Camera makers Leica and Olympus have announced initiatives to offer free courses and talks for photographers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Many companies that cater to creative fields have opened up resources for those currently stuck at home, and last week Nikon made its entire curriculum of online photography classes free until the end of April.

For its part, Olympus has launched “Home With Olympus Sessions” to connect people with Olympus technical experts. Photographers can sign up for group or one-on-one sessions to ask specific questions, get feedback, and learn more about their Olympus cameras from home. The group sessions are capped at six people and are themed around particular camera models and types of photography, like landscape, macro, and underwater. There’s limited space so if you’re interested, head over to Olympus’ website to sign up.

Meanwhile, Leica is rolling out a series of free online discussions led by renowned photographers, musicians, actors, and other creatives. The talks will happen over the next few weeks and kick off on April 12th. Photographers Jennifer McClure and Juan Cristóbal Cobo will speak about sustaining their photography while on self-quarantine, Maggie Steber will talk about her Guggenheim-winning project the “Secret Garden of Lily LaPalma,” and Stephen Vanasco will go into his digital workflow.

You’ll need to register on Eventbrite in order to attend the virtual talks. DJ D Nice, Jeff Garlin, and Danny Clinch are also set to give talks in the near future, but registration for those sessions hasn’t opened up yet.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/10/21216983/leica-olympus-free-virtual-courses-photography-coronavirus-covid