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Beginner Photography - Stunning DSLR Portraits! (Udemy.com)

Easily & confidently learn manual mode DSLR photography!

4.5
215 reviews

Created by: Bryan Lamb

Last updated August 2023

Our take

Based on the ratings of 215 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in August 2023. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a short, focused course for someone who owns a DSLR, or is thinking about renting one, and has never gotten past the automatic setting. Bryan Lamb spends the 37 lectures showing exactly which dial and button to touch, then walks through real portrait shoots of kids and family so you can watch the exposure choices happen in real time. There is also a section on getting cheap or rented gear instead of buying, and a bit on long distance shots for graduations and sports.

Reviewers consistently say the button-by-button approach makes the material click. Crystal L. Jenkins wrote that Lamb shows where each control is rather than just saying "turn the dial," and several others single out the side-by-side before-and-after photos as the thing that finally made exposure make sense. One reviewer who already shot regularly found the opening sections a slow refresher, and another flagged that the Lightroom editing lecture could use an update.

At just over three hours across ten short sections, this is a weekend project, not a semester. It skips quizzes, projects, and any real discussion of semi-automatic modes, which one longtime shooter specifically asked about. Compared to bigger photography bootcamps on the site, it trades breadth for speed: you get manual exposure and a couple of edited, shareable photos, not a full curriculum. For a first-timer who just wants to stop shooting on auto, that trade works. Anyone wanting lighting theory or composition depth should look elsewhere.

Best forComplete beginners who want to leave auto mode behind and shoot confident portraits fast
Skip it ifYou already shoot manual and want deep Lightroom training or semi-auto mode coverage

Pros

  • Shows the actual camera buttons and dials, not just settings names
  • Live portrait shoots let you watch real exposure decisions happen
  • Side-by-side comparison photos make manual settings easy to understand
  • Includes a budget path to using pricier gear without buying it

Cons

  • Only 3.1 hours, so depth beyond manual basics is limited
  • Lightroom editing section is a bit dated according to reviewers
  • No coverage of semi-automatic (A/S) mode one reviewer asked about
I like that he showed the buttons on the camera he didn't just say turn the dial he showed you where it is and how to set everything up.
Crystal L. Jenkins, a student

Genuinely built for people with zero DSLR experience, not hobbyists chasing advanced technique

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What you will learn

  • Discover why manual DSLR photos are far superior to your current iPhone photos
  • Learn how you can use $2,500 of DSLR photography for under $100
  • Easily master 5 DSLR settings to get perfect, professional images... EVERY TIME
  • Learn to use the manual settings on your camera to properly expose a photo
  • Learn to confidently shoot stunning DSLR photography of children, family, and friends using a DSLR camera in manual mode
  • Learn how to transfer photos from any DSLR camera to your computer for enhancing, sharing, and backup
  • Understand the basic settings and rules that can be applied to any DSLR camera
  • Learn EASY color adjustments & optimizations that elevate your DSLR photography to a whole new level of beauty

Course content

10 sections · 37 lectures · 3.1 hours of video 2 articles

  1. 1Introduction 2 free previews3 lectures · 4 min
  2. 2The Importance of Selecting the Right Photography Equipment 1 free preview2 lectures · 14 min
  3. 3How to Get the Right Equipment Inexpensively 1 free preview4 lectures · 13 min
  4. 4Tour and Set Up a DSLR Camera1 lecture · 8 min
  5. 5Overview of Shooting Perfect Photos Every Time7 lectures · 27 min
  6. 6Look Over My Shoulder on Live Photoshoots4 lectures · 32 min
  7. 7Processing Your Images for Ultimate Impact 1 free preview5 lectures · 22 min
  8. 8Sharing Your Images2 lectures · 14 min
  9. 9Long distance portraits (graduation & sports)6 lectures · 42 min
  10. 10Bonus Lectures3 lectures · 12 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • You often find yourself unsatisfied with the photos you have been taking of your children
  • Your photos of special moments with your family or friends are often too dark, out of focus, or completely missed because your camera didn't work
  • You've always wanted to learn how to confidently shoot with a DSLR camera
  • You always use automatic settings on your camera, and want to learn how to use manual settings.

What you need before you start

  • No DSLR photography experience necessary!
  • You don't even need to own DSLR photography equipment. I'll show you how you can use over $2,500 of DSLR photography equipment for about $100

How it compares

Against the other 275 rated Udemy courses in Photography on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 44% of them
  • Reviews215#143 of 276 by number of reviews
  • Length3.1 hourslonger than 50% of them
  • Last updatedAugust 2023more recently than 58% of them

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Course Description

Do you want to learn how to shoot STUNNING photos?

My goal is to help you realize how inferior your current photos are, and to show you how easy it can be to start using a DSLR camera to shoot stunning photography of your children, family members, and friends. Even if you can’t afford to buy a DSLR camera to get started, I can show you how you can start shooting photos with 2,500 dollars of DSLR camera equipment in just a couple days without even having to buy one.

In this beginner photography course for DSLR, you'll learn:

  • Why DSLR photography is vastly superior to iPhone photography

  • My method of using over $2,500 of DSLR camera gear for less than 100 dollars!

  • The 5 secrets to getting perfect, professional looking images from a DSLR camera… every time

  • You’ll watch over my shoulder as I do real portrait photo shoots with a DSLR camera, and I’ll explain exactly how I’m getting perfect exposures, step by step

  • Then you’ll see how I get the photos off the camera and into some photo editing software to make some easy, quick, and powerful color adjustments, transporting our photos to a whole new level of beauty

  • As a bonus, I’ll provide you with direct links to the DSLR photography equipment I recommend, whether you need to buy it or rent it

So if you’ve frequently been disappointed by the quality of photos you’re able to take using your iPhone or point and shoot camera, or if you’ve always wanted to learn how to master a DSLR camera to take stunning images of your kids, then you need to take this beginner photography course for DSLR now. You’ll be amazed by how easy it can be when it’s presented to you the right way.
Read More Beginner Beginner Level product length iconTime: 3.1h

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Instructor Details

Bryan Lamb

Bryan Lamb is a 30 year veteran tech leader, entrepreneur, educator, and a 4-time UiPath MVP. He is a VP of Intelligent Automation at a major US bank by day and creates high quality online training courses in his "spare time"!

Bryan's goal is to help improve YOUR life, help you earn more income, help you gain confidence with a variety of skills, and empower you to do greater things that you ever imagined!

Read More

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Reviews

4.5

215 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

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By Anonymized User on 11/21/2025

I appreciate the patience of the little girl who stood for a longer time

By Julie Ann Hoeft on 9/23/2024

Love it so far. Learning a lot!

By Crystal L. Jenkins on 4/4/2024

I like that he showed the buttons on the camera he didn't just say turn the dial he showed you where it is and how to set everything up. I like that he showed the pictures side by side so you can see the difference. I felt like I could understand what he was saying, and I didn't feel lost. He was very easy to follow.

By Ashkan Ahrabi on 2/11/2024

Every lesson about the cameras, techniques and settings is awesome. It could be beneficial if the Lightroom lessons were updated.

By Marco van Oostende on 12/29/2023

Already working with DSLR cameras for quite some time, still picked up useful things. Curious to know what the opinion is on using half-automatic (A/S mode), as it basically does the same as manual operation but gives you less to think about.

By Tina Hartman on 4/16/2019

The first part since I am familiar with cameras and settings on my Nikon d7100 was slow but a good refresher. The using Lightroom is something I have but haven't had time to use, so this part and the posting to Facebook was PERFECT and exactly what I was looking for!

By Cynthia Cassidy on 11/27/2017

The course was wonderful. I am a true beginner although I have been taking photo's for years. I own two different lenses and looking for a third. I really wanted to learn how to improve my skills and I know it starts with basic camera knowledge. I really appreciated the lessons on how to set up the camera to take RAW images and how the key elements like ISO, White Balance, effect the final product. I thought that the course was the perfect length and I loved how it incorporated education on how to use basic editing software. I would definitely look for other courses taught by this instructor!

By Cassandra Jenkins on 11/14/2017

I'm completely new to photography. I'm interested in taking photos of my nieces and nephews. I saw this course and thought this a great place to start. I've learned so much about the functions on the camera that I would just over look in the past. I love the way he breaks things down so you feel knowledgeable about how to detect and correct issues with lighting in the middle of the shoot. I never thought about renting a camera before this course which is a great idea if you're ready to dive in and can't afford you camera just yet. Great starter course. I'm ready to practice.

By Mike Miller on 1/15/2017

The information is concise and i had no idea the difference between the three cameras is so drastic regarding image resolution! Great job on making this information so easy to understand!

By Kristina Popovski on 12/25/2016

I enjoyed the course, Bryan has a pretty simple approach and the course was very easy to follow & understand. I do have other photography courses here on udemy, but this course is really outstanding, it is a great approach for teaching photography basics through examples.

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Overall Score : 90 / 100

Beginner Photography - Stunning DSLR Portraits!
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 3.1h
  • Price: $49.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon August 2023
  • Level: Beginner Beginner
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:37 in 10 sections
  • Students:1,517
  • Subtitles:2 languages
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