ISO, and much more. But the majority of the videos are 2-5 minutes long. This makes it an interesting and easy course for you to learn from.
It is created by Wolf Amri, who has been teaching photography for years now. He created an intensive course but well structured, there is a total of 78 video tutorials in this course, and all the videos are free to access; thus, you can easily come back to any topic at your convenience. So, make use of this course to understand and master the art of photography.
Topics Covered:
- Learn Photography
- Exposure Explained
- Shutter Speed Explained
- Aperture And Its Effect
- Easy Lightroom Tutorial
- Photography Ideas Indoor
- Smoke Photography Tutorial
- For full details, visit the link given above.
Duration: 6 Hours Approx
Certificate: No
Perks: Lifetime Access, In-depth Knowledge, Well-Structured
5. Be a Better Photographer In 45 Minutes [YouTube]
If you are looking for an online photography course that teaches you the fundamentals of photography within an hour, then here’s the perfect course for you. This course is divided into 4 sections, talking about various aspects of photography, such as image quality, metering, etc.
This course is created by Sudhir Shivaram, who is a professional wildlife photographer and has been teaching photography for years now. And this course is a short snippet of his vast knowledge of photography. So, master the fundamentals in less than 1 hour with this amazing course.
Topics Covered:
- Image Quality
- White Balance
- Metering
- Conclusion
- For full details, visit the link given above.
Duration: 59 Minutes
Certificate: No
Perks: Lifetime Access, Expert Knowledge, Easy to complete.
List of Best Paid Online Photography Courses
There are many benefits and perks you get with the free photography courses mentioned above, but they have some demerits too, such as no completion certificate, no 1:1 doubt session, no personalized factor, etc. That’s why here is the list of courses that not only comes with great knowledge but also give a completion certificate, doubt sessions, and much more.
6. Travel Photography for Beginners [Udemy]
If you are someone who wants to explore new areas of photography or wants to travel the world by becoming an adventure photographer, then this course is for you. In this, you’ll get proper training and guidance on how you can make your dream come true of traveling the world and making money through your photography. This is a perfect specialization course if you wish to be a travel photographer, journalist, blogger, etc.
This course is created by Jellis Veas, a professional travel and adventurer photographer and been to 40+ countries and has taught more than 10,000 students around the world. There are 33 lectures in this course, which teaches everything about travel photography, from philosophy to monetizing your work and much more. So, take this course to make money by becoming a travel photographer.
Topics Covered:
- Introduction
- How to take dramatic travel and adventure photos
- The philosophy of travel and adventure photography
- Pro tips and advice for travel photographers
- How to make money as a travel photographer
- For full details, visit the link above.
Duration: 3 Hours
Certificate: Yes
Perks: 4 Quizzes, Assignments, 2 downloadable resources, lifetime access.
7. A Complete Guide To Photography [Udemy]
This is one of the bestseller photography courses on Udemy because you’ll get endless material to learn. This course will make you an advanced-level photographer from a complete beginner with its intensive and in-depth content. It will teach you everything from camera works to editing work to how to take photos in real-life scenarios and more. And you’ll also learn various styles of photography such as portrait, long exposure, sports, action, event, ariel, and much more.
This 27 hours long course is created by 3 professional photographers; hence it’s a must to learn from the platform. And with this course, you’ll get endless resources such as a 276-page guidebook, $100 worth of lightroom presets, access to the premium student community, etc. So, make use of this opportunity and take this course now.
Topics Covered:
- Introduction and course downloads
- Exposure
- Composition
- Focus and depth of field
- Mobile photography
- Night photography
- Photo editing in Lr
- Photo editing in Ps
Duration: 27 Hours
Certificate: Yes
Perks: 30-day money-back guarantee, Free Lightroom Presets, 44 Downloadable Resources
8. Complete the Photography Masterclass [Udemy]
This is a 4 in 1 online photography course, it’s a short-duration course that is going to teach you photography from beginner to advanced photography concepts. The prerequisites to this course are that you should have access to a DSLR and a PC to edit in. This course is a trusted course among many students and has a good rating on Udemy.
This course is created by Creative Online School and it is designed to make every aspiring photographer an advanced-level photographer. There are 4 sections and 33 lectures in this course, which comprises all the basic understanding of mastering night photography to editings like professionals and more. So, take this course to become a pro photographer.
Topics Covered:
- Understanding photography basics
- Mastering Architectural And Night Photography
- Mastering Photoediting: Lightroom
- Mastering Adobe Photoshop
- For full detail, visit the link given above.
Duration: 2 Hours 12 Mins
Certificate: Yes
Perks: Lifetime Access, well-rated course, short-duration
9. Masterclass: Complete Course On Photography [Udemy]
This is another great online photography course which will teach you great insights and secrets of professional photography. You’ll learn to make use of your camera at its best by mastering all the minor concepts that make a huge difference in the final result. In this course, you’ll get 28 hours of content and also 200+ photography Ebooks with 150+ images to use for practicing.
This course has in-depth content with 38 sections and 234 lectures. And this course is created by Chris Parker, who has been doing photography for more than 30 years now. So, take this course to learn from his in-depth knowledge of photography.
Topics Covered:
- Photography essentials quick starting guide
- Camera masterclass
- Full creative control
- Color of deep dive
- For composition
- Reflection
- For full detail, visit the link given above
Duration: 28 Hours
Certificate: Yes
Perks: Lifetime Access, 200+ Photography Ebook, In-depth Knowledge
10. A Masterclass In Photography [Udemy]
This is one of the highest-rated online photography courses on Udemy because this course helps you gain confidence as a professional photographer. This is a mid-duration course, but it’s suggested by the instructor to complete it in 4 weeks by completing step-by-step assignments, which will help you master each topic.
This course was created by Mike Browne, who is also known as The Uk’s Friendliest Photography Tutor; he designed this course for all levels of photography, from complete beginner to intermediate to advanced level photographers. So, it doesn’t matter at what level you are; take this course to upgrade your skill of photography.
Topics Covered:
- Welcome to a masterclass in photography
- Cameras, Kit, and the art of exposure
- Setting superpowers
- Pin sharp pictures
- Composition and light
- For full detail, visit the link given above.
Duration: 8.5 Hours
Certificate: Yes
Perks: Highest-Rated, Lifetime Access, 13 Downloadable Resources
11. Complete an Online Photography Course [Udemy]
This is one of the most practical online photography courses, and this will not only teach you all the basics and concepts of photography but also it’s going to teach you how you can make a good income from it. You’ll be taught practical assignments and projects to work on which will give you real-life working experience. This is a mid-duration course, which comprises 21 sections and 136 lectures.
And this lecture will cover everything from cameras, lenses, advanced concepts, Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and much more. It also has great feedback from students across the world. So, if you want to learn good photography and also how to monetize your work, then this course is for you.
Topics Covered:
- Understanding the basic concepts of photography
- Understanding the advanced concepts of photography
- Mastering architectural photography
- Adobe Lightroom basics
- Macro photography
- Portrait photography
- For full detail, visit the link above.
Duration: 8 Hours 20 Min
Certificate: Yes
Perks: Lifetime Access, 30-day moneyback guarantee
Conclusion
Mastering the art of photography is a great hobby for your pass time, and if you want, you can pursue it as a full-time career as well. Thus, this list of the best online photography courses can help you to make your dream come true of becoming a photographer.
In the above list, there are both free and paid courses for you, so you can take them accordingly. And our suggestion is that you should take free courses first, just to clear your fundamentals, and then go for the paid online photography courses for mastery and proper certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Do a Photography Course Online?
Yes, you can absolutely do a photography course online; there are many experts who share their knowledge and experience online for free, and if you’d like to have proper certification, then you should go for paid courses mentioned on our list.
Is Online photography Courses Expensive?
There are many photography masterclass courses with expert knowledge and in-depth training, which costs you less than the offline courses because online, you can learn at your convenience.
Is Photography a Stressful Job?
The stress level totally depends on the project you are working on; if it’s small, then there’s less stress involved, and if it’s for a big event, then there are times when you’ll feel extreme stress. But if you are passionate about photography, you’ll get to learn and grow daily.
