For those of you interested in photography and wanting to either further your education or challenge your skills I’ve found some free and inexpensive options to explore!

BEN SASSO – He has a handful of great paid education workshops. He also has a free lighting workshop and a really great newsletter which he sends infrequently but loaded with helpful hints when it does arrive in your inbox! You can find his workshops along with the free lighting working on his website here. I’ve always admired his work and would love to ask him to photograph me and my husband the next time we’re in his area!

SAM HURD – He has, without a doubt, the most valuable photography Patreon out there. He has shared literally EVERYTHING on his Patreon and it’s well worth the cost of the month subscription. I attended his workshop a few years back in California and it’s the best money I’ve ever spent on photography education. You can find his Patreon page here.

TRIBE ARCHIPELAGO – Their blog is a wealth of information. They have a great newsletter and Facebook group too and often do editing videos with their presets. You can find their blog online here.

MAG MOD – I discovered their flash/light systems a few years ago and have purchased a ton of their products. Their system is so well designed that I feel like it takes all of the guess work out of it for me. I am far from an expert at using off-camera light, but with their system every time I experiment, the images turn out exactly how I imagined them. I absolutely love the ease of their system and after years of heavy use, all of my products from them are still standing strong! I also really love their blog. They don’t post on there frequently, but there are so many great articles to go back and read through. Many of their posts contain videos too, showing how a variety of professional photographers use their products. They get you thinking creatively about light and show the numerous ways you can utilize their products. You can find their blog here.

CLICK IT UP A NOTCH – Both their ‘Photo Tips’ and ‘Resources’ pages have a lot of great content for free. Most of it is aimed toward beginners, but it has everything from outlining the uses and benefits of a variety of lenses to seasonal photography ideas, tips, and tricks. Start on their resources page here, and start exploring from there!

UNSCRIPTED – I work primarily through prompts. I’m an introvert and hate having my photos taken so I’ve always worked really hard to try to create and environment for my clients that even my own awkward self would feel comfortable in. My goal is for clients to walk away telling me they had fun and enjoyed the process. Prompts have quite literally changed my business and I’ve been using them for years. The Unscripted app is a wonderful resource to get you started using prompts. The app has quite a few free prompts on there. There is, of course, an option to upgrade your account and pay for more prompts too. You can download the app here.

CHALLENGES – And, if you’re looking for some creative inspiration, I’ve found a few photography challenge inspiration posts here, here, here, and here.

Also, I’m always more than happy to help and answer questions so if you start working through any of the challenges or are practicing your skills and need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out! Happy Capturing!