Beginner BEST WAY TO LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY ?

I don't see "Photography" as a subject but as a group of related but separate techniques/specialities,
in fact being really really good at one aspect might make another aspect crazily difficult ... just a thought : I never learned it myself.
 
I went to night school , watched loads of you tube tutorials. Photography workshops ,bought courses on EBay and still learning.
 
I have had my 1300d about a year now and only now beginning to understand how to use it, even though I have been interested in photography on and of for years. Some of the pictures in the Gallery are really inspiring. Just recently started to use back button focusing and also have started playing around with aperture priority. I am still trying to figure out how to make the most of my lenses particularly for wildlife.
 
Being new to digital I bought “A Year With My Camera” Emma Davies. However I elected not to follow the Facebook element for personal reasons. Learned a lot about the theory and found putting each element or chapter into practice certainly helped. As mentioned earlier taking images is the best way to learn.
 
I sort of stumbled into it.

I applied to join a Graphics course, but they wouldn't accept me as I hadn't taken art to A level.

So I had to take a year out and complete that course. As it was only one day a week I needed to fill the other days, so also chose History of Art and Photography. Bought a SH Minolta X500 and started taking shots. Most of the course seemed to revolve around darkroom processing, rather than image taking and most of the stuff I learned, I quickly forgot once the course was completed. That was in 1992.

Didn't really get the 'bug' for photography till many years later, when I bought my first digital camera in 2003. (Pentax Optio 550.) this allowed for far more instantaneous results, but I wish I knew more back then. That camersa would take RAW shots, but I din't know anything about PP. In fact, I didn't even own a PC at home in those days, so stored everything on my computer at work. Even though I'd finally gone 'digital', back then you were still fairly limited to how many shots you could take as memory cards were very small and very expensive. I think it was about £1 per MB. For a trip to the states, I bought one 64MB SD card and it was almost £70. I also bought a Belkin device that attached to an iPod and transferred the images to the iPod. As otherwise the memory card was full after about 30 images or so.

Went through a succession of Panasonic Lumix cameras that didn't further the bug. If anything, they were massively disappointing.

Then for my 40th birthday, I got my first DSLR - a Canon 600D. And that's really when the bug properly took hold.

In some ways I'm lucky in that I work with a lot of world class photographers, but in other ways, it's hard to learn much from them by discussing stuff, more a case of seeing what they do on shoots.

I'm torn on whether learning in 'the old days' is better or worse.

While I agree that it's definitely cheaper to learn with a modern DSLR compared to a film camera, the very fact that film and processing were expensive meant you were forced into considering your settings a little more and attempt to get it right first time. Every image had a physical cost to it.

The problem with that is that unless you had the disposable income, I guess you'd default to the things you know would work, rather than experiment in the same way as a digital camera allows.

Horses for courses.

I do think learning the technical aspect is massively important though. I can take quite nice images if the conditions are right. But I know next to nothing about lighting a scene or how to cope when conditions aren't right. It's a constant learning process for someone like me and I regularly find myself making the most amateur of mistakes.

Last time I went out with my camera, for instance, I managed to somehow have the ISO set to 1600 on a fairly bright day, while outdoors.
 
I practiced composition firstly with my camera on 'Auto' but in the last couple of years I've yearned to do more professional looking / creative photography so last year I did an online course with Udemy which wasn't bad considering it cost me about £10. I've also been watching a couple of TV programs including Master Of Photography and whilst I don't always agree with the judges I have learned some techniques and skills and above all, look for the details....
I don't class myself as a pro by any means and I even think I'm just developing at an enthusiasts level.
Hope this helps.
 
I learnt properly from the camera club, but I'm also self taught.
 
My Dad gave me a Zenit EM in 1980 and he explained exposure, depth of field and composition. I’m still not a good photographer, but I enjoy shooting with a Zenit B to bring back some happy memories.
 
I also began my learning experience in the late 70's with a 35mm film Canon and since that time I have only really been using underwater camera whilst diving but I have today bought a Sony A7 and really looking forward to getting back inti=o it. However, like many things in life, technology has moved on apace and I am struggling to get my head around what is now available/being used but I will persevere and hopefully will enjoy the learning process
 
I had to "learn" photography to create images to use in various property related legal cases, and to help me restore vintage vehicles, and old agricultural equipment. I stopped trying to use manual modes, as I could never create better images than the automatic settings. It is only since I was given an EOS 350D body that I became interested in more creative photography, and the physics and mechanics involved. I suspect that one can go too far though, and learning to use changes in aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings will take you a long way. Lighting is probably the other important issue. The old tricks of putting Vaseline on a lens filter are no longer relevant, as better results can be achieved with post processing.

I'm still a beginner though, so maybe my opinions are based on a lack of knowledge. At the moment I'm at the stage of graduating from a happy snapper to an unhappy snapper, as I know that I can do better.
 
I'm still a beginner though, so maybe my opinions are based on a lack of knowledge. At the moment I'm at the stage of graduating from a happy snapper to an unhappy snapper, as I know that I can do better.

This has been trotted out so many times, but it's still accurate in many, many cases...A-photographers-learning-curve.jpg
 
I started around 5 months ago, I watched tons of YouTube videos and read a lot of articles to get some knowledge and learn techniques. I also did a workshop some weeks ago which helped a lot however there's nothing better than to go out with the camera and practice everytime you can.
 
I must be getting old, because I can't get my red line to rise as a percentage. The more I find out in the learning process, the more I realise how much I don't know. I guess increasing my aperture and exposure will help me to rectify this.
 
A friend of mine was heavily into photography and at the time was doing lots of car photography and was padding his portfolio out with that kind of stuff and we were into modifying cars so he wanted to take some shots of my car, and his enthusiasm rubbed off onto me, I bought a low end dslr and a couple of lenses, chucked everything into manual and just learned from there. Bought a load of crap that I should’ve just left alone and I would still definitely consider myself a novice, especially when time pressures are there, but I enjoy it for me, not so keen on getting stuff critiqued though as half the time I don’t fully understand the feedback I get :LOL:
 
For me it is YouTube videos and practice. I don't go looking for tutorial videos unless I want to learn something specific, I've found I've learnt a lot more by watching videos by people like Sean Tucker, Tom Heaton and Mark Denney. They take the time to explain their processes and there is a great deal of knowledge to be gained just from that.
 
not so keen on getting stuff critiqued though as half the time I don’t fully understand the feedback I get :LOL:

THATS the time when you learn... you ask whoever's giving the crit to explain it in simple terms, unless they're a complete a******e they'll do so, and you'll be getting a dedicated tailored lesson... and, if they aren't prepared (or able... don't forget, some people confuse critique with criticism and just want to run people down, not build them up) to do so then you know that you can probably just take their input with a portion of Sodium Chloride on the side.
 
My uncle was a photographer in the Army and he gifted me & my dad a freezer full of process paid Kodachrome 25/64ASA & Ektachrome 100ASA (the raw speed of it!) that was about to be binned by the army for being out of date... Armed with the 5th edition of the Ilford Manual of Photography (1958 printing) and a venerable Contaflex IV (which was marked in DIN) with its synchro-compur shutter and a Minox? Lightmeter I set out to photograph my corner of the world one roll of film at a time. Shoot a roll, writing down everything about the shot possible for every shot. Get it processed and mounted, critique it to see what worked and what didn't. Repeat. Once I could reliably take technically good pictures, then I moved on to trying to improve the composition. I'm still trying :cool: Still find myself striving to take one decent intentional shot rather than squirting off 83 to pick through later even though I have enough on board memory to take 2000+ rather than 36-39 on a roll of film

Eventually moved on to a Canon AE1-P and subsequently to EOS 600 - 50 - 5 - 10D - 60D - 6Dmkii
 
Once I could reliably take technically good pictures, then I moved on to trying to improve the composition.

I came at photography the other way round. I'm a happy bunny now cameras do most of the heavy technical lifting and anything else I can easily 'fix it in post'. :D

With hindsight I would say the best way to learn photography is get instructed in the technicalities, take drawing lessons to teach you how to look and see, and look at lots of great pictures of all kinds to discover what makes pictures 'work'.
 
This thread amuses me no end.

Started in February by a seller of spiced ham products who was quickly rumbled and hasn’t been back since a day later.

But the thread has taken on a life of its own.
 
This thread amuses me no end.

Started in February by a seller of spiced ham products who was quickly rumbled and hasn’t been back since a day later.

But the thread has taken on a life of its own.
Got to love a public forum! :LOL:
 
This thread amuses me no end.

Started in February by a seller of spiced ham products who was quickly rumbled and hasn’t been back since a day later.

But the thread has taken on a life of its own.


Yep, I come back to this thread every time I'm getting disheartened by all the crap in the hot topics or by people just being here for the classifieds for my fix of "how things should work in a forum"
 
Om1n, develop your own film, sometimes send off the colour stuff, take a hit on your wallet, and get better, learn from other photographers.
 
Very interesting to read this thread as a complete noobie myself. From what I have experienced so far, it is all about getting out there and make some bad shots to begin with. Asking feedback from others while trying to grow on the mistakes you make is alfa omega to develop yourself (in my opinion). It`s like playing chess: you can read a lot of theory, but at some point you need to get out there and move those pieces in order to get better.
 
Brought a camera soon realised i was s***e. Used the internet found this forum realised i was utter s***e, Fell into the trap of if i buy a better camera ill be better. Realised that was wrong. Deciced enough was enough, watched more you tube and read through umpteen threads on here and practiced practiced and practiced.
Still learning loads from you tube and here, At least my photos have some clarity now most of the time, Im happier now and dont have gas anymore
 
you tube, you tube, you tube, go out, practice, practice, practice, then learn lightroom photoshop. learn how lighting works with Shutter speed, to aperture, iso, etc learn these before you go out and practice.

take lots and lots of notes and save them. refer back to them, save simple images from google about lighting etc and keep referring back.

ive come along way by this.

always remember that there is no such thing as a perfect photographer, we are always learning new ways new things. just because somebody doesn't like your photo doesn't mean its rubbish, each person has there own perception of art and vision.

it is not all about the camera to a degree, its about the person taking the photos. certain cameras do benefit though, for example my full frame d600 copes with iso 6400 perfect however my d3400 is no good for me able 1600.

now I have my d600, I decided to upgrade my lens, I don't see the point for me in upgrading my camera for a long time, it will be lenses to suit my needs.
 
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Signed a contract to provide services to a company that included the photography, with no prior photography skills, that was a quick learning curve.....:)
 
Got into photography at school, left school at 16 and joined Kodak where I had virtually free films, paper, lots of advice and a really thriving photographic society.

Went to night school for 3 years studying for my C&G and IIP in photography, then Kodak gave me one day a week off (paid) for the next 2 years to complete my courses.

Got a first class C&G in Commercial and Industrial Photography and a 2nd class IIP pass in same.

But always wanted to travel so left Kodak and hitch hiked to Greece for a couple of months which more or less ruined me for any normal kind of work for the next 12 years.

Tried to settle down once for a year or so and set up as a wedding photographer but still wanted to travel so eventually ended up in The Merchant Navy and after 18 months got a job with a company which provided photographers to passenger liners - had a 9 month stint on a small ship sailing out of New York to the Caribbean every 2 weeks then after coming across the Atlantic a further 4 months cruising out of Copenhagen to the North Cape.

After a few months off joined the Canberra for a 5 month world cruise.

But my days on the ships ended after that and after a year at home went to India for 5 months.

Virtually gave up photography until the advent of digital revived my interest.

So after many years of developing films in darkrooms and printing probably several hundred thousand photos all I can say is "THANK GOD FOR DIGITAL!!!"

And now of course smart phones are already replacing cameras with the latest incarnation, The Galaxy S11 reputed to be getting a 108MP camera!

All of which teaches us that progress never stops.
 
I started at school in the middle of the 1960s; went into newspapers + freelanced then gave up on the business side in the late 1970s. Did a few pieces after that but had gone into IT and that was far more profitable! :D
 
I started with a Kodak instamatic with a flash cube which went off when it was needed (if I was lucky). It was more cost effective to get a 36 exposure film but on my money films lasted months if not years. As time went on I upgraded (I think I had a Zenit E) and was a proud owner of an OM10 & OM4 before selling up due to cost & lack of time.

As digital took off I got a Fuji compact 3mp, it was ok for those days. Changed to a super-compact (as they were called at the time) Sony H5. Ideal as at the time I didn't want to get back in to carrying loads of kit.

You soon learn that the more photos you take the more the camera holds you back, I wanted to try RAW and various things the super-compact (now called a Bridge Camera) couldn't do. Still not wanting to get too involved I got the EOS 600D, served me well for a few years till I retired and had more time. That's when a full buffer after 4 shots in just over 1 second ruined what I was attempting.

Along came the EOS 90D. With lenses, tripods etc. etc. it all adds up but at least I don't have to wait till I can get a film developed (did try B&W developing at one point) to see what I had taken.

In the early days I would eagerly await the return of the film from the chemist only to be disappointed with a small bunch of photos with stickers on them telling me how to get a photo that wasn't blurred, I mean how did they know it wasn't intentional?
These days these no waiting (and no stickers on) to see hundreds of blurred images (know these days as I.C.M.) Well it's not that bad actually, I get what I think are good images with a few really good ones, IMHO. I get several positive comments but then many don't like giving constructive criticism, something I believe this group does both in text & by some editing to point out what may (or may not) be an improvement.

I'm still learning photography & photoshop etc. and look forward to learning even more by reading through past posts.
 
Look at images that you like, that inspire or move you. Try to understand why they have that effect on you. Then try to do it yourself.
 
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