This is a teach yourself photography course!

There are so many educational resources available to learn photography these days. The hardest part is knowing which resource to learn from and what order to learn the skill sets of photography. As a photography educator I have put together this guide using mainly free resources available to anyone with internet access. At certain areas I have listed paid resources that I believe are worth spending your money towards getting a quality product and avoiding less than adequate free resources.

Nikon Z series camera

I recommend starting at the beginning of this list and working your way down the page. I have designed this course so that it has a logical flow of information. The Get to Know your Camera section can be tackled concurrently as you work your way through the rest of the content of this course.

Get to know your camera

As there are so many cameras on the market these days you must look for resources to get to know your individual camera. Find a Youtube video for both the setup and operation of your own camera. I highly recommend you purchase the David Busch guide for your camera. I find his guides are the most comprehensive and easy to understand. These are the skill sets you need to know:

Change modes between aperture priority, shutter priority and manual mode
Change the shutter speed and ISO whilst your camera is in aperture priority mode
Change the aperture and ISO whilst your camera is in shutter speed priority mode
Change the aperture, shutter speed and ISO of your camera whilst in manual mode
Engage Auto ISO, and change the Auto ISO settings
Change the drive mode from single shot to continuous
Change the focus mode from single to continuous
Change the focus area from spot focus to different group settings (if you want to shoot moving wildlife or sport)
Move from autofocus to manual focus both on your camera body and lenses
How to lock focus on both your camera and lenses
How to engage subject detection and tracking (mirrorless cameras only)
How to back button focus (if available to set in your camera model)
Activate the highlight warning (‘blinkies’) feature on the LCD playback
Display the histogram on the playback feature on the camera’s LCD
Display a histogram during live view
Move the focus point within the viewfinder
Zoom into 100% on the LCD during playback and if available during live view
Use the exposure bracketing feature
Use the focus bracketing feature (if available for your camera model)
Activate the cameras internal level on the LCD screen (if available for your camera model)
Engage focus peaking (if available) for assisting in manual focus
Shoot in RAW format
Shoot using Live View (DSLR users only)

Exposure Triangle

Aperture and F-Stops

https://digital-photography-school.com/aperture/

https://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography

https://photographylife.com/f-stop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdxKl5np9KE&list=PLG3eOzJfQr2e2OD4W0GmcSpO5oZ-c5FIu&index=5

Shutter Speed

https://digital-photography-school.com/shutter-speed/

https://digital-photography-school.com/demystifying-shutter-speed/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdJhkRFFvUs&t=687s

https://photographylife.com/landscapes/shutter-speed-explained-for-beginners

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-capture-motion-blur-in-photography/

ISO

https://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings/

https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtcjF0TqSxM&list=TLPQMjkxMjIwMjOvWa7KicEyrQ&index=2

Camera Modes

https://digital-photography-school.com/aperture-and-shutter-priority-modes/

https://digital-photography-school.com/things-aperture-mode-is-perfect-for-in-photography/

https://digital-photography-school.com/control-aperture-create-images-love/

https://digital-photography-school.com/moving-to-manual-mode-settings/

https://digital-photography-school.com/aperture-priority-over-manual-mode/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLFpQbRWgJE

Stops of Exposure & Equivalent exposure

https://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/what-is-a-stop-of-exposure-in-photography

https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/equivalent-exposures-tutorial-2/

Exposure Compensation

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-use-exposure-compensation/

https://digital-photography-school.com/understand-your-cameras-exposure-compensation-feature/

https://digital-photography-school.com/manual-mode-versus-exposure-compensation/

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-use-exposure-compensation-to-take-control-of-your-exposure/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TfgO4HBsac

Histograms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoLuyWy-hTk

https://photographylife.com/understanding-histograms-in-photography/amp

https://photographylife.com/what-are-histograms-a-photographers-guide

https://photographypro.com/histogram/

https://digital-photography-school.com/histograms-for-beginners/

https://youtu.be/XtdQz6piFpI

Histogram

Overexposure Warning

https://youtu.be/HQjDDM4WSIo

Dynamic Range

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrXwiPH-fCg

https://www.techradar.com/news/the-a-to-z-of-photography-dynamic-range

https://digital-photography-school.com/understanding-dynamic-range-photography/

Metering modes

https://photographylife.com/understanding-metering-modes

Exposure bracketing

https://www.howtogeek.com/402405/what-is-exposure-bracketing/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH5NWLFGQB4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBgrQj6qeRY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0K5zjJS2pc

Auto Exposure Lock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLNrRS9LRd4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQHxO75F7FY

HDR

https://expertphotography.com/hdr-photography-tips-improve-photography/

https://www.naturettl.com/a-beginners-guide-to-hdr-photography/

Depth of Field

https://digital-photography-school.com/seeing-in-depth-of-field-a-simple-understanding-of-aperture/

https://digital-photography-school.com/understanding-depth-field-beginners/

https://photographylife.com/what-is-depth-of-field/amp

https://www.photopills.com/articles/depth-of-field-guide

Focal Length

https://expertphotography.com/understand-focal-length-4-easy-steps/

Sensor Sizes

https://expertphotography.com/camera-sensor-size/

https://expertphotography.com/full-frame-vs-crop-sensor/

What Focal Length to Choose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CoEsqePADw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rde8skX7knY&list=TLPQMTIwMzIwMjNYV7Gzg6UhOA&index=4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCwynDb1ewg&list=TLPQMTIwMzIwMjNYV7Gzg6UhOA&index=5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSj5IQ_1gbc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ8IJTy7pqY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rde8skX7knY

https://www.lightroompresets.com/blogs/pretty-presets-blog/116056580-understanding-focal-length-which-one-is-right-for-your-subject#

Lens Compression

https://www.slrlounge.com/lens-compression/

https://photographylife.com/what-is-lens-compression/amp

For people who want to be technically correct about lens compression (useful; but confusing for beginners)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TTXY1Se0eg

Focus

https://photographylife.com/understanding-focus-in-photography

Hyperfocal Distance

https://photographylife.com/landscapes/hyperfocal-distance-explained

https://www.photopills.com/calculators/hyperfocal-table

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDK7zaVKApo&list=TLPQMTIwMzIwMjNYV7Gzg6UhOA&index=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfX_Hw48jlo

Auto Focus Modes

https://photographylife.com/autofocus-modes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N_bzhJAKms

Back Button Focus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzqQskGoURE&list=PLdqGSmxXmjU25_2qPRSb7uLJT5QG2UFTd&index=1

Avoiding blurry images

https://digital-photography-school.com/9-mistakes-cause-blurry-photos/

https://expertphotography.com/blurry-photos/

Focusing Issues

https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/camera-wont-focus-tips/amp/

https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/my-camera-wont-focus-the-8-most-common-problems/

Lens Calibration

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/discover/lens-calibration.html

Read this only when you need to complete lens calibration

https://photographylife.com/how-to-calibrate-lenses/amp

If you find your camera listed here and require to complete a lens calibration I recommend using this company

https://www.reikanfocal.com/supported-cameras.html?_ga=2.23652223.470470422.1644884244-496906724.1644884244

Focus Stacking & Focus bracketing

https://photographylife.com/landscapes/focus-stacking-tutorial-for-landscape-photography

https://shotkit.com/focus-stack-photoshop/

About filters

https://www.adorama.com/alc/a-beginners-guide-to-camera-lens-filters/

https://www.photopills.com/articles/lens-filters-guide

https://digital-photography-school.com/when-not-to-use-a-polarizing-filter/

Lenses

https://www.wix.com/blog/photography/amp/types-of-camera-lenses-guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwQXQ-yV7I4

https://expertphotography.com/wide-angle-lens/

https://youtu.be/yfWEzMa4ne8

https://youtu.be/9yDpSYXDQDI

https://youtu.be/BEX92KHR-4o

https://youtu.be/wVxfFuWdRzo

https://youtu.be/nYv2fklrd6s

https://youtu.be/x9s3Zvgx7ao

Ultra-wide Lenses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWgAD2kFTJs&list=TLPQMTIwMzIwMjNYV7Gzg6UhOA&index=2

White Balance

https://photographylife.com/definition/white-balance

Composition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3PFI6mgHlY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZVyNjKSr0M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHnNyKQsdLw

https://photographylife.com/composition-tips-for-beginners

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VArISvUuyr0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WhBssNRs6Y&t=0s

Low Light Photography

https://expertphotography.com/capture-great-photos-low-light/

Long Exposure Photography

https://www.capturelandscapes.com/ultimate-guide-long-exposure-photography/

https://expertphotography.com/long-exposure-photography-ideas/

https://capturetheatlas.com/long-exposure-photography/

https://fstoppers.com/originals/how-use-long-exposure-remove-people-your-landscapes-274831

https://www.thephotoargus.com/32-great-examples-of-long-exposure-photography/

https://www.boredpanda.com/interesting-long-exposure-photos/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic

https://youtu.be/I6JcLKzEdsc

https://pin.it/5GsUxTW

Portrait Lighting

The best and most comprehensive book that covers portrait lighting is a book by Roberto Valenzuela titled Picture Perfect Lighting.

Roberto has also produced a series of videos with Creative Live based on his book. The Creative Live course is title Picture Perfect Lighting.

Flash Photography

Start with the following 2 free resources:

https://thattogspot.com/flash-photography-101-off-camera-flash-for-beginners/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_Dc0CxmqVA

I highly recommend investing in the SLR Lighting Course 101 and 201. This will provide the foundation required to understand most of the YouTube tutorials available. The Lighting 101 course covers effective use of a flash used on top of the camera. Lighting 201 course covers using a single flash off camera.

Another excellent resource for using off-camera flash for portraits is Scott Robert Lim’s two courses:

Crazy Stupid Light

Real World Lighting: Advanced Techniques

I recommend Godox flashes and triggers/receivers. They are well made, highly functional, and very economical.

A great book once you have completed these videos is Picture Perfect Flash by Roberto Valenzuela.

Intentional Camera Movement

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/blog/tips-and-technique/a-guide-to-intentional-camera-movement-photography/

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/intentional-camera-movement-photography-part-1-introduction

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/intentional-camera-movement-photography-part-2-gear-and-technical

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/intentional-camera-movement-photography-part-3-approach-subjects

https://www.lightstalking.com/intentional-camera-movement/

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-take-creative-landscape-shots-using-intentional-camera-movement/

https://petapixel.com/2020/03/19/an-intro-to-intentional-camera-movement-icm-photography/

https://pin.it/4hUQBEv

Panning

https://digital-photography-school.com/6-tips-master-panning-photography/

https://digital-photography-school.com/mastering-panning-to-photograph-moving-subjects/

https://www.lightstalking.com/master-the-art-of-panning-with-these-9-useful-tips/

https://youtu.be/lnpc6QsoKo4

https://pin.it/5NHABIf

Zoom Burst Photography

https://www.lightstalking.com/zoom-burst-photography/

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-it-was-done-zooming-exposure/

https://www.shawacademy.com/blog/complete-guide-to-mastering-the-zoom-burst-technique/

https://pin.it/3eF4lgA

Panoramas

https://youtu.be/crmN3Hvc8WA

https://photographylife.com/landscapes/panoramic-photography-howto/amp

https://expertphotography.com/how-to-take-stunning-panoramic-photos/

Timelapse

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/au/tutorials/time-lapse-photography-how-to-make-your-first-time-lapse-video

Macro Photography

https://photographylife.com/macro-photography-tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJG62Zs9vGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXURJoX0cw8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWW0Q2ozVH8

These last 2 videos are to provide you with inspiration to this genre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjAFtMhtr0M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV08rumiAnA

Red Anemone

Landscape Photography

https://www.photopills.com/articles/landscape-photography-guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhZGT4Tfw34&list=TLPQMDkwMjIwMjKfGaNNiN1TiQ&index=8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEQc7sovu00&list=RDQMsclRtsOiVb8&index=19

Travel Photography

https://youtu.be/CKz8hZe9kTo

https://expertvagabond.com/travel-photography-tips/

https://www.capturelandscapes.com/tips-for-amazing-travel-photography/

Street Photography

https://youtu.be/4lhJllc9jNc

https://youtu.be/tVqBe3aNHBE

https://youtu.be/f2WqMrAd598

https://youtu.be/swH_lyxmDU4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyf2WDPttko

Portrait Photography

https://www.pixpa.com/blog/master-portrait-photography

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/portrait-photography-tips#10-tips-for-improving-your-portrait-photography

https://www.meero.com/en/news/photography/1000/2841-how-to-be-a-great-portrait-photographer-for-beginners-en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAb4Afbo5bg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsSC7it0Fac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_O6pbT7Ovw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2nNxaBA6ss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNK3kfy0qi4

Wildlife Photography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIjlN5KROtY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8VFm1pqpUg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwHQlJ2LfKc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9bX9QzifxU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPsQls2iPIQ

Multiple Exposure Images/Double Exposure

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/photography-101-what-is-double-exposure-tips-tricks-and-a-step-by-step-guide-to-creating-multiple-exposure-photographs#5-creative-double-exposure-tricks

https://digital-photography-school.com/multiple-exposures-camera/

https://www.adorama.com/alc/double-exposure-a-step-by-step-guide-to-creating-multiple-exposure-images/

Inspiration for each of these 2 areas:

https://pin.it/5o5wWHc

https://pin.it/1bt8jg3

Sunrise Photography

https://www.photopills.com/articles/sunrise-photography-guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWMHfhgwa_A

Sunset Photography

https://www.photopills.com/articles/sunset-photography-guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGdyFqGa3AA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bEH5BeXNLE

Golden Hour Photography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTYoj62KT2M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCyZc1dyzt4

https://www.photopills.com/articles/golden-hour-photography-guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEtriRi8oX8

Painkalec Creek at sunset

Blue Hour Photography

https://digital-photography-school.com/5-quick-tips-for-better-blue-hour-photography/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feb-1022&[email protected]

https://www.photopills.com/articles/blue-hour-photography-guide

Night Photography

https://photographylife.com/night-photography-tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrU-y9jp6CQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMDZf5_MOKY

Milk Way Photography

https://www.australianphotography.com/photo-tips/photo-tip-of-the-week-how-to-shoot-the-milky-way

https://photographylife.com/landscapes/how-to-photograph-the-milky-way

https://www.photopills.com/articles/milky-way-photography-guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXk-2BrxySw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzBiWCPLw4A

Star Trails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xhdFUiSveA

https://www.lightstalking.com/how-to-photograph-star-trails/

https://nightskypix.com/how-to-photograph-star-trails/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJMZQgyP7Dc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCWxgQBbSE

Light Painting

https://digital-photography-school.com/beginners-guide-to-light-painting/

https://shotkit.com/light-painting/

https://lightpaintingphotography.com/light-painting-tutorials/jason-d-page/how-to-light-paint/

https://lightpaintingphotography.com/light-painting-portrait-tutorial/

https://pin.it/7xeBZRs

Black and White Photography

https://photographylife.com/black-and-white-photography

https://gurushots.com/article/black-and-white-photography-guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFZWw6y6PfY

Tilt-Shift Photography

https://youtu.be/gvV5sINKnT8

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-tilt-shift-lens/

https://www.slrlounge.com/30-tilt-shift-lens-photos-that-will-make-you-need-one/

https://www.slrlounge.com/creating-artistic-portraits-using-tilt-shift-lens/

https://pin.it/3Onx9pN

Waterfall Photography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7XDCrbn2xU&t=1451s

Brenizer Technique

https://digital-photography-school.com/5-steps-to-rock-the-brenizer-method/

https://www.adorama.com/alc/10-brenizer-method-tips-for-beautiful-panoramic-stitching/

https://fstoppers.com/post-production/brenizer-effect-fantastic-examples-5696

Planning a Shoot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw4n6b39Zsk&list=TLPQMDQwMjIwMjJjF5nZlX83XQ&index=2

https://expertphotography.com/8-tips-planning-landscape-photo-shoot/

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-plan-a-photoshoot-step-by-step-guide#step-1-develop-a-good-concept

https://slrlounge.com/planning-your-shoot-be-your-own-art-director-part-1/

https://www.photopills.com/articles/how-find-sunrises-and-sunsets

https://www.photopills.com/articles/understanding-azimuth-and-elevation

https://thelenslounge.com/preparing-for-a-photoshoot-on-location/

On Location

https://www.photokonnexion.com/work-the-scene/

https://creativepro.com/photography-fundamentals-work-scene/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW907dkOwZI&list=TLPQMDkwMjIwMjKfGaNNiN1TiQ&index=4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd6HxAdyn_M&list=TLPQMDkwMjIwMjKfGaNNiN1TiQ&index=7

Seascapes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOrxVZwTWkU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZznwhIufoGI&list=TLPQMDUwNjIwMjIe2XCzk-7HeQ&index=7

Lightroom

As Adobe Lightroom is not only a photo editing program but also a catalog for storage of all your images it is essential to set up your catalogs properly from the beginning of using Lightroom. Otherwise, finding images and converting images that you have already edited into a new catalog can cause nothing but frustration. I highly recommend taking a complete course in Lightroom from Creative Live. Even if you just watch the first few chapters that will help you set up your photo catalogs, it will save you hours of frustration later on. After you understand setting up catalogs, you can then work your way slowly through the course to learn all the editing tricks.

The Lightroom Queen produces great guidebooks. Start with the smaller free PDFs and if you like her style of information delivery, it is definitely worth paying for the more comprehensive eBooks. She also has some great information in her blog.

Best Paid Resources

Creative Live – best value for money photography, videography, Lightroom, and photoshop education available.

SLR Lounge – great resource for those looking to turn their hobby into a profession.

KelbyOne

Johanna Beach at sunset

Photography Education Guide – Teach yourself photography