I want to empower you to pursue your passion and education with confidence as you utilize these free resources, 15 to be exact! I know that you deeply care about growing your business and your skills as a photographer, or you wouldn't be here. But sometimes finances can be a barrier to that growth! Have you ever felt like you were stuck? Like you couldn’t maximize your potential because you didn’t have enough money to invest in the best workshop or the newest course! I get it. Especially when you are starting out in photography, it’s challenging to invest in yourself, but you can do it, for free! You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to become a successful photographer, but you do need to continue to learn, grow, and challenge yourself. And I’ll tell you how!
Alright, so let’s jump into my favorite free resources that I use to gain knowledge!
PODCASTS
I absolutely love listening to podcasts to gain knowledge! It’s an easy and fun way to learn more and you can do it while you're doing other tasks. I listen to podcasts while I’m editing, cleaning the house, even taking a bath! Here are my favorites!
1. The Heart & Hustle Podcast
You can find it here! Hosted by The Heart University, Lindsey and Evie are sassy and sweet and full of inspiration and business education for photographers and entrepreneurs.
2. Goal Digger Podcast
You can find it here! Hosted by the down to earth Jenna Kutcher, this podcast focuses on budgeting, branding, marketing, you name it, Jenna covers it in an approachable way!
3. Creative Rising Podcast
You can find it here! This informative podcast, hosted by The Youngrens, is behind the scenes look at the nitty-gritty of business! This is the stuff you don't want to miss.
BLOGS
When you have time to sit down and read, even while you’re waiting for an appointment, blogs are a wealth of information. They are jammed packed with endless knowledge. Check out my top two favorite blogs below!
4. Jenna Kutcher Blog
Read it on the blog here! Yes, Jenna Kutcher again! I love her blog and her podcasts. For all things marketing and inspiration, you have to read this blog!
5. Unscripted Posing Blog
Read it on the blog here! If you want to read about all things authentic posing and more business inspiration, read this blog! Unscripted Posing also has an app you can use. I use it for every session! If you’re interested in checking out the app, you can download it here! If you download the app and love it, you can use my code NICOLEPHOTO for $20 off!
GUIDES
Guides are a great way to gain knowledge for free! When you sign up for a free guide, you often get the bonus of additional emails with even more educational content. Take a look at my favorite guides!
6. Rising Tide Society
Check out their guides here! The Rising Tide is “on a mission to empower the creative economy to rise together doing what they love.” They offer lots of free education, including guides! The Rising Tide Society also partners with Honeybook. Honeybook is an amazing customer relationship management service and I use it daily in my business! You can learn more about Honeybook here!
Alright, back to the guides! Here are my favorite guides from Rising Tide!
Yup, that’s me! I also offer free guides to educate photographers that cover a variety of topics from utilizing social media to grow your business to how to become confident in yourself and your business! You can grab them below!
COURSES
Yes, there are free photography courses! Oftentimes photography educators will offer free courses with a basic level of what they offer in their paid courses, but it’s still great education! Here are my favorite free courses!
8. List to Launch Course
The List to Launch Course is an email building challenge by Jenna Kutcher that helps you launch and grow your business through email marketing! It’s fantastic.
9. Documentary Photography and Photojournalism Course
Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Still Images a World in Motion is a course that focuses on growing your photographic skills and eye for documentary photography. It doesn’t look trendy, but it’s filled with valuable information.
YOUTUBE
Yup, you bet YouTube is a great resource for free educational videos. Got a question? Look on YouTube! Want to know more about a specific technique or a function of your camera, search YouTube. It’s a wealth of information, especially for beginners and camera-specific questions. I just watched a 30-minute video the other day about how to clean my camera’s sensor. Here are my favorite channels for technical aspects as well as artistic inspiration!
10. The School of Photography
The School of Photography is a YouTube channel that focuses on equipment and lightroom tutorials. It’s high-quality video content that will definitely teach you something new every time you watch!
11. Sue Bryce Education
If you’re looking for tips and inspiration on portrait photography, check out Sue Bryce Education. Posing, lighting, marketing, all the things you need to know for portrait photography, Sue Bryce is filled with knowledge.
12. B&H Photo Video
B&H is actually an online retailer for photography and videography gear but they also have a YouTube challenge that is filled with tips, tutorials, gear topics, and more! You can find it here! P.S. I get all of my gear from B&H because they're a professional company that has phenomenal customer service!
WEBINARS
Similar to podcasts and courses, webinars are filled with educational tidbits! Again, educators often offer free webinars before launching a course. They give away knowledge for free in hopes that you’ll want to invest in learning more. I often attend webinars and take notes because the value they give in those 30 minutes or so is amazing. The thing about webinars is they are at specific times. You can always sign up and watch the replay though.
13. Rising Tide Society
Yes, back to the Rise Tide Society! They offer webinars frequently and have a list of upcoming webinars here! Having a set date on your calendar to devote to learning will also help you follow through, so sign up for a webinar today!
14. Jenna Kutcher
If you’ve been counting, this is the third time I’ve mentioned Jenna Kutcher! It’s not because I’m obsessed with her, it’s because I’m obsessed with her content. Yes, she’s a kind soul and I’m sure we’d be great friends, but the content she shares for free is abundant and extremely helpful. Learning from her has significantly impacted my business. While she doesn’t have webinars currently happening, you can follow her on Instagram to find out when she is hosting her next one!
15. Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield is the queen of online marketing! Again, she isn’t currently hosting webinars, but she does frequently. You can find her on Instagram and learn all things online marketing through her posts while you wait for her next webinar! She is always full of energy and excitement, so make sure you tune in!
Do you feel empowered yet to take hold of your education, grow as a photographer, and challenge yourself? You should! Especially because it’s free; there is no barrier stopping you from expanding your knowledge.
If you’re curious why a photography educator who offers paid education is giving away all this knowledge for free it’s because I genuinely want to help you! I love seeing others succeed. I taught high school photography for 4 years and I’m an educator at heart. It’s embedded into every fiber of my being to share what I know and celebrate others’ growth!
I also value free education and am constantly learning, every day, through podcasts, blogs, and more. I also set aside dedicated time and finances to learn, grow, and expand with courses, workshops, mentorships, masterminds, and more. I invest in my education because I know how vital it is to the success of my business and my growth as an artist. When I document a couple, I want to give them the best experience possible, from beginning to end. I want my business to thrive and inspire others. I invest in education because I believe that we should never stop learning. Free resources allow me to continually learn while waiting for the next opportunity to invest in!
I’d love to invest in your education too with my business and passion. I want to share my knowledge, experience, and creative insight with you. Why? Because I’m overflowing with excitement and inspiration for you! I want to share my experiences, the good, the bad, and the in-between, to help you grow and learn. I will come alongside you, encourage you, support you, and help you achieve your goals. I will teach you all that I know so that you can move forward confidently and document authentically.
If you’re ready to get more free education, join my community for more! You can sign up for monthly emails here or you can check out the different types of educational opportunities that I offer here! Either way, I’d love to continue sharing my knowledge with you and I’d love to connect!
All my love,
"Nicole is one of the most authentic photogs in the biz! Not only from the way she captures the candids, the raw emotion, and joy but also in her passion for educating others. She is an open book and truly wants you to become better at your craft. She embodies community over competition and is an inspiration, not only as a creative but as a human."
"Nicole never made me feel anything but confident. I really appreciate Nicole’s approach, she’s very organized and personable. It’s evident that Nicole has a passion for teaching others and doesn't hold back any information. All of our time was well spent and it was so so valuable. I look forward to investing in future mentor sessions or workshops that she offers!"
"Meeting with Nicole was the best investment I could have made as a novice photographer! We took a deep dive into the technical aspects of my camera and discussed equipment, editing, marketing, and more to jumpstart my business. Nicole was able to answer all of my questions and she went above and beyond in making me feel comfortable. She has a ton of knowledge and expertise, a generous heart, and I look forward to our continued mentoring relationship!"
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