Photography―as a career or a hobby―should be pursued with diligence to achieve perfection. The knowledge of photography has to stand true to the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words. So, for all those enthusiasts who are eagerly working towards mastering their photography skills, there are plenty of online resources available free of cost. But with a staggering number of resources, picking or choosing a good reliable resource can be really difficult. Online photography resources range from teaching you the basics of photography to sharpening your skills to become a thorough professional. Jot down where exactly you want to begin from, or whether you intend to learn just one aspect of photography such as lighting or editing. Once you have the perfect clarity on about your needs, picking an online photography resource to suit your needs will just be a click away. * Click on the names to visit the official sites of these online resources. PhotographyCourse For those of you who intend to begin from scratch, PhotographyCourse is the perfect place to start. This website provides you with a chance to learn the basics of light, cameras, film, and optics. They have courses which are well-designed for those looking to sharpen their skills, and also those intending to awaken their dormant talent. This site offers film and digital photography lessons for every type of photography enthusiasts; from hobbyist to expert to beginner. iPhotography Course This popular online photography resource contains expert tips for every established photographer. The courses available here provide step-by-step methods of learning camera work, eye for detail, and excellent editing skills. The resource focuses on teaching you basic camera work which strengthens your foundation that will eventually lead to breathtaking photographs. PhotoflexLightingSchool PhotoflexLightingSchool aims to teach its ardent students professional-lighting methods with minimum number of tools. This website essentially focuses on the lighting aspect of photography. For those who are really interested in taking up indoor photography, portraits, and still-life photography, this is the best online resource. It also includes video-making lessons. Additionally, this website offers courses and help not just in English, but also in other popular languages. BetterPhoto BetterPhoto offers a range of programs under various categories. These include basic courses as well as instructions and courses on mastering professional editing skills of Photoshop. There are four-week courses as well as courses that stretch up to eight weeks. The fees for these courses vary depending on the level of expertise. The media of teaching is structured via e-mail instead of live video chat. This provides students the flexibility to finish assignments at their convenience. The website offers six levels of certification, and interestingly, also offers a money-back guarantee. CreativeLive The motto this website swears by is, "Every artist is an entrepreneur. Every entrepreneur is an artist". And with this gusto, every tutor on the website intends to unlock the creative floodgates of passionate students. The online courses on this website are totally free. Students can also have a live interaction with their tutors. Once again, this website connects like-minded people, and helps every budding photographer enhance his/her skills. Proud Photography Proud Photography offers a personal tutor who assess and guides you all through the course. This allows you quick constructive critiques on your assignments, answers to all your queries related to equipment and editing. This online resource helps you in understanding the basics of camera work, and empowers you to handle the camera with absolute confidence. The website also offers you your own 500 MB online gallery. This provides students a chance to share their photographs, and create a community for them, discuss their progress, and exchange views and ideas with others. The website also hosts photography contests regularly which are open to students as well. PhotoClasses PhotoClasses offers different levels of courses in photography. It is a site that helps an aspiring photographer learn right from scratch, at the same time it assists an expert hone his/her specific skill even further. Free as well as paid courses are available, and this depends on the expertise level of the interested individual. The lessons usually involve the watch-and-learn technique. The resource focuses on building confidence while handling the camera, and learning to handle it skillfully. The students can e-mail their photographs, and receive valuable feedback from the instructors. The interactive nature of the courses also helps students learn more about equipment, lighting, and other details about photography. The best part about this course is that once you have registered, your account never expires. Thus, you can also access it for updated inputs and valuable information. The Perfect Picture School of Photography The Perfect Picture School of Photography offers online photography courses in four categories: Beginner, Intermediate, Making Money in Photography and Digital Darkroom. After signing up for the course, weekly downloads are available to the students. Thereafter, the students have to complete the assignment in 10 days. After which, their pictures are uploaded, and then tutors provide feedback to the students. The students are also given basic level training of Photoshop to ensure that all students are at par. New York Institute of Photography Although The New York Institute of Photography offers paid courses, these courses are some of the most valuable ones available online. The institute offers three programs: Complete course in professional photography; Adobe Photoshop for Photographers; Fundamentals of Digital Photography. Along with online tutorials, the website offers a hard copy of the curriculum. It also has a 21-day money-back policy, and an option of completing the course over the span of three years. Fodor's Travel Photography Seasoned travelers bear the obscure sorrow of an unfulfilled, desperate want to capture the beauty they behold with every journey they make. The inability to do so is often attributed to a bad camera, poor light, or inadequate skills. However, Fodor's Travel Photography provides a simple solution to all these problems. This website is not just a travel website, it also offers free courses on photography to help travelers capture some serene sunsets, curious people, historic architecture, and flavors of their enriching tours. The topics covered in these tutorials are lighting techniques, composition techniques, and tips and tricks to capture those classic vacation pictures. The website also provides a chance for travelers to be a part of the contests they host. The winning photograph is then put up on the travel guides for eager readers to see and be inspired to do both, travel and photograph. Truth be told, photography can be an expensive hobby to pursue. It demands a fierce determination towards creating shots that are unique in nature. The reasons for undertaking photography may vary for every enthusiast. However, the satisfaction of being able to show the world pictures that speak more than words can ever, is truly its biggest reward.