Extended Learning
Photography
Merit Badge
Digital Resource Guide
Your Photography Journey Is Just Beginning
You’ve now explored the science, skills, and creativity behind great photography—how light works, how cameras see, how composition guides the viewer’s eye, how motion is captured, and how stories are told one image at a time. But more importantly, you’ve learned that photography isn’t just about equipment or settings—it’s about seeing. Seeing light. Seeing moments. Seeing stories that others might miss. Every great photographer started exactly where you are now: curious, experimenting, and learning through practice.
Whether you go on to photograph sports, wildlife, adventures with your patrol, family memories, or even pursue photography as a career, this merit badge gives you a powerful lifelong skill. The camera in your hand is a tool for creativity, communication, service, and storytelling.
Keep shooting. Keep experimenting. Keep learning. And most of all—have fun capturing the world as only YOU see it.
Awards and Scholarships
There are a variety of scholarships available to young men and women interested in photography—some are sponsored by equipment manufacturers, some by nonprofit organizations that hope to encourage young photographers (such as yourself!) to pursue careers in photography. Do an online search and see what might be available to you!
Check Out These Awards and Scholarships Available to Youth Nationwide
National YoungArts Foundation
School and Sports Photographers Annual Conference
National Photography Competition
Want to learn more about technical photography?
Learn how to take professional-quality photographs using the same tricks today’s top photographers use (surprisingly, it’s easier than you’d think)!
In this book, author Scott Kelby brings his award-winning approach of sharing his secrets and shooting advice just like he would with a friend if they were out shooting together. Each page covers a single technique, tool, or trick you can use to capture truly amazing pictures with your iPhone. You’ll learn how to get great shots in low light, how to capture awesome portraits of people, how to nail your composition, and how to take jaw-dropping travel, food, and landscape photos. You’ll learn all about time-lapse photography, long exposure, and panoramas. You’ll find out just what accessories you really need, and you’ll learn some cool post-processing tricks. And, of course, Scott covers the best tips and tricks for shooting with your iPhone, as well as the top 10 photo apps he uses that will make your images better and make shooting with your iPhone that much more fun.
Light: Science & Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light, with examples and instructions for practical application. Featuring photographs, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions, this book speaks to photographers of varying levels. It provides invaluable information on how to light the most difficult subjects, such as surfaces, metal, glass, liquids, extremes (black-on-black and white-on-white), and portraits.
Astrophotography introduces young photographers to making images of the stars and planets. Through clear text and stunning photography, readers will learn the techniques needed to capture nighttime scenes. Topics covered include shooting star fields, the moon, solar and lunar eclipses, and the Milky Way. Choosing the proper equipment is also discussed, from DSLRs to telescopes. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Abdo & Daughters is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.
Also check out these video tutorials!
PHLEARN is well-known for Photoshop and Lightroom techniques. Includes many free tutorials that are well explained.
Mark Denney provides a wealth of videos for advanced techniques:
