For people just getting into photography.

[Dw136]

Beginner's Photography Guide. Getting into Photography. 

 

Hey guys this is my first guide so feel free to leave comments and suggestions.

I’ve broken down this guide into two sections. Impulse buying into photography and getting into photography as a hobby.

If you have ADHD and just want the skeleton arguments the bolded parts are all you really need to take home. 

 

 

Part 1: 

Impulse Buying In

 

Vacation

You’re going on the trip of a lifetime and you want photos that will last you a lifetime.

My recommendation: DO NOT BUY A DSLR! Get a compact camera with a long zoom ratio or just use your phone.

DSLR’s are bulky, heavy, and lets be honest terrible for selfies. You’re on vacation, enjoy it. Get something small that has a long zoom range. When you’re on vacation it’s the memories and the people that make the shot, not the image quality. A single grainy, underexposed, blurry selfie from your phone of you and your buddies having a great time is way better than a sharp rigidly composed postcard.

 

Do not underestimate how much your camera actually weighs. Remember you’re probably going to have it hanging around your neck for hours at a time. Forget about switching lenses, those precious moments happen quick on vacation, it’s better to have a lens that will go from wide to tight all in one. Again, you’re on vacation, enjoy it.

 

The Baby is Coming

Okay, the baby is coming and you want some nice pictures of him/her growing up.

My recommendation: Forget the DSLR, get a mirrorless camera or compact camera that has WIFI.

The reason I recommend this is two-fold, your partner (who I’m assuming is not really into photography) will be more willing to use / bring around a smaller camera where they can leave it in Auto and snap away. You may be willing to learn photography and how to use the camera, but with a newborn your partner probably doesn’t.

Mirrorless cameras, especially one’s with the collapsible lens are small enough to slip in a diaper bag and easy enough to use that it doesn’t intimidate the operator. There will be days where the last thing on your mind is “get the camera” when you have a screaming newborn. Keep the camera in the diaper bag and forget it, if you need it it’s there.

 

In addition, lets be honest, as a new parent you’re more likely to use your phone for pictures than any other camera because it’s so convenient. Even if you do use the dedicated camera you’re going to want to share those pictures. Skip the hassle of having to import the SD to a computer. With most mirrorless cameras/compact cameras, just push it to your phone over wifi or NFC and post. Job done.

 

 

Wedding

So someone you know or you yourself is getting wed and they/you want nice pictures.

Hire a real photographer or if you don’t have the budget find a college kid who’s into photography, or if you have no budget, teach uncle Jim the family cameraman how to upload to Facebook.   

 

For a wedding, you want to actually be attending the wedding not worrying about pictures. If you can’t afford a real photographer there are tons of college kids chomping at the bit to become photographers. Just go to the local campus and ask the receptionist for the facebook/email of the photography club. Take your pic. If you’re not willing to do that, just let uncle Jim tape/photograph the wedding. He’s going to do it anyways.

 

 

 

Part 2 :

Getting Into Photography as a hobby: No budget to moneybags

 

Okay so you want to learn photography? My recommendation is even if you have money to burn start with the lowest entry level DSLR body(reasoning is below) or just use your phone. Canon or Nikon or Pentax, it doesn’t matter. 

If you’re considering getting into photography there are fundament questions you need to answer fundamental skills you need to learn first. For these an uber camera that does 10fps at 36mp doesn’t matter. The limitations of an entry level DSLR will force you to learn these skills:

 

Composition: Can you identify what makes an interesting picture?

The image quality can be amazing but a picture of manure is just a picture of manure. If you have to do the old double “l” square rectangle thing with your fingers. Start seeing the world as a snapshot in time and just start thinking, “Hey that looks cool, what if I took a picture from this angle, over here, or over there?”

 

Exposure: Is my Exposure Triangle right?

What is shutter speed, aperture, and ISO? Why is my image so dark, blurry or really grainy? Play around with those settings, take control of your image. There are beginner auto modes on entry level DSLRs, see what they do and mimic it. You’ll eventually learn the correlations. Subject moving too fast, causing a blurry picture, push up ISO and increase shutter speed. Image is really grainy? Try slowing shutter and dropping your ISO.

There are apps for ISO and Android that allow you more control over your camera. Learn the controls.

 

Now answer these questions:  

What type of photography are you into?

This is the real reason why I said get the entry level DSLR. Spend the extra money on lenses and accessories. Play around with them. Experiment with different styles. Are you a natural light portrait shooter, a strobist, a landscape shooter, architectural, wildlife, composite (panorama, time lapse, focus stacking), product, wedding, event/journalistic, or is video your thing? Use the money you would have spent on a higher end body to play around.

 

If you don’t have the money, get those little lenses for your phone or use digital filters to mimic a lens. Again it’s all about experimenting, get a fish eye, a wide angle, a macro, a tele. Try to get a group of friends together to light a portrait with the LED lights on the back of their phones.

Try out different photography styles and when you’re ready go ahead and invest on exactly what you want to do. Find what you love to photograph.

 

Do I even enjoy photography now? Do I want to go further or go back to camera phone filters and selfies?

If you find that photography isn’t your thing, that’s fine. Photography is not for everyone. At least you found out now before you shelled out for equipment you aren’t going to use. If you do have equipment just sell it off second hand. Photography gear retains a surprising amount of its value.

 

Okay so you’ve gotten the fundamental skills down, you enjoy photography, and you know your niche. Now, go wild.

Get what you want/need and keep going, it’s up to you now to find your own way in photography.

 

[Deletive]

Awesome read, I'll really read into this more when I have time tomorrow and I'm glad I got a Oneplus one for the camera.

[DoubleY]

Well written post

Good read. 

[DigitalHermit]

Good read...

 

I've got an old film SLR with me and let's just say that the upkeep is too much for me to use it in my hobby...

 

I still use it every now and then though (when I have the money to buy a roll of film and pay for processing)...

 

I can always borrow my uncle's Alpha when I need it...

[ImpureHunter]

Very helpful guide. Thank you!

[SeanAngelo]

well written, sir!

 

good tip you pointed out about getting an entry level dslr, spend most of your money on GOOD glass, trust me.

[rmac52]

This should be pinned.

Nice guide.  The when to not buy a dslr is a fantastic piece.

[MrDucco]

check out my guide PDF download on my blog

 

www.linustechtips.com/main/blog/195/entry-325-buying-you-first-dslr/

[evinta]

Agreed 100%. I see many people buying a DSLR and just using auto, wondering why they aren't getting great results. 

[Williamchan87]

nice

[TheProfosist]

i think your stuff about selfie's is useless because I have never taken one and have never seen the point to take one. Also why do I have to be in the picture to know I was there? Id rather just take a good picture (that truthfully has probably been taken before).

Also most of the stuff you seem to be posting is in referance to those who arnt tech savy but our on a tech forum so that if mostly rendered null. no im not saying everyone should have a DSLR. I will agree and say the best camera is the one you have with you.

Agreed 100%. I see many people buying a DSLR and just using auto, wondering why they aren't getting great results.

That is mostly lighting to be truthful. Most people will probably get the pics they want in aperture priority with auto iso.

[Dw136]

i think your stuff about selfie's is useless because I have never taken one and have never seen the point to take one. Also why do I have to be in the picture to know I was there? Id rather just take a good picture (that truthfully has probably been taken before).

Also most of the stuff you seem to be posting is in referance to those who arnt tech savy but our on a tech forum so that if mostly rendered null. no im not saying everyone should have a DSLR. I will agree and say the best camera is the one you have with you.

 

Selfies unfortunately are becoming more and more of a thing in modern photography. Even if you or I don't like it, it's probably here to stay and going to be a consideration when it comes to photography in the future. However, I think you miss my point. The reason I used a selfie is to prove how it's the people, the experience, and the crazy time you had that makes a vacation shot special. My point was to show that for people just getting into photography for the purpose of vacation photos should instead focus on have having fun, enjoying their vacation with their buddies and living in the moment instead of worrying about getting a perfect picture. 

 

You sound like you are a photo enthusiast and the kind of guy willing to go the extra mile for that awesome picture. My guide is aimed at people who are techy, but not yet into photography. That's why I explicitly wrote do not get a DSLR. Techies are all the same, we love looking at specs and owning the best. However, the best in photography comes with a lot of baggage, in terms of dedication and well... bag space.