We are surrounded by good and bad photography. I’m hoping these resources will help you step up your photog game. Photography sets the tone for our social media accounts, websites, and graphics.
The resources below will help you find fantastic photography and also capture and edit them yourself. Business owners, having good photos can sometimes add an extra 0 to your income. Pictures are powerful.
If you’re doing this for personal use, this guide will help you have pictures you can cherish for years to come.
Quick tips: Take photos in natural light, don’t post blurry photos, take multiple shots of the same scene, so you have options.
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Canon 60D
I’ve had my Canon 60D for years. In undergrad, I studied photography and through the years I’ve learned tricks from online courses, YouTube, and Google. This camera also captures video. You can find some photos I’ve taken here. I have a macro 50mm F/2.5, EFS 18-135mm (standard), and EFS 55-250mm (telephoto).
Leica T
This is my new baby. I’m still mastering it, but it’s a beauty. I purchased this to have a lightweight camera option. The T has been discontinued and replaced with the TL. I’m not gonna lie, it’s expensive, but I saved my pennies and treated myself for my birthday. It does have interchangeable lenses. I started with the 18-56mm lens.
Lightroom // Desktop + Mobile Device // Fee
This is an advanced photo editing software primarily used by designers and pro photographers. It’s known for its organizing functionality. Great for people who have thousands of photos that need to be organized and batch edited.
Lightroom does have a mobile version that’s not as powerful as the desktop, but will sync with your Adobe account. There is a monthly fee.
Photoshop // Desktop + Mobile Device // Fee
This is an advanced photo editing software primarily used by designers and pro photographers. It can also be used to create 3D graphics and more.
Photoshop does have a free mobile version that’s not as powerful as the desktop but will provide easy editing of photos on the go.
Pic Monkey // Desktop + iPad // Free
You can easily edit and touch up photos, create collages, and design. Design examples include posters, business cards, wedding invitations, and flyers. Premium plans are available to unlock additional editing features and fonts.
Afterlight // IOS, Android & Windows // Free
This app is known for its frames, but it also has filters, textures, and the ability to edit.
Color Story // IOS & Android // Free
This app is known for its ability to bring out colors in photos. It also has filters, textures, and the ability to edit.
Snapseed // IOS & Android // Free
This app is known for its ability to heal and patch (spot removal) photos. It also has filters, textures, and the ability to edit.
Flickr // Website + Mobile Device // Free
I know what you’re thinking, who uses Flickr anymore? It’s still a great place to get inspiration and store photos. I love it because you can store the full-size version of your pictures and then share them to social media. Why does that matter? Try printing a pic from Facebook or IG, it sucks. Yes, you can share to social using iPhoto, but the difference is people don’t get the option to see your pictures full size. They also give you a terabyte of storage! My Flickr account for Creative Route.
Google Photos // Website + Mobile Device // Free
This is similar to Flickr, you can store and organize photos. If you have a Gmail account you can also seamlessly add images to emails and templates.
iCloud // Website + Mobile Device // Free
If you have an Apple account most likely you’re already using iCloud. Storing photos on iCould allows you to access photos seamlessly on all of your devices. If you have tons a photos most likely you’ll have to go to a paid plan.
To find stock photos sites that sale beautiful photos go to Etsy, Creative Market, IG and Pinterest and type in these phrases: styled photography, styled stock photography, styled mockup &, lifestyle photography.
Haute Chocolate // Website // Paid
If you subscribe to their email list they will send you some free ones. The photos are great for women websites that are looking for vibrant cheery photos.
Stockcy // Website // Paid
This site has a hipster feel to me. Very clean images and videos for modern websites.
StockSnap // Website // Free
Love this site! People from all over upload their amazing photos so we can use them for FREE. they operate under the Creative Commons License. You can also contribute by adding photos of your own. Know that because they are free you may see several sites also using them. So if you want something unique you need to pay a premium price.
UnSplash // Website // Free
More gorgeous free photos. They operate under the Creative Common License so you can use them in anything. But just like StockSnap, know that because they are free you may see them everywhere.
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