This is the best time to learn photography. For free and without leaving home

You can't move from home to go to a session or report on what is happening outside. Models do not pose, flowers and insects in the park can not be photographed, and we can forget about traveling for many months. So how is it possible that it's the best time to learn photography for free?

You can sit at home and get bored or watch Netflix all day, but you can also approach the topic a little more creatively. This is a great time to not only watch photos, but also take part in workshops or online courses. On the Web, more companies, institutions and even individual photographers provide valuable knowledge for free.

Photographic knowledge has never been so easy to reach.

The American Professional Photographers of America has made 1,100 online courses absolutely free. Until the end of April, the American Nikon School also provides its online courses for free . Every day, each of the ten lessons is available for around $ 15-50. As part of Leica Akademie North America we get access to extensive discussion panels. The interviews will be published every Sunday and the photo challenge will appear the day after.

This trend is becoming more and more popular also in Poland.

Sigma invites you to a series of online meetings implemented in the form of live broadcasts. In cooperation with photographers, the Polish Sigma brand distributor has prepared an interesting project full of meetings, workshops and valuable reviews. The #fotografujwdomu series is a conversation with professional photographers about photographic topics that can be carried out without leaving the house during quarantine, such as product photography, children's portraits, photographing pets, flowers and plants, and even how to do a report in the room or photograph in a home studio . Among the invited are Viktor Borsuk, Jakub Kaźmierczyk, Ann Podsiedlik, Jarosław Deluga, Zbigniew Furman and Karol Wójcicki.

As part of the "Ask Me Anything" block, brand ambassadors will review Sigma products and give advice on how to best use them. In turn, #Sigma_live series are evening talks about photography. Łukasz Jędrzejewicz, Sigma Product Manager in Poland, will talk with Tomasz Tołłoczko, Maciej Suwałowski, Dariusz Bres, Łukasz Pietrzak and Piotr Wróblewski. This is a really good group of recognized Polish photographers from whom one can learn a lot. The materials will be broadcast live on the Sigma Foto Polska profile.

The Polish branch of Olympus has also prepared its online meeting offer. As part of the action We are with you - online! You can arrange free, virtual, personal meetings led by experienced brand specialists, which can take the form of a personal video call, phone call or e-mail. As you can read on the action page: "Non-Olympus users are also very welcome - it's a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the light Olympus system. Whether you are starting the adventure with photography or are a professional photographer - we are waiting here to help you. " Przemysław Jakubczyk, Sławomir Berski, Jacek Łabaj, Jacek Kowalczyk and Michał Ciesielski are at your fingertips. If we only have questions for them, we want to talk about photography or equipment, it has never been easier. I really respect that approach.

Poznań Pix.House , in turn, encourages free online consultation of its project in the field of documentary and reporter photography. As part of the #photography consultation action, mentors can be Mariusz Forecki, Adrian Wykrota and Michał Adamski - great documentary photographers.

You should not forget about the " Wide Frame by Nikon " website, where high quality guides, video materials, interviews and photographic inspirations have been published for years. It's always been free, but at a really good level.

Photographers add their own three groszy

Photographers who mostly became virtually unemployed from week to week. Paweł Uchorczak , a recognized traveler photographer, organizes live broadcasts as part of the "Show a photo" series, where he discusses photos sent by others. The whole, of course, aims at constructive criticism and development. There is really something to learn from a creator with such experience.

Piotr Trybalski "Photographer on the road" also organizes his live broadcasts. On Sunday, I talk about the best photos from the Facebook group "Photographing on the go". Michał Ostaszewski, who has been preparing to photograph a total solar eclipse in the Andes for two years , often broadcasts on YouTube. As part of his podcast, he discusses photos, advises and inspires.

Your " Fotokawki" "frameborder =" 0 "allowfullscreen> everyday is organized by Tomasz Zienkiewicz . As he writes: "some knowledge, some fun, some inspiration. Photo challenges, photo news and photo discussions are also". Paweł "frameborder =" 0 "allowfullscreen> is also intensifying his publications on YouTube Bulat , on which channel you can find very thorough tests, equipment and guides, and Marcin Pietraszko, creator of the Poland channel "frameborder =" 0 "allowfullscreen> in the Lens .

It is also worth visiting Karol Krukowski, who runs the Karol photography photography online school. Jakub "frameborder =" 0 "allowfullscreen> is also planning his live Kazmierczyk .

They will probably be followed by others or are already carrying out similar activities, but I have not reached them yet. If you know good examples, let me know in the comments: I will add them to this text on an ongoing basis.

Live workshops outside the home are in many ways better than online meetings, but on the other hand, not everyone can afford them because of time or financial constraints. The crisis has forced the creators to organize online workshops, so it's worth using them.

Man does not live by workshops alone

A comprehensive set of photo collections that can be viewed without leaving home was prepared by Maciek Luśtyk from fotopolis.pl . As the author writes: "If you feel that the inability to sparkle at openings with a glass of free wine dulls your sense of photography connoisseur, we have a rescue for you. Instead of a glass, we can take the whole bottle and sit back on the couch, enjoying the pictures shared on the Internet for free. " In turn, Emilia Mańk from the blog Psychology of photography, recommends the best films about photography . Just in time for quarantine evenings.

Home quarantine is a good time to try new photo processing programs

Until April 20, we can test Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher for macOS and Windows 10 for free for 90 days, with no need to purchase later. If you would like to buy your own programs, they were discounted for a fair amount on both platforms - from PLN 239.99 to only PLN 119.99. There is also a way to get Adobe CC for free for two months.

I don't have to talk about the fact that there are thousands of guides and video guides on the web. This is a good time to learn something new, improve the technical quality of our post-production.

Theory is one thing, but you can also practice taking photos while sitting at home

How can you practice taking photos sitting at home? Seemingly these are rather poor conditions, especially for someone who takes photos mainly during travels. Then you can do what Paweł Uchorczak:

Seriously ... There are also subjects for photos at home. Contrary to appearances, the possibilities are really big.

I have set myself the goal of scrupulously documenting every rare exit from home to the store or bakery. Queues in Biedronka, empty streets or buses, sellers in protective masks - these are all views that I hope will end soon. It's a story that we all live. We don't have to go to the other end of the world to be in the center of events. We don't have to live in Chinese Wuhan, like Arek Rataj , to show what life is like during a pandemic. In addition, I try to photograph everyday life at home. Preparing meals, video conferences, view from the window, details at home, wife portraits. Finally, it's time to show it all calmly. No rush, awaited. Photography allows you to see the beauty of peace, celebrate some fleeting moments. It also motivates to search for interesting frames.

Quarantine is also a perfect moment to start a 365 project. Paweł Kadysz, the creator of the 365 project platform, Tookapic , is a specialist here . Paweł has been photographing everyday for 5 years . He posted an inspirational text on his blog about how to take good photos when you get stuck at home . There you will find lots of interesting tips and inspiration for home photos.

There are loads of ideas for photographing at home. Going to Biedronka for toilet paper and yeast, you can also buy flowers that will be used for home macro photos. Last year I described a day in the life of Ireneusz Walędzik master macro photographer . He also did a lot of his work at home.

Home comfort is also conducive to the practice of portraits. Simple, with a window with a diaphragm, but also more advanced with flash and background. Sitting at home, we cook and bake a lot more. You are asked to practice product photography. Or maybe it is a good time to start cleaning up the photos? As you can see, these are just a few of the many ideas.

Sitting at home, we have time to learn. Let's not waste it

Sitting at home is a good time to work on new habits. Perhaps the habits we have always dreamed of, but there was never time to deal with them. Such a habit can be regular viewing of photos, watching YouTube channels with the advice of photographers or everyday photography of ordinary life, catching micro-tricks, of which Krzysztof Gonciarz talked so much in his vlogs.

What will we be like when it all ends and we can return to a normal life? Probably with a few extra kilos on your stomach and watched all over Netflix. However, I wish all of us to come back with new skills, hunger for photos and good habits that will stay with us for good.

This is the best time to learn photography. For free and without leaving home