“I want to give it a shot…but I don’t know where or how to start.”
That’s usually the first thing we say when we want to try something new. It can be daunting dipping your toes in the water when there’s an overload of guides, and an endless amount of how-to videos and articles. But eventually, you got to start somewhere to get to somewhere, right?
So if you are someone who wants to start in photography, but doesn’t know where or how to start…here is some guidance for you my young padawan (sorry, I’m a Star Wars nerd).
“Ahh!!! There’s so many cameras!!! What do I choose?!?”
Some people like Nikes, some like Jordans, some like Adidas, and some don’t care as long as it covers their gross feet. The same thing is applied to cameras in the world of photography…EVERYONE HAS A PERSONAL PREFERENCE.
No camera brand is the most popular, nor is there one that dominates the other. Every camera brand has their pros and cons, their strengths and weaknesses, and advantages and disadvantages. So whether you wanna choose…
Canon
Nikon
Sony
Fuji Film
Polaroid
Kodak
regular film
The choice is yours really. So you got to pick your poison. Find out for yourself on what camera is best for you based on it’s pros and cons, your budget, and if you see yourself using it all the time. Also, it’s okay to have two cameras from two different brands. Don’t worry, cameras aren’t the jealous types.
Learn to shoot manual, not automatic (know your aperture, ISO, shutter speed, composition,).
“Well what’s wrong with shooting automatic?”, you may be asking. Nothing is wrong.
However, anybody can shoot automatic because the camera is doing the most for you. A real photographer on the other hand shoots manual, because you are in control with your settings. Shooting manual also gives you the creative freedom to capture photos you personally want it to look.
“Okay, now what the heck is aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and all that?”, you may be also asking. In a nutshell, those fancy terms are the settings you manually control to capture photos your way.
Explaining aperture, ISO, and shutter speed in detail would take up a lot in this guide. So below are some shortcut explanations that will help you.
This cheat sheet is a simple visual explanation and guide on shooting manual. This is a “cheat sheet” that, til this day, I still use to refresh myself. So don’t be ashamed to look back on it if you’re stuck when shooting for the first time.
But maybe you’re saying, “cool, but I still don’t know what the heck this means.”
Well then I suggest this…
Below are videos by a professional animal/nature photographer named “Chris Bray”, who I consider my mentor. His videos helped me understand not only on how to shoot manual, but EVERYTHING about photography.
The first link is a short and sweet version in case your attention span is also short and sweet. The second is a long and detailed version if you want more than the short and sweet version.
Chris Bray teaches manual & the basics (short and sweet version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COQNI7N6Ksg
Chris Bray teaches manual & the basics (long and detailed version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxO-6rlihSg
Also, speaking of videos…
The internet can be your photography teacher (yes really).
You really don’t need to go to art school to learn photography. Now I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, you do you boo. But there’s an alternative that can give you photography lessons FOR FREE. And that my friend is called… “the internet”.
In this day in age, the internet has been our go-to source. This goes especially when we want to try something new. “But the internet is so big and scary…where can I even go?!?”, you may be asking while also panicking. Here are some suggestions that has personally helped me…
YouTube: pick a photography content creator to mentor your year 1 of photography (in my case “John Branch lV Photography” and “Chris Bray” were my mentors)
Reddit: although the photography community can be biased on there, it’s good to get both perspectives on suggestions or techniques.
Pinterest: gives you ideas and inspirations on what to practice shooting.
Oh! Another important point…
Learn to edit.
Editing is the bread and butter of photography. Editing is the magic that gives your photos the “OOO’s” and “AHH’s”. Below are editing tools photographers typically use for editing.
Adobe lightroom (I personally use this)
Photoshop
Capture One
Of course, like picking your camera, choosing an editing software is a personal preference. Just look for what fits for you. Once you do find the right one, do some tutorials and play around with it. Then once you get the hang out of it, you will now be using it to give your photos the glow up.
Practice, practice, practice!
Once you get your first camera, don’t wait for the perfect day for you to practice shooting. Start now!
Whether inside or outside, go and shoot what you find interesting. And if you’re really really sucking at it at first…AWESOME! Because that’s how you learn! Enjoy not getting it right at first, because those are the first steps to becoming great at it.
Look for opportunities to practice shooting such as family events, local events, traveling with friends or family, inside or outside your home. There’s so much to take advantage to help you practice!
And if you are someone that isn’t sensitive to criticism, ask for feedback. It doesn’t have to be by another photographer (although it’s definitely useful), but it can also be a friend or family.
The setbacks: is this really for you?
Now I’m gonna be real with you, photography can be an expensive thing even as a hobby. There is a lot of parts, pieces, and equipment you will probably need to spend a good whopping on. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.
Photography is also a competitive industry. Especially how these darn smartphones can take photos better and better. And then you will often compare yourself to other photographers and think to yourself, “I’m never gonna be good like them”.
Which is why it’s important to consider the cons of this hobby/profession before you jump into the pool. But if you are someone who still wants to pursue it despite the cons, then GERONIMO! Welcome to the club!
So the choice is yours, whether being a photographer is something for you or not.
In conclusion…
This guide is only scratching the surface of the world of photography.
There are other things I purposely didn’t touch on such as creating a portfolio, lighting, what lens to use for certain scenes, what gears you need for certain events…and among other things. Those will be another discussion for another time.
This guide is mainly for those to determine if photography is worth trying or not. Whether it be as a hobby or professionally, I hope this guide helps you to start somewhere to get to somewhere.
With that being said…
thanks for tuning into The Photographer’s Log. See you at another time.
