More and more people are starting to take courses online because they offer many benefits, like convenience, the ability to study from home, flexibility, and many others. One of the most popular online classes at many colleges and universities is online photography courses. Many people choose to enroll in an online photography course to help satisfy a degree requirement, to gain continuing education credits, or to simply learn a new hobby.

Online photography courses are great for anyone who is looking to learn more about photography, both as a professional and a hobbyist. Regardless of which online photography certificate programs you choose to enroll in, there are some things that every great class should cover. Here are some of the essentials that every photography course should teach:

1. Photo editing
If you are interested in an online photography course digital class you should be prepared to learn a lot about photo editing. Photo editing involves the process of altering an image. There are many ways to edit an original image and your instructor can help you find new and exciting ways to do so. Some examples of photo editing include noise reduction, which smooths a picture, white balance, which brings out the light in an image, and contrast, which changes the contrast in a picture. There are many different ways to edit photos and if you are seeking an online photography degree you will likely have to take several courses in this skill.

2. How to capture mood
There is a lot more to photography than just hitting a button on a camera. Capturing mood is essential in any great photograph. You can take a picture, but if you are not able to capture the mood of what the people are thinking, how they are feeling, or how the landscape moves emotions the picture may not be worth much. Your instructor will be able to give you a variety of different tasks to help you discover how to capture the mood.

3. Composition
Composition involves arranging the pieces of a photograph to illustrate a theme of work or emotion. Arranging the elements in a creative and logical way can help you better capture the idea and the overall goal of the work. While composition can be a difficult task to accomplish with real-life objects your instructor will typically give you the task of using still-life objects to better judge your skill of composition.

4. Lighting
Finding the best lighting for your picture can make all the difference in a great picture and an okay picture. Understanding how light affects a picture and how it reflects off different objects is a skill that any great photographer has to learn. Since dark objects absorb more light and bright objects reflect more light you may need to change the location or the brightness of a picture. Using the sun as your only source of light can be another topic that you cover in a photography class.

5. Photo storage
All photographers want to be able to store their photos to save for a later date. Your instructor will be able to update you on the best and most efficient ways to store your photographs. They will be able to teach you the importance of backing up your photographs and how to protect them during storage.

There are many essential skills that all professional photographers and hobby photographers must learn. Taking an online photography class is one of the best ways to learn all of these essential skills to improve your art.