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Taking an Online Digital Photography Class (a Review)

by Jean Van't Hul
December 3, 2014

A review of an online digital photography class called Basics of Digital Photography, a Bluprint class that can be taken at your own pace from your own home.

Learn the Basics of Digital Photography with an online clas

This post contains affiliate links. You all know how excited I was when I finally figured out how to use my DSLR camera and take it off auto.

Well, after I took the photography class that made that happen, I was so pumped about learning photography that I signed up for another Bluprint class on digital photography.

This one is called Basics of Digital Photography.

Taking an online digital photography class - photo of young girl

Okay, so the lowdown on this online digital photography class

The teacher, Rick Allred, is an instructor with the Santa Fe Photographic Workshop and is both casual and engaging.

He walks us through the parts and settings of a digital camera and then specific photographic techniques. You get the sense he’s there with you, taking you step-by-step through concepts and techniques in oh-so-picturesque Santa Fe—one of the places I would love to live.

He is very methodical (in a good way) in walking you through the various photography lessons.

Toddler photo For example, Rick shows the same subject with a few different settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc) so you can see the results of each and learn that you have control over how your photo looks and the effect you are going for.

He basically teaches that there’s not one right or wrong way to take photographs, but demonstrates the differences you can create with different settings.

The lesson on action shots where he had a subject jump up in the air, twirl, and run across the scene was particularly fun. He showed the different settings you could use if you wanted her blurry for effect or if you wanted to capture her completely crisp in mid air.

I could read about this stuff forever and not really understand how to do it.

The way he demonstrates and talks about photography makes it so much more accessible than a book.

Photo of a child drawing a still life from blocks

That said, I still have a lot to learn. I’d like to say I’ve completely mastered digital photography, but the fact is that it doesn’t come naturally yet. I’m still juggling the info in the my head and still taking photos that could use improvement.

But I’m glad to be learning!! And I’m not afraid to fiddle with the camera settings anymore to better capture the shot!

Here are some of the photos I took over Thanksgiving of my daughters and their adorable cousins, Sophia and Zoe.

Portrait of Maia

Kids Drawing

Taking an online digital photography class to learn the basics

In case you’re wondering, here are the lessons that are included in this online class:

The Lessons in Basics of Digital Photography

  1. Get to Know Your Camera
  2. Light & Exposure
  3. Shutter Speed
  4. Aperture
  5. ISO
  6. Shooting Modes
  7. Lenses
  8. Composition & Creativity
  9. Putting it all Together

Portrait of a Toddler - and learning family photography

Whether you have a DSLR camera that you’d like to learn how to use better, or you are planning to get one soon (as a gift perhaps), I recommend this class.

It’s been very helpful to me.

Basics of Digital Photography Online Class

Basics of Digital Photography

Like all of the Craftsy classes, you can buy it now and then you have lifetime access to it. So you can take the class anytime, as slowly or as quickly as you like, at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home. And you can re-watch/retake sections of the class if you like anytime.

You can even give this class as a gift. Pretty cool. Just click the green button on the right hand side of the photography class page that says, “Buy as a Gift.”

Photo of a toddler drawing at a low table

How about you? Would you consider taking an online digital photography class?

Here are my reviews of a couple others that I LOVED, by the way:

And more that I’d like to take

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Learning the basics of digital photography with an online class

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