This is a continually growing list of online media skills building and other creativity resources. They include websites like LinkedIn Learning.com that offer a wide array of classes and individual how-to videos. Speaking of LinkedIn Learning, it’s available for free to all UCSB student employees, staff, and faculty. There are also sites for individual creators to highlight the vast range of our human visual imaginations. Many of the sites also send out free newsletters. Check them out and see which ones you like best. If you have suggestions send them to: media.center@as.ucsb.edu. Thanks and enjoy!
LEARNING AND CREATIVITY WEBSITES (In alphabetical order)
Adobe Behance (Showcase for Adobe creators’ work)
Adobe Behance Live (Live session with Adobe creators)
Adobe Color Wheel (Tool for creating color palettes for design)
Adobe Creative Cloud on You Tube
Adobe Create Magazine (Showcase for Adobe creators’ work)
Adobe Improve Your Photography Skills-Lightroom (Short tutorials)
Adobe: Learn and Create for Social Justice (article)
AIGA The Professional Association for Design
AIGA-A Growing List of Resources for the Movement for Black Lives
AIGA-Eye on Design (Showcase for designers)
AIGA-What Does it Mean to Decolonize Design?
Audacity (Free sound editing software)
Audio-Technica Audio Techniques for Video Production: A Comprehensive Guide
B&H YouTube Channel (B&H is a leading seller of media equipment)
Booth Junkie (Vocal booth audio recording)
Canva (One of the most powerful, and easiest to use, of all layout programs that is web-based)
Intro to Canva (Tutorial on You Tube)
Canva Infographic Tutorial (On You Tube)
Cinecom.net on YouTube (Video tutorials)
Clothes on Film (Costuming for film also applicable to photography)
Collaborative List of Black Designers and Black Owned Studios
Creativeboom.com (UK-based showcase for visual artists and communication)
Creative Camera (Tutorials and other resources, includes discussions of creative process)
David Borwell’s Website on Cinema (Wide ranging filmmaking resources and writings)
Digital Photography School Posing Guides (guide for men has links to other guides)
Dive Photo Guide (Underwater photography techniques, equipment reviews, expeditions, etc.)
Dribbble (Showcase for graphic design. Yes, there are 3 b’s)
Elements of Cinema (Wide range of filmmaking resources)
Elephant.Art (Art, design, photography, etc. magazine)
Envato Elements (Digital assets subscription service)
Film Courage (Wide range of info about filmmaking, screenwriting, directing, and navigating the industry)
Fine Art Armerica (Sales site for photographers)
How to Become a Self-Taught Graphic Designer (Article at Dribbble.com)
How to Record Outside (Article on gear and other considerations)
Kah-Wai Lin (YouTube photography tutorials)
LinkedIn Learning.com (Formerly Lynda.com, wide range of online classes. Free for UCSB student employees)
Luminous Landscape (Rich photography website, subscription $12/year)
Magnum Photos (One of the premier agencies for photo-journalists and documentary photographers, also magazine, workshops, and other learning resources)
Master the Art of Food Photography with Little Rusted Ladle (Food photographers Facebook site)
Morey Spellman: Blog for Aspiring Models and Photographers (Great resource for both photographers and models created by a fellow Gaucho, UCSB graduate)
Movies in Color (Color mapping films for cinematography, production and set design)
Muench Workshops (Free webinars and other resources)
My Modern Met (Showcase for range of creators)
North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) (Umbrella organization)
On Landscape (Photographers talk about how they created their images)
OURS magazine (Online magazine bringing female identified photographers to the forefront)
Outdoor Photographer Newsletter (Nature and wildlife photographer tips)
Peoplecraft.com (Showcase for designers)
Phlearn.com (Photoshop classes and more)
Phlearn on YouTube (Free photoshop tutorials)
Piktochart (Perhaps the best infographic maker)
Piktochart Video (Collection of Piktochart tutorials)
PiXimperfect on YouTube (Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials)
Pixlr (Online photo editor, Advanced Pixlr E recommended)
Pixlr Blog (Variety of postings for creatives)
Pixlr Playlist (Collection of Pixlr tutorials)
Premier Gal (Video, photography, audio tutorials and other resources)
Professional Photographers of America (Professional organization with annual fee, but includes $15,000 of equipment insurance, also range of learning and business promotion resources)
Red Giant on YouTube (Tutorials for filmmaking and motion graphics)
RØDE TV (Hosted by the RØDE microphone company)
SB Creative Lab (UCSB student-run design collaborative, free tutorials)
School of Photography (Subscription based online photography courses and other resources)
Screencast-O-Matic (Screen casting software)
Screencast-O-Matic Beginners Guide
Sean Tucker on You Tube (Tutorials and insightful rumination on being creative)
Seed&Spark (Crowdfunding platform and other resources for videographers)
Sigma Blog (Sigma lenses including lots of tips, tricks, & techniques; workshop info)
Skillshare (Subscription service for wide range of instructional videos for creatives)
Joannie Simon (Food photographer, and site has wide range of photography info)
SmugMug (Storage and sales site for photographers, owns Flickr)
TechJunkie.com (How-tos and other info on managing tech and social media)
The Blind Life on YouTube (Includes videos on gear, see below)
The Photographic Eye (Videos about iconic photographers, and the art of seeing)
UC Drones Knowledge Portal (Comprehensive website covering all aspects of drone piloting and UC drone policy)
Wallpaper.com (Showcase for design from architecture to photography)
Wallpaper “Through the Lens” (Focus on photographers)
Where Are the Black Designers?
Women Street Photographers (Online community of women street photographers)
Working Not Working (Jobs site for creatives and networking)
The Writer (Online magazine, membership service and other resources for writers)
UCSB WRITING PROGRAM ONLINE RESOURCES
Madeleine Sorapure Writing 155a (a wealth of design, photography, and other resources, including free images)
Madeleine Sorapure Writing 155b ( HTML/CSS, WordPress, and free multimedia apps and programs)
Madeleine Sorapure Writing 105M (resources about data visualization, text visualization, and infographics)
CAREER BUILDING RESOURCES
Adobe Behance Creative Jobs (Hosted by Adobe)
Dribbble (Yes, it’s 3 Bs. Lot’s of resources for graphic designers and other creatives, including how to become a self-taught graphic designer)
Professional Photographers of America (Professional organization with annual fee, but includes $15,000 of equipment insurance, also range of learning and business promotion resources)
Seed&Spark (Crowdfunding platform and other resources for videographers)
The Creator Economy (Article on monetization of creativity)
Upwork (Resource for creatives to sell their services)
Working Not Working (Jobs site for creatives, including links to other creatives)
STOCK AND COPYRIGHT FRIENDLY IMAGES (These sites are both free and fee based)
Pexels Creative Commons Images
INDIVIDUAL SKILL BUILDING VIDEOS (In alphabetical order)
Behind the Scenes: Milky Way & Night Sky Photography with Jennifer Wu
B&H Video on YouTube “How to Start a Podcast 2020: Podcasting for Beginners”
Canon 60D: Essential Training with Ben Long (LinkedIn Learning. Although this is an older camera, this is a great introduction to how cameras work and to all the features that are also present in most newer models)
Creative Cloud Photography – Unleash Creativity mit Renee Robyn / Adobe DE (Renee Robyn talking about how she creates composite images)
DSLR Video Shooter: Desktop YouTube Production Studio Setup (see also The Blind Life video below)
5 Corrective Posing Tips with Jerry Ghionis (Great tips for portrait photography)
Introduction to Video Editing with Ashley Kennedy (LinkedIn Learning. A comprehensive introduction to video editing)
Learning Premier Pro with Ashley Kennedy (LinkedIn Learning. All of Ashley’s videos are excellent, but this course, released in December 2019, is a welcome addition. In 1hr 34m she teaches all the basics you need to start editing. Although the exercise files are only available if you have the most recent version of PremierePro, you can use your own clips to learn the skills she teaches.)
Learning the Key to Seeing “Secret” Photos All Around You (On finding photo subjects)
Lighting for Photographers: Portraiture with Natalie Fobes (Linkedin Learning. An excellent introduction to portrait lighting)
Lightroom Essential Training with Chris Orwig (LinkedIn Learning. Chris is a local photographer and covers everything you need to know to get started in Lightroom)
Photography Fundamentals with Andy Doerr (AS Media Center Workshop Wednesday series)
Student Staff Sound Engineering Training Modules (LinkedIn Learning. This module was developed to train students working at the UCSB Multicultural Center)
The Blind Life: Desktop YouTube Video Production Studio Setup
Video Foundations: Cameras and Shooting with Anthony Artis (LinkedIn Learning. Anthony offers a down to earth introduction to shooting video that covers all the basics)
Video Foundations: Interviews with Anthony Artis (LinkedIn Learning)
Video Production: Promotional Videos (LinkedIn Learning)
Wheelchair Photography Tips & Tricks with Kirk Williams (Tips for photographers and videographers that apply to all creatives)
ANIMATION
Animation Tutorials Collection
AUDIO PRODUCTION RESOURCES
Andrew Huang (Wide range of music production how-to videos)
Audio Technica YouTube channel (Range of audio production videos)
Native Instruments (Industry standard music production software and sounds, including free Komplete Start and access to community)
RØDE microphones YouTube channel (Range of audio production videos )
DRONE PILOT RESOURCES
Dronelife (News and resources for drone pilots)
UC Drones Knowledge Portal (Comprehensive general resources for drone pilots and specific UC policy, rules, and regulations)
PODCASTING, VIDEO, RADIO, AND OTHER BROADCASTING RESOURCES
Insideradio (Radio, podcasting, and streaming industry news and resources)
LiveU (Streaming video and broadcasting resources)
Radio Garden (Listen to over 8000 streaming radio stations around the world)
Radioink (Radio, podcasting, and streaming industry news and resources)
Rainnews (Radio, podcasting, and streaming industry news and resources)
VIRTUAL REALITY
Volem (YouTube tutorials)
INTERVIEWS WITH AND DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT CREATIVE ARTISTS. GET INSPIRED!
Jeremy Cowart: Voices of Gatlinburg (On how photography can help a community heal)
Richard Koci Hernandez, Multimedia Journalist (LinkedIn Learning)
Jacob Felländer “How to Unlock a Portal” (Interesting approach to composite images)
Natalie Fobes, Photographer (LinkedIn Learning. She has traveled around the world as a photographer for, among others, National Geographic starting back in the film days)
Christina Mittermeier (B&H Women of Influence series, photographer, environmental activist)
Elsa Garrison (B&H Women of Influence series: sports photographer. One of the few!)
Taylor Rees (Photographer and filmmaker TED Talk-Jackson Hole on storytelling)
Sean Tucker (A series of films about being a photographer and about the challenges and rewards of being a creative. Well worth a visit!)
Kirk Williams (An adventurer, photographer, and videographer on working from a wheelchair)
Renee Robyn (Composite photographer who creates fantasy worlds talking about her work)
INDIVIDUAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
Rodrigo Abd (Argentine AP photographer and videographer based in Guatemala. Pulitzer Prize winner for coverage of war in Syria)
Sam Abell (National Geographic, documentary, international)
Ansel Adams (Iconic landscape photographer)
Lynsey Addario (War and conflict photographer, activist, author This is What I Do)
Richard l’Anson (Travel, world cultures, landscape, wildlife, teacher, author)
Richard Avedon (Iconic fashion photographer)
Klaus Axelsen (Norwegian nature and landscape photographer)
Mikkel Beiter (Landscape, wildlife, and astrophotographer based in Copenhagen)
Frank Bevans (People, landscapes, tech industry)
Alden Blake (UCSB graduate)
Josh Blaylock (Portraits, commercial, food, drink, advertising videos)
Lucila Blumencweig (Latin American photographer specializing in advertising, fashion, children, lifestyle)
Flora Borsi (Surreal composite portraits)
Ernie Brooks II (Black and white underwater photographer and teacher)
Sue Bryce Portrait (there are other photographers on this site)
Jena Carlin Creative (Food, beauty products, agriculture, and lifestyle photography and video studio)
Olmo Calvo (Spanish documentary photographer based in Argentina)
Alejandro Cartagena (Mexican documentary and art photographer, portraits, landscapes)
Sebastian Castañeda (Peruvian photojournalist. Has also worked in Middle East and around the world)
Oscar B. Castillo (Venezuelan documentary photographer based in Caracas and Mulhouse, France)
Alejandro Cegarra (Photojournalist chronicling Latin America)
Yukari Chikura (Japanese art and documentary photographer)
Giulio Cobianchi (Italian living in Lofoten Islands, Norway, landscapes, astrophotography, tours)
Thomas Joshua Cooper (B&W landscapes)
Jeremy Cowart (Activist and photographer/storyteller. Click on Ideas!)
Cory Cullington (UCSB grad)
Anabel DFlux Deliquesce Flux Photography (Pets, set stills, events, people, commercial, boudoir and more, Sigma ambassador)
Henry Diltz (Iconic rock & roll photos)
Peter Dombrovskis (Tasmanian landscape photographer)
Albert Dros (Landscapes)
Jess T. Dugan (Portraits, including book of portraits of transgender non-conforming older adults)
Harold Feinstein (American scene, art, nature, Korean War)
Karl Ferguson Jr. (Portraits)
Jeremy Flint (International photography)
Natalie Fobes (Nature, people, weddings, activist and LinkedIn Learning teacher)
Mattias Fredriksson (Adventure, landscapes, people)
Juan Galan (Spanish photographer based in Italy, people, series, product design, and videography)
Pablo Ruiz Garcia (Based in Spain, landscapes, astrophotography, and blogger in Spanish)
Elsa Garrison (Sports and athlete portraits)
Lazar Gintchin (Landscape panoramas, fine art)
Joanna Goodman (Abstract photo collage people)
Todd Glaser (Surfing, action, and videography)
Marco Grassi (International landscape photography)
Joel Grimes (People, celebrities, and teacher)
Ernst Haas (Internationally renowned 20th century photographer, wide range)
Zachary Hall (Storm and weather)
Head & Heart (Wedding photography agency)
Anthony Hernandez (LA street scenes)
Frank Hurley (Official photographer for Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-1917 expedition to Antarctica)
Nicolas Janowski (Based in Argentina, documentary art photography covering social issues)
Brooks Jensen (Writer, culture, Kokoro online publication)
Adam Jones (Landscape, wildlife, workshops, tours)
Andy Katz (Travel, culture, portraits, wine regions, California, video, teacher, author, blogger)
Robert Glenn Ketchum (Landscape, nature, author, environmental activist)
Justin Kelly (Based in Las Vegas, western landscapes)
Alexander Khimushin (“The World in Faces” portraits)
Bella Kotak (Fantasy portrait photographer)
Jim Krantz (People and commercial photography)
Bob Krist (National Geographic, Smithsonian, people, travel, culture, filmmaker, books)
Lisa Langell (Wildlife, landscape, people, workshops)
Frans Lanting (Nature, wildlife, and videography)
Corky Lee (Chinese American. Renowned photographer of Asian Pacific American experience, sources for images limited, see New Yorker article)
Annie Leibowitz (Iconic celebrity portraits)
Darren Lewey (Nature and people, founder of the Creative Camera site, see above)
Victor Lima (Brazilian astrophotography, landscapes, teacher, blogger in Portuguese)
Kah-Wai Lin (Landscapes, wildlife, workshop teacher, and how to blog)
Gerson Lopez (Portraits, great website for photography and licensed music)
Cath Lowe (Stand out food photography, also portraits and events)
Jody MacDonald (Adventure, travel, National Geographic and other magazines, blogger)
Rania Matar (Lebanese-American, portraits of women, images of Beirut)
Jennifer McClure (Intimate people series, teacher)
Joe McNally (Fashion, portraits, athletes, dance, healthcare, industrial. One of the best in the business)
Marc Meunch (Landscapes, teacher, lives in Santa Barbara)
Anthony Million (Astrophotography, landscapes, cityscapes, based in France)
Tyler Mitchell (Magazines photography, and videographer)
Christina Mittermeier (Nature, underwater, and indigenous people, and activist)
Ben Moon (Surfing, adventure, travel, people)
Aaron Nace (Founder of Phlearn Photoshop learning site, composite tableaus, Adobe speaker)
Michael “Nick” Nichols (National Geographic wildlife photographer, blogger)
Paul Nicklin (Nature, underwater, and activist)
Kazuyoshi Nomachi (People, cultures, travel, based in Japan)
Omahi (Latino, people, and videographer on TikTok and IGTV)
Chris Orwig (People, surfing, LinkedIn Learning teacher, lives in Santa Barbara)
Renan Ozturk (Environmental and cultural photographer, filmmaker, activist)
Thrasivoulos Panou (Greek multimedia artist, landscape and cityscape photographer, and blogger)
Gordon Parks (Black America and history)
Alice Prenat (Portraits)
Alex Ramat (Astrophotography, landscapes, Dubai cityscapes)
Eli Reed (Photographer and photo-journalist, first Black photographer employed by the Magnum Agency)
Taylor Rees (Environmental and cultural photographer, filmmaker, activist)
Mara Sanchez Renero (Latin American art photographer)
Renee Robyn (Fantasy worlds composites)
James Rodriquez (Mexican documentary photographer based in Guatemala)
Ruddy Roye (Documentary, editorial & environmental portraits, photojournalism, Black experience, Brooklyn based Jamaican)
Embry Rucker (Lifestyle, sports, travel, adventure)
Richard Salas (Local underwater photographer)
Sara Shakeel (On Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/sarashakeel/?igshid=4gqguot42iz6 )
Nakul Sharma (Travel, people, landscapes, wildlife, astrophotography, blogger. From New Dehli)
Stephen Shore (Photos of the everyday)
Joannie Simon (Food photographer and educator)
Morey Spellman (Swim wear, UCSB graduate)
Harvey Stein (Street photography, portraits, B&W, books)
Art Strieber (Portraits, projects, ensembles, social commentary)
Tim Tadder (Sports, athletes, art, advertising campaigns, portraits, cinemagraphs, videography, action)
Babak Tafreshi Landscape, people, fine art, night photography, videographer)
Sebastian Tontsch (German landscape and astro photographer, architectural interiors, Dubai cityscapes)
Sean Tucker (Also excellent videos about creativity)
Vincent Versace (People, landscape, technical innovator, books, Nikon Ambassador)
Albert Watson (Iconic celebrity and musician photographer)
Carrie Mae Weems (Iconic art photographer, Black experience)
Jan Erik Weider (Landscapes, abandoned structures)
Ernest Withers (Black America and history)
Art Wolfe (World renowned wildlife and cultural photographer, writer, teacher, videographer, Travels to the Edge and Pathways to Creativity host)
Alison Wright (Photo-journalist, National Geographic photographer, documenting cultures worldwide (Human Tribe: Global Portraits), author, activist, teacher)
Derek Yamashita (UCSB graduate. Site: The Hidden Japan)
INDIVIDUAL DESIGNERS AND OTHER ARTISTS
Goodtype (Links to other designers)
Ladies Who Design (Links to other designers)
Andrew Leonard (Local Santa Barbara illustrator)
Dewey Bryan Saunders (Album covers, magazines, and more)
SB Creative Lab (UCSB student-run design collaborative, free tutorials)
ALTERNATIVE VIDEO SERVICES
Film Movement Plus (Subscription service, movies from around the world)
Just Watch (Video streaming guide across services)
Metrograph (Movie subscription service based in New York)