# FREE Harvard University Photography Course, Online



## Derrel (Jan 15, 2017)

Following Stanford University and its lead of offering free online photo instruction, Harvard University announced just days ago that it is offering the totally free online photography course entitled *Digitial Photography*. The course offers multiple sign-up methods, including a signup via one's Facebook account. See this page for signup details. Photography Courses – Photography Courses Online | ALISON Course Outline | ALISON

I took the Facebook sign-up route, and within five seconds, was directed, as student "Derrel", to the 12-module course, and the 13th module, the course evaluation module.


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## limr (Jan 15, 2017)

I saw this too. You beat me to the posting


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## zombiesniper (Jan 15, 2017)

Excellent!
Thank you for the thread. I would have never found this.


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## table1349 (Jan 15, 2017)

Oh great. Now are going to have a bunch of people around here claiming to be Harvard graduates.


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## Derrel (Jan 15, 2017)

We have  recently had a number of people on TPF inquiring about on-line photography instruction, so I've been looking for something to point people toward.


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## OGsPhotography (Jan 15, 2017)

I signed up! Thanks.


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## annamaria (Jan 15, 2017)

Wow that's neat thanks Derrel. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## acparsons (Jan 15, 2017)

Woohoo, I'm now a Harvard student.


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## RowdyRay (Jan 15, 2017)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Oh great. Now are going to have a bunch of people around here claiming to be Harvard graduates.



Well, I highly doubt adding this to one's resume will make a difference. If it works as a pick up line, I'll let you know.

I signed up. Thank you Derrel.


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## rexbobcat (Jan 16, 2017)

There is also a course from Stanford as well. The website isn't as pretty but it doesn't require signing up. 

Digital Photography


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 16, 2017)

This isn't thru Harvard... not showing up on their website anywhere as online learning thru the university. 


edit - Wait, there's an update below the article on Petapixel... not thru Harvard.


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## photo1x1.com (Jan 16, 2017)

I just watched a few chapters, and I intially wanted to refrain from posting because I´m well aware that it will sound biased .
I think it is not a good idea to mix the advantages and disadvantages of photography lessons where you sit in an auditorium and can ask questions with those of an online course. Both have pros and cons, but this rather seems to be a mix of both cons.
Photography is a visual medium and filming a powerpoint presentation will not do justice to any of the images, effects and techniques shown. They could at least have edited images into the video.
Also if this course were a paid course, they´d probably advertise: 10 hours of video for just 99 US$. The thing is though: if it was tailored for an online audience, it would have been waaaaay shorter. The introduction movies last 103 minutes. That is OK if you sit there live, but not motivating enough for most people new to photography sitting in front of a computer monitor without the chance to interact.
Creating online courses is an awful lot of work. The people behind this course just took a pretty easy route. Anyway is free and I appreciate Derrel sharing this, but I think there are better alternatives - being from Harvard alone doesn´t help much.


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## runnah (Jan 16, 2017)

Seriously, I will be putting this on my resume.


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## table1349 (Jan 16, 2017)

runnah said:


> Seriously, I will be putting this on my resume.


That was a given.  I noticed that you also list Cambridge on you resume, just because you read *this.*


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## jcdeboever (Jan 16, 2017)

I'm going out for the baseball team as walk on at 52 years old...


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## table1349 (Jan 16, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> I'm going out for the baseball team as walk on at 52 years old...


If you go to Harvard they will give you a scholarship.


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## jcdeboever (Jan 16, 2017)

gryphonslair99 said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> > I'm going out for the baseball team as walk on at 52 years old...
> ...


I throw a mean knuckle ball


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## table1349 (Jan 16, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
> 
> 
> > jcdeboever said:
> ...


I used to love watching Tim Wakefield, Jim Bouton, Tom Candiotti and Joe Niekro pitch.  It was always fun and funny when they were on the mound.


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## jcdeboever (Jan 16, 2017)

gryphonslair99 said:


> jcdeboever said:
> 
> 
> > gryphonslair99 said:
> ...


Me too. Lost art really. Just a couple today but they throw them harder. Wakefield just floated it up there.


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## Gary A. (Jan 16, 2017)

Need a second baseman with contact hitting skills?


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## table1349 (Jan 16, 2017)

Sure, the more the merrier.  I'm going to hate catching jcdeboever.  I love to watch knucklballer's but I always hated catching them.  They always give you a workout behind the plate.


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## Derrel (Jan 16, 2017)

vintagesnaps said:


> This isn't thru Harvard... not showing up on their website anywhere as online learning thru the university.
> edit - Wait, there's an update below the article on Petapixel... YES, *offered thru Harvard*.



There..I fixed it for you.

As in: "

The Harvard Open Courses , of Harvard University , in partnership with Alison.com offers a free online course on digital photography, lasting 10-15 hours.

Course modules can be accessed through the official site . Before performing the first access, the student must register onthe site Alison .

The course covers the main topics about digital photography, including: exposure settings; reading the histogram; camera sensor work; camera lens; shooting processing using the computer software and others. Upon completion of the course, students will have dominion over the operation of digital cameras.

The course shall issue a certificate of completion for students who complete all modules and pontuarem 80% or more in each of the assessments.

If you work, study or have an interest in photography, do not miss this opportunity to increase their knowledge without leaving home!

United Photo Press Harvard University offers free online photography course."

*****
This new free course seems to come very recent in diret response to the Stanford University offerings. And yes, the Harvard course  lacks the panache of FroKnowsPhoto, or The Angry Photographer, on Tony Northrup , all "self-styled stars" found on YouTube.


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## shadowlands (Jan 16, 2017)

That's cool. I'll look into this. Thanks!!


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## weepete (Jan 16, 2017)

Thanks mate, I just signed up for it too.


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## table1349 (Jan 16, 2017)

I do believe that we should form an exclusive Harvard Photography Graduates club.  Sort of like The Porcellian Club.  Our motto could be *Dum iacio, iacere scriptor*.   This could be our necktie.  The Leica 50th anniversary necktie.  The clubhouse could be known as "Ye Old Darkroom."  Our favored drink could be The Flaming Volcano.


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 16, 2017)

Petapixel already 'fixed it' for me - with an *Update* (below the *P.S.*).

Which still doesn't seem to be accurate... and neither seems to be United World Press, stating the course is in 'partnership' with the university (from two years ago).

I wasn't sure at first til I looked at this more thoroughly, but - this seems to be Alison using what Harvard made available publicly as one of their online extension courses this past fall. So it seems that a company overseas thinks it's OK to use it on their site for potential profit - to get people to sign up thru them. Which doesn't seem to be the intended purpose.

Yes, the course is free, but apparently companies like this make money from people paying for certificates. And the site doesn't say (that I could find) how much they charge for certificates - which probably are worth less than the piece of paper they'd be printed on.

The thing is, the instructors wrote the material and taught the course and a university made it available for personal use by the public - so why should somebody else profit from it??

If you take this you're taking a course that was originally offered thru Harvard, that Alison took and put on their website. This class thru Alison is NOT currently on Harvard's website; you are NOT signing up thru Harvard, you are probably just helping a seemingly disreputable company try to make money.

Here are Harvard's free online adult continuing ed. courses. http://online-learning.edu
http://online-learning.edu  Or you can find them thru EDX. http://www.edx.org/school/harvardx
http://www.edx.org/school/harvardx


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 16, 2017)

Good idea! we can share a volcano bowl. Just don't accidently mix up photo chemistry in Ye Olde Darkroom with the volcano ingredients or thar she'll blow!


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## Overread (Jan 16, 2017)

So is the course content itself any good? 
What's it aimed at in terms of user experiences and such? Will it fit the bill for those new people after an online course that offers some depth and yet is accessible to newbies or is it intermediate in content level?


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## Derrel (Jan 16, 2017)

For some it seems very difficult to understand concepts like *third-party partnerships in web hosting*.

Does a book I wrote become *my web host's book, you know, *once I allow them to host MY book?

See how that works?

*****

overread: It's no FroKnowsPhoto, and it is certainly no Angry Photographer. It seems to suffer from use of correct terminology, and scientific principles and chit. And it has this horrible, logical structure. So far....seems like they want to educate, and not get Likes and Follows on YouTube.
*****

So far, the "overly long" 103 minutes of introductory material ( good GOD--almost the length of a REAL college class period) has not sent me running to my e-mail client to write corrective notes...

I wish somebody would come up with a good 90-minute photography course. Cut that 103 minute intro down to 30 to 45 seconds or so.
******
Again, as I mentioned earlier, we have had several people asking about an on-line photography COURSE, over the past year. Currently, there is the free STANFORD UNIVERSITY COURSE, and the HARVARD UNIVERSITY COURSE...and both are being* hosted, on-line, for free, by third-party web hosting companies*. It is 2017 now...there is a move at this time toward universities releasing educational materials to the public, for free. Time to update the mentality of *who *owns *what*.

"Web hosting" does not indicate development, nor authorship, nor origin.


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 16, 2017)

It's considered adult continuing education, and most of those type courses are geared for everybody/anybody and usually you work at your own pace if it's online. But see if it's still available thru Harvard or on a site that isn't trying to make a buck from it. 

It's not just that Derrel, it's what the company is doing. I'd be furious if it was my work. Same thing with stealing photos. Why is a company overseas using it to try to make money? do you want to support that and help them stay in business?? I want to see that type thing shut down.


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## Dave442 (Jan 16, 2017)

You can see some extra information from the Harvard Extension School site that has some more recent course info (the online course is from 2009). Not sure if there is anything newer than this 2015 info...
DGMD E-10: Exposing Digital Photography


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## OGsPhotography (Jan 16, 2017)

I can now officially say I am unofficially  a Harvard dropout. 

I really didnt want that  " front office manager" ad in my inbox this evening. Im in the back of the house in case you didnt know.

In all seriousness I think I can still take the course while opting out of Alisons spam.


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## gayle23 (Jan 18, 2017)

I can't seem to start the course Derel. I followed your link and logged in through facebook, clicked on the first module and it says the course has been withdrawn. Am I doing something wrong?


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## otherprof (Jan 18, 2017)

Derrel said:


> Following Stanford University and its lead of offering free online photo instruction, Harvard University announced just days ago that it is offering the totally free online photography course entitled *Digitial Photography*. The course offers multiple sign-up methods, including a signup via one's Facebook account. See this page for signup details. Photography Courses – Photography Courses Online | ALISON Course Outline | ALISON
> 
> I took the Facebook sign-up route, and within five seconds, was directed, as student "Derrel", to the 12-module course, and the 13th module, the course evaluation module.


This course is being taken down on February 15, so all work and requests for certificates must be completed my then. It will be replaced by a few digital photography courses. I just got the e-mail from Alison.


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## Derrel (Jan 18, 2017)

Yeah, they sent me the e-mail today! According to the Alison folks, Harvard University requested that they pull the course. Well, back to YouTube and bull*hit from various YouTuber's!

 Or folks can look up 
*Marc Levoy - Lectures on Digital Photography*

Mark Lavoy's lectures from his Stanford University course are on-line and free. Better get 'em before somebody gets panties in bunch and pulls them down. (pun intended!)


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## jcdeboever (Jan 18, 2017)

vintagesnaps said:


> Petapixel already 'fixed it' for me - with an *Update* (below the *P.S.*).
> 
> Which still doesn't seem to be accurate... and neither seems to be United World Press, stating the course is in 'partnership' with the university (from two years ago).
> 
> ...


Wonder if Alison has a baseball team?


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## purpleorbes (Jan 18, 2017)

hmm. damn it.


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 19, 2017)

I wrote an article about this the other day haha. It seems like a neat course to me!

Daryll Morgan Photography | Richmond Photographer


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## davzava (Jan 19, 2017)

Interesting when I signed in with Facebook I got a notice saying the course was pulled 


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## Dave442 (Jan 19, 2017)

If you want to watch the course it is still offered by the guy that presented it, Dan Armendariz, and from this site you can easily download or watch in full screen...

TV.DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY.EXPOSED
Note that there are also Projects and Problem Sets Tabs next to the Lectures Tab if you really want to get into the course.

I do prefer the Stanford course with Marc Levoy, I took notes on his lecture 3 and I never do that, while Dan can go on-and-on talking about nothing (I suppose this helps in a live setting so people can keep up). 

I noticed that some people complained the Harvard course is old at 2009 - I think the Stanford course is also from around that time period (one course textbook is Photography Ninth Edition and looking at my copy it was published in 2008).

I also suggest including some courses that are through University Art Departments. So far the above lectures feel more like engineers trying to be humane in offering a Humanities class for those that are not in the arts.


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## DanOstergren (Jan 19, 2017)

Honestly I would much rather pay for a creativelive course from a photographer I look up to.


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## runnah (Jan 19, 2017)

DanOstergren said:


> Honestly I would much rather pay for a creativelive course from a photographer I look up to.



Aww, you know I wouldn't charge you!


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## vintagesnaps (Jan 19, 2017)

I think most likely it got taken down because either the instructor or someone from Harvard (or both) saw it - maybe he/they did a takedown notice to Alison. The written and/or video coursework was probably copyrighted by the instructor or the university.

The course is not currently offered - you can go to the instructor's site and click on 2015 for his most recent copy of the coursework and read the text, watch the videos, etc. On his Dan Armendariz site it's under Courses then go to Digital Media E10 and scroll down to 2015.

I'm glad this was taken down because Alison seemed to be trying to sell phony certificates for a class that they didn't seem to be authorized to offer.


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## DGMPhotography (Jan 20, 2017)

Lessons are here: TV.DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY.EXPOSED


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## shadowlands (Jan 22, 2017)

I had already started it, so it's going to let me complete it. They're giving people who were already signed in, to complete it by Feb. 15.
I just completed it. Boom! Harvard Grad in the house! Ha!
Hey, for free, it's cool. No complaints.


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## Mr Spock (Feb 7, 2017)

Course is no longer available


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## smoke665 (Feb 7, 2017)

I guess it's just as well. I don't seem to do well with online courses. I tried one last year on the constitution and bombed out half way through. As a previous poster commented the lack of interaction makes it to easy for my mind to wander.


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## Mr Spock (Feb 7, 2017)

Seemed like a worthwhile thing to do but in thinking about it you're probably right. It's the same issue I have when trying to listen to books on CD in the car. Cant keep my mind focused. Couldn't possibly have anything to do with my getting older :>)


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## DanOstergren (Feb 7, 2017)

Mr Spock said:


> Course is no longer available


You can take the course here. TV.DIGITALPHOTOGRAPHY.EXPOSED


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## table1349 (Feb 7, 2017)

DanOstergren said:


> Mr Spock said:
> 
> 
> > Course is no longer available
> ...


Yeah, but your Diploma won't say Harvard on it, just Exposed.


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## DanOstergren (Feb 7, 2017)

gryphonslair99 said:


> DanOstergren said:
> 
> 
> > Mr Spock said:
> ...


Better to have no diploma than to have a phony one that you paid for, in my opinion.


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