Taking up photography is a great hobby that many people enjoy. Some students turn photography into an extracurricular activity. However, as time passes, it is necessary to expand your skill set and pick up new tools to make your photos outstanding. With a broader skill set, you can also open new doors for future career choices. This is why many people start learning Photoshop.

However, to become a professional, it is necessary to invest a lot of time and take the right steps. For example, you should always track the latest photography trends. Luckily, you will be dictating your progress in Photoshop directly. Improving your skills in Photoshop demands practice, and there is a wide range of extracurricular activities you can take up to grow, so let’s take a look at some of them.

A private project

Creating your long-term project is a perfect way to work on your Photoshop skills continuously. It will give you something to do in your free time.

For example, travel can be a great way to see new things and experience different cultures. The project you might combine with this hobby is storytelling for every location you visit. Once you have finished traveling, you can hone your Photoshop services by editing the images and emphasizing the important parts of your travel experiences. This is a great way to build up your portfolio while learning how to edit different types of photos such as close-ups, portraits, landscapes, time lapses, or any other style that you particularly enjoy.

Increase collaboration

Networking is important in all lines of work, and photography is no different. You can use your free time to get in touch with other well-established photographers and offer them a hand. No one is going to say no to good intentions. Start working with several photographers by applying to edit their photos. Consult with them about their expectations and, sooner or later; they will be more than glad to help out with some useful tips.

Connecting with other people is a great way to learn new things, as having an insight into someone else’s experience can be eye-opening. Plus, working on all those images will help you sharpen your Photoshop skills.

Contact local newspaper

If you are more interested in working with companies instead of individuals, getting in touch with the local newspaper might be a great start of a long-term collaboration. For example, you can start using your time to walk around town and take a variety of contextual photos.

Then, get down to post-processing and make those images pop. Afterward, contact the newspaper agency and ask them whether they like and want your images for free. Turn this into your hobby, and it will lead to some amazing results over time.

The more time you invest, the broader the audience you will be able to reach. What’s your benefit? There will be continuous development of your Photoshop skills in the whole process.

Work on stock photo portfolio

This is a perfect project that can lead to financial rewards. In your free time, start working on your stock photo collection. As the competition is high on these types of websites, you will need to perfect your Photoshop skills to make those images look breathtaking.

By the time you have built up around 1000 images, your Photoshop skills will have grown, and you will have made some money in the whole process. If sales continue scoring, this extracurricular activity can become your primary revenue source.

Picking up various extracurricular activities can bring benefits. All you have to do is have a goal before you, and you will be able to achieve great things before you know it. Learning Photoshop comes with practice, therefore, make any work for yourself, and you will learn a lot with time.

Isabella Foreman is a content writer by profession and enjoys writing on Wedding, Travel, Photography, Photo Editing Services, Career Improvement, and cooking. She spends her off-work time with family and traveling to explore new places!  She intends to educate and keep audiences abreast of the latest trends in the world of Photography and Photo editing. Presently, she is associated with Smart Photo Editors – a services company that is engaged in Photo editing and wedding photo editing.