Posted: 11th April, 2023 by The Editor

Duster played a phenomenal show at Philly’s Union Transfer last week. With friends, Widowspeak supporting, the night was certainly one to remember. Jay was there taking some amazing photos, check them out!

Photos by Jay Leiby

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This month Nikon invited me, on behalf of N-Photo magazine (opens in new tab), to attend an event at Printworks London, in the UK. This magnificent industrial building’s days of churning out national newspapers are far behind it and, if you know anything about the venue in its current guise, you might be wondering if Nikon had invited us to a rave – well, you’re closer than you might think. 

There were, in fact, neon lights, dancing and electronic music. However, rather than throwing my arms wildly in the air – face covered in glow-in-the-dark paint – I spent the afternoon and evening playing around with the very best Nikon camera (opens in new tab) tech (I’d take that over the former every day of the week). Almost all Z-series cameras and lenses were available to test throughout a veritable sandbox of studio portrait setups, complemented perfectly by the utilitarian, industrial location. 

• Looking for the best Nikon lenses (opens in new tab) to go along with your camera?

Nikon wasn’t leaving the purpose of the event up to interpretation, either. A seemingly excessive neon sign displaying the words “Nikon is the future” loomed over the proceedings but, as I held down the Nikon Z9 (opens in new tab)’s shutter button and rattled off a 120-fps burst as a dancer sautéd in front of me, I realized that the Big N wasn’t laying it on thick – it was putting its money where its aperture is. 

I’ve made no secret that I’m a fan of the good ol’ fashioned DSLR (opens in new tab), but over the past couple of years I’ve witnessed more and more pros commit to the Z system and not look back. The DSLR vs mirrorless (opens in new tab) debate is about as tiresome as reruns of The Simpsons nowadays, but this was the first time I’d got to play with Nikon’s entire Z-series roster in one place – and it made one thing abundantly apparent: the Z system is all grown up. 

Super-telephoto lenses, check. Macro lenses, check. S-line holy trinity, check. Pro-grade and vlogger-centric video capabilities, check. Dedicated DX lenses, enthusiast-to-pro camera line-up, cutting-edge mirrorless flagship, check, check, check!

Heck, I even got to play with the latest lenses to come out of Tokyo: The Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S (opens in new tab) and the Nikkor Z 26mm f/2.8 (opens in new tab). The former is a super-duper-fast beefy prime that’s capable of silky-smooth background blur, and the latter has just received an impressive 4.5/5 stars on test (opens in new tab) – where we praised its impressive image quality, lightweight build and incredible 23.5mm thickness.

Nikon has long committed to the mirrorless revolution – and unless you’re thinking of switching to Pentax, it’s the same story across every other major manufacturer. And the good news is, we’ve reached a point where last-gen mirrorless tech is becoming increasingly affordable. You can pick up a used Nikon Z6 (opens in new tab) for the same price as a new Nikon D7500 (opens in new tab) (and a Nikon Z50 (opens in new tab) for nearly half!). 

My Nikon D800 (opens in new tab) ain’t going anywhere yet, but I firmly believe that Nikon is the future. And the future is Z mount.

If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in reading about the best Nikon Z lenses (opens in new tab) for FX and DX cameras. If you’re clinging to your DSLR you can also check out the best lenses for the Nikon D850 (opens in new tab), and it you’re embracing the revolution then take a look at the best lenses for the Nikon Z50 (opens in new tab).

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a Chasco Camera Club Photography Exhibit from April 23 to May 27. Guests can visit the lobby to view an exhibit of original photography from members of the camera club. For more about the club, visit ChascoCameraClub.org/. For information on the exhibit, call 727-815-7126.

Becoming a skilled professional in your chosen field can pose challenges if you lack access to relevant books. While there is a wealth of literature available on photography as an art form, certain books stand out as essential reading for everyone. In this regard, we have compiled a list of six photography books that offer significant value to students. However, before delving into these resources, let’s first examine the impact of photo education on students.

Photography can transform students’ perspectives

There is an excellent possibility of providing students with the opportunity for artistic expression. Photography can help students understand that their surroundings do not define them. With photography, they can alter their surroundings by choosing to see them differently. In learning to see life differently, they are learning to see the opportunities within themselves. Why is it necessary to educate students on how to take photos?

1. Anyone can do it.
2. Most children can access a camera on different devices.
3. Photography doesn’t require artistic skills or formal training.
4. Everyone likes to take or look at photos.
5. Photography allows for growth in the technology sector.

Studocu has many learning materials on how to take photos correctly. This allows students to quickly and easily find the necessary learning materials. Also, below we have gathered six books about photography that every student should read.

“Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera” by Bryan Peterson

There’s a reason experts and beginners alike will recommend Bryan Peterson to you. He has a talent for taking apart key photography concepts and talking about them in a way that’s easy to understand. This book is a great primer on the basics of light that will teach you how to get the best results in all situations, freeze action, and more in film and digital photography.

Available on Amazon

“50 Photo Projects: Ideas to Kick-Start Your Photography” by Lee Frost

All the technical knowledge in the world is useless if you have no ideas how to use it. The book by Lee Frost is one of the best books for photographers. It’s filled with suggestions for getting out of your comfort zone and creating exciting new images. With impressive enthusiasm and energy, Lee Frost jumps from topic to topic. One minute he’s full of ideas for architecture, and then he discusses ways to capture fast-moving action. He also discusses scanning techniques, black-and-white conversion, and many other aspects of photography that you may not have thought about. You’ll be full of ideas and determination by the time you’re done.

Available on Amazon

“Extraordinary Everyday Photography: Awaken Your Vision to Create Stunning Images Wherever You Are” by Brenda Tharp and Jed Manwaring

Taking photographs is not just about visiting incredible places and pressing the shutter button. No matter where you live, a world of incredible images will be created on your doorstep. The book will teach you how to see the potential wherever you are and no matter what you use. It has tips and exercises that work equally well whether you’re using a DSLR or an iPhone, and the authors provide plenty of their images shot on all sorts of different devices just to highlight this.

Available on Amazon

“HUMANS: Photographs That Make You Think (Kindle Edition)” by Henry Carroll

The book can be tricky for beginning photographers, but it’s like a tour of basic photography concepts that does a great job of teaching and inspiring. The book is generously illustrated and easy to read. It’s quite possible that you’ll get through it in a day and then head straight for your camera.

Available on Amazon

“1001 Photographs: You Must See Before You Die” by Paul Lowe

It is an effective way to fill your bookshelves with great photography. Covering hundreds of years of photography, from the earliest photographic stages to today, this collection is sure to include many images you’ll recognize, as well as some you haven’t noticed before. It’s endlessly enjoyable to flip through, and it proves irrefutably how much photography has influenced our world. This book allows you to inspire yourself in the company of great people — there is no better way to do it.

Available on Amazon

“Peter Lindbergh. A Different Vision on Fashion Photography” by Thierry-Maxime Loriot and Peter Lindbergh

It is one of the most important books for a photographer and has virtually no text. It contains the outstanding work of a fashion photographer. This master has always tried to show women as they are without retouching or embellishment. Unfortunately, Peter Lindbergh died at the age of 74. This edition can be classified as inspiration. Every photographer dreams of having this book and having it in his collection, to browse it in the evenings and learn from the master how to make soulful and sincere black and white portraits.

Available on Amazon

Conclusion

Finally, we advise you to have a notebook/diary of smart and useful ideas and record there all the most interesting things from the photo books you read. So you can save and apply them in practice and not forget them the next day.

Editor’s note: We welcome this post from Vanessa Friedman. Vanessa is a content marketing professional, who previously worked as a marketing manager for a tech software startup company. You can reach out to her at [email protected].

THOMASVILLE — Taking photographs with a cellphone camera is as common as white bread.

But the photographs Thomasville’s Nathalie Tremblay is capturing with her iPhone 13 are no ordinary fodder used for social media posts. She has an artist’s eye, capturing unusual perspectives of ordinary views, such as a cobblestone street in her hometown village of Chicoutimi, Canada.

Tremblay, who moved to Thomasville with her Minnesota native husband in 2022, will be one of 11 N.C. female artists showing their work at The Finch House. The free opening night reception will be from 5-8 p.m. April 20.

Tremblay’s passion for art photography began in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when she offered to help her husband, Sean Tremblay, market the yachts for which he was a broker. She began staging them and taking photographs for the company’s websites and social media. The company loved her work and asked if they could hire her to do all their marketing photography.

Soon, she began seeing the beaches, piers and buildings with a different eye. On their trips, she was compelled to wait for hours for the perfect light to take pictures of rivers and mountains.

“It just happened,” she said of turning her interest to becoming an art photographer. “I just started taking pictures of everything.”

On a day trip to North Carolina, the couple fell in love with the state and decided to move here.

“North Carolina has mountains and beaches and everything in between,” she said. “It’s beautiful. And we fell in love with the people, too.”

She’s been busy capturing the landscapes and skylines of North Carolina since arriving here. For the art show, Tremblay will share three large-format photographs: of the Kure Beach pier, a view of Linville from Grandfather Mountain and a cobblestone street in her Canadian hometown, which is about six hours north of Montreal.

“It’s my passion,” she said. “I am constantly learning with each picture. It’s a thrill to come back and look at he phots on my large screen to see what I got. It’s magic. I think a picture is something that should bring out emotions.”

Tremblay said she takes hundreds of shots when on-site, hoping just one is the image she wants. When she was at Kure Beach under the pier, she spent hours there with the water coming in closer until she was soaking wet.

“But I got it,” she said. “I got the perspective I wanted.”

Many folks who view her photographs are surprised to learn Tremblay uses an iPhone and not a Nikon or Canon camera with dozens of lenses.

“I’ve been asked so many times what camera I use,” she said. “They can’t believe I use my phone. But with a painter who uses a brush to paint, is it the brush or the artist that made the art? The camera and the brush are just objects.”

The All Women’s Art Show will be her first art show but not her first time sharing her photographs with the public. She showed and sold her work at Everybody’s Day in Thomasville in 2022 and will be at the Barbecue Festival in Lexington in October.

“I want to thank Andrew (Clement) for organizing this event,” she said, referring to the owner of The Finch House. “I appreciate what he is doing not just for me but for everyone to have this opportunity.”

Clement said that other artists who will be part of the April 20 show are Pam Baldwin of Thomasville; Leslie Powers of Thomasville; Yolanda Grier of Greensboro; Tammy McDowell of Thomasville; Sarah McClintock of Greensboro; Dana Holliday of Thomasville; Hilary Clement of Greensboro; Faith Scott of Winston-Salem; Angie Rose of Greensboro; and Sami Stinson of Thomasville.

“Before the pandemic, we hosted several art and artisan events, and we are excited to showcase all of these fabulous and talented local artists on April 20,” Clement said. “There are so many talented women artists that we know, and we want to showcase their work. My wife, Hilary, has been a painter for 20 years. We had a gallery in downtown Greensboro in 2017 representing over 35 local artists. Most of her work is on display and for sale at The Grandover Resort in Greensboro.”

He noted the Grandover gallery is run by Davidson County native Pam Sink.

“Dana Holliday is one of our best artist friends and is such an encouragement to all people who create and love art,” he continued. “She is co-hosting this event and is our connection to all the Davidson County artists participating.”

Clement said he enjoys helping artists gain new audiences for their work, and being married to a painter gives him an insider’s perspective to artists’ dedication.

“The public has no idea the time it takes for an artist to hone their craft over the years,” he said. “They pour their hearts and souls into their work and then share it with the world. There are not that many opportunities in our area for artists to display and sell their work.”

The opening night reception for the art show will feature live music by Marte Maney. Also, artist Stinson is hosting a Paint and Sip under the reception tent, which is a ticketed event. The $35 tickets are available on eventbrite.com. A cash bar will be available.

The Zollverein coal mine and industrial complex in Essen, Germany, has been on the Unesco World Heritage List since 2001. In 1986, work in the mines was stopped. In 2015, Dutch documentary photographer HJ Hunter travelled through the raw post-industrial landscapes of Belgium and Germany. The photographs reveal the impact on an area and its residents if large industrial companies close and the local economy has to reinvent itself. Once Upon a Time can be ordered in bookshops or online at the author’s website. All photographs: HJ Hunter

Following this, Jack began conducting research, upon which he uncovered the transformation the city was going through. Such change was mainly being driven by the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which has funnelled masses of money to the area. But, Jack quickly realised this financial gain wasn’t exactly being consciously utilised. “New high-rise flats were constantly being built down the road but I started to wonder who could afford them,” Jack says. “To me, the stadium resembled a UFO that had landed on the high street. I started to use it as a metaphor for gentrification and the worry people have of being priced out of the area.” Residents of Tottenham weren’t taking such changes lightly, however, and Jack encountered numbers groups and individuals fighting such inequitable gentrification.

It was important for Jack to avoid a “candid street photography approach”; instead, he wanted to get to know and collaborate with the people he photographed. “I was very aware that though I had grown up in the area, I was now coming at the project from an outsider’s perspective,” Jack identifies. The photographer leads our attention to a photograph of Ken, the estate in the background blurred, the image puts Ken centre stage, as he gazes into the lens of the camera. A prominent activist, Jack explains that Ken has dedicated his life “to fighting police injustice and racial profiling” and is chair of Haringey’s Independent Stock and Search Monitoring Group. After taking his photograph Jack spent the day with Ken at the local police station going through records of previous stop and searches in Haringey, “looking for irregularities in how the police are conducting themselves”. This is perhaps what makes the series so powerful; it evokes a the feeling that behind every portrait and every landscape image lies a complex story.

While White Hart Lane deals with difficult and disheartening issues, Jack really hopes that the series is one that overall exudes a sense of hope. “In times of uncertainty and social unrest, it can be easy to feel helpless,” he says. “However, this project has only shown me the good in people and the feeling that we are so much stronger when surrounded by others.” Ideally, after viewing his series, Jack hopes people will come away with a new appreciation for the communities that surround them. “The only way we can hold on to a place’s identity is to first acknowledge and celebrate it,” he ends.

Gone are the days when learning photography required considerable money and time in various courses. With the amount of internet penetration, you can access free online photography courses from anywhere in the world and learn the art of capturing memories right from the comfort of your home.

OR are you simply looking to improve your skills further in the art of taking pictures?

Whatever the case, we assure you that you have come to the right place!

Keep reading to learn the much-needed DSLR photography courses for Nikon and Canon, available online at no cost. You will become a great photographer in no time as you fine-tune your skills at the lens through these extremely well-curated lists.

We have also mentioned the difficulty level and the time taken to complete each course so that you can invest your time wisely and make a much more informed decision.

Kickstart Your Online Photography Today with these Free Courses!

1. Basics of Photography: The Complete Guide

Duration: Approximately 6 hours

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

This course is a masterclass since it teaches you to take better photos by understanding your camera. The course starts by explaining the physical elements of the camera, like the lens, body, and CPU, to the intricate settings of the camera. This course will make you the master of your digital camera.

This course covers all the bases, from taking raw photos to turning them into a masterpiece by editing and enhancing the image.

Many free online camera photography courses, such as Nike and Canon, but only some courses tell you the basics.

This course is very content-heavy and is in a written format, so taking notes and sitting with your camera in hand is advisable to follow through quickly.

2. Your Road to Better Photography

Duration: Approximately 1 hour

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

This course offered by Udemy is specifically designed for someone who feels trapped operating their DSLR in just auto mode and fumbles when switching to manual mode because there are so many terms, like ISO, aperture, shutter speed, etc., that seem so intimidating.

This course is not just all videos; it also includes a field assignment so that its easy for you to grab the concepts taught and use them in the real world.

The only requirement for this course is having the camera in hand, which makes sense since it requires a field project to be completed.

3. Commercial Photography: Still and Moving Image

Duration: Approximately four weeks

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

This course, offered by Norwich University of the Arts, is for all commercial photographers who want to take their photography skills to the next level and increase their earnings exponentially.

This free online photography course help aspiring photographers learn the art of mastering still image and moving image photography. Expert and highly successful commercial photographers teach the course with years of experience and expertise.

4. Creativelive On-Air Classes

Duration: Variable

Level of Difficulty: Depends on the session

Creativelive platform is a boon for all the creators out there! The diversity of courses available on the platform is astonishing, ranging from music, art, and craft to photography. There are also live sessions and events performed every day on this platform, most related to photography.

Even though some courses are paid, the live events and the seminars are free for everyone and will be valuable additions to your photography skills. Check out the upcoming events and RSVP to save your seat for an incredible learning experience.

5. Professional Family Portraits

Duration: 2 Hours

Level of Difficulty: Expert

This course offered by Craftsy is the holy grail of the branch of photography that is known for being the hardest to master since it requires working with families and many different people from all walks of life. Its always challenging to capture the true essence of a family in a single photo. Therefore, this free online photography course is explicitly taught by Kirk Tuck, keeping family portraits in mind.

To be more specific, the course spans over 5. videos. Also, the course has a bonus section, FAQs, and even an area of class discussion where students can freely discuss and ask their doubts, if any.

6. Canon DSLR Photography: Getting Started with Your DSLR

Duration: 4 hours

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Among all the online photography courses available, this is the single most free online photography course specifically for Canon. The course is extensive in coverage, i.e., illustrating 39 lessons for around 4 hours, teaching you the basics of almost everything you need to get started with your DSLR camera.

This course will not teach you the fundamentals of photography or the creative side of photography. Instead, it focuses on the technical specifications of your Canon DSLR camera and how you can achieve the maximum out of it.

7. Cambridge in Color

Duration: Not Applicable

Level of Difficulty: Depends

It will not be wrong to say that this website is the Wikipedia of the photography world. The content is text-based (primarily), written very lucidly with crisp explanations surrounding all the topics regarding camera and photography. The site is easy to navigate, and the topics are covered for beginners and experts alike!

This site also sports a section of recent additions of fresh tutorials so that your knowledge remains the latest.

8. Free Photoshop Tutorials – Phlearn

Duration: Not Applicable

Level of Difficulty: Depends

Other than winning the most complicated name to pronounce award, this platform doesn’t deal with photography directly but with the auxiliary part of it like Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, etc. Even though this site is not entirely free, 450 well-detailed free resources are available that you can utilize immediately. The site’s unique selling proposition (USP) is small tutorials on everything related to the above platforms, making it a one-stop solution for all your needs. For instance, a tutorial on how to delete a photo on Photoshop, create or highlight shadows, etc., has gained enough likes from the viewers.

9. World of EOS

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

This YouTube channel World of EOS is the official channel of Canon Australia. The content there is reliable, covering photography and cameras’ philosophy and technical aspects, especially the Canon. There are 26 lessons with a 3-minute average length, so the content is easy to grasp and implement practically. Canon’s free online photography course also has expert interview sessions such as Craig Golding, Chris Bray, etc.

10. Lectures on Digital Photography by Marc Levoy

Duration: Depends

Level of Difficulty: Expert

This technical course covers the core theories and maths behind photography. It is not designed for the general public but only for someone who is hardcore into photography and deeply relates to the subject. The course spans over ten weeks, starting from the introduction and ending with an explaining the history of photography.

Besides the course, this site offers comprehensive coverage of everything related to digital cameras, such as how digital cameras are made, a complete breakdown of what is inside a digital camera, etc.

The instructor, Mark Levoy, is a professor at Stanford and was also awarded the title of Distinguished Engineer at Google. He is well versed with all the concepts at hand since he uses them daily as a VP in Adobe.

There are Enough Free Online Photography Courses Available!

It’s for you to decide which one suits your requirements the most. Photography is a creative skill, one that requires a free mind and also an analytical mindset.

But its a myth that art and creativity are something we are born with, and we cannot hone them further.

You can take your photography game to the next level by taking the above courses with the utmost attention.

So grab a camera, and capture the world with all its finer perfections and imperfections!