Online Photography Course for Beginners

First of all – thank you for booking a class!

Please do get in touch and together we will agree on the dates and times of our sessions.

Email me – contact@takebetterpictures.co.uk.

Paying for the course is straightforward, secure, and only takes a second. After completing the registration process, you will be taken to the Order Summary page, where you can choose to pay using any credit or debit card.

You can also pay by bank money transfer – please email us for details: contact@takebetterpictures.co.uk.

If you have a gift voucher and would like to use it as part or full payment for the course, please get in touch with your gift voucher number, and we will make a reservation for you.

For the beginner photography course, all you need is your digital camera, a lens, and to have some space on the memory card.

But generally, you are welcome to have as much or as little gear as you like.

I start classes promptly and keep to the stated hours. Please try to join the Zoom call on time.

If you are running late – please email or message me.

If you find out that you can not make it on the day, I would appreciate it if you notify me as soon as possible. I can try to make some alternative arrangements for you.

Our online private photography courses are designed to provide you with a comprehensive and personalized learning experience. We understand that sometimes schedules can change or unforeseen circumstances can arise.

Please visit our Refund and Return Policy page to read about this in detail.

If you’re starting in photography, there is no need to spend a lot of money upfront. The most critical element of your gear will be your camera and a lens. I would recommend getting a decent quality camera body and spending a bit more money on a versatile lens, like 18-135mm.

Yes, there are a few essential photography gear pieces that you might want to have right away. But things like expensive prime lenses, flash, triggers and extra lighting gear, can probably wait a bit.

Once you’ve built up your photography skills, you can upgrade your camera, change lenses, or invest in more photography equipment.

What essential photography equipment you might need as a beginner photographer?

Fast SD Memory Cards – if you think of shooting action, sports or wildlife, fast cards will process data quicker, resulting in more shots in burst mode/continuous drive mode. I typically buy Sandisk Ultra 64GD cards.

SD Card Reader – this very small gadget is just super useful. Every time I come home after a shoot, I grab the card reader, put the card in, plug it into my MacBook and transfer the photos fast!

Camera Cleaning Kit – the moment you start changing lenses, you should buy one of these. If dust gets inside the camera chamber, it can get stuck on the sensor and show up on your pictures. You don’t want that! Professional sensor cleaning is an expensive venture unless you know how to do it yourself. K&F Concept Camera Lens Cleaning Kit is a good starter.

Filter Kit – there are only three filters that you are going to need. Clear UV – to protect the lens in case you scratch it or hit against something. Circular polarizer – to remove reflections. And an ND filter to block extra light. This Hoya filter kit set is a marvel, and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Camera Strap – that’s a big one! Imagine walking for hours with a camera down your neck… Well, yes, you need something more comfortable than just a basic strap that came with the camera. Plus if a camera model is printed on that strap, you pretty much walking with a price tag. I went through a few, my most favourite is Op/Tech loop strap.

Camera Bag – for regular walks you probably don’t need anything fancy. I use a regular NorthFace backpack where I can cram a few bits of gear loosely. If I am heading for an expedition – I always take my Manfrotto Pro Light backpack where my equipment is super protected.

Camera Tripod – you will probably be tempted to buy something of a “regular size”. As a starter, I would recommend getting a mini one like the Manfrotto Pixi Evo-2 tripod or a Joby GorillaPod. So easy to carry and so versatile! If you are into photographing landscapes, architecture, long exposures, night photography, in that case, bigger/higher tripod will be a lot more useful. I use the Manfrotto Befree Advanced 2N1 Travel Tripod and I highly recommend it as a good starter.

Many people ask me – What kind of camera should a beginner photographer get? Or especially before Christmas, I get emails like – What is the best camera to buy for a beginner photographer?

There are really two factors – your budget and your interests.

Price is the major one because this will determine what you can afford.

Categories like entry-level, semi-pro or pro, can indicate for whom this camera is. But if you are a beginner and can splash £1699 on a Canon EOS 6D Mark II, why would you want to buy an entry-level Canon EOS 4000D. Yes, you would save £1299, but various features would also limit your learning. Especially the use of focus areas and the number of focus points. 6D MK II has 45 and 4000D only 9… then is the ISO and other bits.

The second factor is – whether do you want to photograph something particular, like wildlife, macro, night sky (Milky Way), products or portraits. If yes, you might need a specialised lens. And this can add considerably to the budget. If you are into sports photography, you may want to have a camera with a higher frame rate – like the burst mode of 12-20 frames per second to nail that shot! Capture that critical fraction of a second…

How do I choose a beginner camera?

Ok, so ask yourself three questions:

1. What is your max budget for a camera and a lens?
2. Do you want to take pictures of something specific?
3. Are you going to be ok with a second-hand camera or does it has to be brand new? (You can save 30-40-50% on second-hand gear!)

If you’ve only just begun, photography is a hobby, and budget somewhere around £500-650 mark – check the following models:

• Nikon D3500 – a very friendly beginner DSLR camera
• Canon EOS 2000D DSLR
• Canon EOS M50 – fantastic mirrorless system
• Fujifilm X-T200 mirrorless system

Hope this helps, if you have any questions about the Beginners Photography Course – feel free to contact me!

That’s a difficult question to answer, as there are many factors at play.

Things like shutter speed (different to freeze a motion or to make creative blur), aperture (different for landscape and portrait pictures), ISO, type of focusing, quality, etc… there is no “silver bullet” and no one answer.

I suggest joining my beginner photography class, in-person, or online. We could go over all of these camera settings together. Not only you will learn about the fundamentals of photography, but importantly, you will put that all into practice and see the difference in your pictures.

This learning will enable you to choose the best camera settings for the desired creative effect yourself.

There are so many courses available now, in-person and online. Yes, it is hard to choose.

I think it depends on how much time you are willing to dedicate to learning photography and whether you are looking to get a degree. Or is it going to be just a hobby?

I teach a variety of photography and editing courses but the beginners course I am offering now consists of either 5 intensive online sessions, or a two-days in-person, hands-on masterclass that covers all the fundamentals of photography, creative techniques and practice. We also talk about lenses, composition, low light situations, how to clean a camera, troubleshooting, and so much more…

I am not claiming it is the best photography course for beginners, but I hope that my students’ reviews will speak the best about what I can deliver.