Editor’s Note: This article is the fourth in a mini-series on interactive and safe activities people can participate in during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 has significantly impacted billions of people, as major changes to routines and hobbies have had to take place, and people have started to develop new hobbies during the pandemic to alleviate the stress.

Photography is an easy way to express your creativity and it can be something interesting to learn on your own. Most people now have phones that are equipped with a camera, so no money even really needs to be spent to fund this hobby, unless you want to get serious about it.

Goofing around and taking pictures is a fun bonding experience for friends and family and creating photoshoots can be a unique activity for everyone involved.

“Photography is a great activity during COVID because you don’t need to be near anyone,” Amy Lyn, a local certified professional photographer, said.  “Even portraits can be taken from a safe distance.  Nature, landscapes, architecture, and other types of photography are also perfect for this time.  And, if you’re just learning, you can photograph just about everything for practice.”

Lyn is an Akron based commercial and portrait photographer who can be booked from her website, Amy Lyn Photography. She teaches a photography class to beginners and camera enthusiasts alike on better understanding your camera and photography.

“[The class] is actually designed for those learning and new to photography,” Lyn said.

The class is designed to teach beginners about all the settings on their cameras, how to manipulate lighting for photos, how to compose photos and much more. A digital copy of the materials covered is given to participants along with $50 off a photo session with Amy Lyn herself.

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, Lyn has moved the class online via Zoom to ensure the safety of participants. The only requirements to take the class are that you have a working camera, notebooks and some examples of photos you’ve taken.

Lyn’s next class will take place in January 2021 for four weeks, likely on Monday evenings for two hour sessions. The class fee of $235 is nonrefundable one week before the class begins and college students receive a 10% discount.

To sign up for the class, email [email protected] to be placed on the waitlist.