Updated: April 10, 2020 at 1:06 p.m.
While we’re hosting webinars each week as a part of The Artists’ Notebook, there are several other online learning opportunities out there for photographers, too! Check out some of the free educational resources below. Know of any you’d like to see added? Let us know in the comments.
QuaranCon
Begins April 8 & 9, 2020 | Free; visit Facebook
Brett Watkins of Mentor.photo is organizing QuaranCon, a free Facebook Live photography conference. The conference is set to kick off on April 8 and 9, but will continue to have sessions every week of April.
Most sessions are around an hour in length, and are taught by several professionals, including Skip Cohen, Lee Varis, Bobbi Lane, Dave Doppel, Bob Davis, David Grupa, Steve Neilson, Bryan Welsh and more.
Photoshop Virtual Summit
April 13-17, 2020 | Free; pssummit.com
The Photoshop Virtual Summit will feature five days of virtual instruction led by 20 world-class Photoshop instructors. You’ll learn practical Photoshop techniques, strategies and tips to help take your Photoshop level to the next level.
I talked to Dave Cross, organizer of the Photoshop Virtual Summit, about how the event started, and what people can expect.
“I’d been playing around with the idea of an online conference for some time, and when the current crisis hit and I read about people having to stay home, it seemed like the perfect time to run it. I also decided to make the classes free for a 48-hour period to try to make them as accessible as possible,” he said, noting the VIP pass that gives unlimited access to session recordings, practice exercises and more, for $97.
“People can look forward to learning about everything from layers to compositing to automation to printing — and more,” Cross said. “There are 20 instructors each teaching two 45-minute sessions, spread out over a 5-day period. Just like at in-person events, there is a variety of Photoshop (and some Lightroom) topics aimed at all levels of users.”
Cross, who first started teaching about Photoshop three years after it came out in 1990, knows most of the instructors personally. There’s several sessions he’s looking forward to.
“Daniel Gregory has two sessions on success in printing that I know will be excellent, and then there’s UnMesh Dinda teaching about Blend Modes, Corey Barker sharing design techniques, Renée Robyn showing compositing tips and tricks, Jack Davis teaching Photoshop mobile … like I said, there’s so much to look forward to!”
Leica
Camera manufacturer Leica is running a series of talks and photo challenges to keep photographers inspired. They’ll be held every afternoon for free; you just have to use the hashtag #StayHomeWithLeica to participate. Find a list of all their upcoming events on Eventbrite.
Olympus
Olympus has launched “Home with Olympus Sessions,” virtual educational sessions designed to allow photographers to continue to learn the features of their Olympus cameras from home. Photographers can sign up for dedicated one-on-one sessions with Olympus technical experts to cover individual and specific questions, or participate in group sessions, tailored to cover specific genres and/or OM-D model cameras. Interested users can sign up at getolympus.com.
Additionally, the company has added new content to its Learn Center, and is also having live events and critiques on the Get Olympus Facebook page.
Nikon
Nikon has made its Nikon School free through the month of April. Learn how to get up and running with your Nikon camera, or learn new photography techniques from experts like Joe McNally, Reed Hoffman, Tamara Lackey, Kitty Peters and more. Learn more at the Nikon School.
