Ever growing Internet is constantly simplifying our daily experience and gives us more opportunities for self-development. Due to its accessibility and fast expansion, global net is probably the most popular source of knowledge. Got an interest in photography and would like to learn the basics? Not a problem - type in “photography for beginners” in Google search and in a moment it will heap you up with numerous suggestions. While some people are just fine with this, others may be confused with a variety of different info sources. If you don’t feel like spending hours sifting out photography tutorials and tips you think might be helpful and if you prefer a consistent system of education, photography course could be what you are looking for.

In this post you can find a list of 10 online photography schools offering in-depth, step-by-step instructions on photography. Some schools presented below offer information only, while others are solid online high schools where you can get a formal instruction and a degree in Photography.

New York Institute of Photography

“Whether you want to become a professional photographer or simply enhance your basic skills, New York Institute of Photography, the world’s largest photography school can help you”. NYIP offers three photography courses which you can enter with no prior training or experience. Professional training provided by NYIP is positively evaluated by many people from all over the world.

Contents:

As mentioned above, there are 3 courses to choose from:

• The Complete Course in Professional Photography: teaches you the art, business & photo techniques of professional photography.
• Adobe Photoshop for Photographers: helps you master the digital photography techniques you need to succeed.
• NYIP Short Course: Fundamentals of Digital Photography: gives you all the photography basics you need to take control of your high-performance digital camera.

To learn more about each Course contents, contact NYIP and request the information.

Fees: You won’t find the prices on the NYIP official website, you have to register and request a free course catalog where you can read about the fees. However, we’ve made a research and found out that the Complete Course in Professional photography costs $898 if you pay in full and $1198 if you choose a monthly payment plan. See the online catalog here.

Course Length: You can take up training on your own schedule. Most students take between 12 and 24 months to complete the Course.

Degree Level: NYIP Certificate of Graduation

Academy of Art University

Academy of Art University is a well-known institution established in San Francisco in 1929. All online degree programs at this university are accredited. The Academy of Art University admits students from all over the world. Of course, online photography training at Academy of Art University is expensive, but attending regular high school is not cheaper. Consider this solution in case you want to have a high-quality official education that meets the world standards.

Contents:

• Digital Photography
• Documentary Photography
• Photo Journalism
• Fashion Photography
• Advertising Photography
• Illustration Photography
• Fine Art Photography (including fine art nature photography, fine art black and white Photography), and more!

Fees: Tuition is paid on a semester basis. Students pay for however many classes they are enrolled in for that semester. Each class is three units. According to Fall 2009 tution rates, Undergraduate course costs $2,200 and price for the Graduate course is $2,520. Students who qualify can have a financial aid.

Degree Level: Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Online Award of Completion. You can learn more about degree outlines here http://www.academyart.edu/photography-school/outline.html

The Photography Institute

The Photography Institute offers online “Professional Photography Course” that will help you to step up in the field of freelance photography. The company claims it uses the very latest online learning techniques, so that you could have the fast access to your personal tutor by email.

Contents:

The “Professional Photography Course” is delivered Online and consists of 12 modules and 12 interactive assignments. Here are the main highlights of the training package:

• Cameras and Lenses
• Shutter, Aperture and Their Relationship
• The Film and Digital Process
• Light and Color
• Equipment and Software
• Retouching, Resolution and Printing
• The Studio
• How to Construct a Professional Portfolio
• others

Course Length: the course is designed to be self-paced, but it’s recommended that the students submit work on a regular basis. In fact, you can have your own pace within up to 12 months.

Fees: Standard course fee equals to £550.00, but there are a few payment options that allow you to save some money or plan your payments at your comfort.

Degree Level: No info provided

Enrolment details: You can join in from anywhere in the world. There are no start dates, you can enroll and start right away. Course fees are charged in GBP.

Icon Photography School

Photography Icon is an online photography school that offers a comprehensive photo course both for digital and film photographers. The course can be completed within about 2 weeks, but you are not limited in terms and can work on it as long as it takes. All materials are delivered online and you get one-on-one personalized attention. Another cool feature is that one of your photographs can be published in a popular online art magazine, although this is a limited time offer.

Contents:

• Black&White
• Digital Darkroom
• Advanced Composition
• Learn from the Masters
• Assignment Submissions
• Worldwide Photographers
• Final exam

Degree level: personalized course completion certificate

Fees: $175

Enrolment details: You can join in from anywhere in the world. There are no start dates, you can enroll and start right away.

Stare Photography.com

Stare Photography.com offers a general photography course which consists of consists of 10 online lessons, 6 quizzes, 9 optional assignments and 1 final exam. You don’t need any previous training for this course. Everything you need to complete the study is provided to you upon enrolment.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Color & Perspective
• The Camera
• Picture Building
• Lighting
• Advanced Composition
• Photographic Style
• Photojournalism
• Portfolio & Promotion
• A Day as a Photographer
• Final Exam

Fees: $59 (regular $119)

Course Length: There is no fixed course timeline, you can take as long or as quickly as you want.

Proud Photography

Proud Photography currently offers two online courses: Proud Photography Online Course and The Expert Wedding Photographer. By enrolling you get a personal tutor, comprehensive interactive lessons, online quizzes and homeworks, practical assignments, 500 MB personal online gallery , forums and regular photography contests.

Contents:

Here is an outline of Proud Photography’s general training course:

• Introduction to Photography
• Digital Photography
• Exposure
• Composition
• Light
• Shooting Black and White
• Travel Photography
• Portraits
• People and Their Environment
• Insider’s Tricks and Techniques
• Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Fees: You can get the Proud Photography Online Course for $96 and The Expert Wedding Photographer for $167.

Course Length: There are no deadlines, you work on your own schedule.

The Perfect Picture School of Photography

The Perfect Picture School of Photography offers a wide range of photography courses covering various aspects of photography as art and as business. There are 4 main categories to choose from: Beginner/Intermediate Photography Courses, Intermediate/Advanced Photography Courses, Making Money in Photography, Digital Darkroom Courses. You can select both general courses and specific trainings, which will help you to organize your career best of all.

Contents: learn more about each PPSOP course here.

Fees: depending on the topic and length of the training the price varies from $195 to $395 per course.

Course Length: From 4 to 8 weeks

Photography Mentor.com

Photography Mentor.com combines the features of online photography school and social network. There are two membership options available: Playground and School. The first one is free to use, it allows you to have your own customizable space on the web where you can showcase your works, share them with peers and get a professional feedback. The School membership extends your opportunities and offers a professional tution.

Contents:

The School Membership includes:

• Free copy of “Fast Track Photographer” written by Dane Sanders
• Connect Directly with Resident Professors Robert Evans, Dane Sanders, Carlos Baez, Sara France and many more
• Unlimited Playground Access
• New Learning Clips Each Month from Top Pros
• New Downloadable PDF “Cheat Sheets” with Shooting Clips
• Full Access to School Forums
• Student Discounts on products from our sponsors
• Student Assignments where you can win prizes

Fees: $125 for the 6 months tution and $175 for the Annual Tution

Course Length: Photography Mentor.com doesn’t work on a timeline basis. In fact, the School membership gives you access to advanced expert videos and tutorials, plus you get some educational materials monthly.

School of Photography.com

The Irish online educational resource School of Photography.com was launched in 1999. The company currently offers 7 full photography courses at two levels. Level 1 are beginner courses, level 2 are more advanced. Each course is broken in defined modules with tests or projects after each module, each module contains lessons of varying length. They assign you a personal expert tutor who will be always available to answer any question you may have in relation to your course.

Contents:

1 level courses:

• The Creative Photography Course
• The Digital Imaging Course

2 Level courses:

• Freelance Photography Course
• Wedding Photography Course
• Glamour Photography Course
• Landscape Photography Course
• Black and White Photography Course

School of Photography.com has a complex course module plan, which you familiarize yourself with here.

Enrolment details: You can join in from anywhere in the world. There are no start dates, you can enroll and start right away. Course fees are charged in a number of currencies including US$, GB£ and Euros.

Length of the course: all courses are run by students at their own pace, it depends on how much time you will devote to the study. For instance, the Basic Photography course normally takes between 4 to 12 months to complete.

Fees: $423 for the Beginner courses and $282 for the Level 2 course. There are also special offers available.

Degree level: digital course completion certificate (graded)

Expert Rating

“ExpertRating is one of the world’s only ISO 9001:2000 Certified companies (from TUV America) offering an Online Photography Course leading to Certification”. Since its establishment in 2001, ExpertRating raised over 200,000 certified professionals in over 60 countries. The company provides trainings and certifications in more than 200 skill areas and photography is one of them. The ExpertRating Online Photography Course is a well researched 150 page online course that has been developed for people who would like to master the concepts, tools and techniques of photography. The course has been designed so that it is easily understood by beginners and people new to photography, apart from seasoned photographers.

Contents:

• Introduction to the photography course and final test
• History of photography
• Understanding your camera
• Digital photography
• How to use lighting
• Using color and texture in photography
• Photographic styles
• Building a good photograph
• Photography through the seasons
• Advanced photographic techniques
• Finding work as a photographer
• The final quiz

Fees: a time limited special offer price $49.99

Course Length: You are given to work at your own pace. In most cases, it takes from 1 week to a month to complete the course.

Degree Level: Certificate on Completion (both online and hard copy versions)

Enrolment details: Enrolment details: You can join in from anywhere in the world. There are no start dates, you can enroll and start right away. Payments can be made using all major credit cards or PayPal.

If you would like to enter a professional photography school and study online, here is a Photography School Guide, where you can find both online trainings and real schools by location (only the US based).

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