Best Free Photography Resources & Tutorials

There are plenty of professionals who are eager to learn photography but hesitate because of the perceived up-front costs. If you’re going to study photography, you will need to buy a camera with enough settings to give you creative flexibility, so either a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, which will cost an average of $500 or $850 respectively for entry-level models. You’ll also need to grab an interchangeable lens or two. These range in price from $150-$2000 depending on the lens. Once you’ve invested in a camera and lenses, you may not be eager to spend more money right away. Fortunately, there is a surprising amount of free resources available to help beginners get the hang of this exciting skill. 

Read on to learn more about the different types of free resources and tutorials available to help you learn photography.

What is Photography?

Photography is the art of producing an image by recording light with a camera. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce took the first photograph in 1826. Photography was a revolutionary technology because it made it easier for images to be reproduced and widely distributed. The first cameras were large and awkward to handle, and the lengthy exposure times necessary to capture an image required photographic subjects to hold still for uncomfortable intervals. However, as the technology evolved, cameras became easier to use and more affordable.

For over 100 years, all photographs were captured on film and developed using chemicals. In 1975, Steven Sasson invented the digital camera, which dramatically increased the ease of capturing and distributing photographic images. Most photography today is digital: the device taking the photo saves the recorded image as a digital file. Smartphones capture 92.5% of those digital photos, but there’s still nothing like a dedicated camera for getting a sharp, high-quality image. 

Digital photography classes will teach you how to make the most of your digital camera. You can learn how to use all of your camera’s settings to the best advantage, how to work with studio or outdoor lighting, and how to adapt the choices you make as a photographer to the environment and goals you are working with. You’ll also explore the powerful, industry-standard software that allows Digital Photographers to edit and retouch the photos they take. 

Read more about what photography is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Photography?

Since the first photograph was taken in 1826, creators have been using this skill to capture images of the world around them. Photography allows people to document events, moments in time, and things they have seen. It can also help human beings gain a better understanding of the world, in the case of scientific photography or photojournalism. Photography is also an artistic medium—the Photographer presents their interpretation of the human experience through what they choose to document and the perspective their photos show.

Another important aspect of photography is that photographic images can be reproduced, allowing them to be circulated and distributed worldwide. Even before digital photography, a film photograph was easier to reproduce than the paintings and drawings that had previously been the best way to convey an image. One early example of how the new technology of photography rapidly came to shape the world is the work of Matthew Brady. His photos documenting the American Civil War showed the brutality of the war’s impact, powerfully influencing public opinion about the conflict.

Now, with digital cameras, the distribution of photographs can be nearly instantaneous, and reproducing one only requires uploading a file. Also, the powerful editing software available to modern Photographers makes remarkable transformations possible. Social media has shown some of what one can do with the opportunities provided by digital photography, with photos of dramatic events witnessed by private citizens being rapidly distributed all over the world. However, the full potential of digital cameras and photo editing software may have yet to reveal itself.

Noble’s Free Resources for Learning Photography

Noble Desktop has some great free resources you can use in your learning process, particularly if you’re interested in photo editing. To familiarize yourself with Photoshop basics, check out Noble’s free on-demand Intro to Photoshop video tutorial. Confused about when to use Photoshop and when to use Lightroom? This blog post and video tutorial comparing Photoshop with Lightroom should help you decide. For those ready to try some more advanced Photoshop techniques, Noble has a tutorial on digital darkroom techniques. These will allow you to transform digital photos just like you would a film photo when developing it in a darkroom. Students who want an introduction to retouching in Photoshop can follow this free step-by-step Photoshop retouching tutorial. For a briefer intro, you can watch Noble’s free seminar on photo retouching. 

Read more about learning photography on Noble’s Learn Hub.

Free Online Courses in Photography Basics

Students looking for introductory materials on photography can find several free courses online. Sites like Udemy and Coursera are good places to look if you’re simply learning the basics and don’t want to spend anything on your studies yet. These courses will introduce you to how to use the settings on your camera and how to work with different kinds of lighting. You can also learn about basic photographic principles like framing, composition, aperture, and depth of field. 

Photography Video Tutorials

In addition to the video tutorials from Noble mentioned above, you can find free video tutorials about photography on Udemy and Coursera as well. These sites are good places to find information about how to use your camera. They’ll get you started with taking the photos you’ll need before you move on to the editing phase, where Noble’s free online resources can be of most help. If you’re wondering about your camera’s settings, you may even be able to find a tutorial specific to the camera or brand you have. Video tutorials can also help you learn how to set up a shot or adapt to tricky lighting. You can also get clear on the basic principles of photography through these video tutorials.

Free Photo Editing Software

Serious students of photography will want to learn the industry-standard editing programs from Adobe: Photoshop and Lightroom. When you’re getting started, though, you can use free software that provides many of the same functions. You may want to substitute RawTherapee for Lightroom and Pixlr for Photoshop respectively. However, do bear in mind that many of the available video tutorials on photo editing are specific to Photoshop, so you won’t be able to follow along as easily if you’re using a different editing program.

Key Insights

• Photography is the art of recording patterns of light
• Taking photographs allows you to capture and document the world around you
• Digital cameras let you create images that you can then distribute almost instantaneously to people anywhere in the world
• Getting started with photography outside a classroom setting involves a substantial investment in equipment, so you may not want to also pay for training right away
• Noble Desktop has free video tutorials, blog posts, and seminars on photo editing
• Free courses in photography basics are available through Udemy and Coursera, among other sites 
• These providers also have free on-demand video tutorials
• You can receive comprehensive photography training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop

Learn Photography with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop’s small class sizes and expert instructors make it an excellent environment for learning photography and related skills. Students can choose between in-person and live online courses, depending on which is better for their particular situation. Students can also retake Noble classes for free, which can help expand their knowledge of the topic.

Noble offers a certificate in photo retouching specifically, delving more deeply into critical skills that Photographers should have. Another option is Noble’s popular Graphic Design Certificate, which covers Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and graphic design principles. If you don’t yet want to commit to earning a certificate, you could take an individual Photoshop course to start with. You can also do a Photoshop bootcamp for beginners with Noble.

When you do a digital photography certificate at Noble, you’ll acquire foundational skills for photography and photo editing. Students learn to use manual settings to help them make the most of what a high-quality camera offers. They also discover how to work with different types of lighting, both inside a studio and out in the world. In terms of digital photo manipulation, students explore how to manage their photographs with Adobe Lightroom and edit them using Adobe Photoshop.