You’ve decided you want to learn more about photography… great! Check out our best sites on photography, including the best online photography classes and photographer websites, to help you perfect your pictures in no time. For each site, we’ll pick out some of our favourite resources too.
10+ Best Photography Websites, Courses, & Resources to Learn Photography
Why Learn Photography?
There are a bunch of great reasons to want to learn how to take better photographs, not least that many of us carry around a camera as part of our phones, and they do a great job.
Capture Life
You might just want to take better images for personal reasons – special occasions, when you’re on holiday with your family, interesting stuff you see on the street… that kind of thing. Learning some basic techniques like composition, how to focus properly, and even what kind of setting to use on your phone or camera, can make the difference between an okay photo and a great one.
Be Creative
Photography is a great way to express your creativity! You can tell stories, document the world as you see it, or experiment with abstract patterns and textures. Looking for things to photograph can mean we become more observant of what’s around us, and find opportunities that we may not have spotted before.
Connect With People
Photography groups are great ways to connect with people who have your interest in common, and also a good place to learn from, as they often include a wide range of ability and theme. Social media groups can be a fun place to share your own photos, either just to connect, or to get meaningful feedback or critique.
10 Best Sites on Photography and Best Online Photography Classes
1. Tuts+ - Free Site on Photography
- Who’s It For? Beginner to intermediate.
- Cost: Free
Oh come on, you knew we had to. We have a ton of free resources to help you learn photography, no matter which level you’re at. As well as free photography tutorials, you’ll find video courses, useful links to where you can find LUTs and actions to help you edit your photographs, and much more.
Featured Online Courses for Photography
- Adobe Creative Cloud vs. Affinity: A Comprehensive Guide - If you need to edit your photographs then you’ll know Adobe software is well respected and used by photographers everywhere, but if you’re looking for a good, fairly cheap, buy outright alternative then check out this guide comparing Adobe Creative Cloud with Affinity.
- 20 Top Colour Grading Presets and LUTs for Premiere Pro (2024) - If using presets and LUTs to colour grade your photographs appeal, then this article has 20 different options for you to try.
- The A-Z of Adobe Lightroom Classic for Photography - If you’d like to try Lightroom to edit photographs but you’re not sure where to start, this guide from A-Z will help you get to grips with it quickly and easily.
2. BBC Maestro – Subscription-Based Online Courses for Photography (and more)
- Who’s it For? Intermediate to expert
- Cost: Subscription at £10 per month, or £79 for this course.
BBC Maestro pitches itself as providing world-class online courses, and covers everything from wellness, to food and drink, to skills like photography. As this comes at a fairly hefty cost, it’s really for photographers who are serious about improving their photography, and we’d pitch this at intermediate to expert. With renowned photographer Rankin, you’ll learn how to use your camera manually (as opposed to auto or semi-auto), about lenses and lighting, and there are various creative challenges along the way to help you progress. There are 35 lessons in all, but with a fairly large price-tag to buy a single course, it’s probably wise to take a look at what else you might like to learn on the site, and opt for a subscription.
3. Digital Photography School
- Who’s it For? Beginner to intermediate
- Cost: Free tutorials through to paid courses and eBooks
Digital Photography School has quite a comprehensive offering, with free written tutorials, through to pay-to-purchases video courses, and even e-books. The site is neatly organised into photography tutorials, articles related to photography kit, and post-processing etc, so you won’t have to scroll endlessly to find what you’re looking for. There’s even a ‘start here’ section if you’re brand new to the site and to photography, so you can hit the ground running.
Featured Online Photography Classes for Beginners
- 14 Tips for Posing People With Confidence (+ Examples) - If you’d like to learn more about portrait photography but you’re not sure how to get the best out of positioning people, this article has some great suggestions.
- Will There Be a Nice Sunset Tonight? How to Predict Sunsets Like a Pro - Sunset is the favourite time of day for a lot of landscape photographers, but you can’t go out every night in the hope of getting something great. Give yourself the best chance of a stunner with the tips in this article.
4. Great Big Photography World
- Who's It For? Beginners to intermediate learners, plus anyone who enjoys community learning
- Cost: Free tutorials and courses, optional paid membership for premium courses and community access (trial from $1 for 7 days)
Great Big Photography World is a well-rounded platform that combines free courses, in-depth articles, video tutorials, podcasts, and an active community. Their free beginner photography course guides you through the essentials, including camera settings, exposure, and composition, making it ideal for those just getting started. Beyond the basics, you will find a wide range of resources on topics such as black and white photography, focus modes, and creative shooting techniques.
One of the site's biggest strengths is its community aspect. With thousands of members, you can join forums, live chats, and contests, or tune into their podcast featuring interviews with photographers from around the world. For learners who like a mix of structured education and real-world inspiration, Great Big Photography World is a fantastic choice.
Featured Courses:
- 365 Days of Photography Course - A daily, bite-size photography training program led by Kevin Landwer-Johan, covering essential camera techniques, composition, lighting, and creative vision, with 13 modules and 402 lessons to build your skill every single day.
- 52 Week Photography Challenge - A year-long weekly challenge led by Taya Iv, where you receive a new photo prompt every week to spark creativity, sharpen your eye, and build consistency in practice over 52 varied assignments.
5. PopPhoto
- Who’s it For? Enthusiast to expert
- Cost: Free
PopPhoto has been around in one form or another since 1937 when it was a publication called Popular Photography. Over the years it’s absorbed Modern Photography and AmericanPHOTO and adapting with the times, it’s now a large and fun mix of tutorials and guides, tech reviews, equipment tests, and articles about the changing culture of the industry. There’s even a specific learning section on smartphone photography!
Featured Photography Tutorials
- How to Photograph Neon Signs - This short tips article takes you through how to use your camera’s settings to get great photos of lit up signs.
- How Professional Photographers Take Snapshot Photos - Part of the Photo Trends section of the site, this article takes a trip through a professional photographer’s ‘snapshots’ with some tips on how you can make your own spontaneous shots look great.
6. SLR Lounge
- Who’s it For? Experts and those who want to make photography their business.
- Cost: $348 per year or a one-time payment of $999 for lifetime access.
SLR Lounge is a slightly different offering. While it definitely fits the bill of ‘sites on photography,’ as well as tips for photographers, this site focuses on the business of photography. With a fairly hefty price tag attached, it’s not really for beginners, but those who are looking to become professionals may benefit from their 30+ workshops, 1500+ lessons, and access to the community areas. You can see what their teaching style is like by signing up for a free 1 hour webinar before you commit.
7. Udemy
- Who’s it For? Beginner to intermediate
- Cost: Some free (with sign up) options and then costs vary but courses are £12.99+
Udemy is a site to help you learn across a bunch of different subjects, and this includes photography. There are some free courses to get you started and then you can pay for additional resources by subject.
Best Online Photography Classes from Udemy for Free
- Introductory Photography Course - This online photography class for beginners is free and covers 10 lectures over almost 3 hours. You’ll learn essential skills like composing, exposure, ISO, and much more.
- 7 Ingredients for Awesome Photography - Take Better Photos - Another free online photography class for beginners, this 55 minute video goes through how to take better photographs, touching on the exposure triangle, composition, and white balance.
8. YouTube
- Who’s it For? Everyone!
- Cost: Free (with ads)
Sometimes we can forget that YouTube is a resource all of its own and there are thousands of photography videos to be found there. While you’re on YouTube, remember to come follow us over at Tuts+ and subscribe, as we’ve got lots of free video courses on photography and video.
Best Online Courses for Photography, Highlights
Over 2 hours, you can learn everything you need to know about depth of field and exposure in photography, including hyperfocal distance, and how to shoot in real-world examples.
In just 11 minutes (well it is!), David Manning will rattle through the basics of photography including ISO, aperture, focus and more. This is a great place to start if you’re new to photography.
9. Strobist
- Who’s it For? Enthusiasts and those with a specific interest in learning about light
- Cost: Free
Strobist is a little more niche when it comes to sites on photography because it’s purely about lighting. As lighting is one of the best things you can master, it’s absolutely worthy of inclusion, it’s just probably not the place to start if you’re a total newcomer to photography. If you’re just getting started with understanding how best to capture light though, it’s great, as it starts at Lighting 101 for beginners, including how and when to use a flash, and recommendations for portable lighting setups. The site is a little clunky as they’re using Blogspot, but it’s well written and there are some good, solid examples and recommendations.
Featured Online Photography School Lesson
- A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Key Ideas - In this fun article, the author tales you through 13 points when it comes to lighting your photography. Each idea is short and to the point and links to related, more in-depth pieces if you find you want to learn more about that particular technique. The examples chosen are solid, achievable, and nicest of all… written with some humour. Our favourite is ‘White Light is a Lie.’
10. Picture Correct
- Who’s it For? All experience levels
- Cost: Free
Started by Richard Schneider, Picture Correct looks a little dated, but actually that’s part of its charm. It feels like the internet before everything was trying to sell something to us (although there are some annoying pop ups for photo cheat sheets), just some good, strong photography tips, tutorials, and guides. It’s updated regularly and has a good body of work to explore.
Featured Online Photography School Lessons
- 10 Ways to Build Confidence as a Photographer - If you’re a beginner, then this tutorial will give you some decent tips on how to gain in confidence, things like sharing your work, how to challenge yourself, and learning to embrace ‘failure’.
- The Importance of Negative Space in Photography - Negative space is a great technique to make impactful photographs, and in this free article you’ll learn why it’s important and how to make use of it.
11. The School of Photography
- Who’s it For? Intermediates
- Cost: Some free resources, and then £13.99 per month
The School of Photography doesn’t just provide online courses for photography, but also in-person ones. The provide videos, worksheets, presets, critiques, assignments and much more, which you can go through at your own pace. There are free tutorials, which is a great place to start, but for most of their resources you’ll need to subscribe.
Featured Online Photography School Lessons
- How to create a Photography Book - This is a step-by-step guide to creating your very own photography book, including help with layout, choosing your images, styling, and adding text.
- DNG vs RAW - What, Why, and Should You Convert? - If you’ve heard photographers arguing over JPEG versus RAW and why you should shoot in which format, then check out this article which explains exactly what it all means and how you can make the right choice for your photography work.
Best Photography Websites, Courses, & Resources to Learn Photography: Conclusion
We hope you've found some great new places to explore from our list of best sites on photography. There's really something for everyone, from totally free online courses for photography, to more in depth lessons and skills for those looking to become experts and professionals.
Envato
If you’re looking for great resources and assets to help you with your photography, you’ll find everything you need at Envato, where for a monthly subscription you’ve got access to LUTs, actions, templates and more.
About This Page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Gonzalo Angulo. Gonzalo is an editor, writer and illustrator.
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