Photography - Where to begin?

Maybe you just bought a digital camera, or you have been seeing your friends taking amazing photos and you would like to learn how to be a better photographer. Where to begin? This article is aimed at equipping you with the necessary tools to get you on your way to becoming a better photographer. As I said in my last article (The Art of Photography), I always give the same three pieces of advice to individuals looking to improve their photography skills, read your camera manual, watch podcasts/videos, and take photos regularly. Let's break each of those down.

1) Read your manual. Cover to cover. Your camera is a tool and the better you know your tool the more it can do for you. Specifically, know the different autofocus and single point settings, the self timer and burst photo settings, what white balance is, learn about the in house flash, how to use the histogram, image quality and size, what metering and bracketing is, where to adjust shutter speed, ISO, and aperture, and where you can view those setting. That should keep you busy for a while. As you read have your camera with you so that you can practice what you are learning.

2) Watch videos. People have spent years becoming great photographers and some of them have how created videos so that we can benefit from all that they have learned and take great photos too. Search iTunes for my favorite podcasts Photo Tips and The Art of Photography. If you’re looking for something a little more entertaining but still informative check out Jared Polin of Fro Knows Photo. Again, as you watch have your camera with you so that you can pause the video and practice what you are learning.

3) Practice. I've spent thousands of days shooting and there is always something new that I learn or something that I need to improve on. Set high standards for your photos but remember to appreciate what you have been able to do. The tendency for new digital photographers is to take hundreds of photos an hour since after all, it’s digital and all you have to do is delete the pictures you don’t like. However we would do well to emulate the film photographers in this regard. Take you time to practice metering and composing your photos knowing that if you develop good habits to begin with you will always be able to rapid fire high quality photos when you need to.

4) Network. I’m going to throw a fourth tip out there. Networking with other photographers can be an invaluable resource. Not only can they teach you everything you could learn from your manual or videos but they can also provide the motivation for you to get out and try new styles of photography and gain experience. These people can challenge you, inspire, and be your built in marketing agency.

So there is your starting point on your road map to photographic success. Our next article will feature a few drills that you can do to hone your skills and see what you have learned.