8 Free Online Photo Classes: Sharpen Your Camera And Editing Skills

If you're interested in developing new skills or looking to do something fun during some downtime, photography can be a great hobby — especially for first timers.

In addition, there could be health benefits: Research from Harvard suggests that learning a new skill can help reduce stress — and can be even more effective than simply relaxing. And when that new skill is photography, you also gain a creative outlet to bust stress for the long-term. Photography is something that you can learn indoors or in your backyard, and if you don't have a more advanced camera to learn with, you can even get started (in some cases) by learning with the camera that you already have: a smartphone.

As a professional photographer, I've compiled a list of some of my favorite online learning platforms that I've used personally, as well as other outlets with great student reviews. And, I narrowed the list down to free online photography classes, suitable for any budget.

Here are 8 online photography classes that you can signup for free:

Learn to use your DSLR or mirrorless camera

Signup via Nikon School Online

Nikon School Online offers a variety of self-paced video classes for multiple skill levels, from the newest beginners to advanced topics. And during the month of April, the classes are accessible for free.

The classes are lead by Nikon Ambassadors, a list of respected professional photographers and videographers. The current list of 10 classes ranges from quick 15-minute videos to hour-long advanced classes. The classes will be, of course, geared toward photographers using Nikon gear, but many of the tips and classes will apply to non-Nikon cameras.

Take your photo skills from hobbyist to pro

Professional Photographers of America Online Classes

Signup via Professional Photographers of America

Normally part of a paid membership, Professional Photographers of America has opened up access to all of their online courses for free. The move is only temporary, but photographers and small business owners will now have access to the courses, without a paid membership, for two weeks. The classes require a free account, but a few junk emails is a small price to pay to access the classes designed for helping professionals further their work.

PPA classes are ideal for professional photographers or hobbyists looking to make that leap to becoming professionals. The classes cover a range of topics, from creating a contract and flying a drone to lighting and posing.

Join virtual seminars with pro photographers

Signup via B&H Event Space

B&H Event Space regularly hosts seminars and classes that you can watch in person. But with new in-person events cancelled, there's still a large backlog of previous events available to watch on YouTube (which, of course, also means that they are free). Unlike most YouTube videos, these aren't quick ten-minute clips, but workshops that are typically an hour or more.

Hosted by professional photographers — often well-known artists — these talks cover intermediate to advanced topics, like wedding photography and lighting techniques, but several classes also offer more insight into the basics. The speakers for these talks rotate, so this is a great place to learn from multiple photographers, who all may have different creative processes and unique teaching styles.

Learn the essentials and advanced techniques

Signup via KelbyOne

Created by photographer Scott Kelby, KelbyOne is an online learning platform that has a wide range of classes for different skill levels. Currently, KelbyOne is hosting free weekly webinars and a list of the platforms top classes for free. Other classes will still require a subscription, though that's currently discounted as well.

Classes on KelbyOne are taught by many different expert photographers, including Kelby himself. Some classes cover broad essentials, while others take a deeper look into a specific type of photograph, look, or technique.

Learn Photoshop, straight from the source

Available via Adobe

What better way to learn Photoshop than from the makers of the program themselves? Adobe's Photoshop free tutorials are like bite-sized classes — you watch a short video, then read a text summary. The format is perfect for spending a few minutes a day learning the program. Most tutorials include sample files you can download and go hands-on as you watch.

Adobe's Photoshop tutorials are excellent for beginners, but there are enough tutorials to slowly build up your skills. From editing your first photo, to layer masking and removing objects from a photo, the tutorials cover common edits and help you get acquainted with Photoshop's long list of tools. And don't stop at Photoshop: Check out tutorials for Lightroom and other Adobe software.

For students, gain access to hundreds of classes free for two months

Signup via Skillshare

Skillshare classes cover a wide range of topics, including photography. The platform is currently offering a free two-month subscription to students with a .edu or .k12 email address. Skillshare also has a limited number of two-month "scholarships" to users in need, which can be applied for online during the month of April. (Skillshare always offers a free 14-day trial for new members.)

Photography classes on Skillshare range from learning how to take better selfies to masterclasses in photo editing. The video classes are taught by different professional photographers and some classes also have accompanying materials to download.

Learn how to get off auto mode with a free photography class

Signup via Udemy

Udemy's online learning platform has a handful of photography classes for free. While the full catalog covers a range of skill levels, the free classes are ideal for beginners with topics like getting off of auto mode and building an online portfolio. Free classes are limited without features like a Q&A, but the videos are more than enough to get started.

Udemy always has a handful of free classes and they can all be found in the Udemy Free Resource Center, which makes them easier to access.

Watch live photography classes from big-name photographers for free

Signup via CreativeLive

With more than 1,500 classes, CreativeLive is a major online learning portal for creatives. The platform's live classes are always free, while the library can be accessed later for a fee. The company's live schedule includes several classes a day — including re-airing of classes — so there's often a lot to choose from. Currently, the company is also offering a handful of wellness and mental health classes for free.

CreativeLive classes are taught by major names in the industry. Spanning topics from beginner to advanced, the platform has a wide variety of topics — you just have to time it right to get a free live class.

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