My general motivation So many sources to learn. But not to see the wood for the trees. You bought your (digital) camera equipment and knew that in theory all information to learn everything about photography are there on the Internet, but where shall you start? Then you feel like I did in early 2014. My path started with fundamental concepts of photography on the camera. Shortly I realized that a valid image organization software is necessary to cope with all my shots.
While following work of others I realized how important post-processing is to me. Thus, I quickly got in touch with specialized software to be able to capture a larger dynamic range. Then being attacked with all that light, I learned how important it is to re-light certain elements in a picture, or dudge and burn the image, i.e. Making it lighter or darker. After a period of intensive learning on all these different important elements of photography I came back to the beginning, the fundamentals of composition and my eyes. And finally, searching for and being yourself through photography.
Arriving at the best exposure for a photo is part science and part art. Technology is on your side, but sometimes, to get the image you want, you have to override your camera's controls. In Photography Foundations: Exposure, Ben Long helps photographers expand their artistic options by giving them a deeper understanding of shutter speed.
Based on these experiences, I recommend to build up a parallel schedule on learning different aspects of photography (composition, camera techniques, organizing images, post-processing, finding yourself) as well as learning from different sources (read books, watch movies, listen to podcasts, follow other artists, do nothing with the inspirational eye and wait for the world to come). From all the material I personally found the following (mostly) video-based classes, workshops and tutorials extremely helpful as a learner in landscape photography (with a teacher’s eye and mindset). On composition. Foundations of photography: Composition, Ben Long @Lynda.com, 5h29m, Ben Long is the kind of teacher you always wanted to have: Patient, technically very skilled, finding excellent explanations of partly difficult concepts, beautiful examples, high-end video production.
On camera equipment and techniques:. Foundations of photography: Lenses, Ben Long @Lynda.com, 2h32m, Choosing lenses and taking advantage of their individual options is especially an important topic for beginners protecting them to spend a lot of money for lenses they probably won’t use actively. This course offers introductiong to these topics plus shooting techniques. Foundations of photography: Exposure, Ben Long @Lynda.com, 3h24m, To capture fundamental camera techniques like shutter speed, aperture, ISO, exposure and their interrelationships, this is the tutorial to go. Side-topics: White-balance, metering modes, exposure compensation, dynamic range and manuel mode. Highly recommended.
Photography Exposure Chart
Foundations of photography: Night and low light, Ben Long @Lynda.com, 4h00m, If you are touched by the blue hours (in addition to the often praised golden hours), by night or astro photography, Ben Long talks about tools, creative options and special techniques. Foundations of photography: Black and White, Ben Long @Lynda.com, 3h04m, Black and White photography helps incredibly to get a better feeling of tonal structures within your image. Within this tutorial Ben also touches post-production for B&W images. On organizing and managing images:. Foundations of photography: The ultimate guide to workflow in Lightroom and Photoshop., Aaron Nace @Phlearn.com, 18m15s, If you ever had troubles finding the right version of your focal favorite image, or if you prepare images for different outlets, then this is the tutorial for you. Very helpful. On elementary post-processing:.
How to use a Wacom tablet 1, 2, Aaron Nace @Phlearn.com, 12m10s and 8m55s, On advanced post-processing:. Time to get fast. Photoshop keyboard shortcuts, Aaron Nace @Phlearn.com, text and download wallpapers, Speed up your workflow by using shortcuts. Nice overviews and helpful tipps. Photoshop CC Essential tutorials & training, Julieanne Kost, 15h37m (!!), Excellent coverage of non destructive editing techniques, such us improving tone, contrast or color correct images, layering, healing, bracketing, stacking, blending, retouching, One of the most comprehensive PS courses I have discovered so far.
How to master the clone stamp tool in Photoshop, Aaron Nace @Plearn.com, 16m38s, The elementary tool in PS for getting rid of unimportant things in images. How to remove anything from a photo in Photoshop, Aaron Nace @Plearn.com, 20m11s, Another amazing episode from Aaron about clone stamping and brushing in PS. Masterclass Pack, Jimmy McIntyre, If I were only to choose one single video tutorial only for the rest of my life, it would be this package.
Jimmy McIntyre is just mind blowing and his images are amazing. He is an amazing teacher and a wonderful humble personality. Highest ever recommendation! In these classes you learn the basics of HDR photography, digital blending techniques and the usage of luminosity masks. On finding yourself:. Visual Literacy, Daniel Gregory @kelbyone.com, 1h35min, Potentially, one of the most helpful classes I’ve ever seen.
Daniel talks about vocabulary as the root of communication, about the intention to create an image, about understanding your work, and finally about yourself as a photographer. A Day with Jay Maisel, Scott Kelby and Jay Maisel @kelbyone.com, 1h53min, Another Day with Jay Maisel, Scott Kelby and Jay Maisel @kelbyone.com, 1h29min, A Week with Jay Maisel in Paris, Scott Kelby and Jay Maisel @kelbyone.com, 2h05min, The Art of Digital Photography: The Inspirational Series with Jay Maisel, Mia McCormick and Jay Maisel @kelbyone, 56min, All four of these courses are full of wisdom, insights, philosophy and hands-on implications. A pleasure to watch. For sure, this list can never be complete and I will update it from time to time. Nevertheless, it is only my own perspective and therefore highly subjective.