Resource Center
It’s all about collaboration, not competition, after all. Here is a list of resources I’ve either created myself, used myself, or had them personally recommended by knowledgeable photographer friends from the podcast. Enjoy!
Online Courses
Web Hosting Set Up and WordPress Installation For Beginners
Get Your First Website Up and Running. Set Up Web Hosting and Install WordPress in 30 Minutes. Short and Simple.
The Photography Business Prep Guide to Easy Photoshoots
Have your first photo shoot coming up? Get walked through the process with this step-by-step, self-paced online course.That takes you from pre-shoot to post-shoot. Turn clients into fans with less stress, frustration, and burnout.
Email Marketing With Aweber: Step-By-Step Set Up & Strategy
Crush Photoshop In A Week – Learn By Doing
The New York Institute of Photography
Learn How To Take Better Photos at the world’s largest online photography school. Choose from 9 online courses based on your skill level and area of interest! The New York Institute of Photography has been in business over 100 years (est. 1910). Study anytime, anywhere, at your own pace. Every student gets a personal mentor, a pro photographer who reviews your photos and helps you improve.
Business Resources
Building Your Photography Website
Zenfolio.com: This is an excellent website solution for photographers of all levels, and also a photo hosting service.
HostGator.com: Affordable Hosting, with easy WordPress installation and additional options. Great if for those just starting out, and it’s scalable. Use coupon code UDEMYPENNY and get hosting for a penny.
Building Your Email List of Customers and Fans
Aweber.com: Having an email base of loyal fans is essential to any successful business, and is how we keep in touch with our fans here at ProPhotographersJourney. Aweber makes it easy to set up your effective email campaign, and is known industry wide.
Legal Issues: Protecting Your Photography Business
Legalzoom.com: As business owners, it’s crucial that we protect our businesses. Legal Zoom will walk you through the steps of creating your business LLC, or online corporation, in addition to a host of other options, like trademarks services, and info on patents and copyrights.
Recommended Photography Books
Going Pro: How To Make the Leap From Aspiring to Professional Photographer: Written by Scott Bourne and Skip Cohen
Photography Software
Topaz Labs DeNoise: Noise Reduction Software That Preserves Detail
This software blew me away. I purchased it after shooting a 7 hour long wedding and reception that went well into the night, and was amazed at how easily it corrected and enhanced my small batch of grainy, problem shots. Not only did it restore noise and preserve the detail of my “un-usable” photos that I would have had to otherwise discard, but it made even my great photos, for lack of a better term, super-great.
They offer a handful of powerful products, but DeNoise is hands down my favorite. It is worth mentioning that their other products can enhance details and make other powerful adjustments to really make your photos pop. It integrates into Photoshop (as well as Lightroom and a list of other software), and is extremely easy to use. You can buy them one at a time, or all at once. In addition, they offer free webinars and live training, often from other successful photographers, on how to most effectively use their tools.