Photography isn’t the only way to capture the world, but it certainly is one of the most effective. Look no further than the nearest social media feed, news station, magazine article, or book cover to see it – photographs have power. If you want to harness that power and learn how to take the best possible photos, welcome to “Photography Basics: The Beginner’s Guide.” This comprehensive tutorial explains the fundamental concepts you should know about photography from start to finish.
Why I Wrote “Photography Basics”
Where would you go if you wanted to learn the most important parts of photography, starting from scratch?
Today, many people today like learning about photography online, which is a great way to search through large amounts of information quickly (and carry a reference in your pocket). But as good as the internet is for answering simple questions, it’s not always geared toward studying a complex topic from start to finish.
After operating Photography Life for more than a decade, I decided it was time to fill this gap for beginning photographers. As I see it, people should be able to start learning photography with little to no prior knowledge, dig down for a bit, and emerge with a solid understanding of the most important concepts. So, Photography Basics – a completely free (and ad-free) online guide to photography – was born.
Where to Begin
Photography Basics is like a book, and it reads from front to back. Each chapter of the guide builds on prior chapters. If you start at the very beginning and work your way through, the information will flow naturally and in the right order. However, if you want to learn something more specific, you’re welcome to skip ahead to a later chapter. Here is the overall organization of the guide:
Photography Basics Organization
- Photography Basics Introduction (You are here)
- What is Photography?
- Shutter Speed
- Aperture
- ISO
- Composition
- Metering
- Camera Modes
- Focusing
- Flash
- How to Take Sharp Pictures
- Photography Tips for Beginners
Download as an eBook
I’ve received many requests over the years to download Photography Basics for offline viewing. As of 2025, I’m excited to announce that I now have a dedicated eBook version of Photography Basics! The eBook covers the same information but is optimized for offline reading/printing, with a beautiful design and updated text. Photography Life members get this eBook included with their membership ($5/month, cancellable any time) alongside a lot of other benefits – including a Q&A group if you have questions about the topics I’ve covered in these articles. You can read more information about our memberships here.
