Script ------

8 Best Portrait Photography Classes and Tutorials - Learn Portrait Photography Online

Highly curated best Portrait Photography classes for beginners. Start with the best Portrait Photography tutorial and learn portrait photography as a beginner.

8 Best Portrait Photography Classes and Tutorials - Learn Portrait Photography Online

The Best Portrait Photography online classes and tutorials for beginners to learn Portrait Photography in 2024.

Portrait Photography is known as the process of taking a photograph of a person or group of people that captures the personality of the subject by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses. A portrait picture might be artistic, or it might be clinical, as part of a medical study. Frequently, portraits are commissioned for special occasions, such as weddings or school events. Portraits can serve many purposes, from usage on a personal Web site to display in the lobby of a business.

Disclosure: Coursesity is supported by the learners community. We may earn an affiliate commission when you make a purchase via links on Coursesity.

Top Portrait Photography Tutorials, Courses Certifications List

  1. Portrait Photography for Beginners

  2. Posing Like A Pro: Create Your Best Portraits Ever! Part 1

  3. Become a Portrait Pro: Family and Kids

  4. Portrait Photography: Creative Tips & Ideas for Great Images

  5. Portrait Photography Masterclass - Photoshop Pro Techniques

  6. Portrait Photography for Absolute Beginners

  7. Portrait Photography: Creative Tips & Ideas for Great Images

  8. Adobe Photoshop CC Portrait Retouching Masterclass

1. Portrait Photography for Beginners

In this photography course, you will learn how to take better portraits with any camera. You will learn how to use different apps to professionally make your portraits look even better. You will also learn about the 6 tips to photographing better portraits.

  • Course rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 (1,184 Ratings total)
  • Duration: 4 Hours
  • Certificate: Certificate of completion

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • take better portraits with any camera.
  • take better photos with your smartphone.
  • choose a better background and compose your shot.
  • light your portraits.
  • properly and creatively expose your photo.
  • play with depth of field.
  • think about colors.
  • interact and pose your subject.
  • edit your portraits to make them look stunning.
  • choose a better background and compose your subject.
  • feel confident interacting and posing your subject.

You can take Portrait Photography for Beginners Certificate Course on Udemy.

2. Posing Like A Pro: Create Your Best Portraits Ever! Part 1

In this course, you will learn the foundations of poses that will flatter your subjects and elevate your portrait photography skills. In this course, you will learn the theory about posing step by step. You will learn to design poses that flatter your model and your client.

  • Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 (602 Ratings total)
  • Duration: 5 Hours
  • Certificate: Certificate of completion

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • evaluate your Location, your Subject, and your Lenses.
  • create great shooting concepts.
  • use Props to enhance your story.
  • know the difference between male and female posing.
  • pose people with weight issues.
  • know what to do when your mind goes blank.

The course includes:

  • How to Evaluate Your Location / Your Subject / Your Lenses
  • How to Create Great Shooting Concepts
  • How to Pose the Body to Look Effortlessly Slim
  • How to Pose Your Model’s Hands in Flattering Ways
  • How to Use Props to Enhance Your Story
  • Learn the Difference Between Male and Female Posing
  • How to Pose People with Weight Issues
  • Learn about the Importance of the Right Light
  • What to Do When Your Mind Goes Blank
  • Why Different Photographic Styles Demand Different Posing

You will also understand the importance of animating the model’s body and why it is critical to the success of storytelling. Moreover, you will learn that being a great portrait photographer means being able to create memorable images continuously and on the spot.

You can take Posing Like A Pro: Create Your Best Portraits Ever! Part 1 Certificate Course on Udemy.

3. Become a Portrait Pro: Family and Kids

In this course, you will discover how to turn your interest in family photography into a money-making venture. From finding your style to booking a shoot, this introductory guide can help you start (or improve) a budding photo business. The course also shares how to stand out stylistically, discusses what gear is a must, and details the flow of a shoot.

  • Course rating: 4,644 total enrollments
  • Duration: 0.9 Hour
  • Certificate: Certificate of completion

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • find your style to book a shoot.
  • know the details of the flow of a shoot.
  • start and improve a budding photo business.
  • stand out stylistically.

The course includes:

  • Find Your Style
  • Essentials
  • Stepping Up Your Game

Moreover, it also provides tips for approaching the financial and promotional aspects of your business, including how to commit to a pricing structure, develop a marketing budget, and create a website.

You can take Become a Portrait Pro: Family and Kids Certificate Course on LinkedIn.

4. Portrait Photography: Creative Tips & Ideas for Great Images

In this course, you will learn many of the tips and tricks that professional photographers use for creating stunning portraits, and in a varying assortment of environments, both inside and outside. Moreover, you will be armed with so many ideas, that you will no longer need to worry about freezing up, or wondering what to do next with your subjects.

  • Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 (186 Ratings total)
  • Duration: 3 Hours
  • Certificate: Certificate of completion

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • improve your portrait photos.
  • add drama to portraits for more creativity.
  • get great expressions and reactions from your subjects.
  • understand the fundamentals of portrait lighting.
  • discover great tips, tricks, and ideas in live photo sessions with models, families, and children.

The course includes:

  • Learn the fundamentals of portrait lighting and lighting patterns.
  • Discover new ways of taking photos of individuals on location.
  • Learn the relaxed methods for taking photos of families and children.
  • 17 tips for getting great expressions from families and children.
  • Learn how to pose people to make them look relaxed.
  • Discover some specialist ideas for amazing portraits.

You can take Portrait Photography: Creative Tips & Ideas for Great Images Certificate Course on Udemy.

5. Portrait Photography Masterclass - Photoshop Pro Techniques

In this course, you will take a dive-deep into portraiture specific adjustments such as skin, body shape, eyes, and hair enhancements. You will also learn how to work with light to create depth and intrigue in your images. Here, you will study the way your subject is affected by light and its direction, and explore how advanced photo editing techniques can significantly enhance the balance and beauty in your work.

  • Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 (236 Ratings total)
  • Duration: 5 Hours
  • Certificate: Certificate of completion

In this course, you will learn about:

  • easy ways to fix common issues including "flat" images, washed-out sky, eyes obscured by shadow, low contrast, and lack of definition, details, and/or texture.
  • artfully performing a basic clean up on your subject's skin.
  • useful techniques to pick out details and, in an intelligent way, sharpen selected areas in your photo.
  • masterful techniques to get the most out of Photoshop’s powerful adjustment tool, Curves.
  • working with masks and seamlessly blend them.
  • an efficient and quick workflow based on adjustment layers.
  • simple steps to apply targeted adjustments to make major improvements to your images.
  • the best way to increase distinction in your portraits and add drama.
  • “Non-destructive" techniques that will further enhance your images.

The course includes:

  • Non-Destructive Workflow

Learn how to combine masks and adjustment layers to achieve your creative vision while at the same time maintaining tremendous flexibility. You will be able to create alternative versions of one photo in no time or revisit your artwork in the future to bring new ideas to life with just a handful of strategic adjustments.

  • Essential Portrait Enhancements

Establish a solid base for any portraiture edit by first performing a quick clean-up and body shape correction with the Liquify tool, and then a background fix with the Stamp tool. You will immediately add impact to your portraits by bringing up the detail in the frame, including hair texture enhancement and intelligent eyes brightening.

  • Counter Balance the Visual Weight

Learn how to increase the distinction between your subject and the background. Draw your viewers into the frame and add a strong visual punch to get their attention. By bringing up the textures in the environment, you will create more dramatic, effective artwork.

  • Master the Classic “S”-Shaped Curve

Discover this technique to target flat areas in your images. You will learn how to quickly and precisely add contrast to the scene. And you will also experience how to gain more control of your light and shadow contrast by combining “S”-Curve with Layers and Masks.

  • Low Key Portrait Technique

Play with balancing shadows and lights to build a moody, nostalgic atmosphere. You will work with complementary colors to create subtle grading with Curves and discover how to inject the desired shade into selected luminosity ranges.

  • Recompose Your Scenes

Explore recomposing your frames so you can get your desired canvas ratio. And get creative by cropping images shot in portrait orientation to square, or recreate missing background elements to achieve a more compelling and seamless composition.

You can take Portrait Photography Masterclass - Photoshop Pro Techniques Certificate Course on Udemy.

6. Portrait Photography for Absolute Beginners

In this course, you will learn the compositional techniques for portraits, lighting skills, tips for corporate portraits, wedding, and event portraits.

  • Course rating: 3.7 out of 5.0 (693 Ratings total)
  • Duration: 2 Hours
  • Certificate: Certificate of completion

In this course, you will learn about:

  • basic and advanced topics of amazing portraits.
  • compositional techniques of cool portraits.
  • how to create bokeh and blur effect.
  • advanced lighting skills of portraits.
  • shoot amazing corporate headshots.
  • tips and tricks for Indoor Portraits.
  • tips and tricks for Outdoor Portraits.

The course includes:

  • Introduction to Portrait Photography
  • What makes a portrait look great?
  • Recommended equipment for better portraits
  • Compositional techniques for cool portraits
  • Tips for better backgrounds in portraits
  • Lighting skills for amazing portraits
  • Bokeh and Blur
  • Example of poses for better portraits
  • Tips for child portraits
  • Tips for corporate portraits and head-shots
  • Tips for wedding and event portraits
  • Tips for Indoor Portraits
  • Tips for Outdoor Portraits

You can take Portrait Photography for Absolute Beginners Certificate Course on Udemy.

7. Portrait Photography: Creative Tips & Ideas for Great Images

In this course, you will learn the tips, tricks & ideas for stunning portraits using natural light & flash. You will learn many of the tips and tricks that professional photographers use for creating stunning portraits, and in a varying assortment of environments, both inside and outside. Moreover, you will be armed with so many ideas, that you will no longer need to worry about freezing up, or wondering what to do next with your subjects.

  • Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 (186 Ratings total)
  • Duration: 3 Hours
  • Certificate: Certificate of completion

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • improve your portrait photos.
  • add drama to portraits for more creativity.
  • get great expressions and reactions from your subjects.
  • understand the fundamentals of portrait lighting.

The course includes:

  • Learn the fundamentals of portrait lighting and lighting patterns.
  • Discover new ways of taking photos of individuals on location.
  • Learn the relaxed methods for taking photos of families and children.
  • 17 tips for getting great expressions from families and children.
  • Learn how to pose people to make them look relaxed.
  • Discover some specialist ideas for amazing portraits.

You can take Portrait Photography: Creative Tips & Ideas for Great Images Certificate Course on Udemy.

8. Adobe Photoshop CC Portrait Retouching Masterclass

In this course, you will learn how to edit and retouch portrait photography images using Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CC. You will learn to enhance your photos with the right adjustments of white balance, tonality, and exposure, you will understand important methods to fix skin blemishes and apply to soften but you will also look at tricky situations like fixing your backgrounds and how you can create actions to work super fast.

  • Course rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 (126 Ratings total)
  • Duration: 15 Hours
  • Certificate: Certificate of completion

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • retouch portraits in Adobe Photoshop CC.
  • understand the tools needed for efficient and fast workflows.

The course includes:

  • Adobe Camera Raw development processes.
  • All Photoshop tools, from skin healing tools to clone stamp to content-aware fill. Skin softening, teeth whitening, tanning.
  • How to create the most amazing look for your subject: Subtle yet effective ways to sculpt and shape bodies.
  • How to stylize your image to its fullest potential.
  • How to use actions to streamline your workflow.
  • Workflows that include natural light and studio light environments.

After the end of this video training course for Adobe Camera Raw and Adobe Photoshop CC, you will learn to master all the techniques to create stunning retouched portrait images that will wow your clients, and your models.

You can take Adobe Photoshop CC Portrait Retouching Masterclass Certificate Course on Udemy.


Thank you for reading this. We hope our course curation would help you to pick the right course to learn Portrait Photography. In case you want to explore more, you can take the free Portrait Photography classes.

Hey! If you have made it this far then certainly you are willing to learn more and here at Coursesity, it is our duty to enlighten people with knowledge on topics they are willing to learn. Here are some more topics that we think will be interesting for you!