Skip to main content

Back to school: Nikon launches online photography courses

Nikon is jumping on the back-to-school season — only the school isn’t a physical place. This week it’s expanding its educational programs by introducing online classes.

Nikon School has offered hands-on workshops nationwide for over 30 years, and now, a selection of its workshops won’t face any geographic barriers. The new Nikon School Online is slated to offer a range of classes from basics to advanced techniques.

Recommended Videos

Similar to what Canon does with its Digital Learning Center, the online learning portal launches with three different classes, with additional courses to be added in the future. In Hands-On with the SB-5000 Speedlight, Nikon Ambassador Joe McNally walks students through using the hot shoe flash from the basic how-to explanation to both studio and on-site shoots.

Another class delves into the challenge of photographing kids and pets, with Tamara Lackey, also a Nikon ambassador, leading the online classes. Photographing Children and Pets covers topics from posing to lighting.

For the newest Nikon DSLR users, a 15-minute class walks through the features and basic techniques, offering a visual learning tool that goes beyond the instruction manual. The Getting Started with Your Nikon DSLR course also covers Nikon accessories and the new SnapBridge app.

The online classes also allow photographers to learn at their own pace — the classes released today will remain accessible until 2021, according to the website.

“Without traditional geographical constraints, Nikon School Online can reach a wider variety of photographers eager to get the most of their images and video,” Kosuke Kawaura, Nikon’s director of marketing and planning, said in the official announcement. “From amateurs using their first DSLR to enthusiasts eager to master their technique, these new online classes will educate passionate photographers and inspire them to capture the things they love.”

Photographers who register their Nikon Speedlight (or have already registered their Speedlight) by the end of September will receive a free redemption code for the Speedlight class. Otherwise, both the flash and kids and pets class sell for $50, with the quick start for $15.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
Phone cameras are so good, they’ve finally replaced my camera for work
Close up of the camera on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro.

For almost two decades, I’ve carried more than twenty pounds of electronics in my backpack for the slightest chance of needing to capture content for my professional life. My backpack usually contained my MacBook, a full-frame camera with a big lens, a tripod, and an assortment of video and audio gear that I always deemed essential.

As it turns out, over the past two years, many of these items were rendered obsolete, as many companies launched new products that were quickly able to replace technology that I previously considered irreplaceable.

Read more
This is what happens ‘when you get two uber-geeks in space at the same time’
NASA's Don Pettit on the space station.



During NASA’s first-ever Twitch livestream from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, current station inhabitant Don Pettit and recent returnee Matthew Dominick talked about what it’s like to live and work in a satellite 250 miles up.

Read more
The GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition is $100 off, but not for long
A person holding the GoPro HERO13 Creator Edition in front of the ocean.

Outdoor enthusiasts who want to buy a new action camera should go for the brand that popularized the product and look for GoPro deals. Best Buy has an offer that's going to be hard to refuse, as it features the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition. From its original price of $600, it's down to just $500 as part of the retailer's Presidents' Day Sale. There are still a few days remaining before the $100 discount ends on February 17, but we highly recommend completing your purchase as soon as possible because stocks may run out before then.

Why you should buy the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition
The star of the GoPro Hero 13 Creator Edition is the GoPro Hero 13 Black, which is the latest version of the brand's popular line of action cameras. It's capable of recording video at up to 5.3K resolution, and you can grab photos of up to 24.7MP from your footage using the GoPro Quick app. The GoPro Hero 13 Black can also take videos that are slowed down by 13 times the normal speed, and it can last more than 5 hours on a single charge. The front and rear LCD screens will let you frame your shots perfectly, and the built-in buttons enable easy controls for lengthy sessions.

Read more