If you asked me what are the three most important things a beginner photographer should know – I’d say “Know your equipment, know your settings & trust your instincts.”
Sounds simple enough, right? Let’s explore these three photo tips for beginners…
1. Know Your Equipment : When I say know your equipment I don’t necessarily mean spend hours reading the manual that came with your digital camera or with your latest lens. Reading the user manual is always a good start but sometimes I think it leads to more questions than answers. There are a lot of really good camera field guides published for whatever camera you own. (example of after market camera guide) So now that you are familiar with the basic operations of your camera and how it operates – it’s time to go and shoot photos and put your new knowledge into use. Figure out which of your lenses are better for the different photo subjects you are interested in and how they react in the different light situations. You know the stuff that NO book will ever be able to teach you. I am a big believer in going out into the field and learning by doing.
2. Know Your Settings: For every photo situation I embark on I have a mental log (started out on a notepad) of my baseline settings. These are my starting point for ISO, Aperture and Shutter speeds. With that being said they change from time to time depending on lighting conditions and other variables but I always start at my baseline. Experiment with different settings in various conditions, review the image (the most powerful part of digital photography in my opinion), make adjustments and do it all over again. As you become a more seasoned photographer you’ll develop your own preferences for settings and what enables you to make great photographs.
3. Trust Your Instincts: Sounds easy but this is where many beginner photographers stumble. Just because you read something in a field guide or in an article someone like Scott Bourne writes doesn’t mean it’s an absolute. If you develop a strong sense of the first two tips this one will eventually come naturally. If it’s a dark day out and you think ISO 200 will be better than ISO 400 – give it a shot. If you think 1/125 will get you a better photo than 1/60 – do it. Prove or disprove your own theories. There are times when I photograph concerts and I only have a split second to capture an image so I rely solely on my instincts. Trust me, as you develop into a photographer with your own style and sense of surroundings this will fee natural – but in the beginning it will be a struggle. John Coltrane had a saying about music theory that applies well to photography, “Know the theory, know the scales but when it comes time to play – just play!”
This is just the tip of the iceberg and the building blocks to developing into a photographer that makes great photos. If you had to give a beginning photographer a couple of tips what would they be? Post a comment below and share some of your knowledge…
Article by Greg Taylor
Founder, Markerting Press. Vegetarian. Hopelessly addicted to music. Blogger, Collaborator, Phoenix Suns fan. NJ Native living in AZ
Greg has contributed 159 articles to this site.
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Right on Taylor. This is a great post! Especially the picture of Little Rocky. Keep it coming.
Rocky
Rocky – Thx for the kind words. The photo of Little Rocky was one of our favs from the Jackson Hole trip.
I find that #3 Trust your instincts seems to be the one thing that catches everyone no matter what industry.
Love that you encourage action, key in everything in life.
These are so true. I think about these most of the time. Mostly subconsciously but sometimes I have even told friends that it is the tool and knowing how to use the tool. I consider myself a beginner still but have taken some decent shots. Timing and instinct play a major role in capturing the perfect frame. I, myself am still learning but I agree that I could have never learned to master most of my settings without the practical application. …Going out there and shooting. Additionally, the more you get out there, the more you get that feeling that the right shot is on its way. Thanks Greg!
@Michele Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Life is not a spectator sport – it’s amazing what you can accomplish just by trying!
@Paul It’s amazing what timing and instinct does for photography! As with your trade, practical application is the key to honing your craft. See you at SMCPHX or AZIMA this month.
Thank you for these tips!!! I am a struggling novice and learning my equipment has been such a pain for me. I just like to do rather than read the technical stuff. I do try to follow my instincts–or is it just take photos of what I want? Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Thx Cheri. See something you want to photograph – check out the images and try to make improvement with each photo session. Learning by doing is how I came up with a lot of these tips. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I have an off the wall question. When you are taking photos out in public, do you need to get anyone permission to take their photo. Can we just catch the moment without having to do interviews
Shelly actually that’s a great question, thank you for asking it. There are two sides to the coin- law says if you are not photographing someone with the purpose of advertising or endorsements you CAN take someone’s photo in a PUBLIC place without their permission. (source http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001oT6) – PUBLIC place being the key, private places have their own laws.
There are times when I do ask permission. If I am doing a street portraits (photos of everyday people) and they are the SOLE focus of the shot – I will ask permission as a courtesy. (Link to my street portraits) It is a scary thing to do and you will be told no – but I do it.
Lastly, I am not an attorney – but I use the link I posted above as a resource for myself. Just like with anything exercise common sense. If someone is noticeable uncomfortable by you taking photos respect that and look for another subject.
I hope this helps – please feel free to ask any questions regarding any articles your read on this blog.
Hey thanks Greg, first of all for answering me so quickly. And secondly, the info was great. I certainly don’t want to offend anyone or make them uncomfortable. Thanks again. I am stepping up my picture taking to photography. It’s time to get serious about this. And boy do I have the bug! I have a new Sony a330 coming, and the mail can not go fast enough. I love your site. I am a fan already!! Your interests in music and landscape are right up my alley.
Thanks again for the info.
I love this photo… Thanks Taylor.
Thanks Rocky, that was one of my favorites from the trip. If I didn’t send you the hi-res file let me know and I’ll email it to you.
Thank you for the tips that you had posted. I agree with what you said, in order to make good photos, you have to do those 3 things. I have been into photography as a hobbyist for three years now though I consider myself still a beginner. ;) The idea of post-processing has becoming a trend nowadays… Others seem to shoot and shoot then edit it on photoshop or lightroom. It disappoints me whenever I see people doing that.