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Course

Photography Basics: Exposure and Composition

Learn how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work together, then use a few composition rules to take sharper, calmer photos with any camera, your phone included.

Instructor
Aiko Tanaka
Lessons
7
Level
Beginner
Price
$49.00

Most dark or blurry photos have the same few causes. This course explains them in plain words and gives you a routine you can use on every shoot.

What you will learn

  • How aperture, shutter speed and ISO trade off against each other
  • When to trust the automatic modes and when to take over
  • Five composition rules that work on a phone and on a camera
  • How to review your photos and pick the best of a series

Who it is for

Beginners with any camera. You need no extra equipment: a phone with a manual or “pro” mode is enough for every exercise.

Course content

Seeing the light3 lessons
  1. Welcome: how this course works — Video3 minPreview
  2. The exposure triangle — Text8 minPreview
  3. Practice: what does each setting do? — Interactive page5 minLocked
Making the picture4 lessons
  1. Five composition rules worth knowing — Text10 minLocked
  2. Field guide: exposure settings (PDF) — File4 minLocked
  3. Quiz: exposure and composition — Quiz6 minLocked
  4. Assignment: a three-photo series — Assignment30 minLocked