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Have you ever come back from a trip away, only to realise that all those amazing photos you took just don’t do justice to the places you went to? Well if so, don’t worry that was my reality too, that was until I discovered the power of online travel photography courses.
We are all lucky enough to live in a time where learning a new skill is only a Google search or YouTube video away.  Thanks to the vast amount of online learning resources we really can learn just about anything, this is especially true when it comes to photography.  There are lots of places on the internet, such as YouTube, where you can learn photography for free. Although these free resources can be great, they are not always full of the best or accurate information. Fortunately for those that want to learn from an expert, there are plenty of really informative travel photography courses on sites like SkillShare, Udemy and CreativeLive. If you’re interested in learning more, keep reading to find out about some amazing travel photography courses.
Why You Should Take Some Travel Photography Courses
1. To Finally Learn How to Use Your Equipment Properly
Nowadays digital photography is so accessible that everyone and their dog has a digital camera with them while they travel. Whether it’s a top of the range DSLR or just a simple mirrorless camera, the majority of travelers don’t know how to take their camera off auto mode.
Although auto mode will definitely allow you to capture okay looking photos, it certainly won’t allow you to capture great photos. So why don’t you break the trend and take a travel photography course? – it will allow you to learn to use your camera properly so that you can take great travel photos.
2. To Improve Your Photography Skills and Knowledge
Continuing on from the last point, if you want to improve upon your photography skills, a travel photography course is the absolute best way to do that. Like I said earlier there is a ton of free information and resources out there on the internet but it’s not always as authentic and accurate as it should be. The best way I have found to improve your knowledge and skills is to learn from the experts and professionals that have been practising for years. Thanks to all the courses I will outline later in this article, it is now easier than ever to learn from the masters and improve your own travel photography.
3. To Take Your Travels to The Next Level
Although it might not seem like it, a travel photography course could actually improve your experience while travelling. Many courses will teach you how to use your camera, but as well as this, some courses will teach you how to form relationships with locals, some will give you fantastic ideas for photos and some will show you how to view the world in a completely different way. Personally I’ve found that my love of photography allows me to experience travel differently and take it to the next level, as I’m constantly looking and searching for amazing places to go see and photograph along the way.
Travel Photography Courses to Help Unlock Your Potential
To start off we are going to look at some travel photography courses that focus on the fundamentals of photography, so these are for all the complete beginners out there. It’s very important that we learn to walk before we run, but if you’ve already mastered the basics feel free to jump ahead to the section on in-depth travel photography courses.
Fundamental Photography Courses
Photography Essentials – Understanding the Basics
Hours of Tuition: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Price: $
Payment: Subscription (offers free trial)
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Skillshare
This Photography Essentials course is taught by Sean Dalton who is a professional travel & lifestyle photographer with years of experience behind him. Â In this course you will learn everything you need to know to take better photos with your camera, all in the space of 90 minutes. Â This includes everything you need to know about your camera settings, how to nail the perfect composition, how to find great lighting and how to develop your own photographic style. Â Sean finishes the course with a few tips on how to edit your photos using Adobe Lightroom.
Photography Masterclass: A Complete Guide to Photography
Hours of Tuition: 22 Hours
Price:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $$
Payment: One-Off Payment
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Udemy
If you’re looking for a more complete travel photography course, then the Photography Masterclass on Udemy could be the one for you.  This course includes 22 hours of video lessons and a large amount of downloadable resources to help you along the way.  You will learn a huge amount; the course covers the basics of how to use your camera properly, all the way up to how you can actually make money with your photography. The course also covers lots of different styles of photography including portraits, landscapes, wildlife, street, night and long exposure which will all help to improve your travel photography skills.
The Photography Starter Kit for Beginners
Hours of Tuition: 3 Hours 50 Minutes
Price: $
Payment: One-Off Payment or Subscription for more classes
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CreativeLive
The Photography Starter Kit for Beginners is a course brought to you by CreativeLive, it is taught by award-winning travel photographer John Greengo. With this class you will learn about your camera’s settings and how they can work together, how to utilize depth of field, understand different lenses and how they work, create stronger images by focusing on composition and many more very important aspects.  This course is mainly aimed at beginners but may also appeal to photographers looking for a bit of a refresher course.
Outdoor Photography: Shooting at Sunset, Sunrise, and Night
Hours of Tuition: 1 Hour 8 Minutes
Price: $
Payment: Subscription (offers free trial)
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Skillshare
If you’re looking for a travel photography course that focuses on sunset, sunrise and night photography then this course from Skillshare is a great option. It is taught by Chris Burkard, an amazing photographer who shoots surf, outdoor, adventure and travel photographs. Although this class is slightly more advanced than other classes we have talked about so far, it’s a great choice for anyone looking to learn about shooting at sunrise, sunset or during the night. You will learn about the equipment he uses and all the techniques he uses to take great photos at sunset, sunrise and during the night.
The Beginner’s Guide to Lightroom Classic
Hours of Tuition: 5 Hours 45 Minutes
Price:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $$
Payment: Subscription
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Phlearn
If you want to create some beautiful photos it’s important to know the fundamentals of photography, but it’s also just as important to understand some of the fundamentals of image editing. So if you’re interested in learning some post-production techniques this next course is perfect for you, it is taught on a platform called Phlearn.  Phlearn specialise in creating fun and engaging Photoshop and Lightroom classes that are perfect for everyone. In The Beginner’s Guide to Lightroom Classic you will learn everything you need to start organising, and more importantly editing, your photos using Adobe Lightroom.
In-Depth Travel Photography Courses
If you’re already familiar with the fundamentals of taking photos, then I’m sure you’ll be looking for some more in-depth travel photography courses to get your teeth into.  The following courses are all great for helping you to take your travel photography to the next level.
The Outdoor Photography Experience
Hours of Tuition: 11 Hours 1 Minute
Price:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $$
Payment: One-Off Payment or Subscription for more classes
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CreativeLive
The Outdoor Photography Experience is another course that is taught by photographer Chris Burkard, this time via CreativeLive.  In this class you’ll learn about his shooting style, the gear he uses and he even shares some tips on marketing and selling your work.  If you want to create beautiful outdoor photos that really stop people in their tracks, then this is a great option for you.  The Outdoor Photography Experience has over 11 hours of video lessons where you will learn from one of the best outdoor photographers there is.
Travel Photography: Take Beautiful Photos on Your Adventures
Hours of Tuition: 4 Hours 30 Minutes
Price:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $$
Payment: One-Off Payment
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Udemy
If you’re looking for a well rounded travel photography course that really helps you to improve your travel photos, then this is a great option. Just like it says in the title, this course will help you to take beautiful travel photos on your next adventure. This course includes tips to help improve your portraits, landscapes and street photography. As well as this, you will learn about equipment, how to edit your travel photos and also get to learn through case studies as you join a travel photographer on his shoots.
Landscape Photography: Capturing Adventure
Hours of Tuition: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
Price: $
Payment: One-Off Payment or Subscription for more classes
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CreativeLive
If you love to take landscape photos while you travel and want to improve your skills and knowledge in that area, then this is a great class for you.  The class is taught by Ryan Resatka, a photographer who has taken his passion for adventure and created a business out of it. This class will teach you how to plan your trip, how to photograph a variety of different locations including lakes and vast landscapes. As well as this Ryan will teach you how to direct, style and incorporate people into your photos, which if done properly can transform your photos. This is a great class which is full of information to help you improve your travel photos in just 2 hours.
Jimmy Chin Teaches Adventure Photography
Hours of Tuition: 4 Hours 10 Minutes
Price:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $$$
Payment:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Subscription
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Masterclass
If you love to go on crazy adventures while you travel, then Jimmy Chin Teaches Adventure Photography might be the class for you. Jimmy Chin is an amazing photographer who has achieved many awards for his adventure photography, there really is no better photographer to learn from when it comes to adventure. His tuition on Masterclass is full of incredibly comprehensive information that will help you to capture truly breathtaking photos. His class is a bit more expensive than some of the others I have touched upon but if you are committed to taking better adventure photography while you travel it’s worth every cent.
Travel Photography: The Complete Guide
Hours of Tuition: 10 Hours 23 Minutes
Price: $$
Payment: One-Off Payment or Subscription for more classes
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CreativeLive
This travel photography course is another one that is full of class content to help take your travel photography to the next level. Like a lot of the other courses in this list you will learn similar techniques, however this course has a strong focus on how to properly edit your photos.  So if you are looking for a course that combines capturing high quality photos whilst also delving deeply into how to post process them properly, then this is the course for you.
How To Edit Travel & Landscape Photos
Hours of Tuition: 3 Hours
Price:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $$
Payment: Subscription
Platform:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Phlearn
The final class we will look at focuses on how to edit your travel and landscape photos.  The class is by Phlearn, I have found Phlearn to be the best way to learn how to use Photoshop and Lightroom to edit your photos. Their tutorials always have the best content and they make the lessons fun to watch which really helps with the learning process. In this course you will learn many techniques including creating a HDR image, creating a panorama from many individual images and how to replace a sky. The subscription package that they offer gives you access to all their pro tutorials, so if you are interested in levelling up your image editing skills I’d really recommend you give Phlearn a go.
Other Resources
We have tons of other resources to help with all of your photography needs as well. If you need any help choosing what gear to take with you for your upcoming trip check out our extensive photography equipment list.
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