How did you learn to take better photos?
Discussion
So I bought a really nice Nikon D5100, and have had some cracking results, more by luck than judgment, just using Auto mode - oh and auto without a flash mode.....
However, I have not yet moved on to anything much more creative in P A S or M.
I've bought the D5100 for dummies book, but not started it yet.
How did you all get more betterer???
Lessons, clubs, dads, books videos?
There are a few adult learning courses available, but my antisocial work season is about to begin.
So how did it all click for you?
However, I have not yet moved on to anything much more creative in P A S or M.
I've bought the D5100 for dummies book, but not started it yet.
How did you all get more betterer???
Lessons, clubs, dads, books videos?There are a few adult learning courses available, but my antisocial work season is about to begin.
So how did it all click for you?
I went through different types of photography to find something that I really liked, and it turned into portraiture mainly, I realised I like faces, so specifically headshots and stuff that's quite tightly cropped in
I learned how light affects shape and what different areas do to the feel and mood of the overall photo, contrast/shadow, focus etc
Ask me to take a good photo of a car or a hill and I'll fall flat on my arse. I dont care much for the Manual Only approach, too many shots missed when sticking it into P or Asuto would have got what was needed
I learned how light affects shape and what different areas do to the feel and mood of the overall photo, contrast/shadow, focus etc
Ask me to take a good photo of a car or a hill and I'll fall flat on my arse. I dont care much for the Manual Only approach, too many shots missed when sticking it into P or Asuto would have got what was needed
I invested in Karl Taylor's master class DVDs and have been busy applying the training bit by bit. He puts it over very well and shows you how to achieve something as well as the mechanics behind it. Worth every penny in my book.
In addition I practice in different settings and conditions, just locally, for example landscape shots following advice on here. The one area I'd like to practice more of is portraits but getting a willing "model" is proving very hard!
In addition I practice in different settings and conditions, just locally, for example landscape shots following advice on here. The one area I'd like to practice more of is portraits but getting a willing "model" is proving very hard!
It's easier than it used to be. I learnt how to take photos with film. Expensive to develop, and you have no idea what it looks like until it comes back in the post!
Put the camera into manual and mess about. It doesn't really matter what you're taking a photo of providing the lighting is consistent; go short on exposure, long on exposure, a few stops either way on the aperture, zoom in and out, fiddle with ISO settings. Make notes (mental or written) about what each thing does. Then go and find something else to shoot and do the same thing.
The trick isn't to shoot manual all the time - the auto mode on modern DSLRs is fantastic and will probably manage better than you will 99% of the time. However it's important to understand what the auto mode is trying to do for those moments when you want to tell the camera to break the rules.
Put the camera into manual and mess about. It doesn't really matter what you're taking a photo of providing the lighting is consistent; go short on exposure, long on exposure, a few stops either way on the aperture, zoom in and out, fiddle with ISO settings. Make notes (mental or written) about what each thing does. Then go and find something else to shoot and do the same thing.
The trick isn't to shoot manual all the time - the auto mode on modern DSLRs is fantastic and will probably manage better than you will 99% of the time. However it's important to understand what the auto mode is trying to do for those moments when you want to tell the camera to break the rules.
I was in the same boat when I bought my first DSLR (Nikon D40), I found it very difficult to figure out how shutter speed, aperture and ISO where supposed to be used and why you would employ them to achieve different results. One book made all the difference and for anyone looking to learn, it's absolutely priceless. Read this and you'll unlock the basic secrets of photography. Brilliant.
Understanding Exposure
Understanding Exposure
ASK1974 said:
I was in the same boat when I bought my first DSLR (Nikon D40), I found it very difficult to figure out how shutter speed, aperture and ISO where supposed to be used and why you would employ them to achieve different results. One book made all the difference and for anyone looking to learn, it's absolutely priceless. Read this and you'll unlock the basic secrets of photography. Brilliant.
Understanding Exposure
Yup, I agree, got that book and it's full of helpful information fr you to practice with. Still mean to try the bowl of fruit with a backlit cascade of "rain" water Understanding Exposure
I find this online photo-class to be a nice introduction: http://www.r-photoclass.com/
It'll get you through the basics of controlling a camera nice and quickly (it's not rocket science, there are only about 5 variables) and let you get on to artistic side of subject and composition where the real challenge lies.
It'll get you through the basics of controlling a camera nice and quickly (it's not rocket science, there are only about 5 variables) and let you get on to artistic side of subject and composition where the real challenge lies.
To echo above, a lot of practice. Also if you're trying to master a specific technique but can't quite get it, posting on a forum and asking for critique can be useful. As with anything, forums vary quite a lot and some are more helpful than others, so you might have to try a few.
Another option is magazines, especially on a good deal - I keep getting offers of 'five for a fiver' on various magazines, and Digital SLR Photography can be good for tutorials. Being honest I would't pay cover price for it (or any magazine at the moment, come to that) because of the 70% advert content, but the articles are good.
Another option is magazines, especially on a good deal - I keep getting offers of 'five for a fiver' on various magazines, and Digital SLR Photography can be good for tutorials. Being honest I would't pay cover price for it (or any magazine at the moment, come to that) because of the 70% advert content, but the articles are good.
Don't get hung up on gear and settings. Yes, understanding the settings will give you more options but at the beginning they mostly serve to distract and confuse (hence why a fixed focal length is a good suggestion).
Find out what kind of images you like. Study past masters and spend some time on 500px/flickr. Look at what makes their images interesting. Go out into the world and try to see the photographic oppertunities. Developing your 'photographic eye' is what makes better photos, not taking the most technically perfect photo of a lens cap.
Find out what kind of images you like. Study past masters and spend some time on 500px/flickr. Look at what makes their images interesting. Go out into the world and try to see the photographic oppertunities. Developing your 'photographic eye' is what makes better photos, not taking the most technically perfect photo of a lens cap.
Remember 99% of the tutorials in magazines are published free on their respective websites, so dont waste money on a subscription.
Plus the Youtube and blog tutorials these days are of a very professional quality.
Kelby seems to hit a happy medium between technical and creative info. Go get a 24hr pass on their homepage and have a browse through all their vids.
My advice would be to expose yourself to many different areas of photography including editing. Half the skill is knowing what image you want to produce before you take it, then using all the techniques you have seen or heard of you can set out to achieve .
Plus the Youtube and blog tutorials these days are of a very professional quality.
Kelby seems to hit a happy medium between technical and creative info. Go get a 24hr pass on their homepage and have a browse through all their vids.
My advice would be to expose yourself to many different areas of photography including editing. Half the skill is knowing what image you want to produce before you take it, then using all the techniques you have seen or heard of you can set out to achieve .
Thanks all so far. What prompted this was; My daughter has been making fantastic stop motion videos, I thought I'd try to help her take it to the next level by making a Time Lapse film. Well, failed at the second hurdle.
We set up the camera on the tripod, put it in A priority, fixed the focus on a point, set the intervalvometer for 2 seconds. One photo later - "subject is too dark"
f
k it - go home and read read read......
We set up the camera on the tripod, put it in A priority, fixed the focus on a point, set the intervalvometer for 2 seconds. One photo later - "subject is too dark"
f
k it - go home and read read read......My 1st try at stop motion was with a bridge camera, I took 100 pictures with the settings on M (manual) and it turned out pretty bad, but at least there was motion!
Keep trying!
I've had a canon DSLR now for 3 years and only just got to grips with M mode, that was more frustration at the results on 'auto' than anything else. Having said that, SWMBO gets a bit pissed off waiting for me to take 42 pictures of something trying to get the result I want!
Practice make perfect as they say
Keep trying!
I've had a canon DSLR now for 3 years and only just got to grips with M mode, that was more frustration at the results on 'auto' than anything else. Having said that, SWMBO gets a bit pissed off waiting for me to take 42 pictures of something trying to get the result I want!
Practice make perfect as they say
What helped me most was Flickr, you quickly build up a stack of images you really like and you have a look at the EXIF that most flickr users post - this tells you what settings they used and then you apply that to your own image. So for example you want a photo of a car panning with a lot of space around the car with a blurred background. So you check out some panning shots and look at the exposures and program modes used and apply it to your own shots.
But most importantly. Take loads of photos, you learn by doing and photography is a great example of this.
But most importantly. Take loads of photos, you learn by doing and photography is a great example of this.
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