Ajgrav wrote:
Hello, I just joined and like the topic says I'm looking for any resources I can to better myself. For some background I've been taking pictures of vehicles for 9 months now using a smartphone for a dealership. I finally talked the owner into getting a high quality camera to shoot better pictures without taking up all my storage and cloud space. We settled on the Sony alpha a6000 mirrorless since all the reviews we looked at said it was great for starting out and it was one of the very best out there for under $500.
Fast forward a week and I'm having a ball with this thing. most advanced camera I've ever used (they were using a cheap point and click type camera before I worked here and showed them how much better my phone was taking pictures. My phone up until now was the best camera I'd ever used.) This camera I can honestly say has lit a fire in me and I want to master all the ins and outs of it. Let me just say that I'm a complete amateur, I know nothing of the terminologies yet or how to harness anything better than the auto modes, but now I find myself looking at online photography courses and how to guides and it's all so jumbled seeming. Kind of like assembling a puzzle with pieces missing.
So what do you guys think I should do to start out? what resources can I use to break out of auto mode and start branching into the other features? I was looking at this very compelling dslr guide linked on this website but since my camera is mirrorless I don't know if I'd get much out of that, I'm not sure how well one translates to the other.
Hello, I just joined and like the topic says I'm l... (
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Welcome to UHH!
Apparently you are already doing fine in auto mode. It is great for learning composition. Now that you are planning to learn more, you are going to encounter a learning curve that may or may not be difficult. I went from a digital point and shoot to a DSLR, so I know how it can be.
Another source of education is CreativeLive.com which offers "On Air" programs on many different subjects, photography among them. You can look at their schedule, and as long as you can watch the tutorials at the time they are presented, it is free. [I don't know if they still do this, but when I was watching them, discovered they replay in a loop for the rest of the day.] All the tutorials are also available for purchase. Their instructors are all good, but I found several who I liked a lot, and still follow them.
If you admire a professional photographer's work, look for a website and/or FaceBook page. Many offer tutorials and eBooks, both free and paid. Some have a membership program, where members get access to all tutorials on the site. Some combine the free and membership programs, so people can get a feel for what they offer before deciding to sign up.
YouTube has been mentioned, but be aware it can be very time-consuming to sort through the material. But once you find someone whose "channel" you like, you can follow them. Overall, however, it is a great resource, you just have to decide for yourself if the style and content presented work for you.
When you have a question, you can search for answers in multiple places. A lot of topics have been covered in depth on UHH, and you can find them using the "Search" feature. Sometimes you have to try various keywords to get the answers you seek. I will also vouch for Cambridge in Colour, which carries an extensive library of tutorials.
If I am correct in assuming you plan to branch out to shooting more than just cars, you will need to consider the mode in which you shoot. .JPG is fine when you need instant results. When you are ready for producing images that are more personal and artistic, then you should shoot in RAW. [There are lots of discussions on this, and believers in always RAW vs. always .JPG!] I prefer RAW because it contains more information, can be edited in more detail, and a .JPG can always be generated later if needed! When saving in a format other than RAW, I prefer .TIFF, others like .PSD - both preserve the information as well as the edits you make.
Of course then you are looking at getting an editing program. Another source of much discussion. There are many available, some free, some paid. Many will tell you that the Adobe CC subscription plan is the way to go [includes LightRoom and PhotoShop along with a few other programs] because it is the "gold standard" for editing. No matter what you choose, there will be a learning curve! I am in the Adobe CC group, but know that others do quite well with other programs. Depends on how in-depth you want to go, and whether a certain program will let you accomplish your photographic goals. Most have free trials, so you can check them out before paying!
Hope this helps.
Susan