February 6, 2015
Okay, so let’s be real. Photography can tend to be a very desired yet sometimes difficult skill to begin to learn. Or at least it was for me last summer when I began diving into my camera and my new editing software Lightroom. Where to start!? The one thing I had going for me was that I loved researching anything and everything photography and got pumped when I could find an article or video that was helpful to me. How to find these articles and videos..? This took me a while to locate just the right ones that quenched my thirst and applied to me. What I learned along the way is that photography workshops and knowledge can be sold for a pretty penny. The knowledge that these well-known photographers have gained can tend to be pretty pricy and is quite valuable. Now, don’t get me wrong, attending workshops and investing in education can be very helpful and important, but firstly, these easily accessible blogs and websites are where to begin and supplement along the way. A common question I have been asked is, “where or how did you learn photography?”. Well, firstly, I had a huge desire to learn, learn, and learn more. So naturally, secondly, I found a lot of different resources online, but the best ones were…wait for it…FREE. I did purchase a few cheaper online tutorials along the way, but I swear by the list I’m about to share below. These resources are free, full of nuggets of photography knowledge and fun to follow! Whether you’re an aspiring photographer or a mom who simply wants to learn her camera, at least one of these links is a fit for you. Most if not all you can find on YouTube, as well, which is my personal favorite time killer on the treadmill.
Jasmine Star
Firstly, I think most photographers will say they’ve learned a thing or two from Jasmine Star. She’s an incredible and super sweet wedding photographer based in California. Basically 1) she is amazing and 2) she offers so many incredibly helpful and most importantly free tutorials, articles and videos online. This is so huge. As I mentioned earlier, learning photography from a professional can get pricy. I’m talking’ several $$$ to $,$$$ to attend workshops or online coaching calls. So the fact that you can find tons of tutorial videos of Jasmine’s on youtube is huge. Youtube is actually where I came across Jasmine, and the day I did, I spent over an hour on the treadmill listening to video after video. No, that’s not normal for me at all, but I totally killed two birds with one stone! From then on, everyday I would go back into her archives and read old blog posts where she’d answered questions from photographers like me! You can find her blog here:
Amy and Jordan
I came across Amy and Jordan this past March I believe. They’re based out of Arizona and basically the cutest married couple you may ever come across. I loved their blog when I found it, because it has what you might call story blogs. They’ll post series of blogs that relate to one another so that they hit topics in-depth. What’s nice about them is that hey offer a range of photography knowledge versus Jasmine’s thats somewhat wedding photography specific. You can also subscribe to their newsletter that offers great nuggets on Mondays when they send out their “Monday Minute”. Visit their blog here.
Click it Up a Notch
Calling all moms! THIS is your one-stop shop! I was introduced to Click it Up a Notch by a friend/MOM in Las Cruces, and when I found it, it was like I’d hit gold! It’s almost daily she posts new articles to Facebook. You can find her on YouTube, as well. She began her venture as a blogger who made her name known, very known. She’s actually a mother, blogger and photographer who’s passionate about blogging and helping other moms (and photographers like me) use their cameras and understand every nook and cranny there is to know. She’s been amazing to follow. So attention: all moms reading this, you would especially enjoy her blog and can find it here.
YouTube
Honestly, I think YouTube is my favorite resource to learn new skills. If I needed to learn about the brush in Lightroom, I specifically typed it into the search bar in YouTube. If I came across Amy and Jordan on Facebook and wanted to see if they had YouTube videos, I typed their name in (I did!). I came across other very helpful videos that I still loads from today! Truly, YouTube is amazing.
Creative Live
Lastly, all photographers must know about Creative Live. It’s free streaming of live video footage of well-known photographers…wait for it… daily! You can access old videos in the archives, as well, which is amazing. I believe you have to pay for the older videos, however. There’s a Jasmine Star class I want to purchase, and it’s just waiting for me there! 😉
See, I’m telling you..online learning is amazing! There are too many resources out there, it’s amazing. You can start exploring Creative Live here.
Now with a lot of these photographers, they may offer free knowledge, but they also have stores in which you can purchase some of their knowledge or pay for coaching calls, as well. Another photographer I’m starting to follow is Katelyn James who just opened her online shop for photographers.
For now, I hope you can all check out these resources and find some articles or videos to where you just can’t stop..like I still haven’t! These will surely get you motivated and learning multitudes!
I’d love to hear if this post was helpful to anyone beginning their photography venture out there. If you have any more questions for me, feel free to shoot them my way! I’ve received some interested in some one-on-one coaching for Lightroom and photography in general, as well, so if you’re someone who’s interested, I’d be happy to visit with you! I’d love to talk photos with anyone willing to talk as much about it as me! 😉
Joys,
Lindsay
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