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Photography 101, entry level to advanced

A free self paced course that starts with what the buttons do and finishes with the judgement calls professionals make. Diagrams, short lessons and a quiz at the end of every module.

8modules
18lessons
340minutes total
70%to pass a quiz

Module one is open to everyone

  • Read the whole of module one without an account.
  • A free account unlocks modules two to eight and remembers where you stopped.
  • Quiz scores and your completion record are tied to the account.
Create a free account
01

How a camera actually works

Light, glass and sensor. Everything later in the course is a consequence of this chain.

Entry level 20 min
  1. The path light takes A photograph is light, shaped by an opening, measured for a duration, recorded at a chosen sensitivity. 6 min
  2. Sensor size and what crop factor really means A smaller sensor keeps a smaller slice of the image the lens projects. The lens itself never changes. 8 min
  3. Raw against JPEG JPEG is a finished photograph. Raw is the ingredients, and it forgives mistakes that JPEG cannot. 6 min
  4. Module quiz 3 questions. Not attempted yet. Take it
02

Exposure, the three controls

Aperture, shutter and ISO, what each one costs you, and how to trade between them on purpose.

Entry level 29 min
  1. The exposure triangle Every exposure is a negotiation. Open one control and you must close another to hold the same brightness. 8 min
  2. Aperture and the f-number A lower f-number is a wider opening: more light, thinner focus. The scale is counter-intuitive because it is a ratio. 8 min
  3. Shutter speed and movement Shutter speed decides whether motion is a moment or a streak, and whether your own hands ruin the frame. 7 min
  4. ISO and where noise comes from ISO amplifies what the sensor already collected. Raise it without hesitation when the alternative is a blurred frame. 6 min
  5. Module quiz 4 questions. Not attempted yet. Take it