This episode is a replay of our Instagram live with Amnesty International, talking about representing freedom of expression in photography, as part of the challenge we are hosting. We are looking for unique, innovative, and visually compelling images which celebrate the right to express thoughts and opinions freely.

There are a few days left so if you haven’t already, submit your photos for the chance to win up to $1000 and help break stereotypes, challenge the status quo, fuel stories, and power movements.

Submit your photos here

Nina is a 23-year-old photographer from the midwest who enjoys traveling and creating art through photography and modeling, what she calls being a “modelographer.” After buying her first camera on a whim at Best Buy in high school, Nina’s creative journey started experimenting with portraits with her friends. As a self-taught photographer, Nina made the jump just a few years ago to pursue her passion as a full-time job. We talk about how she was able to go from having a couple of gigs once in a while to being able to make a comfortable living doing what she loves. 

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JJ Jordan is a Polish visual designer & photographer currently based in London, UK. Having started photography just 5 years ago, he has since won the Portrait of Britain Award from the British Journal of Photography in 2019. While portrait photography has always been close to his heart, the pandemic became an obstacle for him to continue his practice. Nonetheless, he married his love for visual design and photography to find a new style in creating surrealistic product photos. We talk to JJ about the evolution of his creative process and how the practice has led him to discover more of the artist he is today.

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Brian is a 24-year-old photographer based in Miami, FL. Originally from Cuba, Brian started shooting photos in 2018. While his current location doesn’t lend well to his passion for street and cityscape photography as other cities like New York, Brian started to develop an interest in portraiture, embracing the spirit of spontaneity.

Instead of always trying to find the perfect location, in this episode, we talk about how Brian is able to make the most out of what he has in front of him, and how seemingly “ugly” locations can be completely transformed with a little creativity.

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Whatever your goals may be on Pexels - whether it’s to get featured on a major website, to receive millions of views, or as a way to attract potential clients - this workshop is for you! We will go over everything you need to know to optimize your Pexels page.

Hear about success stories from those who’ve gained opportunities through Pexels, the best way to set up your profile, and tips on how to rack up all the stats.

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Our lovely guest today, Yelena Odin, is from our very own Pexels team.  Not only is she a talented photographer herself, but she is currently leading the Pexels launch in Russia and working with Pexels Production.

In this episode, we talk about how Yelena was able to launch communities from the ground up, the importance of creating and fostering creative communities, and what you can expect next from the projects she is currently working on.

If you are somewhere that doesn’t have a local Pexels community yet and would be interested in getting involved, please reach out to us and we’d love to get in touch with you once we launch in your country. Without further ado, let’s jump into the episode.

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Madison is a freelance graphic designer and photographer from Northern Idaho who has been one of our Pexels contributors for over 5 years. Currently living in Boise, Idaho, she spends her time working with clients, collecting (way) too many plants, and trying to curb an unfortunate thrifting addiction. 

With experience as a designer who uses Pexels and as a photographer who contributes her own photos. We talk about the best practices to make your photos stand out and stats skyrocket, and how she tackles and overcomes challenges as a creative, freelance entreprenure. 

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Manny is a Content creator and an avid traveler with experience shooting weddings, concerts, portraiture, travel, aerial photography. 

We talk about what it’s like switching from an Astrophysics degree to pursuing photography as a career, his recent projects of making DIY drones, and how to find unique spots in a new location. This episode gives a behind the scenes look at what it takes to live the on-the-go lifestyle

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Our guest today truly does it all - Designecologist (Aisan Nourbash) is a Toronto-based designer specializing in many forms of design, from Interiors to Graphics for her “work-life” & a great hobby of visual art & photography for her “fun life”. 

We talk about her experience as someone who not only has an eye for capturing great photos but also from the perspective of what editors and artists look for when curating photos for their projects. From teaching herself how to use Photoshop to starting an online print shop and recently moving into the NFT space,  Aisan's passion, patience, and consistency are what got her to where she is today. She shares so much valuable advice on how you can also live your creative life on your own terms.

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Our guest today is the wonderful kateillustrate - a digital artist and illustrator who has worked with the likes of L'Oreal, LEGO, Starbucks, Huawei, and Adobe. 

While Kate has been working in the creative field for almost 7 years now, she didn’t have the most linear start. Upon completing her Bachelor’s & master’s degrees in Economics at prestigious schools and landing a coveted job at a big company, Kate thought her life was set. But she always felt like something was missing, that she wasn’t really following her true calling.

Despite hesitation from others, she left a life that seemed perfect to pursue what makes her happy - a career in illustration. While she has nearly 70,000 followers on Instagram, has shared her story on TEDx and regularly works with some of the biggest companies in the world under her own brand, the greatest reward that has come out of her journey is learning to break free of the preconceived labels that society imposes on traditional career paths to fully being able to trust herself to seek happiness and freedom on her own terms. 

We talk to Kate about the risks and rewards that come from choosing your own happiness and freedom first, and how she was able to create her dream career on her own terms.

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