Photography for Beginners: Professional Techniques
A course by Gerardo Montiel Klint, Photographer
Learn the fundamentals of photography and digital camera use to capture images that convey your artistic vision
According to photographer Gerardo Montiel Klint, learning the language of photography is as essential and inevitable as knowing how to write, and also extremely exciting. In this online course, discover the fundamentals of photography while putting it all into practice with a range of exercises.
Gerardo shows you how to how to master light with your camera and teaches you all about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Learn more alongside Gerardo with his previous course Photography as an Expressive and Artistic Means.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 29 downloads
What's included in this course?
Meet your teacher for the course, Gerardo Montiel Klint. Hear about how he came to work as a photographer, how he understands photography, and a few of his main influences.
Start by familiarizing yourself with the parts of the camera and the different settings and learn about the Exposure Triangle, made up of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (also referred to as ASA in the USA). Continue with an overview of the Zone System and see how to calibrate a digital camera.
Next, Gerardo introduces the foundations of photographic composition and shows you how to balance elements and add depth to your image. Now it's time to focus on the individual objects in the frame and explore their qualities, like texture, size, and color.
Then learn all about the physical characteristics of light and discover the world of possibilities that opens up when you understand how to interpret lighting effects and their psychological impact. Wrap up the course by creating your first story with a series of photos that, together, form a visual phrase.
- 98% positive reviews (129)
- 8,830 students
- 15 lessons (2h 51m)
- 29 additional resources (14 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Shoot your first photo essay and tell a personal story using between five and twelve photographs.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who wants to get started in photography by building a solid technical foundation and explore storytelling through imagery.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is needed for this course.
To complete the exercises you need a camera with a manual mode (digital or analog), a basic tripod, a chair, a vase with flowers, three glasses of differing colors, textures, and shapes, a table near a window to be able to play with light, and a torch.
Reviews
Gerardo Montiel Klint
A course by Gerardo Montiel Klint
Gerardo Montiel Klint, born in Mexico City, studied industrial design at the Ibero-American University and is a photographer and member of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte FONCA. He has received numerous awards including the Premio de Adquisición at the 11th and 13th edition of the Bienal de Fotografía in México.
His work has appeared in countless renowned art collections in the USA, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and many more. He has also taken part in both individual and group exhibitions in Mexico, Argentina, Hungary, Colombia, Brazil, the USA, Uruguay, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, and China. He is cofounder of Hydra, a networking and production platform for contemporary photography. He currently codirects the production and photography studio Klint & Photo, specialized in advertising, interior design, fashion, and portraiture.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Us
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Influences
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U2
The principles of the camera
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The camera: its parts and controls
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The Exposure Triangle: Iris, Shutter, and ASA 1
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The Exposure Triangle: Iris, Shutter, and ASA 2
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The exposure triangle: diaphragm, shutter and ASA 3
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The exposure triangle: diaphragm, shutter and ASA 4
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Introduction to the system of zones or tones: sharpness and depth of field
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How to calibrate a digital camera
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U3
Composition as part of visual language
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The basics of photographic framing
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The photographic plane: balance and perspective
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The qualities of the objects photographed
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U4
The light
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Physical characteristics of light
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Types of reflections and reflectance angles
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Conceptualize an essay
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FP
Final project
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Photography for Beginners: Professional Techniques
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You’ll learn everything from technical basics like exposure, aperture, lenses, and white balance to creative processes, composition, self-portraiture, sustainable darkroom practices, and contemporary techniques to craft expressive, personal images.
Yes, the course is designed for those with basic knowledge who want to dive deeper into advanced techniques, creative composition, and contemporary artistic processes in photography.
A professional camera isn’t required, but you’ll need a digital camera with manual controls. Access to different lenses and basic darkroom materials is recommended.
The course covers self-portraiture, eco-friendly developing, studio lighting, interior photography, abstract photography, muralism, album reinterpretation, composition, color theory, and specialized printing techniques.
Yes, you’ll master the exposure triangle, control the aperture, choose the focal plane, and make adjustments to achieve the desired depth of field and visual effects.
Yes, the course includes eco-friendly developing and printing methods, using non-polluting materials and sustainable lab processes.
Yes, you’ll learn professional product photography techniques and how to use specialized lenses for highly detailed macro shots.
Un curso donde aprebdes muchos aspectos de la fotografía
uważam, że każdy początku fotograf powienien zrobic ten kurs :)
excelente curso para iniciar en la fotografia, sin dudarlo lo volveria a comprar
Excelente curso, de lo que he llevado y muy practico
Buen curso, buena explicacion para empezar este mundo de la fotografía