With so many smartphones currently inside people’s pockets globally, it’s not surprising to see the exponential increase in the number of photographs taken worldwide. Everyone is a photographer, yet some understand that photography is about a lot more and want to hone their photographic skills. The positive news is that it’s pretty simple to get started if you want to learn photography.
Here are some of the best tips and tricks for everyone who wants to start taking more impressive photos.
Can You be a Self-Taught Photographer?
You can absolutely teach yourself how to take great pictures. In fact, many of the famous photographers you may have heard of taught themselves, too. There are many ways in which you can learn photography. Begin by capturing all kinds of moments. Don’t limit yourself to one genre. This will help you understand which type you enjoy more, and then you can focus on it. All you need to do is grasp camera basics like shutter speed, ISO, and aperture to take images. After that, it’s all about practice.
The good thing about this day and age is that there is an immense amount of teaching material online. You can find blogs, videos, and books on the internet for free that can take your beginner photography to a whole new level.
With that said, here’s what you can do if you want to begin shooting in a better way.
1. Test and Learn the Camera
The first thing is to grasp your camera’s operation. When you pick up a camera for the first time, it can feel daunting and unfamiliar. So, get familiar with it. Go through the menus, press all the buttons, make mistakes, and begin shooting. “Practicing using a camera is the first step to capturing an excellent photo. There really isn’t any substitute for hands-on learning for any creative art form”, says Edwin Williams, expert writer at papersowl.com and a professional photographer. The more you tinker with your gear, the quicker you are likely to improve your skills.
2. Get the Hang of the Camera Slang
You can’t begin taking photos if you don’t understand which parts of a body and lens work together to create photos. Beginning photographers often don’t realize the importance of these aspects but they are essential when studying the craft.
Let’s go over all the basics you should know before we talk about the photography tips that are important.
Aperture
The aperture of a lens is the opening that lets lights into the camera sensor. The aperture value is also written as “f/stop”. The lower the f/stop number, the wider the aperture. The wider the aperture, the more illumination hits the camera sensor. This is perhaps the most important thing that goes into understanding how a photo’s exposure is set. The aperture also determines the depth of field of a visual.
Shutter/Speed + ISO
When using manual mode, you also need to adjust the shutter speed and ISO values. The shutter speed determines how quickly the camera’s shutter opens and closes. This, in turn, dictates how much illumination and motion are captured in a frame. The ISO determines the sensitivity of the camera sensor to light. The higher this value, the brighter the photo. However, with higher ISO values, more noise also creeps into the visual.
Focal Length: Primes vs Zooms
One of the most vital aspects of a lens is its focal length. This is a measurement that describes a lens’ capability in terms of distance and field of view. Wide-angle designs have focal lengths that are shorter, something like 12mm or even 24mm. Telephoto lenses have longer focal lengths, like 80mm or 600mm.
As far as prime and zoom designs go, the former has a fixed focal length while the latter has a variable one. This may seem like a con for primes but they’ve long been considered to have better image quality than zooms. That’s why a lot of professionals use primes over zooms, even though composition with a prime might be more challenging.
3. Get in a Group
Some people might find it difficult to capture photos if they’re alone. Getting some support in the form of a course or a group of other aspiring photogs is a solid idea if you’re more prone to excel when practicing with others.
4. Master the Masterclass
There are a plethora of workshops, both physical and online, that you can be a part of. Just a quick search will give you workshops near you where you can absorb some amazing advice on everything from setting the right exposure to processing your works in Lightroom. Thanks to such workshops, you don’t need to go to school to learn photography if you can’t afford it or make that commitment.
5. Search the Web
With the world going more and more digital, there is no need to get out of your house and spend years in classes to find out how to take a good photo. Just head on to a site like Udemy or Skillshare and you’ve got access to any kind of class you want. Whether you want to grasp the right way to take shots that you can frame or get casual photos that you can convert into cartoons, online classes have it all. A lot of this can be accessed for free. However, be ready to spend a little money to check out more advanced courses on editing software and post processing.
6. Find a Club
Going to a place where you can take a photo with others who are also trying their best to improve their techniques is something that can teach you more than any class can. To achieve this, just look for a photography club near you and enroll yourself.
7. Learn Photography from Others
Spending time watching videos by pros or enthusiasts will leave you more knowledgeable about this craft. Whether you’re into landscape photography or portraits, there is a lot to explore on platforms like YouTube and Instagram. You can easily discover someone who has spent their life honing their skill willing to share their knowledge without any sort of payment. Who knows, you can get into photo editing like this, too, and use your photoshop skills resume to land jobs in various fields related to design. You just need to put a little bit of time into online tutorials and, without too much work, get to grips with all the general aspects of photo-taking.
8. Practice Makes Perfect
Carrying your camera whenever you step outside the house is a very solid way to learn photography fast. It doesn’t matter if you’re walking to work or going for groceries, just take your gear with you and look for frames everywhere. This trains your eye in a way that all the information you discover in articles and videos cannot. Having small cameras is ideal for this, or you can always just use your phone. Remember that experimenting with lighting and compositions is among the most crucial aspects of photo-taking, and you can do that with any device you have on you.
Is Photography Hard to Master?
It isn’t hard at all if you have the interest. However, becoming a pro and earning from this craft is exceptionally hard for many. If this is just a hobby, you need to follow some easy tips for starting. You may even be able to sell your work and develop a small side-job out of it.
Do I need a Degree?
You can most definitely be a photographer without ever going to photography school. There are many pros who began this craft by chance and then did the work it took to become successful at it. You just need to shoot as much as you can, and you can end up making beautiful visuals.
Going to a proper institution has its own pros and cons. The pros include having access to a structured curriculum, getting enlightened by the experience of your teachers, gaining practical advice, getting your photos reviewed and critiqued, accessing exhibitions, etc.
However, there are some negatives, too, like having to pay a ton of money and running the risk of going to a bad institution with poor prospects of ever finding a job upon graduating.
Pick Your First Camera
Now that you know how you can shoot a better photo, how do you pick your first-ever camera? Many beginning photographers struggle with this question. Unfortunately, there’s no single answer. The best advice you will get is to get something that you can afford and that won’t break the bank. It doesn’t have to be a mirrorless full-frame body or a high-end DSLR. It can be something simple like a large-sensor compact point-and-shoot or even your smartphone.
Remember that you first need to cover all the basics like framing, white balance, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Most of this can be done on any modern smartphone. Just teach yourself to control these aspects of a frame first and then you can see what kind of body you can invest in.
Wrapping Up
In present times, it is extremely simple to learn photography without spending a dime on classes. There are many things you can access online, including framing and post processing. There is no need to go to school if you’re not up for the commitment or just want to experience photography for yourself and not in a professional capacity.
Hopefully, this guide has been helpful in finding out the various manners in which you can teach yourself to snap better photographs.
