As the holiday season rolls around and it might look like most of our travels are going to be on hold for the foreseeable future, Nikon is again offering its online photography courses for free – with some additional courses added to the mix.

From now through the end of 2020, the classes, which are typically anywhere from $15 to $50 each, are available at Nikon School Online completely free.

The 10 virtual courses cover topics such as photographing pets and children, shooting landscapes, recording video and more. New photographers can begin with the "Fundamentals of Photography," in which professional photographer Reed Hoffman helps students "go beyond [their] camera’s Auto mode and master the fundamentals of photography." Familiar shooters might be interested in developing skills such in areas like macro photography with a course taught by photographer Joey Terrill. Additional courses are in-depth videos on how to use specific Nikon products.

A happy dog on a pillow in front of a Christmas tree
Nikon's "Better Holiday Photos with Nikon Ambassadors" will improve your holiday snaps with pets and family © Courtesy of Nikon

New for the holiday season is the "Better Holiday Photos with Nikon Ambassadors" course, which features top photographers sharing tips and techniques for shooting great holiday snapshots and videos to share with friends and family – even if it might just be you and the dog for the holidays this year.

“Whether celebrating the holidays at home among loved ones or joining together virtually, the power of imaging helps keep us connected, creative and inspired,” says Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc.

In the course on child and pet photography, online students will learn how to "get genuine expressions from children and pets, how to create poses that look and feel natural, how to softly blur the backgrounds, how to set your camera, which lenses are best and more."

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Photographer Steve McCurry on what it takes to get the perfect shot
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Five creative ways to display your travel photos at home

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This article was first published April 2020 and updated December 2020

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