Introduction to Photography: A Free Beginner Course

 

Introduction to Photography

This short lesson will inspire you to start learning more about digital photography!

Developing your Creativity as a Photographer

In this lesson you'll learn how to improve your creative vision by being conscious about scene elements like light, color, and texture and identifying how you can use them to improve your photography.

The Camera

You'll learn all about how digital cameras work in this lesson. Sensors, megapixels, and more!

Image Resolution

This lesson explains what resolution is, and how your image resolution determines how large you can print a high quality photo.

The Camera Lens

Digital cameras need lenses in order to capture images. In this lesson we'll cover how lenses work.

Lens Specifications — Focal Length & Aperture

In this lesson we'll explain what those numbers like 16-35mm f/2.8 on a lens actually mean.

Crop Factor

Many digital cameras, especially entry level camera models, have what's known as a crop sensor, which is smaller than a full frame sensor, affecting the field of view that a lens offers. In this lesson, we explain this confusing topic in easy to understand terms to help it make sense.

Making Sense of Exposure

We'll cover the basics of exposure in this lesson, explaining how the exposure triangle works and introducing the three elements of exposure - Aperture, ISO, and Shutter Speed.

Aperture

We explain how aperture is the exposure variable that controls how much light enters your camera and how this effects your photos!

Understanding ISO Speed Settings

ISO is what controls how sensitive your camera's sensor is to light, allowing you to take pictures in lower light conditions. Learn all about it in this tutorial!

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed controls how long light is allowed to pass through your lens to the camera's sensor. It also freezes motion, affecting motion blur.

Aperture and Depth of Field

Aperture controls how much light enters your camera. In this lesson, you'll learn how your lens's aperture affects the depth of field — how much of your subject or foreground and background are in focus!

What is White Balance?

White balance is how your camera determines the color cast in your photo and prevents the entire scene from taking on overly warm or cool tones from the ambient lighting.

The Histogram

This lesson will explain what a histogram is and how it can help you tell if your photos are properly exposed.

Metering Modes

Metering is how your digital camera measures the light in your scene in order to determine which exposure settings to use. There are a few choices of metering modes and in this lesson we'll explain the differences and tell you which situations each one is best for.

PASM: Exposure Modes

Most DSLR, mirrorless, and advanced compact cameras offer several exposure settings for you to use. In this lesson we'll go over what each exposure mode does and when you might want to use it!

Manual Focus

There are plenty of situations where using manual focus is the better choice. In this lesson, we'll explain how manual focusing works and when you might want to use it!

Raw vs Jpeg

You might have heard people say that you should always shoot in RAW — in this lesson we'll explain what RAW is and how it differs from shooting in Jpeg!

Prime vs Zoom Lenses

In this lesson we'll go over the differences between prime and zoom lenses and identify the strengths of each type.

Bokeh Explained

We'll explain in this lesson what bokeh is and why photographers are always talking about it.

Buying a Digital Camera

This lesson identifies some of the most important things to consider when buying a digital camera. Megapixels aren't everything and we'll tell you why!

Where to Buy a Digital Camera

Buying a digital camera and photography gear should be an easy process online, but there are some things you should be aware of when you start shopping.

After the Kit Lens: Choosing the Best Lenses on a Budget

Kit lenses often come bundled with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but in time many photographers feel that they've outgrown these lenses which offer limited performance. This lesson will explain how to navigate the daunting lens offerings and pick the ones that will give you the most bang for your buck!

Creating a Backup Strategy for your Photography

Nothing is worse than losing your photos when a hard drive crashes or a memory card fails. Learn how to create a backup strategy that will help protect your photos.