Beginners Photography Course
Course Description
Master manual camera settings, exposure, composition and lighting in this beginner‑friendly course.
This online beginners photography course will take you to an advanced level in no time and fill any gaps of knowledge that may be causing you not to reach your full potential. You’ll be able to use your camera in all the manual modes and apply the knowledge learnt to any situation. This course will make you feel completely camera confident and ensure your pictures stack up against any professional-looking photography.
It’s for people who want to take photography more seriously and will suit keen enthusiasts or anyone looking to make photography their profession.
We’ve been teaching photography since 2002 and all this experience goes into bringing you the art and science of photography so that you don’t just understand it for 5 minutes - you retain the knowledge forever!
This is a one-time investment that will put an end to any confusion, whilst giving you accurate and thorough knowledge in photography.
Buying Options
SINGLE COURSE
no subscription
£89/$121
One off payment
✔️Lifetime access.
✔️Learn at your own pace.
BEST VALUE
TSOP MEMBERSHIP
unsubscribe anytime
£126/$170
/year
✔️Unlimited access to all courses, including this one.
✔️1000s of videos, worksheets, lighting set-ups, Presets, RAW files and more.
✔️Live webinars with industry pros.
✔️Access to our exclusive learning communities.
✔️Monthly Assignments and Competitions.
✔️Exclusive discounts on photography brands and services.
✔️ Critiques of student’s Work.
➕ much more.
Full 30-day money back guarantee
We offer a no-risk solution here at The School of Photography - If you don’t learn anything, we will give you your money back! We offer this because we don’t show, we teach! And we’ve been teaching photography, with 5-star reviews, since 2002.
All of this experience goes into creating our courses. We know that our courses will make you excellent photographers just like they have done for 1000’s of others. Terms apply.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
Confidently shoot in manual mode using ISO, aperture and shutter speed.
Take sharp, well-exposed photos in any lighting conditions.
Understand how to get the correct exposure every time.
Master your camera’s essential settings and menus.
Compose more creative, balanced, and professional-looking images.
Use depth of field to create background blur and subject separation.
Work with natural light and flash to enhance your photos.
Capture motion with long exposures or fast shutter speeds.
Apply key photography principles to any genre: landscapes, portraits, travel, street and more.
You’ll also develop the knowledge and confidence to move beyond auto mode and start taking complete creative control of your camera—no matter what camera you own.
Course Content
Lesson 1
Introduction to Photography
Here we question what photography actually is. We study the science of this craft by referring to photography from the past and the camera obscura.
Lesson 2
Camera Kits and Recommended Equipment
A look at different types of camera kits, which ones are best to use for learning and what are the essential pieces of equipment you will need.
Lesson 3
Introduction to camera settings
Here I teach you the different auto and manual modes found on your camera and why you will never use auto again! A task will be set allowing you to take your first steps to going fully manual.
Lesson 4
Focusing – Getting your pictures pin sharp!
This will be a lesson showing you how to get every picture in focus with ease. You will learn techniques and camera settings to assist you in controlling focusing and a task will be set to get that focus point exactly where you want it, every time!
Lesson 5
Composition
In my opinion, composition is the most important thing to get right. Getting it wrong will make the most beautiful scene look awful. This lesson is an in-depth exploration into how different compositional techniques can really enhance the look of your photography. You will also be set a task to get you out there and put these composition rules into practice!
Lesson 6
Lenses and Focal Lengths
Here we look at prime and zoom lenses and the effects of different focal lengths. You learn what focal lengths are and what ones are commonly used in landscape and portrait photography. We’ll also look at how the visual effects of focal lengths change between different camera models.
Lesson 7
Metering
This lesson will teach you how to use the metering settings on your camera and more importantly how to control metering for different situations. You will also be set tasks to control your metering enabling you to get perfect exposures every time!
Lesson 8
ISO
Here you will examine what ISO is and how you can control it to reduce noise in your photography. Via a set task you will learn how to use your camera’s ISO setting so you can control it manually and adapt it for various situations.
Lesson 9
Apertures and Depth of Field
Here you will learn about apertures, depth of field and their relationship with each other. You will also learn about two more important elements of photography that effect depth of field. Then you will fully control this effect using your camera’s manual modes via your set task.
Lesson 10
Shutter Speeds
In this lesson, you’ll be taught how to control movement in your photos via the shutter speed. You will learn how to freeze motion, creating panning effects and how to do a technique called slow sync flash. You will take full control over movement in photography using your camera’s manual settings in the lessons set tasks.
Lesson 11
Balancing exposures
This lesson will see you take full control over the exposure of your photography. You will combine your newly learnt knowledge of Apertures, Shutter Speeds, and ISO to manually expose for varied creative effects. You will gain in-depth knowledge on what stops are in photography and how you control them to take full control over the exposure and visual effects of your pictures. You will also be shown how to use your camera in fully manual mode and put all this into practice in set tasks.
Lesson 12
Resolution
In this lesson, you will learn about the resolution of images, its relationship with print and web image sizes, and when you should use low or high-res images. You’ll also be taught how to set the correct resolution on your camera and put this into practice in a set task!
Lesson 13
Light and White Balance
Here you learn about the many different light sources available to photographers, the effects they give to a photo and how to control lighting for varied looks. You will also learn about white balance on cameras and how you can use it to get accurate colours or obscure the look of scene. You will learn how to use the white balance settings on your camera and put this into practice in a night time urban shoot!
Lesson 14
Painting with Light!
Here we push your newly acquired knowledge of working fully manual by doing some night photography! We use torches, flash lights and our knowledge of working fully manual to create varied visual effects. Great tasks are set to test that you are in full control of your photography!
Lesson 15
Balancing exposures with Flash
Here you will learn how to control your exposures with flash! This pushes your use of stops and control of exposure one step further. You will learn how to darken a background by balancing out ambient light with flash and put this into practice yourself via a set task.
Lesson 16
Post-production and Raw Files
Here you will be introduced into your next stage of photographic excellence – The post-production of images! We will look at how post-processing programs such as Lightroom and Photoshop can enhance the look of your photography. You’ll also be shown the benefits of shooting in Raw and how to process a Raw file!
Who is this course for?
Beginner photographers looking to learn photography properly.
Keen enthusiasts looking to take photography more seriously.
Someone looking to make photography their profession.
Intermediate photographers looking to fill any gaps in their knowledge stopping them from reaching their full potential.
✭✭✭✭✭
“WHAT IN THE WORLD!!!! After each lesson my jaw drops at the magnitude of what I’m learning. It’s been two weeks, and learning so much. My camera will never be on automatic again!”
– Assata Afua - USA
Want to know what level you could achieve?
Our customers love us
Rated Excellent on Google, Facebook and other review sites
Frequently asked questions
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On average, someone with a full-time job will complete the course in 1 to 2 months. But you can study at your own pace in your own time, with access to all lessons and resources.
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You can stream our courses on any internet-connected device: phones, tablets, laptops or desktops (PC or Mac).
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You can download any course assets like worksheets, RAW files, Lightroom presets, and Photoshop actions. Video lessons are stream-only, allowing unlimited online viewing.
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Yes! When you complete the course, you'll receive a certificate from The School of Photography.
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Yes, it’s fully online and accessible anywhere in the world. We’re UK-based but have 10,000s of students globally.
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Please see the ‘Buying Options’ section above.
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The courses are priced in British Pounds. On checkout it will show the cost in British Pounds and will be converted into your currency when purchased. To get an accurate cost in your own currency click here to use a Currency Converter.
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You’ll need a camera with manual settings and a standard kit lens. DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and some bridge cameras work fine. If your camera has a dial with “M” (for manual), it’s suitable. A tripod is also recommended.
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Yes, this course is designed specifically for beginners. You don’t need any prior photography knowledge.
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Not at all. The course is taught from the ground up, so you can either follow every lesson or skip ahead if you already understand the basics.
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Yes! You’ll learn how to use your camera’s manual settings—ISO, shutter speed, aperture and more so you can take full creative control.
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You have 30 days to explore the course. If it’s not right for you and our terms haven’t been breached, just contact us for a refund — no hard feelings.
Plus....
Personalised Support
If you have any questions on our courses, our experts are on hand providing online support to help you on your way.
Get Certified
On completion of all our all courses, you receive a certificate from The School of Photography proving your success!
Become part of our learning community
Join 1000s of others on our Facebook Page and YouTube channel. Ask questions, complete assignments, share you’re your work and interact with other learners in our private members groups.
Downloadable course content
We’re with you through this journey, from computer to shoot. Watch the videos, anywhere, anytime and download the worksheets to take with you on location.
Why Choose TSOP?
1000’s of videos, worksheets, lighting set-ups, Lightroom presets, raw files and much more.
Critiques of student’s work.
Monthly assignments and competitions.
Exclusive members discounts on photography brands and services.
Live Q&A sessions with pro photographers.
Personalised support.
Join a community of like-minded people.
Learn in your own time at your own pace.
Click below to see why 1000s of others across the world choose us to teach them photography.
About your Tutor
Marc Newton is an educational speaker, author of the best seller Beginner Photography Book, teacher of photography and the founder of The School of Photography. He graduated with an honours degree in Photography in 2000 and over the years worked for many clients, turning his hand to many genres. He’s work has been exhibited around the UK and have had his work published in many national papers and magazines.
“Teaching Photography has been my passion for many years. I got my first paid photography job in 1997 whilst doing my photography degree, but in 2002 I decided to give teaching a go and I haven’t looked back since. I loved seeing the stunning imagery my students produced. I found the process of teaching filled me with a real sense of joy, and it still does today.
My success in teaching led me to become an Advanced skills Teacher and I started to train UK school teachers to deliver the Photography GCSE and A-Level curriculum. I wanted to take all of this teaching experience and offer it up to a wider audience, so in 2012 I started The School of Photography and now I teach this beautiful craft to people all over the world.”
View Marc’s exhibitions, awards and publication on his website here www.marcnewton.com/about
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY - FREE PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIALS
This is real learning delivered by Professional Teachers!
I’ve been teaching photography since 2002, I’m a fully qualified UK teacher, an educational speaker, author, have a photography degree and a post-graduate degree in education. All of this experience goes into bringing you the best education money can buy.
If you're new to photography, have limited equipment, want to build a photography career, or just have the ambition to take great photos, TSoP is a great place to start.
Prefer to read books?
Check out our beginners photography book.