I believe that we learn by doing and that is how I believe you should approach this blog. Trying things out bit by bit. Continue to experiment and add skills to your photography toolkit.
A wise mentor of mine once said that at some point you just have to get out there are try it out. You could learn all the theory behind how to play the piano, but at some point you need to actually put your fingers on the keys and give it a shot. The same goes for learning how to best use your camera. You could learn everything you need to know about the settings and menus and customization of your camera but that won’t make you a better photographer. You need to get out there and capture images.
When you first start, it doesn’t matter what camera you are using.
In fact, I recommend you start with something really simple like the camera on your phone or an iPad. I don’t want you to get bogged down in menus and settings of a complicated camera. If you want to use a camera with interchangeable lenses and a multitude of settings but you don’t know how to use it, then put it into automatic mode (usually a green camera on your mode dial) and just start shooting. Start with the early composition lessons. Like I mentioned, you can do those with your phone.
As you move along in your journey, you will need to learn how to control your camera and how to compose powerful shots. There are two main types of lessons. Lessons on how to use your equipment and lessons on composition. Both are important. I want you to be able to approach a situation with confidence that you can capture the shot you want. I want you to approach a scene with excitement about the possibilities instead of uncertainty of how to get a great shot.
Understanding the tools at your disposable as a photographer, in the form of equipment and compositional tools, will help you to build your photography toolkit. As you sharpen your skills, you will have more and more tools to choose from when composing an image. The more tools in your photography toolkit, the better.
So, what are you waiting for? Have a look at the first lesson: bird’s eye view perspective and get going.
Me through the years. I continue to develop my skills and add more and more tools to my own photography toolkit.
