It’s hard to get anything for free these days, but if you act quickly, you have the opportunity to get ten downloadable photography videos worth $155.50 via PhotographyHelpStore for free. The video’s that you will get are:

Ten Ways to Use One Light Source

Secrets to Photographic Lighting

How to Work with Models

The Secret to Making Creative Photographs

Ten Ways to Photography Women

How to Work with Complex Lighting Situations

Ten Ways to Create Natural Light Portraits

Seven Steps to Creating a Fashion Story

How to Photograph Different Skin Tones

Creative Ways to Promote and Market Your Photography

If there was a way to help children be a part of a history making project, and make you a better photographer, wouldn’t you want to know about it? Children across the country are getting involved in the Future Presidents photo project. I am traveling to every state in America with the goal of encouraging and inspiring American children to dream big by highlighting them in this new book, Future Presidents.

The project has been self-funded until now and I am reaching out to my fellow photographers asking for help to complete the book via Kickstarter. After speaking on CreativeLIVE this week, I had the idea to offer photographers all of the video’s fromPhotography Help Store for free in return for pledging your support at a certain level.

There are two levels geared to photographers who want to learn to become better at their craft and help children at the same time. The first is the CeativeLIVE limited set, which gives those who pledge at the $60 dollar level four of the photography lighting videos. The pledge also comes with the hardcover Future Presidents book, and eBook.

The CreativeLIVE Ultimate package is the deal that’s really a no-brainer. For the pledge of $155 your name is listed as a supporter on the Future Presidents website, you’ll receive two autographed hardcover books, the eBook, a set of five printed postcards, and a special limited edition bookmark. You also receive all of the video’s in Matthew’s online video store as an added bonus. All the downloadable videos aimed to make you a better photographer and you’ll be helping to inspire future generation for decades to come.

To make your pledge go to the Kickstarter Future Presidents Page and navigate to the plege level you are most comfortable with. Who knows, your pledge may inspire a future American President. If this project is successfully funded everyone who pledges will receive their free videos, but if it does not hit the goal no video’s will be sent. Kickstarter is all or nothing, so do you’re part today and make a pledge that will make a difference in our children’s lives.

Future Presidents includes a quote written by President Jimmy Carter exclusively for the book, and the forward has been written by Dancing with the Stars sensation, Zendaya Coleman.

If you’re not familiar with Kickstarter, you should take a look at the site. Kickstarter is the most popular crowdfunding site at the moment but it’s not the only one. Each crowdfunding site works differently. Kickstarter is all or nothing, meaning if you don’t hit your fundraising goal you get nothing.  Here’s how it works. You have a project you want to complete but you don’t have the money to bring it to life. You set a financial goal of how much it will take for you to complete the project. Lets say you want to raise 5k to complete a photo project you want to turn into an exhibit. You would make a short video about your project, then write a description telling people about it. Once you have your video and description in place, you decide what you want to give in return to those who support your project. Normally you’d give whatever you’re producing in return for funding, but you can add other incentives as well. Next you decide how long your campaign will run. Kickstarter suggests 30 days as a time limit. If after 30 days you’ve only raised 4k, then you get nothing and your supporters are never changed because again, Kickstarter is all or nothing! However, if you hit your 5k goal, or surpass your goal, then you get everything and you are able to bring your project to life.

On Kickstarter when you make your pledge, its only that, just a pledge. On the final day of your campaign if you hit your goal then all the backers are charged.To make a project a success you have to work on it every day once your project launches so be prepared to promote it in every way you can.

Every photographer should have a personal project because it gives you the opportuniy to express yourself fully to the world. You’re personal projects should always be based on something you care about. When you’re shooting for a client, you are doing your best to make them happy, but working on a personal project gives you the chance to voice your feelings. Good luck and get started on your personal project today!

Always Dream Big!

photo by Matthew Jordan Smith

Set up for the Future Project shoot on Maui, Hawaii