What advice would you offer a fellow photographer?
luvmypets
Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC
There are so many posts about equipment and in almost every one the subject of technique over equipment has come up.
If a fellow photographer came up to you and asked what would be your best piece of advice or best learning technique to improve their photography, what information would you offer them? We all know "read the manual", "practice, practice, practice" but how would you suggest they start and how should they build on that?
Dodie
Use any forms of automation you want but don't use any unless you can do it manually. That is never use any form of automation because you can't do it manually but. But then what do I know? I shouldn't offer any advice.
Learn the basic rules of photography and stick to them.
Such a broad spectrum question - first, to provide useful input, you'd need to know the photographer, their work, and something about the challenges and frustrations they face.
Soul Dr.
Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley
There are plenty of self-help photography videos on youtube that I would reccomend.
Suggest finding a mentor or offer to help if you have the time and desire to.
What helped me a lot in my photography, is experimenting with different settings, different lighting, and other various parameters.
will
Stay clear of UHH.
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YOUR CAMERA. Don’t leave home without it.
"Prepare to be disappointed." Even the best professional photographers take stinkers. The late Frank Lee Ruggles once told me that for every "good" photo he took, there were about 100 that didn't make the cut. Ansel Adams once commented that, “There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”
luvmypets wrote:
There are so many posts about equipment and in almost every one the subject of technique over equipment has come up.
If a fellow photographer came up to you and asked what would be your best piece of advice or best learning technique to improve their photography, what information would you offer them? We all know "read the manual", "practice, practice, practice" but how would you suggest they start and how should they build on that?
Dodie
Amateurs look through their cameras and see the subject they are photographing, photographers see how that subject is lit.
Separate the subject from the background using:
Focus (subject in focus & background out of focus. Or the opposite.)
Texture (Eg. an egg against gravel)
Tone (Subject a different tone from background. Highlights project, shadows recede.
Color (Subject a different color from background. Cool color for background & warm color for subject.)
Create depth with overlapping planes & receding lines (like RR tracks).
Photography is communication & tells a story.
Be aware of distracting shadows, backgrounds & unwanted elements.
Usually, (Not always) the subject fills the frame.
There is a lot more that we don't have space for. Google photo composition. Have fun!
There are two photographer/authors who's books I would recommend as must read, neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, are posters on UHH. If one follows their books, then learning photography should be quite easy. Being good at it is something different. Both authors are big proponents of, practice, practice, practice, and learn your camera.
wdross
Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
luvmypets wrote:
There are so many posts about equipment and in almost every one the subject of technique over equipment has come up.
If a fellow photographer came up to you and asked what would be your best piece of advice or best learning technique to improve their photography, what information would you offer them? We all know "read the manual", "practice, practice, practice" but how would you suggest they start and how should they build on that?
Dodie
Photo clubs (a good one with members that share), workshops / seminars, and books / articles.
Leave your camera at home much more often, more often than bringing it, so as to liberate your vision from your device.
With no camera, watch for subjects and scenes anyway. Don’t merely look and identify likely scenes. Mentally work the images to completion, camerawork AND post. It’s easier to learn to see without the distraction of operating the camera, and without intentions of pleasing any critics other than yourself.
You have no filters, no bokeh lens. You just mentally play the hand you’re dealt.
luvmypets
Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC
BebuLamar wrote:
Use any forms of automation you want but don't use any unless you can do it manually. That is never use any form of automation because you can't do it manually but. But then what do I know? I shouldn't offer any advice.
I think that is very good advice, BebuLamar. If automation fails you have no alternate way to achieve but if you are unsure how to proceed manually automation can step in to save the day.
Thank you!
Dodie
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