As a blogger, web designer, and lover of pretty much anything creative, I've always been drawn to photography. I am in no way a photographer, but I like to think I have an eye for good photographs. That being said, it is probably one of my favorite art forms and it has so many different purposes.
I'm always looking for great photo content. A big piece of that is for this, my personal blog, but I find good photos to be vital in any website I design. I think the same can be said for a lot of marketing and promoting that happens through social media.
I'm always looking for great resources to help up my "photo game" and the overall aesthetic of my blog or Instagram through different graphic designs and of course, great photos. Today I am sharing some of my favorite resources I have used in my own photos - in pictures I have taken, local photographers, photo editing applications and presets, and other resources I use to create with my photo content.
1. Photo editing applications
I use a variety of things for photo editing; but a lot of it depends on what was used to take the picture as well as what I am editing on. If I'm editing on my phone I like to use the Tezza App, Darkroom, and Lightroom. Whenever I am using my computer to edit, which is typically what I try to use whenever I have photos done with with nicer camera, I edit on Lightroom Classic. Adobe offers a great deal on their Photography plan which includes: Photoshop, Lightroom (desktop and mobile), and Lightroom Classic. These programs are fairly straight forward and pretty easy to use in my opinion. This plan is only $9.99 per month.
2. Presets
The thing I love most about Lightroom, is the fact that you can use presets. For me, it makes Lightroom work the quickest and easiest. It's also just super fun to try out the different presets. The other great thing about presets is that the amount of resources for them are endless. There are so many out there to choose from. While you can find free presets, there aren't a lot - and I'll be honest, the ones that are free... there's usually a reason. They don't often translate well to your photos, at least in my experience.
The other issue is that a lot of presets can be pretty pricey. I was so happy when I stumbled upon 123 Presets while trying to find presets at a reasonable price. They are very reasonably priced and you get a lot for what you're paying for. For example; right now they have a deal going on that if you buy 3 you get 12! Not to mention that each preset has a variety of versions within that one preset group. This automatically gives you a great variety to have on hand and choose from. Here is the other great part... they actually look good! I've been so happy with every preset I have from 123 Presets. Because I love them so much I am going to start posting about the different presets I use... starting with the ones posted below. If you see one you like, just click on the picture and it will take you directly to the page for that preset on their site. Let me know which is your favorite!!!
ANNDDD!!! I got a discount code for you guys! Use the code KIMBERLYANNE123 at checkout and get 15% off!!
Vintage Dream Presets
Santorini Presets
Dark & Moody Presets
3. Photographers
When you have a special occasion or want to get a lot of quality photo content done at once, a really good photographer to be able to reference is so useful. Below I am listing just a few of my favorite photographers right now:
Based in Utah
Courtney took a lot of the photos for my blog posts at the beginning of this year. The quality of her work is impeccable. She is easy to work with & knew exactly how to style, stage, & guide to get the most out of our session.
Based in Utah
Angelina is a friend of mine who has the sweetest soul. While I have never done pictures with her, (yet), she recently launched her website and I'm blown away by how beautiful the photos are.
Based in Southeast Idaho
I worked with Jaycee a few years back and was so happy with the photos we did. I've continued to follow her work and have been consistently impressed with her stunning photographs.
4. Cameras
Because I can't afford to have pictures taken by these incredible photographers for every little thing I need, being able to take my own pictures, to fill in the gaps, has been a game changer. Granted, they aren't always great, but every once in a while I somehow manage to produce something that I feel confident enough in to put up in a post. For blog posts, I try to stick with photos taken on my Sony or Nikon, although sometimes I've been able to get away with my iPhone photos. But a lot of my "outfit" posts on Instagram are done with my iPhone. I definitely prefer my Sony over my Nikon. Everything is linked below.
Additional Creative Resources:
I use Canva for a lot of my YouTube thumbnails, quotes, or even things like the preset before and afters I have above.
Mojo is what I use for all of my Music Mondays as well as other occasional InstaStory graphics when I want to get all fancy.
PicsArt is what I used for some of my single/album artwork as well as some of the fun playful photos I may have put up on Instagram. It's fun to play around with and has some really cool features.
I hope this was helpful in some way! Let me know in the comments any of your favorite resources when it comes to photography, photo editing, or other graphics. It's always fun to share ideas. Also, let me know which preset above is your favorite!
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