Because most photography gear is so expensive, it’s a relief when you can get nice stuff for free. One nice thing you can always get for free is knowledge. While you can certainly pay for a memorable photography workshop, there are plenty of tips and resources online for free.
One great source for free knowledge is Photzy, an online school dedicated to helping people master photography. Run by a small team of photography enthusiasts, Photzy offers a large collection of high-quality material completely for free! If you want to dig deeper and master a specific skill, they also sell premium courses – but their ebooks are so good, they might be all you need. Here are some ebooks from Photzy that caught our attention in particular.
Great Photography Ebooks to Download for Free
We’ve chosen ebooks that fall into one of the following categories: Photography Fundamentals, Post-processing, Portrait Photography, and Landscape Photography. But you can find ebooks that cover many other genres and topics on Photzy. Their library has over 250 downloadable tutorials, so if none of these ebooks catch your interest, be sure to check out the rest on their site!
Photography Fundamentals
10 Camera Controls Every Photographer Should Know
When photographers get a new camera, they typically don’t sit down to read the camera manual first. They go out and start shooting right away, only referring to camera manual after they’ve bumped into questions or issues.
The problem with this strategy is that it doesn’t realize the camera’s full potential. Photographers can use a camera for a long time before discovering camera controls that dramatically improve their photos. Just a few tweaks to the controls can make a huge difference!
This free guide can help you discover those essential camera features now. Then, you won’t waste time creating bad photos that could’ve easily been prevented with more knowledge of your camera!
The 7 Fundamental Skills You Need to Make Your Photos Pop
Knowing your camera through and through is only the first step towards becoming an incredible photographer. The second step is learning and mastering key photography skills. This ebook gives you a clear look at what those skills are. This clarity can be immensely helpful as you create learning goals and plot your path towards becoming a great photographer.
How to Become a Confident Photographer
Though knowledge is important, it’s not the only thing that makes a photographer successful. Other characteristics, like motivation and confidence, can be just as essential for success.
If you find yourself struggling with confidence, download this free ebook. It’ll give you real, measurable steps you can take towards improving your self-confidence. In the process, you’ll become a more skilled and professional photographer, too.
Post-processing
App Editing
Some photographers start off with nothing but a smartphone to take photos. In the past, this limitation would’ve had a serious impact on the quality of their photos. But nowadays, cameras on smartphones are sophisticated enough to create compelling, high-quality images.
In addition, many professional-level photo editing apps are now on the market for mobile photography, further improving its quality. (For example, these 30 popular iPhone photography apps are worth checking out.) If you’re curious about how you can edit your professional photos on a smartphone, download this ebook. It’s a great introduction to app editing for beginners and professionals alike.
Reasons to Use a Drawing Tablet for Photo Editing
Many photographers start off editing photos with a computer mouse. While this workflow isn’t necessarily bad, it can lead to hand and wrist pain, especially if you spend a lot of time editing. An excellent alternative is a drawing tablet.
Besides preventing carpal tunnel syndrome, using a drawing tablet for photo editing comes with several other significant benefits. This ebook gives a short introduction to photo editing with a tablet. It can motivate you to overcome the learning curve of switching from mouse to tablet for long-term health and creative benefits.
Color Versus Black and White
Black and white photography can be stunning. (Just take a look at these 60 inspiring examples of black and white photography!) But not every photo looks better in black and white. There’s an art to black and white photography that can be hard to master. Knowing when and how to turn your photos into black and white masterpieces isn’t an easy skill to learn.
This ebook can help you get there. It’s a good starting point for beginners stepping into black and white photography for the first time, as well as experienced photographers who still struggle with choosing between color and monochrome.
Portrait Photography
Headshots 101
If you have nice camera equipment and some photography experience, there’s a good chance someone has already asked you to create a headshot. Whether it’s for a professional website, a social directory, or an online profile, a headshot is an important part of one’s image. People want it to be done right.
Though headshots might seem simple at first, they’re actually hard to master. If you want to improve your headshots, this ebook is a must-read. It’s written by photographer Kent DuFault, who’s created headshots for many celebrities, company executives, and professional athletes. With his advice, you can take your headshots to the next level.
Guide to Self Portraiture
What if you want a headshot? Do the same techniques work when you’re photographing yourself versus other people?
Whether you’re taking an artistic self-portrait or a quick selfie, this ebook can help you create self-portraits that are a cut above the rest. It’ll answer questions about lighting, equipment, and technique, as well as give tips, ideas, and examples to draw from. After reading this ebook, you can also check out these 30 creative self-portraits for more inspiration.
How to Shoot Great Portraits with 1 Light
If you don’t have a lot of equipment, you can still take fantastic portraits. With just one light, you can create beautiful and interesting shots. The key is knowing how to control that one light for maximum effect. This quick read can help you make the most out of your limited equipment and lighting, so you can take professional-level portraits on a small budget.
Landscape Photography
Short Guide to Landscape Photography
Beginners often pick up landscape photography because it seems easy. You don’t have to capture quick movements or position your subject. You just have to find a gorgeous scene to photograph. Right?
Not exactly. While finding gorgeous landscapes does help, there’s more to landscape photography than just hiking in beautiful areas. This ebook will teach you the basics of getting eye-catching landscape photos, from composition and leading lines to contrast and color temperature.
Essential Equipment for Landscape Photography
After practicing the basics of landscape photography, you might start to wonder about what gear you should use to get the best landscape photos. What camera and lenses are best? What about tripods and filters? This quick guide can help answer your questions about gear, so you can become a real landscape photographer.
7 Easy Tactics for Coastal Landscape Photography
Beaches are a favorite subject among landscape photographers, but that doesn’t mean they’re always easy to photograph. These 7 tips are quick to read, yet they can significantly improve your coastal photographs. Even if you’ve taken a hundred beach photos already, you might learn something new from this ebook.
