Learning Photography Just by Yourself

by: Arturo Rivo, Jr. In this digital age, most people love taking photos. You probably first took photos using your smartphone and after taking a shot, you take a look at it and told yourself.. “wow, I’m good.” hehe

So, you decided that you want photography as your hobby but you’re not sure how to start. Some go to photography schools or contact a professional to train them. Some are lucky to have friends who taught them the basics and all. But not all want to spend money on schools and not all want to have a teacher. Some just want to learn by themselves. If that is you, this blog may help you.. I hope. hehe

I am not an expert but had a quite a number of experiences in this kind of hobby.

Let me give 5 tips and some advises on how you can start Photography… by yourself.

1.) First, try to discover what you really like.

As a newbie, I’m sure you like it ALL!! Believe me, I shot everything from cockroaches, to flowers.. and to even the tip of my toes. hehe. Photography is much fun after you discovered what you truly loves. This also makes you excel. Grab your smartphone and look at your photos. Review them and ask yourself.. “what do I love taking pictures?”

For me, I love portraits. From shooting fashion, family, pre-nuptials to baby shoots.

There are tons of types of photography. There is Food photography, Landscape photography, Street photography, Still-life photography, Wildlife photography, Sports photography, Long Exposure photography and Macro photography just to name a few. Sample of Food Photography

2.) Second, invest in a GOOD camera

This one is a hard part for new aspiring photographers. It’s fine if you want to take photos just by using your smartphone camera but if you want to enjoy more of what photography has to offer, I advise that you buy a DSLR camera or a Mirrorless Camera. These cameras are cameras you could customize its settings and change lenses. Digital cameras have different sizes, formats (crop, full frame, medium format) shapes, color but choose a camera with interchangeable lenses and with manual controls. There are sooo many to choose from.

Remember the first advise I told you? The answer to that will help you decide what lenses to buy as you learn photography. But for the meantime, most cameras you could buy already comes with a kit lens with a focal length of about 18-55mm or 18-105 mm (differs from camera to camera). Kit lens is a versatile lens and a good lens to start with. I started with 18-55 mm. Lenses are defined with focal lengths like 18-55 mm, 50 mm, 11-16 mm, 70-200 mm to name a few. The lesser number of millimeters means the wider the picture you can get. Understanding the ideal focal length for each situation will help you select the best lens.

But your question is, “What is a good camera?” Well, every camera manufacturer will tell you that their camera is better than the others. I advise that you search for "camera user reviews" in the internet. Then buy what your budget can buy. If you have limited budget, start with Entry level cameras. They are getting cheaper and cheaper these days. Also check out other features that you may like or consider (tilting screen, WIFI connectivity, video, touch screen, etc). If borrowing is a possibility, I think that’s better move to test the camera before actually buying it.

Examples of cameras out there (note: I am not endorsing or promoting any brand. Images are just for references)

Some Entry Level DSLRs you may see on the market

Mirrorless cameras are smaller and more compact. I personally prefer it for travel.

3.) Third, read your camera’s manual and learn the Exposure Triangle

There is a saying that "The Best Camera is the Camera that You Have". This is true. In today's technology, almost all cameras can give great pictures. All you have to do is to master how to use it and you can produce any output you want. The first step is by reading the "USER MANUAL". After reading the manual, you will know how to use your camera and adjust its settings. All DSLR cameras (correct me if I’m wrong) come with “AUTO MODE” which lets the camera decide which settings to use. Most of the time it is OK but if you really want to learn photography, you should learn to change this settings MANUALLY to get the creative results you are expecting. Switch your camera into MANUAL MODE and now the possibilities are endless. After learning how to FOCUS you camera, learn how to adjust these 3 main functions... the ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed and White Balance.

Photography is all about light. So, your main goal to be a better photographer is to Master the light. These 3 functions affects the behavior of light in your photos. I will try to describe them in layman’s term so you could understand. I will not discuss it very deeply. You have to learn how to use them on different kinds of situation.

ISO– adjust the light sensitivity. The higher number means more light will come but with more noise (dotted dark spots) in the image

Aperture– Controls how much opening your lens. Just imagine your lens as your eye. If you put less number of aperture (example 1.8), your eyes will be wide open and more light will come to this image. If you put more and more number (2.8 to 16), you eyes will squint and the image will be darker. You will also discover that less number aperture (1.4, 1.8) could easily make blurred backgrounds and greater number of apertures (5.6 to 16 for example) would eliminate blurs and make all the picture sharper. This is great for group pictures and landscapes.

Shutter speed– faster shutterspeed means you can capture moving pictures more sharply. You will discover that 1/2000 of a second will nicely capture a running man while using 1/125 of a sec will result a blurred photo. Slow shutter speed will capture more light. This is great for night photos but you need a tripod to prevent camera shakes that will result to blurred photos. This 3 functions are often called as the Exposure Triangle. Use the image below as a reference

4.) Fourth, SHOOT a lot!!

Remember, photography is a skill. You have to hone this skill by experience. SHOOT A LOT!! Practice, Practice, Practice!! Don’t be down by critics. Not everyone will love your photos but what’s important is.. you LOVE them. If you want to be a professional, use the criticisms as your driving force to get better. There is a quote saying that your first 10,000 pictures is your worst. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t stop shooting.

If you love portraits, join organized photoshoots. If there’s none you can find, just pull your friends and have them pose for you hehe

5.) Fifth, Acquire More knowledge and Continuous learning

That’s it! If you’ve finished steps 1 to 4, you’re probably OK with the basics. The possibilities now are endless. But the great part is… information is everywhere!!! You have to be resourceful. You have no excuse. hehe You can buy videos and books about photography and if you want it free you can go to YOUTUBE and Google tons of photography tutorials in the web. Level up your knowledge and apply them on practical shooting. As you learn more, you will eventually upgrade your skills and you will eventually explore other photography gears that will enhance your photography

Last advise. It would be a lot of fun having photography friends and joining clubs and organizations after you learn photography. I learned so much in photography through friends and joining clubs.

SUMMARY: Learning photography by yourself. 1.) Discover what you like 2.) Invest in a GOOD camera 3.) Read the camera manual 4.) Shoot a lot 5.) Continuous Learning

HAPPY SHOOTING!!

Catch me on these social media links and learn more about photography Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtRivoJrPhotography/ Instagram: @Art.Rivo.Jr YouTube: Art and Les