Learning Photography by Simplifying It First

As a beginner, you should always remember that photography is a craft that requires practice, practice, and more practice to master – and even when you have apparently become the master of the medium, you must continue learning because of the new technologies, techniques, and tools always coming along to change the game. You don’t have to be overwhelmed by the hundreds of lessons that you have to learn since you may end up being discouraged.

Instead, you can simplify the learning process by keeping these tips in mind and then increase the level of your knowledge and skills as you go. You will then be more likely to pursue photography and become one of the best in the industry. Your prints from Fedex/Kinkos Photo may even be featured in magazines!  

Focus on a Single Subject

Even when there are opportunities for capturing great images – and there will be many in the course of your career – you should focus on a single subject using a single camera. You will likely be able to take a memorable, even an iconic, image when your camera has been set up for it. Otherwise, you will end up being frustrated with the photos taken with inappropriate settings.

For example, if you are shooting a landscape, your settings will probably be at ISO 100, 1/20th shutter speed, and f/16 aperture since the subject is stationary. But when you use the same settings to capture the image of a bird in flight, you will end up with an unsatisfactory photo.  

In case you want to take photos of both the landscape and its animals, you have to set up two cameras – one set to the stationary landscape and the other set to the animals in motion. You will then avoid changing the settings in the first camera and, in the process, miss the shot that could have been done in a heartbeat with the second camera.

Use a Single Lens

You may want to experiment with several of the lenses available but here’s the thing: You will be unable to know their capacities and limitations when you keep flitting from one lens to the next. You have to get to know your first lens so well that you become an extension of it, in a manner of speaking, so much so that you will have instinctive knowledge of the best way to use it in any situation.

You can then move on to mastering the second lens in your kit. With each lens’ capabilities embedded in your mind, you can easily and quickly make the right decision about the best type of lens to capture a subject –and, thus, capture a beautiful image.

In life as in photography, avoid taking on more than you can chew at first!