Learn photography and video from your very first click.
Learn Photography and Video. Understand Your Camera. Create Better Images and Films. 29 free courses and 429 lessons that explain why things happen, how they change your photos and videos, and when to use them.
Continue where you left offOne clear path from beginner to professional
The Academy is arranged in eight stages. Follow them in order, or jump to the stage you need.
Foundations
Start here. Cameras, exposure, focus, lenses and composition.
2Light and color
See, shape and control light and color.
3Digital craft
Sensors, files and a reliable workflow.
4Photography in practice
Every type of photography, smartphone photo and film, and content creation.
5Advanced techniques
Night, macro, creative work, editing and printing.
6Professional practice
Business, freelancing, jobs, portfolio, career, law, ethics and safety.
7Mastery
Projects, critique, research, visual literacy and new technology.
8Filmmaking and post-production
Sound, video editing, color grading and directing.
All 29 courses
Every course is a short series of focused lessons. Your progress appears on each card as you mark lessons complete.
Stage 1: Foundations
BeginnerPhotography Foundations and Camera Fundamentals
Start photography and video from zero: how cameras work, buttons and settings, steady handling, resolution, video mode and your first photos and clips.
11 lessons1.4 hours of readingExposure, Metering and Dynamic Range
Master exposure for photos and video: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, metering, histograms, dynamic range, the 180-degree rule, zebras, waveforms and log.
17 lessons2 hours of readingFocusing, Sharpness, Depth of Field and Motion
Learn autofocus, manual focus, depth of field, motion blur and panning, plus video frame rates, slow motion, focus pulling and steady video techniques.
14 lessons1.6 hours of readingLenses, Focal Length, Perspective and Filters
Understand lenses and filters: focal length, prime vs zoom, perspective, distortion, choosing lenses, ND and polarizing filters, and cine lenses for video.
18 lessons2 hours of readingComposition, Visual Design and Storytelling
Learn composition for photos and video: balance, lines, rule of thirds, framing, viewpoint, storytelling, shot sizes, camera movement and continuity.
17 lessons1.7 hours of readingStage 2: Light and color
Beginner to intermediateLight, Shadow and Natural Lighting
Learn to see and use natural light for photos and video: hard vs soft light, direction, window light, golden hour, backlight, reflectors and difficult light.
12 lessons1.2 hours of readingFlash, Studio and Artificial Lighting
Learn flash and studio lighting: TTL and manual flash, bounce, setups, portrait patterns, product lighting, ratios, LED video lights and interview lighting.
17 lessons1.7 hours of readingColor, White Balance and Color Management
Master color for photos and video: color temperature, white balance, mixed light, harmony, grading, color spaces, calibration, Rec.709, log and LUTs.
14 lessons1.3 hours of readingStage 3: Digital craft
IntermediateSensors, Image Quality, RAW and Digital Imaging
Understand image quality: sensor sizes, crop factor, megapixels, RAW vs JPEG, bit depth, dynamic range, noise, compression, video codecs and bitrates.
14 lessons1.4 hours of readingPhotography Workflow, File Management and Delivery
Build a reliable workflow: importing, culling, organizing, keywording, backup, RAW editing, export, client delivery, archiving, video offloading and proxies.
15 lessons1.4 hours of readingStage 4: Photography in practice
Beginner to intermediatePhotography Techniques and Applications
Learn every major genre: portrait, landscape, street, product, food, sports, wildlife, wedding, night and phone, plus wedding, documentary and social video.
26 lessons2.4 hours of readingSmartphone Photography and Filmmaking
Learn smartphone photography and filmmaking: pro mode, RAW, lenses, light, editing, product photos, phone video, sound, gimbals, short films and paid work.
14 lessons58 minutes of readingContent Creation and Social Media Growth
Learn content creation from zero: niche, content plans, hooks, YouTube and short video, carousels, captions, analytics, community, earning and brand deals.
13 lessons49 minutes of readingStage 5: Advanced techniques
AdvancedAdvanced Exposure, HDR, Long Exposure and Night Photography
Advance your exposure skills: zone system, bracketing, HDR, long exposures, ND filters, light trails, Milky Way, star trails, timelapse and night video.
16 lessons1.4 hours of readingAdvanced Composition, Perspective and Visual Storytelling
Go beyond the basics: visual hierarchy, isolation, layering, perspective, photo essays, narrative, personal style, film scenes and storyboards.
13 lessons1.1 hours of readingMacro, Close-Up, Scientific and Technical Photography
Learn macro and close-up photography: magnification, macro lenses, depth of field, focus stacking, lighting, plus scientific and technical documentation.
13 lessons1.1 hours of readingCreative, Experimental, Fine-Art and Conceptual Photography
Explore creative work: camera movement, multiple exposures, abstract and staged images, concepts, symbolism, fine-art series and creative video effects.
13 lessons1.1 hours of readingEditing, Retouching and Advanced Image Processing
Learn photo editing step by step: levels, curves, color correction, noise reduction, sharpening, masks, dodge and burn, retouching and compositing.
19 lessons1.6 hours of readingPrinting, Presentation and Digital Publishing
Learn to print and publish: print resolution, papers, printing methods, framing, exhibitions, web images, social media sizes and publishing video online.
14 lessons1.2 hours of readingStage 6: Professional practice
Beginner to professionalProfessional Photography, Business and Client Management
Run a photo and video business: niche, clients, pricing, quotes, contracts, invoicing, marketing, referrals, video pricing and hybrid packages.
16 lessons1.2 hours of readingPortfolio, Career, Marketing and Photography Website
Build your creative career: portfolios, personal branding, website structure, SEO, social media, networking, specialist services and a video showreel.
14 lessons1.1 hours of readingCopyright, Licensing, Ethics, Safety and Professional Practice
Learn copyright, licensing, model releases, privacy and consent, image integrity, safety and risk planning, plus music licensing and filming permissions.
18 lessons1.5 hours of readingEarning Money: Freelancing, Your Own Business and Getting Hired
Earn with photography and video: freelancing, marketplaces, remote editing, packages, your own business, studio and agency jobs, interviews and career growth.
14 lessons47 minutes of readingStage 7: Mastery
ProfessionalPhotography Projects, Critique, Research and Visual Literacy
Plan and complete projects, critique images, use photography as research, study photo history, think critically about images and plan video productions.
20 lessons1.5 hours of readingEmerging Photography Technology, AI and Computational Imaging
Understand modern camera technology, computational photography, smartphone cameras, AI editing, content credentials, AI in video and the future of imaging.
11 lessons54 minutes of readingStage 8: Filmmaking and post-production
Intermediate to professionalSound and Audio for Video
Learn sound for video from zero: how sound works, choosing microphones, recording clean dialogue, room tone, syncing, music and basic audio mixing.
12 lessons1 hour of readingVideo Editing and Post-Production
Learn video editing step by step: organizing footage, the timeline, rough cuts, types of cuts, pacing, B-roll, titles, editing for platforms and exporting.
13 lessons1.1 hours of readingColor Grading for Video
Learn color grading for video: correction versus grading, video scopes, log footage, LUTs, matching shots, skin tones, cinematic looks and delivery.
11 lessons55 minutes of readingDirecting and Filmmaking Craft
Learn directing and filmmaking: story structure, simple scripts, blocking, directing people on camera, interviews, coverage and making a short film.
10 lessons50 minutes of readingHow every lesson teaches
Lessons follow the same simple shape, so you always know where to find what you need.
Understand the why
Each lesson starts with one clear question, then explains what is happening and what it changes in your photo, not just which button to press.
See it in real situations
Practical examples show a real situation, what a photographer or filmmaker does, why it works and the result you can expect.
Build on what you know
Ideas are explained once, in their own lesson. Later lessons link back, so you can refresh any concept in one click.
Exams and certificates
Test your photography and filmmaking skills
8,700 exam questions, written from our lessons and checked one by one. Every course has its own exam with 290 sets in total, so every retry brings 30 new questions. Pass all 29, then take the grand exams for your final certificate.