Great Websites for New and Experienced Photographers

Over the past year, I have come across several websites that I have found to be extremely useful, from learning how to promote your business, to lighting, posing, editing software, and much more.  One of the best ones has been creativeLIVE .  Other good resources you might find helpful: photoshelter.com/mkt/research/ . They have lots of free informative guides - they do promote their web hosting somewhere in the guide, but no obligations. And this one, too, has been good:  http://www.photographyschoolhouse.com/webinars.aspx , http://www.profitablestudio.com/success-articles/ and finally this one http://www.thejoyofmarketing.com/ - she does try to sell you on her things, but still gives a lot of good info.  After a while, you have to pick and choose, or you'll go on overload, LOL.


These sites have given me some great ideas, filled in some gaps, or given me new ways to look at things.  I have been doing photography as a hobby and profession for over 30 years, have seen many changes, the biggest being the switch to digital.  With all my experience and courses I have taken, the above sites still give me a lot of great new information.  Perhaps the biggest area for me has been on marketing and branding.  And some "Aha" moments when watching webinars on PhotoShop and Lightroom.


The following photo of the eclipse, taken at Venice Beach, was adjusted in Lightroom to look a bit more dramatic.  It was a jpg photo taken with a Panasonic FZ30, hand held.

The images were reduced in size for this blog.  Before adjusting in Lightroom, the low clouds were a very light gray.  Even at 85% obscured, the sun would have been too bright to shoot with my camera - and might have burned out the sensor had I tried.  Not only did the clouds allow me to shoot the eclipse, but added so much more to the image.

Although I usually photograph people, I also will photograph anything that is beautiful (a rainbow, an eclipse, a flower, a sunset, etc.).  (On a side note - celestial events - today Venus moves across the face of the Sun, which won't happen again until 2117 - but I don't think I'll be able to see it or get pictures of it as it doesn't cover enough of the sun, although maybe if I get a sunset picture, it might show).
This concludes this post - hope you all have a great week, and a healthy one.