Best Resources To Improve Your Photography Skills
Are you interested in bettering your photography skills? The good news is that in this day and age, there are so many different resources readily available. With options ranging from books to videos to online forums, there is something for everyone. Free resources are great, but don't discount the possibility of paid resources as well. They can be well worth the money. Happy learning!
Where can you go to find great photography information?
Just a Few Ideas
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Books
| Blog Posts and Articles
| Videos
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Photo Challenges
| Classes
| Podcasts
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Reviews and Forums
| Photo Hosting Websites
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Books
With literally thousands of free articles and blog posts available online, many people don't even think about seeking out books anymore. If you have a local library with a great nonfiction section, take advantage of it. You will most likely find a wealth of materials there. Don't be afraid to purchase a few carefully selected titles, too. Books come with the guarantee of research, experience, and editing that you're going to find in very few places online. It can be a refreshing change of pace and can save you a lot of time.
- 10 Best Photography Books for Beginners and 20 More to Consider
Here I have collected 10 photography books for beginners that are easy to read and understand, even if you have never worked with a camera before. - 9 Best Photography Books to Improve Your Photography - Click it Up a Notch
We have put together a list of 9 of our favorite photography books. These books will help your improve your photography skills.
This is not the only Lightroom 5 Manual, but it is certainly one of the most popular and with good reason.
Blog Posts and Articles
With that being said, you should not discount the great range of blog posts and articles online. When it comes to blogs, seek out successful sites, whether or not they're specifically about photography because one of the biggest keys to success in the world of blogging is taking great pictures. I have linked a couple great non-photography examples on the right. I've learned so much about photography from these ladies. I've also linked some of my favorite photography websites below.
- Digital Camera News, Reviews, Tips and Techniques | Digital Camera World
Digital photography tips and techniques, digital camera reviews, photo editing lessons and video tutorials from Digital Camera Magazine. - Light Stalking: Photography Blog and Community
Light Stalking is a photography community like no other. Upload a photo, get feedback and find out how to take better photographs.
5 Reasons Why You Need a 50mm lens...Just One Video From a Great Photography Channel With a Wealth of Videos
Videos
The best piece of advice that I can offer for finding great photography videos is to find solid channels with lots of videos and stick with them for the majority of your viewing. It can be frustrating to start a brand new search every time you're looking for photography tutorials, and you often waste a lot of time doing so. There are occasions where you need a tutorial for a specific topic that simply isn't available in any of your regular sources, and you have to resort to a regular search, which is fine. It's worth branching out once in a while because you never know when you'll stumble on a new channel that you love. I've linked a couple of my favorite YouTube channels below.
- CameraRec Toby - YouTube
Photography tutorials and gear reviews - I am here to help. Leave me a message at my Facebook page, link below. - DigitalRev TV - YouTube
The most subscribed and viewed photography show on the interweb, presented by an asian dude with British accent.
An example of a photo challenge shot for the prompt "A Favorite Place," taken May 2012.
- Daily, Weekly, and 30 Day Photography Challenges
I've rounded up the best photography challenges online. Learn the etiquette for participation and then give it a try!
Photo Challenges
Photo challenges can be a great way to push yourself to try new techniques and shoot new subjects while learning from fellow photographers. Many challenge hosts urge their participants to view the work of the other participants and leave feedback on it. If you expect to get feedback, it's really important that you give feedback. Checking out these posts also gives you the opportunity to view potentially great work. There are a wealth of challenges online these days with new ones popping up every month. Check out the link on the right for just a few ideas to get you started.
- Alisa Burke : SALE- snapshot delight
- Free Digital Photography Courses, Photography Lessons, and Tutorials
Check out our film and digital photography courses. Each photography lesson is free. Our photography tutorials are built to help you learn learn about your Nikon, Canon, or other digital cameras.
Classes
There are any number of different photography classes that you can take from community college courses to art school courses to free online courses. There are quite a few free classes online as well as for pay classes, many of which have very affordable prices. The good news is that there is something for everyone. If you get overwhelmed by the notion of teaching yourself how to do something, a class can be a great option.
One popular photography podcast host also posts them on YouTube.
Podcasts
Personally I haven't listed to any photography podcasts (yet...), so I can't get you my personal recommendations, but there are tons of podcasts available. You can search directly through iTunes or can look through lists of recommended podcasts. I've included a couple lists below to get you started. When you do find a podcast that you like, don't forget to subscribe so you can keep up with all of the latest installments.
As of August 2013, there are over 2,900 reviews for this lens on Amazon alone.
Reviews and Forums
One of the best parts about the photography community is that there are a lot of really generous individuals who are happy to share their expertise and insight for free. I have done extensive research before I've purchased any type of SLR gear from camera bodies to lenses to software, and it has really paid off. This is largely thanks to all of the photographers who were willing to post so extensively on photography forums and retail (i.e. Best Buy) or online shopping (i.e. Amazon) websites. No matter what stage you're at with your photography, you can benefit from these resources.
- Photography Forum & Digital Photography Forum
The Photography forum with photo hints, tips, advice and critique. Discuss everything from different camera models, including digital cameras, SLR's and more. - Digital Photography School - Photography Forums
A Digital Photography Forum with digital camera reviews, digital photography techniques, tips and advice.
One of my favorite sources of ideas for photo excursions in Milwaukee and general photography inspiration is a location-specific Flickr team.
Photo Hosting Sites
You can learn a lot from studying the great photos that people post on photo hosting websites, such as Flickr, deviantART, and 500px. Many of these sites have additional resources as well such as groups, forums, and newsletters. For example, I don't post on 500px, but I do get their newsletter, which has links to helpful new articles and blog posts. Take the time to seek out groups that are relevant to you, such as location-specific groups or groups geared around specific interests (i.e. black and white photography, landscape shots).
- Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing
Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. - 500px.com
Don't ever stop learning!
More Photography Resources From the Author
- How to Photograph Flowers: Point and Shoot Macro Photography
Learn how to take great digital photos of flowers with these macro photography tips. This article includes camera tips, editing suggestions, and other considerations. - Leading Line Photography: Photo Tips and Ideas
This article provides tips about and inspiration for leading lines in photography for all types of photographers from beginner to professional. There are lots of photo examples to get your wheels turning for your next shoot. - How to Choose a DSLR Camera Bag: Tips and Advice
Are you looking for a camera bag for your DSLR? There are a number of factors to consider for this purchase from safety to comfort to versatile. Get the info you need to make a well-informed decision.
© 2013 Rose Clearfield
Comments
I can never read enough about photography, my passion for artistic photography is as strong as my passion to write. Thank you for such a well written hub and informative resource.
Thanks Rose! I have been looking at the Lightroom 5 book, trying to decide if I'm buying too many photography books:) lol. I have checked it out online and in B&N...you've given me confidence it's a good buy so I'm gonna go for it!
I've got many books...never thought about a challenge before...sounds great!
Informative hub! Personally, I favor Podcasts found in iTunes. It is convenient to access and the audible allows me to work through tutorials with my camera in hand. - Voted up.
Great Hub. Here is one more resource:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.equipment
This Photography Equipment page helps to know about new products related to photography.
My photos sometimes come out pretty weird looking, so I need to practice more and this Hub helps a lot.
Crystal Tatum - I'm sorry to hear that the photographers were laid off. At our largest newspaper in Central Ohio, the management laid off all the proofreaders.
It's terrible, I agree. Photos are so important. Photography is being devalued as a skill and it's a real shame. Anyone can point and shoot, but not just anyone can take a good photo that tells a story, that is well composed and captures the emotion of the moment. And these cuts mean more and more is required of reporters, who now have less time to produce quality and well-researched work, further cheapening the product. It's a rough time for the news business, and I fear the demise of the newspaper is not related to the internet so much as to poor management.
I've recently had to take on photography as part of my job at a newspaper, since a corporate decision was made to lay off photographers. It's been quite a challenge and I need to improve my skills for sure. Very helpful article. Thanks and voted up.
I always feel so foolish when I discover something my camera can do that I never knew about before! Great list of resources - I wouldn't know what to do with my camera if it weren't for helpful books and blogs!
I really need to take a photography class. I do ok with certain things, but basically I just play with the settings on my camera until I like a photo. Really useful hub. Voted, shared and pinned.
Hi Rose,
What a great one stop place for all the different ways to improve our snapping skills! I love taking and admiring beautiful photographs and with all these resources on our fingertips, it makes it so doable. Your competition photo and beach shot are stunning Rose, could look at them all day! Well done on another well researched and time consuming hub which I for one greatly appreciate!
Up, useful, awesome, interesting, shared and pinned!
Thank you for the information.
Thank you for providing these resources and advice. I'm very interested in becoming a better amateur photographer so that my hubs and personal scrapbooks are as attractive as possible. Voted up and more!
Thanks for these photography resources. I keep thinking I'm going to set aside some concentrated time for improving my photography. This is inspiring!
This is a great resource. I'd like to improve my photography skills and have been thinking about taking a class. I will check out some of the other options you mentioned. Thanks.
What a wonderful resource for learning about photography, which I want to do so badly. Saved to my Evernote for future reference. What do you think of Darren Rowse's Digital Photography School blog?
Very useful resource. I have been considering using Lightroom for a while, instead of Photoshop Elements so will definitely bookmark this and come back to it later. I do use Flickr and ePhotozine. It it amazing how useful it is to have so many photographers willing to share their knowledge and their images on these sites. Voted up, thanks for sharing.
You're a great resource as always, Rose, for photography. Pinning this one for reference!
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