Get Started in Photography

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“I think it's important to learn the rules before we break them."

In this free course, supported by MPB, photographer and educator Daniel T. Wheeler, alongside Magnum photographers Cristina de Middel and Rafał Milach, introduce the fundamentals of photography. Across nine lessons, they cover camera basics, equipment, genre, composition, practical considerations, editing, storytelling and voice, play, and outputs.

Each lesson is exemplified by photographs from the Magnum archive, including images by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Susan Meiselas, and Alex Webb, and by footage of the course instructors at work, showcasing elements of their own practices.

Learn at your own pace through nearly two hours of easy-to-understand material while testing out new skills and knowledge along the way. Several chapters include a workbook designed to strengthen your understanding of the medium and expand your sense of what is possible with a camera. Pairing technical expertise with the philosophy behind their practices, De Middel, Milach, and Wheeler welcome you to the world of photography and all the creative freedom that comes with it.

Course Trailer

Watch the trailer for Get Started in Photography and see what the course has to offer.

What you'll learn

Seeing & Technique

Learn about technical basics, equipment, genre, and composition to build your creative toolkit.

Practice & Process

Take what you learned into the field, then develop a rhythm of shooting, editing, and sequencing to help tell the stories you want to tell, how you want to tell them.

Play & Presentation

Embrace mistakes and experimentation as means of discovery, then consider how you will bring your work into the world.

About Daniel

About Cristina

About Rafał

Daniel T. Wheeler

Daniel T. Wheeler’s practice examines how memory and place become entwined, using analog photography, darkroom processes, and, more recently, sculpted and worked glass. His work reflects a fascination with the way memories fragment, shift, and settle, offering space for reflection and a deeper understanding of ourselves in relation to place. He founded Sequence: Nottingham Centre for Photography and Social Engagement and manages Education and Community at Take it Easy Lab in Leeds. He also works as a creative consultant, coach, and mentor.

Rafał Milach

Rafał Milach's work explores themes of history and transformation, particularly within the former Soviet bloc, using a myriad of mediums such as photography, conceptual art, books, video and curation. He joined Magnum Photos in 2018 and became a full member in 2023. He is a professor at the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School in Katowice. His work is held in collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, the ING Polish Art Foundation, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts in Japan, and Brandts in Odense, Denmark.

Cristina De Middel

Cristina De Middel investigates photography’s ambiguous relationship to truth. After a 10-year career as a photojournalist, she began blending documentary and conceptual photographic practices, playing with reconstructions and archetypes to build a more layered understanding of the subjects she approaches. She joined Magnum Photos in 2017, became a full member in 2022, and was voted in as the new Magnum president the same year. In addition to her acclaimed personal projects, De Middel has been commissioned by the Nobel Peace Foundation, Christian Dior, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and FC Barcelona.

9 Lessons

These lessons cover camera basics, equipment, genre, composition, practical considerations, editing, storytelling and voice, play, and outputs.

2+ Hours

The course totals over two hours of free video content, shot in Waste Studio in Nottingham, England, Milach’s studio in Warsaw, Poland, and the Magnum Gallery & Bookshop in Paris, France.

Unlimited Access

The luxury of online workshops means no deadlines and no time limit. Enjoy the content at your own pace.

Supported by MPB

MPB is the right way to buy, sell and trade camera gear. The world’s largest online platform for used photo and video equipment, we make it simple, fair and accessible for everyone - from first-time creators to full-time professionals.

Founded by Matt Barker in 2011, MPB was built on a belief that great kit shouldn’t cost the earth. We serve photographers and videographers across the UK, US and Europe and are expanding globally, recirculating more than 671,000 cameras, lenses and accessories a year to keep gear in use for longer and creativity flowing.

With more than 500 people based in Brighton, Brooklyn and Berlin, MPB combines smart tech with real expertise. Every piece of gear is inspected by our specialists and comes with a warranty, so buying used never means compromising on quality.

By extending the life of the creative kit, MPB helps reduce waste and the carbon footprint of the photo and video industry - proving that used doesn’t mean used up. Trusted by hundreds of thousands of creators every year, MPB is on a mission to make the world of visual storytelling more accessible, more affordable and better for the planet.

FAQs

Are subtitles available and in which languages?

This course is available with English, Spanish, Italian, French and German subtitles.

How long is this course?

This course contains 9 lessons, plus an introduction, and has a runtime of over 2 hours.

What is included?

As well as the video lessons, you also get downloadable workbooks with lesson summaries, reading lists and bonus material.