{"id":267,"date":"2012-01-26T10:38:18","date_gmt":"2012-01-26T15:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=267"},"modified":"2024-09-05T21:58:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T02:58:44","slug":"5-dos-and-5-donts-for-beginning-photographers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/5-dos-and-5-donts-for-beginning-photographers\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Dos and 5 Don’ts for Beginning Photographers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You’re a photographer just getting serious about the craft…<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There’s so much gear, there’s so much information, there’s so many buttons!  How do you settle down and get started, and most importantly, how do you get great pictures! I thought I’d put together this little list of five things that helped me progress from a beginning photographer to where I am now, as well as five things I think it is important to NOT do.  I’ve included a few images from my progression from when I first started out just to see where I came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Dos<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Schloss Hohenschwangau – Fussen, Germany – December 2005 – Canon Digital Rebel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Get an interchageable lens camera learn everything about it.<\/strong> I think it is key to start thinking about photography with a camera that allows you to have control.  Any decent DSLR, mirroless Compact System Camera, or film SLR will allow you to set aperture, shutter speed, ISO (if digital), etc.  It is important to have this control to be able to understand the technical side of photography.  While the technical side of photography is probably the least important leg in the means to get good images, it is essential to have as a background if you are going to make good shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After you get your camera, read the manual from front to back several times and learn how to activate every function, and get familiar with your camera.  When you are comfortable with your camera to the point where it becomes second nature to operate, you can then focus solely on the image, and not be stuck wondering how to change what setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Get a Prime Lens<\/strong>– A prime lens is a single focal length, so no zooming.  Most generally have larger apertures than comparable zooms, and generally they are sharper as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recommend when you are starting to get either a ‘normal’ prime for your system, or a short telephoto.  A normal lens  has a focal length roughly the same as the sensor diagonal…so 25mm for a CSC like the Micro 4\/3 cameras, 30mm for an APS-C sized sensor, sometimes referred to as a 1.5x or 1.6x crop sensor (this is the case for most consumer grade DSLRs) or 50mm for ‘full frame’ digital or 35mm film.   A short telephoto would be something like a 50mm lens on APS-C, 85mm on full frame, etc.  The 50mm prime when using DLSRs is probably the cheapest.  Canon makes a 50mm f\/1.8 for around $100, and Nikon makes a 50mm f\/1.8 for around $200.  Using these prime lenses will help teach you about visualizing the image before raising the camera, using large apertures and will enable you to get better images in lower light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tivoli Gardens – July 2005 – Canon Digital Rebel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Experiement and practice<\/strong> – As with any craft, practice makes perfect.  You are going to make a lot of bad images when you start out.  Heck, even when you get good, you’ll make a lot of bad images.  The key thing is to try new things out.  Try different techniques, such as long exposure intentional blurs.  Try different angles.  Choose a subject that you find interesting, whether it be a flower, a building, a landscape or a person, and take pictures of it from multiple angles, with different settings.  A lot of these photos will be terrible, but that’s OK.  There’s an old adage that says “the difference between a professional photographer and an amateur is the size of the trash bin.”  For every great photo you see, you can bet there were a lot of duds that you aren’t seeing.  Key to this is educating yourself as well.  Read photography books, read photography magazines that focus on technique rather than gear.  You’ll also notice as you get better that your rejects later on would have been keepers when you first started out.  That’s an interesting experience.  The key here is to develop your vision, develop your style, and it takes some time.  Eventually, you’ll want to start trying to make a statement with your images, but that will come in due time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Look at Great Photographs<\/strong> – The famous bird and race photographer Scott Bourne says that you should look at other photographer’s work that you admire and really examine what makes these images great. I think it’s a wonderful suggestion and while I didn’t do it nearly enough when I was first starting, I did do it unconsciously.  If you do this, it helps see why certain photographs succeed.  Just try not to become a copycat!  The best images invoke emotion of some sort, whether it be beauty, love, fear, apprehension, tension, friendship, grandeur or simplicity.  Find what makes those images special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Shoot what interests you<\/strong> – Everyone likes different things.  Some people like landscapes, some like shooting macro, some love portraiture.  Some like all types of photography, and that’s fine.  Just shoot what you enjoy shooting.  If you can’t stand taking pictures of bugs and flowers, then don’t waste your time on those subjects.  I am kind of a jack of all trades type of photographer…I shoot a lot of different things and styles, but I prefer some subjects better than others.  Architecture and Landscape are my two big things, though I dabble in abstract and macro, and I do take a lot of portraits, though mostly of my daughter.  The key is, if you don’t like what you’re doing, you’ll never stick with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next: 5 Don’ts
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 5 Don’ts<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are five things NOT to do when you first start out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tate Modern Turbine Hall, January 2004 – Taken with a 2MP point and shoot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. DON’T get caught up in gear<\/strong> – Photography is a gear related pursuit.  There are an amazing array of cameras and lenses and lighting, and it can all be overwhelming.  There is, especially when you first start out, the compulsion to buy the absolute best gear there is, or to spend money on lens after lens after lens, because the pros use it.  Gear has a place in this craft, and better gear can make for better results, but there is a very big IF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Better gear can make for better results IF the photographer knows how to use it to its full potential.<\/em>  The number one thing to making a good image is good composition by the photographer.  The second thing that makes a good image is the quality of light, and the third thing that makes a good image is the photographer executing that composition and capturing that light competently.  If these things are present, even the cheapest DSLR or CSC will yield a strong image worthy of framing.  The last thing is the quality of the equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A picture that is poorly composed with bad light, but taken with an $8,000 camera and a $2,000 lens will yield a sharp, contrasty, piece of garbage photo.  A well composed photo with impact and good light taken with an iPhone can still yield a great image, provided the photographer did their job right.  There is a baseline quality of gear one will want to be able to execute their vision and be able to print good size prints of decent quality.  The thing is, any modern interchangeable lens camera meets this level of quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time to upgrade gear or get a new lens is when you are being limited by your current gear in achieving your vision.  If you find yourself often saying, I want this image, but I just can’t get wide enough…then it might be time to invest in an ultra-wide lens or something.  It generally takes a while before a photographer becomes better than entry-level gear, and it is far too easy to blame the gear for the failings of the photographer.  I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea for beginning photographers to spend a year shooting with two lenses maximum…the kit zoom and one prime lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sage Chapel, Cornell University – June 2011 – Panasonic GH2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. DON’T worry about what others are doing<\/strong> – This may seem to go against my DO #4, but I don’t mean not to learn from others.  I mean that if you have a vision for something, and maybe there’s another photographer doing something completely different in the same area, or you post some images to a forum and you get snarky responses, don’t let it discourage you from your vision.  There is a fine line here between taking constructive criticism, which we all should do, and letting others dictate your style.  Feedback is good and can help you improve, but if, after taking any criticism you may receive, you still feel strongly about your vision, then drive on.  The best photographers pave their own way.  Not every image you make will be good, and not even your best work will be liked by everyone.  Don’t worry about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. DON’T get frustrated<\/strong> – You will hit a wall creatively at some point.  Everyone does.  You will improve and improve, and eventually, you’ll encounter a period where you’ll notice you are creating the same photos over and over.  While there are many little points that this happens if you stick with photography (or any artistic pursuit), occasionally you may even hit a big wall.  When I hit that wall, it lasted about a year.  I had an entire year where I felt that I was just treading water, and while I had some good pictures, nothing was really excellent.  It’s normal, and you just need to keep going.  To get out of a creative block, you can just go back to #3 on the Dos list…experiment.  Try shooting something you’ve never shot before.  Actually go out and limit yourself.  If you shoot mostly telephoto, grab a wide angle lens and only use that for two weeks, or vice versa.  Eventually, you’ll move past the block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ohio Statehouse Ceiling – April, 2011 – Panasonic GH2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4. DON’T forget to break the rules<\/strong> – There are lots of rules in photography that you will encounter as you try and learn the craft.  The rule of thirds for composition; photograph at the magic hour for best light outdoors; avoid shooting in harsh mid-day sunlight, avoid image noise if you can.  These are good rules, and they are great guidelines to start with.  They can help guide you to creating good photographs and are great for learning composition and light…but they are not unbreakable.  In fact, some of the strongest compositions fly in the face of these rules.  If you feel that you should break these rules…do it.  Sometimes harsh lighting is needed for your vision.  Sometimes a dead-centered composition works beautifully (not often, but if done well, it can have great impact).  Sometimes I ADD noise to an image to give it the feel I want.  The image on the right breaks a bunch of rules…it’s a dead-centered composition that I added noise to intentionally…and it works, for me at least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. DON’T forget to have fun<\/strong> – If you are doing photography as a hobby, remember that it’s about the joy of the art, or of capturing a cherished memory.  Hard work has to be put in to get the best images, but if you aren’t having fun, then what’s the point?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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