Photography 101
Getting Started
Hello! It seems that you've stumbled upon a new addition to my website, which addresses the increasing number of people who have asked me if I can teach them photography. In this post, we will attempt to answer this question and provide a useful resource for anyone who stumbles upon it.
Although there are countless guides on the internet that cover the same content, I hope to provide additional insights that other writers may not be able to offer.
So, where do we begin? I could provide a lengthy history of photography, an explanation of how it works scientifically, or a dictionary definition. However, none of these will necessarily help with learning how to take great photos. To start off, all you'll need is a camera, and the rest will follow.
The kind of camera you use doesn't really matter in the beginning. Fortunately, almost everyone has an incredibly capable camera in their pockets in the form of a phone.
Shot on an iPhone X.
These days, people seem to be fixated on having the latest and greatest gear. While it's true that new cameras come with improved technology like eye-tracking autofocus, it's worth noting that a talented photographer could trade their high-end DSLR for a cell phone with someone on the street and still take a more visually compelling photo.
In photography, there's a saying that goes, "The best camera is the one you have on you." This is because photography isn't solely about how many megapixels your camera has, but rather, it's about capturing a moment. The feeling and story behind a photograph can turn a mediocre image into a great one. That being said, I highly recommend older DSLRs, which can be found for under $100 on sites like Craigslist. These cameras offer exposure to manual shooting modes that give you greater control over an image.
First Steps - Digital Photography
When working with a digital camera, the first thing you'll want to do is switch it to RAW shooting mode, which is typically different from JPEG mode. If you're shooting with a phone, you can use apps like Halide to capture RAW photos. RAW photos come in a variety of file formats that are camera-specific; for example, Canon generally uses a CR3 format, Panasonic uses RW2, Sony uses ARW, and so on. These file formats contain uncompressed data sets from the camera's image sensor.
The menu will generally look something like this.
File formats such as JPEG rely on algorithms to identify and discard data deemed unnecessary by the camera, thereby reducing file size. Typically, the camera also applies minor adjustments to aspects like saturation and contrast. While this may be advantageous for casual smartphone photography, the discarded data becomes crucial during photo editing, as we'll explore later in this blog series.
Some people opt for the RAW+JPEG setting, which provides a shareable image without edits and allows for faster thumbnail loading in programs like Lightroom.
For now, keep your camera in auto mode and start taking pictures. Capture your cat, the tree in your backyard, your significant other, or anything that you believe tells a compelling story. Familiarize yourself with using the camera and taking photos. Review your images frequently, identifying those that appeal to you. Over time, your mind will subconsciously develop an understanding of visually interesting photos. Don't worry if your initial photos are less than perfect; nobody begins as an expert. Learning is an ongoing process, particularly in photography.
Moreover, assessing a photo as good or bad is entirely subjective. I've had clients order prints of photos I find mundane or express a preference for portraits I almost discarded.
While there are techniques to enhance the visual appeal of your photos, we'll discuss composition in a future post. For now, focus on getting comfortable with your camera and capturing intriguing subjects. Remember, practice makes perfect. I also recommend examining the work of both amateur and professional photographers. Try to break down their images, considering aspects like focus, subject matter, and emotional impact, or identify areas for improvement.
In the next post, we'll delve into exposure metering and manual shooting, covering shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. Subsequent posts will offer lessons on composition, creating visually captivating shots, and editing images on a computer. We'll also share tips for landscape, portrait, and street photography.