You invested in that fancy new camera thinking your photos would turn out like the professionals. But they are blurry and too dark. And let’s tell the truth, all those buttons, dials, and settings are intimidating.
You want to take that great shot of your son catching the once in a lifetime pass. You want to document that tropical vacation and family reunion. But every time you try to work that fancy camera, just turning it on and aiming means you missed the moment.
Learning photography requires understanding how your camera works, what you want to achieve in your photographs and taking lots and lots of pictures. Follow these three steps to improve photo taking.
Learning Photography, Know the Lingo
Go beyond snapping photos with your phone. Get out that fancy camera and start using it. But first, the best way to learn photography is to understand the vocabulary of your camera. Snapping the perfect photo has to do with achieving the perfect light setting.
Aperture, ISO, shutter speed…oh, my. What does all that mean? Learn photography by understanding how each of these effects the outcome of your photo.
- Aperture is how much light your camera allows to get into your camera. The larger the aperture the brighter the photo and vice versa. Aperture can also change what the background of your photos look like, blurry or not.
- ISO is how much brightness is allowed by the camera in your photo. Photos with more brightness can have more grain, or noise, in them.
- Shutter speed is how long your camera keeps open the shutter inside the camera to get the photo. This affects how much light gets into the camera for the photo. It also how much movement you see in the photograph.
Learning photography means learning these trifectas of settings. You will be one step closer to mastering the perfect photo.
You and Your Camera, Best Friends
Sure, your camera might take a good photo set on automatic. You want a great photo though. Take the camera off of the auto settings and learn to set it yourself using manual settings.
It’s complicated though. The key to how to learn photography is in those manual settings.
Nobody wants to hear this, but read the manual that came with your camera. It will give the ins and outs on all those buttons and dials.
If that is too daunting for you, get online. Look for tutorials and videos that will take you through the settings of your camera.
Mastering those manual setting so it becomes natural will take your photographs from good to great.
Click, Click, Click
You know the expression: practice, practice practice. The best way to learn photography is to take lots and lots of photos. Play with your camera and the settings.
The surest way to avoid missing the perfect photo is to not have the camera in hand. Start to think like a photographer when you look at things. Consider light and angle. What will create the best shot?
Professional photographers, like Zaki Charles Photography, have the camera at the ready at all times. For professional jobs, they often employ multiple photographers to avoid missing any moment of an event.
Learn Photography Basics: The Best Way to Learn Photography
Learning photography and all it entails can seem daunting for sure. Take it one step at a time. Understand each of the components that make a quality photo. Then start taking lots and lots of pictures to refine your skill.
Take your camera with you everywhere to document life’s moments. Learn how to use your camera’s aperture, ISO and shutter speed to achieve the same quality photographs like the professionals.
