I love photography. It’s something that I have been in love with for as long as I can remember. I often get asked about how to get into photography, including where to start, what equipment to buy and where to learn.
In this blog post, I want to cover a few of my thoughts and experiences. Living in Canberra I’ve been fortunate to shoot all around the capital, do a lot of photography while travelling, and will soon be opening my own photography studio in Canberra!
What Gear to Start With
The sooner you can start shooting with a camera that can give you manual controls the better – yes, even using your smartphone with manual controls is a great start. Otherwise, heading to Gumtree (this search) and buying a Canon or Nikon DSLR is good too, just make sure to check that it has the features you are after.
Personally, I’m a Canon fan. Their colour science is amazing and I’ve trusted their cameras ever since I started shooting.
Learning How to Use the Camera
If you ask me, the best way to learn how to use the camera is to go out there and shoot. Watch YouTube tutorials as well, but put them to practice. Learn the limits of your camera and what it can and can’t do. You’re always welcome to reach out if you would like a one-on-one lesson as well!
What Different Photography Terms Mean
The camera world is full of terminology – the deeper you go, the more terminology you hear about. There are a few terms and phrases that I think would be extremely helpful even before you go out and buy a camera.
Megapixels
This term is related to the number of pixels on the sensor. Higher is better, but past around 12 megapixels, the difference isn’t noticeable. What you are better off focusing on is the sensor itself.
Sensor
The term sensor refers to the most important part of the camera – the part that captures the image. Every camera, even the one in your phone, has a sensor. While the megapixels of the sensor matter, the overall performance of the sensor is even more important. This includes how it performs in low light settings and its dynamic range.
There are different sensor sizes, but the most common are Four Thirds, APS-C (common in cheaper DSLRs) and Full Frame.:
Dynamic Range
Dynamic range refers to the difference between the darkest point and the brightest point in a single image. A higher dynamic range is best: It means that in a sunset photo, for example, the foreground doesn’t end up as a silhouette. A high dynamic range means that you can capture the detail in the foreground. If the dynamic range is low,t the sky might be completely bright and overexposed.
Aperture (F-Stop)
Aperture refers to how wide open the camera gets and how much light is let to the sensor. The aperture is controlled by the lens and has little to do with the sensor.
ISO
The ISO setting determines how dark or bright a scene is. Better sensors can go to higher ISOs, and the higher the ISO the more light the lens can collect even in a dark scene. Be mindful, however, that the higher the ISO the more ‘grain’ or ‘noise’ that can be introduced to the image!
There are, of course, many more terms, feel free to reach out if I can clarify anything for you. I will continue to add to this list as well.
A Fantastic Skill to Have
Photography is a great skill to have and one that will never be replaced by robots, either! In this post, we covered what gear to start with, how to learn photography, and a few terms that you should know when getting into photography.
Reach out to me once you’ve put your skills into practice and show me what you’ve been able to capture!
