14 Best Online Photography Classes

Are you looking for the best online photography class?

We’ve got you covered.

There are plenty of photography courses to be found online, to suit a variety of budgets and experience levels — there are even mobile photography classes!

We’ve included everything from the best photography classes for beginners, as well as more advanced courses and how to build a successful business in the industry.

Let’s take it away…

Best Photography Classes

Basics of Digital Photography

If you’re new to photography and keen to start bossing your way around a DSLR camera, this course will be well up your street.

Specifically designed for beginners, the class is taught by Rick Alldred — a Photographic Workshops instructor from Sante Fe — and has been engineered to help you move beyond auto mode in just 9 video lessons.

Topics covered include:

• How to find the best light
• How to shoot in the shade
• Shutter speed and depth of field
• Mastering zoom
• Using wide-angle and telephoto lenses
• How to use a polarizer for bright colors

Photography Starter Kit for Beginners

Also for beginners, but arguably much more comprehensive, is this photography course taught by award-winning photographer John Greengo.

Greengo covers absolutely everything you need to know before getting started with photography in these 17 lessons, including the following:

• Aperture
• Depth of field
• Metering
• Exposure modes
• Light
• Flash
• Composition
• Elements of design

National Geographic Masters of Photography

This is significantly more expensive than most of the other courses in this list, but it’s such an incredible offering that we couldn’t not include it.

The course includes 24 lessons from a total of 12 of the top photographers working for National Geographic.

Whatever your interests, you’ll find something to tickle your pickle here — from landscapes and wildlife to portraits and adventure.

Recommended for intermediate photographers, this is the course for those of you who want to become a true Master of Photography.

Get Started with Lifestyle Family Photography

Ideal for budding photographers who want to fully capture the beauty, splendor and spirit of their family, this reasonably-priced course is a great investment for lifestyle photographers.

Taught by Elena Blair who originally considered herself just ‘a mom with a camera’, she know runs a siz-figure lifestyle photography business.

She’ll cover all the basics, as well as the gear you need, shooting with intention, and even posing techniques for family.

Night Photography

One of the most frustrating issues facing the amateur photographer is having to stop taking (good) photos once the sun sets — if that sounds familiar, then it’s well worth your time to take a night photography course like this.

Run by experienced night photographer Lance Keimig, this budget-friendly course includes 7 hours of video lessons, as well as plenty of additional class materials for you to peruse.

Lance actually takes the class into Bodie — a ghost town in California — to showcase exactly what techniques you need to master to produce beautiful night time photography.

Fine Art Photography

An incredibly popular course with creative professionals, this online photography course contains a whopping 138 video lessons as well as exclusive bonus content.

The course is focused on how to create a series of photos from concept to creation, effectively telling a story and teaching you how to share, show and sell your final creation.

Example lessons include the following:

• Universal symbols in stories
• Creating interactive characters
• Connection through art
• Layering inspiration
• Translating emotion into images

Mobile Photography

It used to be that you could only produce noteworthy photographs with a sophisticated and expensive DSLR camera — not any more!

This course, lead by Jack Davis, will show you how to use your smartphone to create worthy photos — whether you’re using an Android device or iPhone.

Expect to find out more about the following topics:

• Going beyond basic settings
• Embellishing and finishing your work in Lightroom
• The latest gear and accessories for mobile photography
• Optimizing for color, tone and detail
• How best to share your work

Wedding Photography Bootcamp

This is a super specific and niche photography class for those of you out there who want to launch a business as a wedding photographer — a notoriously difficult industry to break into and make serious money in.

The course is lead by Sal Cincotta, an award-winning photographer, and promises to cover every aspect of building a thriving business — it even includes a live consultation session with an engaged couple.

Some of the topics covered include:

• Sales and marketing
• Bridal shows
• Pricing
• Packaging

Travel Photography: The Essential Guide

A must-do online photography course for any keen traveler, the Essential Guide to Travel Photography takes a deep-dive into this wonderful subject with Jad Davenport — a photographer for National Geographic.

In 7 lessons, Jad will teach you all about essential gear, shot lists, how to work in bad weather, the best time of day to photograph, composition techniques and even how best to photograph locals.

This class is recommended for intermediate photographers, so it’ll be ideal for those of you with a little experience already.

Newborn Photography Bootcamp

Your baby is only a baby once — so make sure that you capture them from newborn to toddler, in all their glory!

This online photography course is perfect for both new parents and photographers looking to specialise in newborn baby photography.

Here are some of the topics covered in the 29 included lessons:

• Outdoor sessions with props
• Setting up a home studio
• Posing
• Branding and product

Close-Up Nature Photography: Beyond the Basics

Close-up shots of beautiful flowers and other incredible nature are some of the most compelling images in the world.

Learn how to work on a small scale on this well-price course lead by Adam Jones, an award winning photographer.

Here are the subjects of his 12 lessons:

1. Finding subjects
2. Using natural light
3. Setting up
4. Small viewpoints
5. Depth of field in a small world
6. Specialized gear
7. Wide-angle close ups

Dramatic Light From Day To Night

Another great photography class option for intermediate photographers, Dramatic Light From Day To Night will teach you how to stop relying on Golden Hour and to capture incredible photos regardless of the time of day.

There are 7 lessons in total, lead by David H Wells, which also includes tips on working with Flash, and how to finish your photos like a professional in Lightroom.

The Business of Professional Headshots

Here’s another course aimed at building yourself a thriving photography business — this time specializing in professional headshots.

Very reasonably priced — especially when you consider the amount of money you should be able to commission from paying clients — this course contains 38 lessons on themes like gear, posing, lighting and background.

There’s also plenty of information on pricing, payment and delivery.

Food Photography

If you’re a foodie and fancy documenting your culinary adventures, there’s no better investment you can make than taking a food photography course.

This 7 lesson course is lead by the acclaimed food photographer Andrew Scrivani, and promises to be a complete course in introductory food styling and photography.

Here’s what’s on the menu:

• Using natural light to showcase texture
• The best perspectives and lenses for delectable photos
• Complementary props and colors
• Food styling and composition

Which do you think is the best online photography course?