Develop your camera and photo-editing skills with self-paced photography courses. The field of photography has been growing and expanding since the first Kodak cameras made their way into amateur hands in the late 19th century. Today, with millions of pictures being shared and captured every hour, there is no better time to learn what makes a good picture great!
Whether you yearn to become a professional photographer or just want to take your camera skills to the next level, here are 10 reasons to broaden your horizons and learn how to make frame-worthy images. You’ll also get a snapshot of some of our free online photography courses.
1. Break Free from Blurry Snapshots and Frustration
Picture the scene – your first child has just been born, your son and his partner have just announced their engagement, or your best friend is turning 18. You’ve been snapping away and can’t wait to see the prints. Like the air going out of a celebration balloon, your excitement disappears as soon as you have the hazy, hapless snaps in your hand. Put an end to the disappointment of poor-quality pics by learning some essential skills for taking a photograph properly.
If you are new to photography, try our beginner’s course Introduction to Digital Photography. Master basic camera settings, learn useful guidelines for framing a shot such as the ‘Rule of Thirds’ and find out about key pieces of equipment that will help you achieve better photos.
2. Elevate Your Photos from Average to Amazing
Everyday occurrences might seem mundane and boring, however, through a camera lens, it’s a whole different view. From the streets you walk to work, to the vast open rural landscapes, or even the food on your plate! Photography lets you see the world in a new light and appreciate the hidden beauty of your surroundings. Capture your world in all its everyday glory with the help of our free camera courses.
Learn from an industry expert in the short, certificate course Understanding Photo Composition. Top travel photographer Mark Paulda shares insights and skills that have brought his work to magazine shelves across the world. You’ll learn how to capture an image that’s worth a thousand words, without recourse to digital editing software.
If you are relatively new to photography, why not get started with our Beginner Digital Photography? It will teach you how to work your camera, including the all-important relationship between shutter, aperture and ISO that you need to know before taking Paulda’s course.
3. Open Doors to New Opportunities and Experiences
Photography lets you get to know people in different ways through the lens and also enables you to learn from people and see the world through their perspective. While a wildlife photographer may enjoy the isolation, many photographers relish the social aspect of taking pictures. Whether meeting the locals when you travel to a new place, or running into like-minded people, it is easy to make new friends and savour new experiences when you are a photographer.
There are always new advances to explore in photography. Photo by David Henrichs on Unsplash
From comparing cameras to critiquing techniques there is always something new to try.
4. Learn to Tell a Story with Your Photos
Thousands of famous events in history have been captured in a second and portray a fuller narrative. You too can harness the power of photography and tell a story with just one image.
Why not enhance your visual storytelling techniques by learning photo-editing skills? A course like the Diploma in Photo Editing provides training in the industry standard software, Adobe Lightroom, with technical editing techniques such as exposure blending, advanced object removal, and blending moments in time.
If you love to combine your creativity with technical know-how, another great option is Advanced Photo Editing and Exporting. Here, photographer Matthew Storer explains how to use Lightroom and Adobe’s other popular image editing programme Photoshop to best effect. Topics include cloning, dodge and burn effects as well as the Orton effect and Sunflare in Lightroom, and in Photoshop, important aspects like removing objects, and exporting images for social media and printing.
5. Take Control of Your Camera and Unleash Its Potential
The beauty of photography is that there’s always something new to discover. If it’s new equipment, you need to learn how to use it. With endlessly creative ways to edit your photo, photography will always offer something new, exciting and different to try.
A still from the course Introduction to Digital Photography.
If you know your way around the basic camera settings, our free courses include sequels to the Introduction to Digital Photography. These include:
- Intermediate Digital Photography – Gain the confidence to take control of your camera’s manual settings with lessons in shutter speed, ISO, aperture and much more. This course also covers techniques for touching up your images in Photoshop for a professional finish.
- Advanced Digital Photography – Learn about exposure settings, adding filters, and enhancing images using Photoshop. Topics include bracketing, flash photography, hyperfocal distance, focal length and perspective.
- Another excellent option is Matthew Storer’s Landscape Photography – Equipment Basics, Focusing and Filters. Topics include how to read a histogram to ensure you have the desired level of exposure, along with the best filters and metering modes for stunning scenic shots.
6. Stop Missing Those Perfect Photo Moments
The fast-paced, technology-driven world we live in can sometimes mean we miss out on the present and those everyday moments. Mastering key elements of photography will encourage you to live in the moment and appreciate life’s little beauties as your senses are on the alert for the perfect picture. With our training courses, you will have a new level of attention to detail and will be ever ready to seize the day!
Ignite your passion and take your photography skills to the ‘wow’ level with our Diploma in Digital Photography. You’ll learn about different photographic styles, effective techniques for photographing different subjects and the editing know-how to make your pictures shine. As Alison graduate Shant A. says: “This is an amazing course for beginners or pros for refreshing their basic skills and info.”
7. Unlock Your Creativity and Express Yourself
Photography is an amazing creative outlet that lets you express yourself in a million different ways. It allows you to share your passion and views with the world.
Fashion photographer Claire Petersen demonstrates editing techniques in the course Self-Portraiture and Street Style Photoshoot
A course such as Self-Portraiture and Street Style Photoshoot will teach you how to take professional-looking selfies and outdoor shots. Fashion and lifestyle photographer and blogger Claire Petersen shows you not only the mechanics of setting up your camera, but also how to get your portrait looking its best using editing software.
With so many platforms available today you can share your pictures instantaneously.
8. Boost Your Confidence and Mind Your Mental Health
While photography is an amazing outlet to share your passion with the world, it can also boost your mental health. The connection between creative activities and mental wellbeing is so well established that in many countries, doctors have turned to ‘social prescribing’ or suggesting hobbies as a non-medical treatment method for patients with mild to moderate depression.
In a hectic and pressurised world, photography helps you to relax and unwind, forgetting the stress and strain of daily life.
9. Sharpen Your Skills and See the World in a New Light
Whether it’s a whole new country and culture, or just a part of town you’ve never been to before, photography opens your eyes to the differences in the world around you.
The beauty of a camera (well most of them) is that they are small and compact enough to carry. The best way to master photography is through practice, so being able to take a camera with you wherever you go is always helpful.
If you love to capture different places, a course like Landscape Photography – Exposure, Composition, and Editing will boost your photographic artistry. In this course, Matthew Storer, who specialises in landscape and night photography, delivers a masterclass in composing epic images and editing them to best effect.
Lastly and most importantly ….
10. Capture Breathtaking Photos You’ll Cherish Forever
Photography empowers you to have and relive amazing moments in your life. Whether it was a beautiful sunset or your child’s first steps, you’ll have these moments to look back on and cherish. That’s the beauty of photography – the ability to capture a moment in time and a memory to last forever.
Register for your free account here now and you can enrol in your first course today! It’s that easy! With completely flexible online learning, you can pause a tutorial, go out and practise your new skills, then return to the lesson. Download the app and you can (virtually) take the tutor with you! With course options for beginners, keen amateurs and professional photographers, you can begin creating perfect pictures right now.
Free Career Guide
If you are considering a career as a professional photographer, you can find out more in our comprehensive career guide. You can also look into becoming a wedding photographer, capturing the most romantic moments in a couple’s lives, or for a completely different take, a forensic photographer, gathering evidence in crime or medical investigations.
