|
|
I got started as a serious amateur by looking at others photos. I wondered how can some take pictures that are so stunning while the rest of us just get mediocre results at best. I bought an old, but good SLR camera started learning how to use it with a book and I've been enjoying it ever since. I get good shots on a regular basis, but every once in a while I get a great one. The following will explain how I did it.
1. Get a camera and experiment.
 | Pick any camera you can afford and start to take pictures of whatever you like. You'll find you're niche sooner or later, but you've got to get started. It doesn't matter if it's digital or film, currently they both have their gives and takes. If you're not sure, do some research on the web or ask a good camera store what's right for you. If you're looking into digital, http://www.dpreview.com/ is a good start. |
2. Study your pictures and find out why they are coming out like they are.
| There are very few really bad cameras. With film it's just a box with a hole and all digitals I've used are decent now. There are bad photographers. The difference between high and low end cameras are the limits that they have. Learn about the aperture, shutter, and depth of field. These allow the light and focus to happen and give the technical quality of the photo. If you know what the limits of your camera are, your pictures will be exposed correctly. |
| Do not get stuck on the technical details of the camera. It's fun to see all the gadgets, but not one of them will improve your photography until you understand it and are ready to learn them. You can end up spending to much time learning equipment, and not enough time taking pictures. |
| Post your pictures on the Internet at sights similar to photosig and learn from the critiques others have. Some can be harsh, but others views are free and useful. |
3. Learn about composition.
| Composition is how objects are arranged in the photo. This is the artistic part of photography. I can take a technically perfect picture of my hand and it will be a boring photo. Change the position of my hand, add some interesting light and shadows, and throw in another object the hand might be grasping for or holding, now you've got art. It didn't make much sense to me until I started looking at other people's photos and read about the subject. When you hear that someone has a "natural eye" for photography, they understand composition. Whether they learned or inherited, this is where the great photos are made. |
4. Keep taking pictures until you get it perfected.
| Keep your camera with you whenever you can and keep trying new things. You'll never perfect photography, but you can keep trying. The more you try, the better your ratio of bad to good photos will be. My best photos from a year ago look bad to my current ones, and I hope the trend continues. |
| Make assignments or start a project that will keep you motivated to keep taking pictures. I started a site called Ohio Sights that keeps me interested and motivated. |
These were very broad and basic steps. The details are up to you. The computerized wonders we have today only add to photography experience and I urge you to try them also. Scanning photos from slides and photos, converting digital pictures to web ready photos, editing with Photoshop, and learning to find the information you need. are all important if you want to get the most of photography. Best of luck to you!
