In recent months we have explored a wide variety of accessories that every photographer should have at hand regardless of their level, but it is a logical decision to start with some theory. The web is full of courses, tutorials and guides to improve our skill with a camera, and adding to the list is Harvard University, through the online learning platform ALISON. The course is free and published under a CC license.
Most of my articles about photography end with the same recommendation: Take your camera and get out there. 21st-century photography is more tolerant of errors, since if a photo is not good, you just delete and try again. Even so, the trial and error mechanism becomes a bit less frustrating if you oil it with theory. Finding such theory is the simplest aspect. Entire portals are dedicated to learning photography and share their resources for free, although such an amount of material might become white noise.
If you are wondering where to start and you have some command of English, you probably want to take a close look at the digital photography course prepared by Harvard University. The content was published under a Creative Commons license by the online learning platform ALISON, which in turn took it from Harvard's OpenCourseWare. In total it has thirteen modules, ranging from a basic introduction to photography to critical aspects like optics, exposure, color and artifacts. The last module of the course serves as an evaluation, and apparently, if you manage to pass it with a score above 80 percent, you can obtain the equivalent of a diploma.
It is necessary to note that the course text was developed in 2009. That doesn't mean it is obsolete, but it is possible that some references to specific cameras are no longer fully useful due to availability issues. All ALISON asks to enable access to the course is that interested people register with an email account, or use alternative credentials (Facebook, Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn and Yahoo! are valid). Good luck!
