emmons267 Loc: Arizona, Valley of the Sun

WARING: :)
THE following article contains material which may me be irritating, provocative or frustrating to some readers. Reader discretion is advised. The opinions expressed in this article are strictly my own and do not reflect the views of the UHH forum or it's members... : )

I've been a UHH member for almost two and a half years. During that time I've noticed that many of the responses to various questions and topics have a tendency to give the impression that becoming a good photographer is more difficult to learn than I feel it actually is. I believe that this has a more negative than positive effect on those new to photography who might have asked the question, or those beginners who are just following the thread. In my opinion, and from my experience, learning photography is not that difficult or complex. Don't get me wrong, there are those on this site that have spent their time and effort to go beyond what the average photographer knows, theoretically and practically, and I commend them for their efforts - their knowledge is impressive. But, in reality, what you need to learn and how long it should take to learn it in order to become a good photographer, are much less than what some threads and responses have indicated or implied. If you follow a few simple steps you will find that you'll understand photography and your camera, and be able to enjoy both, in less time then you think. Needless to say, it all depends on how much time you spend practicing and the desire you have to learn. So, dig in when you're ready, and sooner than you think, you'll have become a good photographer enjoying your new hobby.
Remember, there is no limit to how much you can learn but rather how much you need to learn to become proficient. Master the basics and than move on to more advanced topics and skills as needed or desired.

First - You need to know your camera inside and out, backward and forward. Read the manual and test each feature, option and setting. You'll know when you're completely comfortable with your camera and all the settings and features. The more you know about your camera the more you will enjoy photography.

Second - Read one of the recommended books on exposure - Bryan Peterson, Sean Arbabi, Jeff Wignall, etc. Read it until you completely understand the theory and how to apply it. To thoroughly understand it you'll need to practice as you go along. The more you understand about exposure the more you will enjoy photography.

Third - Practice. If you want to know what a feature or setting does and to see the effects, just make the changes and view the image. Being able to immediately view your image is the beauty of modern digital cameras and one of the best tools to help you understand your camera and to understand the exposure triangle (by the way, the exposure triangle hasn't changed in the last century - light is still the same, time is the same and ISO sensitivity has the same effects).

Lastly - Composition. The basics of composition are easy to learn and apply but having a good eye and being able to spot the good picture is something that can't be easily taught. You either have it or you don't. But don't worry, you can improve by observing and studying pictures that you really like and consider to be exceptional.

Happy trails

:D :thumbup:

Old Timer Loc: Greenfield, In.

To you it sounds simple because you took time read and prepare you self. You got a good foundation to base you learning on and to put it to use. That is the best way to start out in any endeavor. What you describe doing is what most do not want to take time to do. The want to pick a camera and start taking picture. This is true in life in general. How many times in life have we either done that or observe others doing it. Bad habits are hard to break if we once develop them. Very few want to learn the basics first. You first have learn the alphabet before you can read or spell.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

For a beginner, digital photography is daunting.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

You are leaving out something that is not measurable- talent. I am in awe of talent, since I have so little. One can be workmanlike and make descent pictures. But to make really excellent photos on a consistant level takes talent. It's interesting to note that skill and talent are not necessarily connected. I like to think that I am a skilled (probably not) shooter, but I am not talented. One can learn a skill. But you are born with a talent.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Welcome to the modern internet connected world. The complexity of life hasn't changed all that much, we just have easier access and much more awareness of it. Whether or not that is a good thing is certainly debatable. This is not just photography related, it affects most aspects of life.

To paraphrase:

Tourist in NY: "How do I get to Broadway?"

New Yorker: Practice, practice, practice!

Digital cameras enable easier access to the complexities of photography for many people through multiple layers of automation, at the same time those capabilities expose more complexity if people wish to pursue those things.

Technology changes very quickly, people change very slowly by comparison. We aren't much smarter than we were a few thousand years ago, we just have easier access to more powerful tools, which changes what each individual can achieve.

What's irritating, provocative or frustrating about that?

Oh, and did you really mean WARING instead of WARNING?

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Possibly, but frequently less so than film-based photography!

emmons267 Loc: Arizona, Valley of the Sun

Peterff

What's irritating, provocative or frustrating about that?

The Warning was an attempt at forum humor...😀

emmons267 Loc: Arizona, Valley of the Sun

I completely agree.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Applying the simplistic approach to using a digital camera can provide immediate satisfaction and some fine images.
But you paid good money for all those frills so try them out one at a time till you at least understand why someone felt they were needed.

One of these days i'm going to find out what all this hoo raw about HDR
is and i've heard RAW is worth considering....

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Sushi? Steak Tartare? Seems to be appreciated by the refined gastronome. Why would photography be any different?

BebuLamar

It's easy except for the last part about composition. You don't need to read the book by Peterson and you don't need to know about the exposure triangle. I only heard about them recently while I have been doing photography since the mid 70's.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

A thoughtful essay, emmons, guaranteed to run off the rails into shouting within 3 pages :)

I wanted to address your priorities that stressed technical knowledge first and composition last. This might be doing a disservice to those who have an "eye" (or a background in other arts), but aren't so keen on technology.

I wouldn't want to discourage right-brain thinkers who look at an article on exposure triangle and see "blah, blah, blah." There is much beauty and artistry that can be achieved in automatic mode :)

For those non-technical folks who want to expand their art into photography (from say, painting or sculpting) or for those who think they will never be able to understand the exposure triangle, much less make it through their 250-page user guide, just pick up the camera and shoot!

I think learning the technical aspects slowly, as one goes along and expands their interests, is probably the "right" way (no pun intended :) ) for many new users.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Good point, but the label 'exposure triangle' isn't really the point is it? You clearly understand exposure from your long term experience. We used to have only two significant variables to think about, shutter speed and aperture setting - since the film speed - ASA, DIN, ISO - whatever was fixed for any given roll of film, even if processed differently from the standard rating.

With DSLRs the ISO setting becomes another variable on a frame by frame basis, which definitely adds complexity to the equation.

It's a bit like juggling! Some people can't juggle even a single ball, two the average person can manage, three takes a little more work, and machetes add a little more fun to the equation if you want to keep your hand in the game!

emmons267 Loc: Arizona, Valley of the Sun

[quote=Linda From Maine]
I wanted to address your priorities that stressed technical knowledge first and composition last. This might be doing a disservice to those who have an "eye" (or a background in other arts), but aren't so keen on technology.

I wouldn't want to discourage right-brain thinkers who look at an article on exposure triangle and see "blah, blah, blah." There is much beauty and artistry that can be achieved in automatic mode :)


I completely agree and should have given more encouragement to those who aren't quite as technical or just aren't interested in that side of photography.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

I had a seasoned photojournalist who shot for the AP as my mentor.
3 years of personal one-on-one training.
He got me into newspaper and magazines, doing a documentary for the Army, producing professional presentations (the Army uses 2 of them now) sent me on assignments that I couldn't believe I was on. This guy was connected and he used his connections for me.
After all of that he began pushing me hard. Nothing allowed in editing pics except for cropping and toning.
Then he hooked me up with a mentor who approached photography from an entirely different approach. It was as different as night and day. For 2 years I learned studio and various editing programs, I loved most of it, and some of it drove me nuts. And he had me write a couple of photo classes to teach in the technical college of the university.
I have about 60 hours of undergraduate and graduate classes in photography. and now that I am retiring I am thinking about returning to school and getting a degree in photography.


How long does it take to learn photography? I don't know. Who defines the actual time in your life when you have learned it?