There are many photography courses available today. One of them is online photography classes. Online photography courses allow a student to learn photography using the internet remotely.
Gone are the days when acquiring a skill entails someone to enroll in a university and take an expensive degree. Courses that are done online have continued to rise in popularity, mainly due to its affordability and convenience. From classes that would allow you to learn web development to courses that would teach you how to take better images using your camera, almost everything can be discovered online nowadays.
The idea of this post is to guide you through all you need to know about online photography courses as a beginner. From the importance of online photography courses to the things that you should look for when choosing one, this will help you maximize your learning. Find out useful information below.
Online Photography Course, What Is It?
There’s no better way to start this post than explaining what an online photography class is. An online photography class is a short course that you can take to learn photography in the comfort of your home or anywhere you want. An online photography course covers everything, from the beginner’s guide, photography technicalities, to photography ideas and inspiration.
Why Opt To Paying For A Photography Course Over Free Tutorial Videos Online?
While you can learn some new things about photography by watching free videos on Youtube, it doesn’t guide you step-by-step to give you a coherent learning journey. There are many tutorial videos on Youtube, yes, but they’re only great for a quick fix. Say you’re experiencing a learning gap, or you’re stuck on a particular topic and want a different point of view to deepen what you’ve learned from the paid course, then Youtube is going to be your good friend. But then again, you get what you pay for, so don’t expect to learn everything from Youtube or other free tutorial videos online.
Below are some reasons why learning photography online is something you should consider.
- Learn from anywhere you want – Since the lessons can be watched on a desktop computer, laptop, or mobile device, learning from wherever you want is possible. Say you’re busy or on a trip and would like to save the lessons so you can watch them later, it’s possible to download the learning materials and, yes, most courses allow students to download files.
- Learn anytime, at your own pace – Is your day occupied by other matters that you have to deal with? Do you need a flexible learning schedule so you can watch and read the learning materials when you are most comfortable? With an online photography course, you have control over your schedule. You can decide when to consume the lessons and when to move on to the next.
- Convenient learning experience – Whatever course you’re planning to take, convenience is one key factor that you usually look into when choosing one. With an online photography course, you can learn anywhere and anytime you want. Are you looking for convenience in your journey to learning photography? You got it!
Now that you already know what online photography courses are and why you have to enroll in one, the following sections delve into the things to consider when choosing an online photography class for beginners. Check them out below.
What Lessons Do You Expect to Get
Before you go over the internet and start searching for an online photography class, make a list of the lessons that you’d want to get from the course first. It’s normal to be unsure of what to include on the list if you are just starting. The list would serve as your guide as you check on the many courses available online. Each class has a unique way of covering lessons, some have something that others don’t, so it really helps if you know what you want to learn.
Here are some tips on knowing if an online photography course can meet your expectations.
- Availability of practical exercises – One essential characteristic of the course that you must check is transitioning from one technique to another. Ideally, a class should allow you to understand new lessons first, give you time to internalize them, and then practice using what you’ve learned. In other words, the class should not just be all about theories; it should have exercises and give you the chance to experiment.
- The lesson arrangement in the syllabus – The different lessons that a class covers can be found in the syllabus. However, you don’t want to stop at only looking at what’s inside. Try to dig deeper into the syllabus and answer some questions. Does the syllabus have the topics that you’re looking for? Does the estimated duration of each topic fit your lifestyle or daily routine?
- Updated Lessons – It is also essential that your chosen class has contents that are regularly updated. The course must contain the latest technologies and innovations in photography. So, whether you’re trying to learn how to take excellent business headshot photos or take photographs using a drone, the course should have the latest practices, tips, and ideas that can massively help you.
- Easy to follow modules – The last thing that you’d want to happen is breaking down because of hard-to-understand modules in your chosen course. Ideally, the course should ergonomically break lessons down, so it would be easier for you to learn them.
The Online Reputation Of The Course and Its Instructors
Do your homework and check the reviews and feedback about the potential courses that you have shortlisted. The past students should have something positive to say about the course and the instructors. Reviews and ratings online go a long way in finding out if a course delivers its promises or if the instructor has enough knowledge to share. Reviews from past students usually focus on the artistic and technical abilities of the instructor, communication, lesson delivery, and effectiveness of teaching strategies.
Checking on the online reputation of the course and its instructors will help you in your decision-making process and will allow you to choose the best among the rest.
The Teaching Strategy
There are two most essential features that you have to look for in an online course in terms of its teaching strategy. First, the course should be interactive. Second, there you should be a 1-on-1 mentoring program in place.
Why is a 1-on-1 mentoring program ideal? This kind of mentoring program will enable students to learn faster and clear whatever question or problem they have in mind more effectively. Your mentor should give you support and guidance throughout the whole course.
Does The Course Have the Necessary Accreditations?
It is also essential to check if the course you are planning to take has the necessary accreditations from the relevant authorities. Certification is an assurance that the course delivers quality education and meets the highest standards.
One of the most famous bodies that give accreditations is CPD. CPD works with online learning platforms and ensures that the lessons are being delivered at the highest quality possible.
What To Choose, Paid, or Free Courses?
This has been already discussed above. However, it’s going to be tackled again to reiterate its significance.
So, there are many courses online; some are free, others are paid so you can access them. While there’s nothing wrong with utilizing free materials to learn photography, there’s a high chance you are not learning everything, including the most important things, from them. If you are serious about growing your photography skills, investing in your development is always worth the expense.
If you made the right decision to go for the paid courses, you should also take into consideration the fees involved in the course. While opting to enroll in one of the top photography courses online gives you the edge, sometimes the budget won’t permit it. Whether you like it or not, money may prevent you from learning from the best.
Learn how to become smarter when choosing a class to enroll yourself with and still get close, if not the same amount of learning you’re looking for from an expensive course.
Excellent Customer Service and 24/7 Support
Nothing beats an online photography course with good customer service and is offering 24/7 support to students. The modern technology is not all perfect, and there’s still room for glitches. For this reason, one of the things that you should consider when choosing an online photography class is its ability to solve problems and answer queries 24/7 promptly.
The communication should not only be between the instructor and the students. Communication is also crucial between the students and the people behind the course, as well. The chance of working towards a common goal becomes higher if a good relationship is built among all parties involved in the class. The goal should be to make the learning process smooth and comfortable for the students.
So, before you sign yourself up for an online photography course, ask about the availability of its support first.
Conclusion
Learning photography has become a lot easier today, thanks to the presence of online courses. Beginners have a wide selection of courses to choose from. If you’d want to choose the best course, the tips above can help you. Start your journey to becoming a photographer right with the right courses online.
