Originally Posted by
Marcus-SanDiego
As of yesterday, I have been shooting with my camera for 90 days. I've learned a ton of stuff, but I wanted to highlight some of the things that allowed me to get to where I am right now.
First, it's so important to understand exposure. A thorough understanding of shutter speed, ISO, and aperture (and how the three interact) is essential. I've never shot in anything other than manual mode, so it was important for me to learn this part of photography immediately. For those who are just picking up a camera, I advise you to get out of automatic mode as soon as you can. It's akin to touch typing. At first, you'll be slow. Eventually, though, you'll be ripping right along.
Second, there is no substitute for getting out there and shooting as often as you can. I rarely passed up an opportunity to use my camera. Whenever someone would invite me to shoot, I did it. Also, not only did I shoot with Casey, I had the chance to shoot with other established photographers. I jumped at the chance to watch others point their camera.
Three, find a good mentor if you have that option. A mentor has already made all of the mistakes. A mentor has already learned all of the tricks and tips. A mentor has already seen a lot of different scenarios. If you can find a photographer who is willing to impart all of their wisdom and knowledge to you, you'd be a fool to pass it up.
Four, shoot in all kinds of conditions. Don't just shoot during the golden hour (sunrise and sunset). I challenged myself to shoot at all different times. Because of that, I know what kind of issues arise during the midday sun or moonless evening. I know what happens in high contrast shots. I know what happens when light is minimal (during the evening). In the future, when I am confronted with a challenging shot (because of the time of day), I won't be an inexperienced newbie who can't handle the prevailing conditions.
Five, learn your editing software. If you use Lightroom, learn it inside and out. If you use Photoshop, master it. Your editing software can turn a really good picture into something better (Casey taught me that). On the flipside, though, software isn't going to rescue a turd from the toilet.
Six, learn how to evaluate your pictures. If you are asking for help, and want a critique, be sure to put your best stuff out there. Don't throw a bunch of photos, of varying quality, out there to be critiqued. It's not helpful to you and it won't be appreciated by those who are trying to help you.
Seven, understand that your camera is a tool. In the right hands, someone can take wonderful pictures. If the wrong hands, it's not all that helpful. To wit: I can give a carpenter a hammer and nails, which will result in a wonderful creation. Give me a hammer and nails and I may get two boards affixed to something.
I often see people try to buy their way out of lousy fundamentals. They have not mastered the fundamentals of photography, so they think that a new camera or new lenses are the answer. It's not. Often, the photographer just isn't very good. Instead of going back and learning how to take a good picture, the person will upgrade the camera body or upgrade lenses. When that doesn't work, they'll upgrade again. If you've got a boatload of money, knock yourself out, Bad Picture Guy. The rest of us, with budgets, need to learn how to master the fundamentals.
Eight, shoot as often as possible. Yes, I know. This is point two again. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to practice. You only get better when you're practicing your craft. Practice, practice, practice. Casey has a Coke can that he shoots -- a lot. I use Zippy a lot. Zippy is my Coke can. People who only shoot when they're inspired will get passed up by those who shoot all the time. My long-term goal is to take inspiring shots. My goal is not to shoot only when I am inspired.
Finally, a shout out to Casey is in order. During my earliest days, he was really patient with me. He answered any question I had about photography. He also gave me some very critical feedback. If you want to get good at photography, you should have thick thin. The best advice and feedback I got was not easy on the ears. My early stuff was cringe worthy. I look back on some of the stuff I shot in August and September and I giggle. Still, I got past it. I continued to practice and I continued to learn. I'm just lucky that I had a mentor like Casey to get me over some of the humps. So, thanks, Casey. I'm glad you had the patience to get me to where I am today: day 91.
I have an old saying. It's this: check back with me in a year. We'll see where I am then. Until then, you can find me practicing and learning.
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