Every photographer needs at some point in life a good photography course. It can be a course held at the local university, at the nearest gear shop or online. It’s tempting to do online courses. Most of them have very good marketing and even offer a certificate. They don’t cost too much and they are incredibly short. But how can you be sure that you are making the best choice? Here are some tips to choose a good online photography course.
Look for References
The best way to start looking for an online photography course is to look for an accredited school. It can be a university or a very well known art gallery. You can find a well known online platform, like Coursera or Lynda. It can be a website dedicated to online photography classes with millions of good reviews, social media, and some famous photographers who talk about it. Don’t give your money to an unknown website which promises to offer anything you want, but nobody heard about it.
Research the Teacher
In the course presentation, you have to find information about the person who will teach the course. Do some research by yourself and try to find out if your teacher is a professor, a good photographer, or a specialist in any way. Choosing your teacher is a big deal. A photography teacher is more than a teacher. You want a mentor, a person who really understand photography both in technique and vision. How amazing would be to attend a class taught by Albert Watson? (Sometimes he has classes here https://mastersof.photography) How about Annie Leibovitz? (You can find her class here https://www.masterclass.com/classes/annie-leibovitz-teaches-photography) A photography teacher will not only speak about settings, post-processing, and lights. A photography teacher will speak about catching emotions, feeling moments, and understanding people. Look for a philosopher of photography.
Check the Certificate
If you want your course to be recognized and to make a good impression in your CV, check the certificate first. Is it used in other people’s CV? What do employers think about it? Is it recognized by photography schools? Can you spot it in artistic photographers’ biographies or in galleries’ presentations? You should also understand the procedure of getting a certificate. The more work you are required to do in order to receive a certificate, the greater its value is. So look for courses with homework, peer reviews, project analysis, and strict deadlines.
Topics
When you enroll in an online course you need to have some goals in your mind. You have to know what do you want from that course. Photography classes come in many forms, from basic photography to post-processing in specific softwares. You can find courses for black and white photography, for travel photography or for any other type of photography. There are general courses and very specific ones. Read the course presentation and try to choose the best one for you. Also, make sure you meet all the technical requirements (camera, lenses, software tools etc.).
*Photo source: mastersof.photography