Photography Resources During COVID-19 | Cleveland TN Photographer

Well, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know everything that has happened in the news with COVID-19 and continues to happen. And like everyone else, you are staying home to prevent the spread of the virus.

As a photographer, I have put all of my sessions on hold for right now as have other photographers I know. And it is hard trying to figure out what to do with our time. So I wanted to share some resources to help assist other photographers while we are all learning how to live in these current times.

A recent study by the Harvard Business Review found that engaging in learning activities and tasks at work was a better buffer against stress, anxiety and unethical behavior than relaxing activities, such as taking a break.

I scoured the internet and have been looking into free resources for photographers. I have also been searching my Facebook groups to see what others are doing with all of this time on their hands. It’s so hard to sit still when you’re a creative, so having projects to do is so important in order to keep your mind sharp!

My favorite word in this business is FREE! Since I am only a part-time photographer, I am constantly looking for anything that is little to no cost to me. I use the free version of the Instagram and Facebook scheduling app Hootsuite. I subscribe to creatives and other photographer’s email lists so I get cool surprises to my inbox! There are all sorts of websites out there!

Now, I have two small children at home while my husband is working in healthcare (Thank you to all who are working on the front lines right now!!). So I don’t have a lot of free time on my hands. However, I want to spread some good news on any information I can find to help spark our creativity! So let’s get to it!

Free Online Classes, Books, and Subscriptions

• Seniorologie Summit

  Leslie Kerrigan, the founder of Seniorologie, a photography resource for senior photographers, has gotten other photographers and professionals together to create a FREE senior course to help out others during the pandemic. Here is the link! https://seniorologie.com/SENIOROLOGIE-SUMMIT

• Creative Live

  This is the first website I found for professional classes. You can purchase classes most times at a discount for a skill you want to learn. Or if you watch the Live broadcast, it’s free. I love that you can download their app and watch from your phone, since I’m not always at my desk. www.creativelive.com

• Photography E-books

  Since you’re stuck at home, why not do some reading? I love to read and I try to get in a few pages a day! But you can read and improve your photography at the same time! A two for one deal 🙂 Here is a link to some great free e-books! www.experphotography.com/free-photography-ebooks

• YouTube

  Now this isn’t a big secret that YouTube is free, but I have discovered a lot of photographers who show behind the scenes work and tutorials, especially if you want to learn something new. And you can subscribe to someone’s channel and get notifications when they post new videos. www.youtube.com

• Photoshop and Lightroom

  Are you needing to learn more about editing or about post-processing? Why not start now? PHLearn has some free tutorials on Photoshop and Lightroom. https://phlearn.com/free-tutorials/

Project Ideas and Other Resources

• Free Stock Photos

  I am always looking to make cool Instagram stories and use images in my email newsletters. So I love having several stock photos websites to choose from that are free to use and download. Click on this link for a list of several sites you can use! (The photo at the top of this blog post is from pexels.com.)

  https://blog.hootsuite.com/20-free-stock-photo-sites-social-media-images/

• 365 Photo Project

  In order to stay creative we have to keep shooting! Even if you are stuck at home, you can still shoot outside and around your house. Practice shooting different lighting situations and on manual! To find a 52 week or 365 day photo project, just google and a lot of lists will come up and you can pick one you like! Here is a link to get you started! www.photoshopactions.com/blog/blog/completing-a-365-project

• Blogs to Help You Get Creative

  I was randomly searching and I came across this post online which lists a lot of blogs to help you get your creative juices flowing!

  https://mymodernmet.com/top-photography-blogs-for-the-creative-mind/

• Photography Guides

  Clickin Moms is a great resources for so many things! This post has four downloadable guides for FREE including one on finding inspiration and how to take better photos. While you’re there, browse their blog for other great ideas! https://www.clickinmoms.com/blog/free-photography-resources

Podcasts

I love listening to all kinds of podcasts! And not just about photography! But there are some awesome ones out there that cover a range of topics, from everything to marketing on social media to how to acquire a small business loan during the pandemic. Here are a few you can start listening to today!

• Bokeh- The Photography Podcast

• Photo Field Notes

• The Seniorologie Podcast

• The Goal Digger Podcast

• The Six Figure Photography Podcast

Whew that was a lot of information, wasn’t it?! I sincerely hope this has helped you spark your imagination or give you an idea on what to do with your time while you are at home, helping to flatten the curve!

Did I miss something in this post that should have been included? Send me an email at erinbancroftphoto@gmail.com and let me know so I can include it in another blog!