 BetterPhoto Member |
Top ten tips please(!!) for total newcomer I would like to learn artistic photography but am a little daunted at the prospect. What is the best way to do it. I think I have a good 'eye', but have no understanding of the practical side of photography. I would be grateful if people could tell me a ten point plan of key things to do/learn at the beginning. eg (1)buy this camera (2)take this type of course etc I would appreciate it thank you.
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Stan Kwasniowski |
David, you dont need 10 tips, buy a camera you, shoot what you like, till you are satisfied with what you have,remember you are the final judge on all images, people like me can comment and praise, but only in your mind is the final decision Go for it
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Jagadeesh Andrew Owens |
The only advice that I can give that is INDISPUTABLE is to SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT. I never EVER leave home without my camera and lenses. My camera is with me 24/7. The best thing you can do is do the same.
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Ben F |
I Couldnt agree more!... If your a true "newbie" then it WILL probably all seem a little daunting. I know it did for me. I wanted to know everything all at once. Unfortunately like most things it just comes down to experience, and when ya hit a bump theres cool places like here to help you out!!.. Like they said, just shoot!.. dont be afraid to experiment and try to understand your camera, the internet is such a good resource when it comes to learning technical sides to photography!.. And dont be afraid to ask questions, as silly as they may seem!! Get out there!!..:)
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Kerry L. Walker |
1. Buy a camera you like, preferably an SLR. It doesn't matter whether it is film or digital (Can't believe I'm saying that. LOL) so long as it feels right in your hands. Believe it or not, that is more important than the brand. 2. Buy the "normal" lens. You can get the wide angles, telephotos, zooms, etc. later but just get used to shooting with the one lens and you will know when you need the others. 3. Buy a good book on exposure and read it over and over. You will learn a lot of what you need to know about how to properly expose an image. You will learn what to do when a subject is backlit. etc. You will also learn a lot about depth of field and when to use a small or larger aperature to achieve the look you want. 4. Study photographs of other photographers you like. Don't necessarily try to emulate them but take a little from each and create your own style. 5. Ask questions. You can ask almost any question you want to here and get many good answers. Don't worry about asking a dumb questions cause I can give you plenty of dumb answers! Seriously, no question is dumb except the one not asked. 6. Don't worry about classes at first. Learn the basics and then you will know what classes you want to take. There are many good classes offered here at BP. 7. Practice. 8. Practice. 9. Practice. 10. Practice some more - and have fum doing so.
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Jagadeesh Andrew Owens |
Make sure you have "fun" too....
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Kerry L. Walker |
Tip # 11. Learn to type! LOL
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Jodie Potter |
I just got serious about photography this year and have found that the internet has been great for learning. I am always checking forum questions and saving pages that I want to be able to reference later on. Read the blogs, do searches, there is just so much out there. I have the digital rebel 350 camera and I've been very happy with it. I have taken 2 courses here at BP and found them great for the fact that they make me get out there and experiment and try new things. After doing a course with Peter Burian and went and got his book "Mastering Digital Photography & Imaging". It is a great book for a biginner and I would really recommend it especially if you don't want to take one of the courses. If you go digital you will need to learn about editing. This was all very daunting at first as there is so much to learn. I recently purchased a book by Scott Kelby about photoshop elements 4 (which I use, although I think he has other books on the different "photoshops") and it is GREAT basically a "how to" for everything you need to do for editing. But getting out there and practicing really is the big thing, try all the fuctions on your camera so when you really need them you will know what you are doing. And I second Sipho's tip! Also learn how to spell!
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Jagadeesh Andrew Owens |
OOOOH WEEEE! If that aint' the pot calling the kettle black.....LOLOL
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BetterPhoto Member |
1. What story am I telling? This is an important question and one that should help you to make any number of decisions in terms of composition, framing, exposure etc. In essence what you’re asking is ‘why am I taking this shot? What is it’s purpose and what am I trying to convey?’ Is it purely a way to keep a record of a moment, are you trying to capture the emotion of a moment, is it possibly a shot to give to someone, is it part of a larger series of shots or will it be the only shot to commemorate the moment etc.
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BetterPhoto Member |
2. What is the visual focal point of this shot? What will viewers of this picture naturally have their eye drawn to in this scene? Once you’ve identified this focal point you can think about where to place it in the frame
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BetterPhoto Member |
3. What competing focal points are there? Once you’ve identified what you do want your viewers eyes to be drawn towards and have placed it in the frame - scan your eyes over the shot and see if there are any competing focal points and ask yourself whether they add to or take away from the image? Secondary focal points can add depth to shots but they can also be very distracting and so you might need to reposition yourself or adjust your focal length and/or depth of field to accommodate or remove them from your shots
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BetterPhoto Member |
4. What is in the background and foreground? One of most common places for distractions in digital photography is the background of your shots. Run your eyes over the space behind your subject to see what else is in the image (do the same for the foreground). Consider whether you want the background in focus or nice and blurry
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BetterPhoto Member |
5. Am I close enough? Another common mistake in digital photography is taking shots where your subject is too small in the frame. Shots that fill the frame with your subject tend to be much more dynamic and show a lot more detail of your subject. To get this effect you have the option of moving yourself closer, moving your subject closer or using a longer focal length to give the effect of closeness.
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Jodie Potter |
Sipho, that was the point. I was calling the "kettle black".
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Jagadeesh Andrew Owens |
Yes, I know, Jodie!!! I just couldn't resist though! No hard feelings, huh!?
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Terry R. Hatfield |
Looks Like Some Good Technical Answers, With All That Aside It Really Comes From The Heart;-)
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Diane Dupuis |
Hi David, Do some research before getting your camera. There are lots of on-line review sites that you can read up on cameras and do comparison shopping. I hate to disagree with Kerry- but you'll learn faster with a digital! You get instant feedback, and a chance to try again if you messed up. With film you have no idea if you're doing it right and 2weeks later when you get your film you have no idea what you did right (or wrong) unless you kept extensive notes... Go to your library - take out all the books on photography! Read them! Then go on the internet - and do some extensive research there! Courses are great - but they're expensive! If you've got the bucks - then take some - but there is lots and lots of free information at your fingertips... And of course - as everyone else said - practice, practice practice... That can't be said enough. Although read read read is also important... Oh - I forgot to mention - once you buy that camera - study the manual from cover to cover! Then read it again. Keep it in your camera bag - and don't forget it's there to refer back to! Good luck!
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Judyann Plante |
David, I am fairly new to photography and by no means an expert. But I can share with you the steps I took to begin. 1. I did a lot of research before buying my camera. I had never even owned a decent camera before, so I had no idea what was out ther. As Diane sugested, I went comparison shopping, talking to salespeople (they will let you try out digitals in the store), I got advice from seasoned photographers and I read lots of reviews. I decided on a digital slr (Canon rebel XT). 2. After finding a lot of the manual hard to understand because I did not know the terminology, I spent several months shooting in Automatic modes, getting to feel comfortable with the camera, finding out what it could do, learning a lot about composition just by doing. 3. Having gotten comfortable with shooting, I began to want more control. I bought a couple of books on digital photography and exposure and began learning the terminology, which I had a much better underfstanding of after months of working with the camera. 4. Joined BP, studied the work of other photographers and got lots of great advice and encouragement. 5. Invested in Photoshop Elements. 6. took a course on using my camera. 7-10 and beyond - Practice, practice, practice. Hope this is helpful.
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Samuel Smith |
that was very kind slick.i guess you have your days. but I have to say thank you.even a cut and paste.well we can't be sure.no think about it? if you show up at my campfire???have a seat. just thanks.for I discard no friend,for I have few to waste.actually I don't have enough. my cup is never full. hopefully,sam
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Jodie Potter |
Sipho, of course not.
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