Have you found yourself inspired to try out photography? Maybe you’ve taken some awesome shots with your iPhone, and it left you wanting more. It’s true that your DSLR is capable of so much more, but where do you start?
With all the settings and moving parts and equipment, you might have trouble knowing what to begin with. If you’re new to photography, keep reading for the most important photography tips for beginners.
Basic Equipment Is Your Friend
When you’re just starting out with photography, you’ll see examples of beautiful landscapes or portraits and credit them to the expert’s equipment. But even your most beginner DSLR can capture great photos.
More importantly, starting with basic equipment allows you to explore the hobby without the hefty investment (many types of cameras can run over $1,000). In addition, you can practice all the critical aspects of photography without worrying so much about damaging your equipment.
Learn the Basic Settings
When it comes to photography, there are a lot of moving pieces. You may think you need to know every aspect of your camera’s functions in order to take quality photos, but you can accomplish so much with only a few major settings.
While you’re practicing amateur photography, take into consideration your:
- Aperture
- Shutter Speed
- ISO
Work with Composition
It may be a cliche, but art is in the eye of the beholder. One of the most important aspects of photography is composition.
While composition comes with experience, keep in mind aspects such as foreground and background. Ask yourself what your focus is and what your image conveys.
A helpful place to start developing your composition is learning the Rule of Thirds, which acts as a grid that divides your image into a 3×3 grid. The lines and points work to guide the eyes of viewers around the image. Use these lines to help you compose quality photos.
Light Is Your Friend (Or Enemy)
Understanding how lighting affects your camera’s ability can prove challenging, but don’t get frustrated. There are simple rules to follow when working with light, and mastering light can result in expert photos.
Having too little light can make capturing crisp images nearly impossible without a tripod, so planning your photos around good lighting will help. However, too much light will leave your focus overexposed.
An excellent time to take photos when practicing your skills is during the golden hour. This is the period right before and after the sun crosses the horizon and provides soft, warm light. As you improve, experiment with different light scenarios.
Don’t worry if your photos don’t come out perfect while you practice. In many cases, you can touch up photos in editing software. For an example, view these moody lightroom presets.
Practice Your Butt Off
This is one of those photography tips that you probably don’t want to hear, but it’s critical. You won’t improve your skills unless you get out and use your camera.
Make it an objective each time you shoot to practice settings and composition. Remember what worked and what didn’t. The more you shoot, the more you’ll learn the necessary skills and develop your creative eye.
More Photography Tips
The photography tips provided should help you get off the ground. With practice, you’ll find what works for you and what doesn’t.
Maybe you want a different camera, or you want to try out different lenses. For more on the photography industry, check out our Technology section.
