It’s a new year, it’s a fresh start. When a new year rolls around we tend to want to make changes and improve certain aspects of our lives.

Want to hit the gym and start exercising more regularly? Want to learn something new? Want to get better at your photography this year?

There’s always room for improvement, no matter what level of photographer you are and what type of photography you do.

The best way to get better at your photography is to get out there and shoot. Another great way to improve certain skills or techniques is to take classes or courses.

Did you know that there are numerous online photography courses that you can take?

Here’s our list of favorite online photography courses to help boost your photography skills.

Even though most of these are geared towards shooting with DSLRs, learning the exposure triangle and other essential aspects of photography will help step-up your smartphone photography game.

And get this, many of them are free!

PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS

All of these courses can be done at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. We’ve narrowed it down to the ones we think are best for beginners or intermediates who shoot with their phones.

Introductory Photography Course

Cost: Free
Level: Beginner

This top-rated course from Udemy is a comprehensive program that touches many aspects of photography.

You will dive into things like composition, lighting, exposure, get practical tips and tricks, and much more.

This course is designed to get you out of auto-mode and understanding manual commands quickly.

The course is created for all levels of photographers and you can easily incorporate the knowledge to your smartphone photography.

Once completed, you can move on to more photography courses on the platform like A Complete Guide to Photography.

A Crash Course in Photographic Composition

Cost: Free
Level: Beginner

This short course explains basic composition techniques and how to apply them in your photography. This is a great course if you want to expand your composition skills.

Fundamentals of Photography

Cost: $119 or $13 / month with full access to other courses
Level: Beginner

Creative Live offers top-notch training in various categories.

With the Fundamentals of Photography course, you get over 24 hours of video tutorials that take you from the exposure triangle to learning how to read light.

The Practicing Photographer on Lynda.com

Cost: One-month free trial and then $29.99 / month
Level: All levels

Lynda.com has been around for quite some time and has gathered an extensive online teaching presence. One class that we particularly like is the Practicing Photographer course from Ben Long.

The class is packed with over 36 hours of videos and assignments that will get your creative juices flowing.

Intro to Photography Class - Better known as Reddit Photo Class

Cost: Free
Level: Beginner

This course contains 30 videos that cover a wide array of photography topics for beginners.

Take these classes at your own pace and take your time to complete all the lessons as you wish.

FOR THE IPHONE USERS

iPhone Photography School

Cost: $99-$299
Level: All levels

This place is your one-stop-shop for learning about phone photography if you have an iPhone. They offer several courses geared specifically for smartphone photography.

You can learn the basics and also learn how to edit like a pro with your iPhone with the different courses that they have.

LEARN FROM THE PROS!

Now that you are armed with some technical how-to to achieve the photos that you want, it’s time to dive into your creativity.

How do the pros get those amazing shots? Yes, they have expensive cameras and know what they are doing.

But above all that, they are creative and see things differently.

Masters of Photography

Cost: $170
Level: All levels

This website offers courses from some of the top photogs out there today. You can learn tips and tricks from National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry or get into the fascinating mind of Joel Meyerowitz, art photographer.

Videos are fun to watch and you get to see first-hand how these photographers find inspiration and create the great work that they do.

“Ideal for those photographers looking to take their shots to the next level by gaining a better understanding of how to develop one’s eye and connect with the world around you.”

– Christopher Malcolm, Fstoppers

Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography by Masterclass

Cost: All-Access $15/month (billed annually) or $90 / single class
Level: All levels

Annie Leibovitz has carved her top place as a world-renowned portrait photographer over the years.

In this class, she shares with you her secrets to obtaining the perfect portrait shots.

It’s not always what you think. She will teach you to think outside the box and read people so that you get their best selves.

I think we can count on the experience of a photographer who was entrusted to photograph the Queen of England, among other high profile people.

Summary

Aside from learning new tips and tricks, you need to get out there and practice. Your photography will improve when you know how to manage the features on your phone and when you take the time to look at things differently.

Happy learning!