looking for best online photography course

[_mikro_]

As the title states I am looking for the best online photography course. I am willing to pay obviously too. I'm looking for something that will help me improve my landscape photography and the use of Lightroom and Photoshop. Please help!

 

[Peeb]

Me too! The more I learn, the dumber I find that I am.

I can do quite a few things, but I'm totally lost in other areas...

Living over an hour (one way) from the nearest city, online is about my only option.

 

[Overread]

A few thoughts:
1) I'm not a fan of paid courses for hands on skills. They can work, but they have to be really really good and in general will only help you with after the moment help. I would always advocate paid courses to be in person and ideally with as few other students (ideally 1 to 1) as possible. That way you get a teacher in person in the moment who can help you avoid bad habits and shooting practice before they become a problem.
They can also watch you shoot which can reveal issues or ideas which internet based teaching can't do.

2) Internet teaching is great for theory studying and editing and post-event critique (ergo photo critique).

3) don't forget that if you post up photos here on the forums you can get a lot of feedback for free from other hobbyists and pros who are members of the site. Give a read to the critique thread linked in my signature for some additional advice on how best to present yourself to get the best possible feedback.

 

[alexis.alvarez]

I've heard very good things about Lynda.com. ICP in NYC also offers some web-based courses.

 

[Desert Rose]

They are all the best. Just ask any of them.
The purpose of an online course is to make money for the owner of the course, not to give the best education.
You will get a far better education with hands on shooting and with reading from many many sources, not just a course or two or three online or even in person at a local community center or college.
The best way to learn it is to do it. Research it, and immerse yourself in it.

 

[SteveGP]

I've also been trying to learn some new things particularly for portraits, lighting, Lightroom and Photoshop. While I took a course at the local community college a while back, I have found that YouTube is an enormously valuable resource. You have to look for the best teachers, but once you find them, just about everything is covered, usually in quite a bit of detail. One thing you don't get from this is a critique of your photographs, but you might be able to get that from a local photography club or here. Just take every criticism with a grain of salt.

 

[Peeb]

They are all the best. Just ask any of them.
The purpose of an online course is to make money for the owner of the course, not to give the best education.
You will get a far better education with hands on shooting and with reading from many many sources, not just a course or two or three online or even in person at a local community center or college.
The best way to learn it is to do it. Research it, and immerse yourself in it.

As to shooting in general, perhaps.

However, as to LR and PS, they are really not amenable to the acquisition of in depth knowledge by just mucking around incessantly. Trust me- that's what I've done for about two years, and I'm still in dire need of real technical help. In another ten years, might I figure out what I wish to know? Perhaps, but if I could accelerate that process with a skilled instructor, it would be well worth the money.

Please don't presuppose that a profit motive negatives an instructors authentic desire to teach. Not aware of many school teachers or college professors who teach for free. Nor should they- valuable services are worthy of payment.

The purpose of this thread is to wade through the options, as online courses are like photographers- some are better than others.

 

[OGsPhotography]

Kelby.
PHLEARN.
Youtube search.
Google search.

By search I mean search a specific topic.

Circle of confusion got you down? read up! Google.

Gotta get a quick handle on the new select and mask Onion Skin? Youtube.

Follow the good ones. Try new " teachers" once in a while, dont get stuck in a style.

Dual box a phone and a cpu. Phone plays video of task, follow along with cpu.

Creative Live. Cambridge in Color.

Soooooo much good info out there its amaaaaaaazing.

There are a few more I follow and will pay someday.
Adorama Tv. Gavin and the other guys good too.
B+H has a lot of comprehensive free vids.
Im sure you cn pay them somehow if you want.

Stores usually have classes.

I took a college night course and that was priceless. Still talk with the instructor a few times a year, that was 7 years ago, time flies.

Oh, dont forget books. Look into that they may be discounted before they become antiques.

 

[Derrel]

One of the biggest problems with searching for information is ,"Not knowing what it is that you do not know"; among the several problems associated with learning any new craft, not knowing, EXACTLY, what to search for can be a huge problem. How can an image be improved in software? How would the beginner or intermediate even know what to search for?

As far as online courses, I have no idea. There are so,so many people out there, of various skill levels, and with varying motivations; some want to teach, others wish to merely sell actions and pre-set kits, while others have who knows what as their motivation.

I think OGsPhotography's post above mine makes a lot of sense!

 

[The_Traveler]

Looking for 'the BEST course' is like looking for 'the BEST camera' or 'the BEST graduate school'. There is no one BEST.
IMO, photography is the most complex of the graphic arts. Because of that complexity, it is difficult to progress past beginner-ness in any organized manner that doesn't result in wrong turns and dead ends. You, or anyone, will never be terrific at everything and its at the point when you realize that there are only a few areas you care about that your real, useful education begins.

For the basics, I suggest that people learn the basics of their camera, exposure, using the basic tools of their chosen post-processing software.
Then start narrowing your interest and learn in a more task oriented way. How do I do this, how do I do that?
Each of these questions requires answers that spawn new questions.
IMO, and IME, large workshops are useless because the instructor must cover a wide field of expertise.
The smaller the workshop, the better. You and the instructor with perhaps one other person at your level is best.

There are two skills areas where book learning really helped me.

Selections - an absolutely critical skill and the book I've used for years is https://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Masking-Compositing-Voices-Matter/dp/0321701003/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 - I've bought several books and this is the only one I've kept.

Sharpening - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=sharpening+photography . This book will help a lot especially in the area of artistic use of sharpening - and will show you why LR sucks for sharpening.

At the same time, I suggest you look at many pictures and try to understand, not just how it was done, but why you like it.
The goal here is not to understand how someone got a great image so you can repeat it but to understand what is so impactful in the image so you can create your own.

Shoot and learn to be critical of your own work.
Learn to see what is actually in the picture and not the picture in your mind's eye.

I don't believe in competitions as a learning experience, you are only learning what the judges like.
In the beginning, you will profit a lot from hearing lots of other opinions about what you are doing.
While you learn to correct technical inadequacies, try harder to improve your artistic vision.

Eventually you will profit less and less from hearing what everybody else thinks and you will listen and value only a very few.
The battle then will not be to satisfy others but to exceed the level of your previous work.

 

[Drive-By-Shooter]

This online course is based on one taught at Stanford from 2009 through 2014.
Digital Photography

 

[Didereaux]

As the title states I am looking for the best online photography course. I am willing to pay obviously too. I'm looking for something that will help me improve my landscape photography and the use of Lightroom and Photoshop. Please help!

Here are a couple of links to fairly short clips that contain a wealth of information. Bob Holmes is one of the premier photographers of the last 30 years. He is extremely clear in his explanations of what he does, why, and how.

 

[Dave Colangelo]

Take the money you would spend on the course, fill up your gas tank and go find some nice landscapes to shoot. That will do way more for you than ay course.

If you want some good advice there are a few ways to go about this but I have always preferred to look into what the masters did to get their great shots. There are a ton of free documentaries about Ansel Adams floating around youtube that tell a lot about how he worked and are well worth the watch.

If you are in the Philly area I'd be happy to show you a thing or two for free.

Regards
Dave

 

[Philmar]

As one who was self-taught online I usually just google whatever issue I am interested in and go from there. For example, if i am off to shoot fireworks I google 'fireworks photography tips'. Tons of online free resources.

 

[lindseydy]

I have found KelbyOne to be great with a ton of different subject matters.