All the photography tips and tricks you need are here on the Web, if you know where
to look.
To that end, we've compiled
a list of over 200 of the best photography and camera websites
we could find, helping you to do everything from
choose the best digital camera and photo printer to compiling a portfolio for a college course—all on one handy, uncluttered, easy-to-find web page!
We've done the hard work so you don't have to.
We've included several different guides to most topics, so you can compare the advice and choose
the approach you like best.
Introduction: welcome to the (visual) adventure!
It's probably too late for you to be Rembrandt, Picasso, David Hockney, or Andy Warhol, but photography will make an artist of you yet. Pick up a camera and learn how to use it, and you'll be able to embark on some pretty amazing visual adventures. You'll learn how to freeze time, make rain stand still, and catch a sunset in the palm of your hand. Again and again, you'll find truth in the old adage about a picture being "worth a thousand words": you'll learn to describe your friends and family on paper better than any writer ever could. As the famous photographer Annie Leibovitz once said: "When I say I want to photograph someone, what it really means is that I'd like to know them." Photography is your invitation to meet the world and know it truly for the first time.
When it comes to the visual world, photographers are born again every time they look through the lens. Learn to be a photographer and the world around you stops being ordinary, flat, and dull. No longer will you take for granted such mundane things as trees, clouds, birds, and crowds of people. Suddenly, everything you see becomes an opportunity for The One Great Shot—an opportunity you cannot afford to miss.
The great thing about photography is that you can never fail. You'll take some hopeless pictures, but you'll learn what not to do next time. You'll spend hours waiting to catch shots that never arrive, but in the process you'll look at the world with completely fresh eyes. Rarely will you go out with a camera and return with nothing to show for your trouble. At the very least, you'll come back with an idea of the photograph you didn't take—the one you fully intend to capture next time.
Digital cameras have changed many things for the better. Now photographers can be endlessly experimental without wasting money. You can take 20, 50, or 100 versions of a shot and pick the one you like best, without worrying about wasted film. Better still, you can use computer software like Adobe PhotoShop or Google Picasa to edit and improve
your pics in ways that only professionals could have done a few years ago. Recently, photography has taken on a whole new social dimension with the arrival of photo-sharing websites such as Flickr. In the olden days, amateur photographers learned to improve their craft by joining a local camera club. Now anyone can benefit from an instant critique by posting photos online and asking others to comment. It's a brilliant way to share your favourite shots, earn praise when you deserve it, and learn what you could have done better.
So welcome to your exciting new hobby! I put this page together as I was trawling through the Web noting sites that taught me all the things about photography I didn't already knew. Pretty soon, it had taken on a life of its own and I've posted it on my site to help other people too. I hope you find it useful!
The links are regularly updated to keep them all fresh and working.
Last updated: 20th April 2008.
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Contents—what's on this page
Beginners' guides and general introductions
Exposure: Beginner's Guide to Photography: "Photography is an art that can be picked up in a day and continue to inspire as the years go by".- Making photos: A tutorial by Philip Greenspun explains about light, lenses, film, exposure, and how cameras put it all together.
- Digital Photography School: Easy-to-understand articles, well illustrated, with great photos. Includes how-to articles, tips, and a blog.
- Everything you need to know about photography: A clear collection of advice for photographers from About.com.
- Digicamhelp: "Easy-to-understand information about digital cameras, accessories, image editing and more. Digicamhelp is simply the easiest place on the web to learn about digital photography!"
- PhotoNotes.org: "A free information resource for the Internet photographic community". Includes...
- Canon EOS beginners' FAQ: A photography FAQ (Q&A page) with a great deal of general advice for all camera users, not just Canon-heads
- Five-minute guide to photography: A lightning-quick introduction to the key concepts of photography.
- Photography Techniques: A simple overview by Michael Jenkins.
- Photography Tips: "...for everyone with an interest in photography. It is intended to help beginners get started in photography, and become so good at it that they turn into advanced amateurs. But, accomplished photographers will also find useful tips and hints here."
- Basic Digital Photography: The mission: "To provide you with quality information on digital cameras and photography - minus the technical jargon." Includes a whole set of step-by-step guides.
- Professional Photography 101: "... is dedicated to the free education of the photography student, advanced amateur photographer, and beginning professional photographers."
Introductory guides from the camera makers
These are a great starting point for beginners—but visit them all to get a truly unbiased picture! Canon doesn't seem to offer a comparable beginners' site
Beginner's guides to more specialized types of photography
- Landscape photography:
- Nature and animal photography:
- Other:
Portait photography
General
Photographing children
More advanced tips and techniques
General advice
- Photography How-tos: A collection of easy-to-follow, how-to guides from About.com's photography guide, including: How To Make Archival Prints Fast, How To Get Maximum Depth, How To Process Scans for Print or Web, How To Set Exposure Manually, How To Avoid Camera Shake, How To Scan a Negative, How To Scan a Slide, How To Scan a Print, How To Lift Polaroid Emulsion, How To Tone a Print Blue, How To Mount a Print, How To Use 'Differential Focus' to make your Subject Stand Out, How To Make a Sepia Print, How To Test a Darkroom Safelight, How To Transfer Polaroid Emulsion, and How To Copyright Photos.
- The Luminous Landscape: Tutorials: Loads of fantastic guides, ranging from "Astro Photography" (how to photograph the Sun effectively) and "Racing photography" (how to capture race cars) to more technical pieces about camera and film specifics.
- National Geographic: Adventure photography tips: great advice on how to capture a moment, how to get closer, using backgrounds, trying different angles, shooting at sunrise and sunset, exploring blurring and sharpness, and putting people in landscapes.
- Portraits and people photography tips and advice: A diverse collection of articles from ePHOTOzine, covering everything from how to shoot candid photos at weddings to how to photograph Africa's people.
- Infrared Photography: PhotoNotes.org debunks myths and argues that infrared photography is actually much easier than you think. Includes tips on how to take infrared photos.
- Tricks of the trade in food photography: Advice from Michael Ray.
Lighting
- Lighting:
Tips from Kodak. Explains what effect the direction and position of light has, the difference between natural and artificial light, and how to use flash.
- A Photographer's Sketch Book:
Notes on lighting by photographer John Lehmann. Imaginatively designed website with lots of advice about lighting, flash, and the equipment John uses.
- Studio Lighting: "A Free Resource for Studio Lighting Information".
- Lighting tips: "Lighting Tips, Close-Up Shots And More". Refers mainly to digital photography.
- Studio lighting tips without a studio: by Tsu Dho Nimh.
Composition
- Composing your pictures:
More tips from Kodak. Explains the benefit of shooting vertical or horizontal, how to use leading lines, how to use backgrounds and foregrounds, and more.
- Digital photography composition tips: A really nice collection of articles from the Digital Photography School, covering how to compose photos, how to find new angles, the rule of thirds, and using horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines to help your composition.
Using a studio
- Studio photography:
Expert advice from Philip Greenspun's Photo.net, asseses the advantages of using a studio and discusses whether to rent one or build your own..
- Building an in-house photo studio: It's easy and inexpensive, according to DT&G Photographic. Lots of superb advice here, including making your studio the right size, keeping it mobile, and getting the right effects with lighting. Explains all about backdrops, reflectors, umbrellas, and all that jazz.
- Your own Photo Studio: Advice from This Old Mouse on "Setting up to do your own in-house product photography".
- How to set up a photo studio: A short introduction from eHow.
- Setting up your own studio at home: "In this lesson we'll go over how to create your own studio on a shoestring budget and still achieve professional results". Discusses how to get great lighting effects on a budget.
- Photo Studio for Less Than $100: A project from Worth1000 website: "Shopping list, prices, and step-by-step instructions to build a durable and versatile home studio...for less than $100!".
Black and white
Back to Black and White: A great series of 22 articles from the New York Institute of Photography
Produce Terrific Black & Whites: Simple and effective tips from Wired magazine.
Black and White Revival: Tips from the Luminous Landscape.
Some great black and white tips from Peter Marshall, the About.com photography guide, including:
Black and White Photography webring
All the secrets of black and white photography: A short introductory article from Ezinearticles.com
Black and white photography: the nude technique: Various perspectives on taking nude B&W photos
Black and white pictures: Tips from Kodak
Photography for children/kids
General educational sites
Make a pinhole camera
Sites for teachers and educators
Digital cameras
Introductions, tips, and technical information
- About digital cameras: Another clear and simple guide from the Kodak website. Tells you how to choose a digital camera, what the controls do, how to take care of your camera, and more.
- Camera modes: Tips from Photonhead. Explains what modes are and describes some of the common camera modes.
- Focusing with a "half press": How to master your cameras focusing mechanism.
- The SimCam: An online simulation from Photonhead to help you master shutter, aperture, and film speed, and tackle the common problem of camera shake .
- Choosing and understanding your camera: Advice from About.com, includes a discussion of whether digital or film is best for you, how to choose a camera, and some cameras recommended by the About.com guide Peter Marshall.
- Digital camera features explained (FAQ): An overview from HP. Quite good general advice, though there's an obvious bias toward selling HP cameras. Explains things like shooting modes, accessories, memory cards, extra software, photo printers, and camera features like image stabilization and red-eye removal.
Digital cameras: buyers guides
Compare prices and read reviews
Digital photo printers
Introductions, tips, and technical information
Photo printers: buyers guides
Film cameras (non-digital)
Cameras
- Digital versus film cameras: Digital and film compared by Norman Koren.
- Film versus digital: Another comparison, by Ken Rockwell.
- Film or digital?: Simple information about film and digital from Fuji's "Tips for better photos" website.
- How cameras work: An explanation of traditional film cameras from Howstuffworks website.
- Film cameras buying guide: This article from eBay compares different kinds of film cameras (35mm SLR, point-and-shoot, rangefinder cameras, and so on) and discusses how to buy safely online.
- Film camera basics: Advice from Pentax. Explains basic camera features like aperture, shutter, ISO ratings, and depth of field.
Choosing, developing, and printing films
- Developing print photos: A very basic introduction to the process from ThinkQuest.
- 35mm film: A general introduction from Wikipedia, includes the technical specifications for film and covers some of the early history.
- Film: An introduction from PhotoSecrets. Explains the different film sizes, film speeds (ISO ratings), and how to store and care for films you've shot.
- How photographic film works: An article from Howstuffworks website. Starts from the very basics (light as a form of energy) and explains how color and black and white films differ.
Other photo equipment
Lenses
- Choose the best lens for a specific composition: A well illustrated article by Alan Briot explains why "lenses are as important (and perhaps more important) than the camera itself".
- Choosing Digital Camera Lenses: Take The Guesswork Out of Choosing An Interchangeable Digital SLR Camera Lens: A comprehensive introduction from Outdoor Photographer magazine.
- Canon EOS beginners' FAQ: Lenses: "Choosing a lens and basic lens categories." Written for Canon EOS users, but its advice applies more generally too.
- Choosing camera lenses: Tips from MG photographic about purpose and price, size and speed, manufacturers and features, specifications, filters, teleconverters. Includes sample photos showing what difference you can expect with different lenses.
- Lens choices: A good introductory article from About.com explains the merits of fixed focal length, zoom lenses, interchangeable lenses, etc.
- Choosing camera lenses: A short introduction from photography.com.
- Camera lens buying guide: This article from eBay compares different kinds of lens, describes how to select the best one for your needs, explains how to ensure lenses and compatible with your camera, and discusses how to buy safely online.
Filters
- Camera filters for landscape photography: A clear, simple, illustrated guide to filters from Great-Landscape-Photography.com. Covers the difference between glass and gelatin filters, the Cokin filter system, the advantages of square filters, and compares the Cokin and Lee digital filter systems.
- Photographic filters: What are filters? When should they be used? Tips from Garry Edwards.
- Camera filters: A detailed introduction from Ira Tiffen.
- All about and how to use filters: Tips from Ken Rockwell, including photos that illustrate the difference filters make in different situations.
- Camera filters buying guide: This article from eBay compares the different kinds of filters, explains how to attach them to your camera, and explains how to buy safely online.
Tripods and stands
- Better, stronger, sharper: A detailed article in Outdoor Photographer explains how a tripod produces better pictures.
- Going light with firm support: The merits of traveling or hiking with a lightweight tripod, explained in another useful article from Outdoor Photographer.
- Camera tripods: Photo tips for digital camera travellers, from Howard Hillman.
Other accessories
Editing and restoring photos
General tips
- Digital imaging and video tips: Digital editing (and other digital tips from Adobe.
- Edit and restore photos: Tips from Hewlett-Packard's photo education site. Explains how to correct photo flaws, how to fix red eye, and how to edit your photos with a computer.
- Advanced photo editing: Lots of tips from Digicamhelp website.
- Enhancing and restoring photos: Lots of handy guides from the Kodak website. Includes advice on cropping a picture, enhancing your pictures digitally, removing red eye, restoring a damaged picture, and picture editing software.
Software
- Adobe Photoshop: Perhaps the world's most popular photo editing program.
- Corel photo and video editing: Includes the popular PaintShop Pro digital image editing program.
- HP PhotoSmart: Described as: "Incredibly easy photo software with everything you need to view, organize, edit, print, share, creatively use, and back up your photos—all in one place!
- FotoFinish: "With FotoFinish, you'll have all the tools you need to quickly transform your photo from an image slated for the trash to one proudly shared with friends and family".
Troubleshooting: problems and how to solve them
Processing techniques
- Processing and printing: Tips from Photonhead about the value of editing photos.
- Digital push processing: Tips from Photonhead explain how to get sharper pictures with low light levels.
- Cross processing: Tips from Photonhead on how to achieve unusual effects with high contrast and colors.
- Negatives: Make a feature out of negatives—turn photo negatives into negative photos!
Sharing your photos
General advice
Photo-sharing websites
These are arranged in alphabetical order—we're not showing any favouritism here.
Online photography exhibitions
Careers advice
How to become a photographer
How to put a portfolio together
Books and courses
Books
Courses
Inspiration
General
Famous photographers
- Open Directory Project: Arts: Photography: Photographers: Masters: Currently 261 websites covering almost every great photographer you can think of, from Berenice Abbott and Ansel Adams to Joel-Peter Witkin (sorry, no-one listed under X, Y, or Z).
- Magnum: The world's most famous photo agency.
- Don McCullin: An online gallery of some of the British war photographer's work.
- Lois Greenfield: A photo story about Lois Greenfield's gravity-defying dance photography, from Kodak.
- Notable photographers: An A-Z guide from About.com, includes such people as Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier Bresson, Man Ray, and others.
History of photography
Timelines/chronologies
Historical figures and notable modern photographers
Museums
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