You don’t need to have a background in photography to take great photos. In fact, amateurs often take some of the most stunning photographs because they are so natural when capturing an image. But if you want to take your photo game up a notch, getting familiar with the basics of photography can only help. Even if you don’t plan on making this a career or even a hobby, it never hurts to understand concepts such as aperture and ISO. After all, these principles will impact every photo that you take moving forward.
Master the basics of photography
Ansel Adams, a famed photographer, once said that the photographer’s “primary responsibility is to see.” The most important step in becoming a great photographer is mastering the art of seeing. When you understand how to “see” the shot, you can more easily take a great photo — no matter the equipment used. A photographer must know when to use the right settings, understand how different combinations affect the overall image, and learn what each setting means so they can independently change it if needed. While you don’t need to know everything about every aspect of photography before heading out to take pictures, you should have an understanding of the basic concepts.
Understand shutter speed, aperture, and ISO
Shutter speed, aperture, and ISO are often used interchangeably, but they are three different elements in the photography process. It’s important to understand what each means and what each can do for your photo. A shutter’s duration, measured in seconds and fractions of a second, such as 1/1000th of a second, or the length of time a sensor is exposed to light, is known as shutter speed.
Aperture refers to an opening inside a camera lens that allows light to enter. Aperture is measured in f-stops. The smaller the f-stop number, the larger the opening. Aperture affects the amount of light that enters your camera, the depth of field (how much of a scene is in focus), and the overall look of the photo.
ISO is the sensitivity to light of the camera sensor. The higher the ISO number, the more sensitive it is, which is helpful for when there’s not enough light in the scene. A higher ISO number also increases the likelihood of noise or grain in your photos.
Know your equipment
– Camera body – A camera’s body is the main housing for the camera’s shutter, sensor, and lens system. The camera body is what actually captures the image, so it’s important to have a good one with the right settings.
– Lens – A camera lens is like the eye of the camera. The image is created by focusing light onto the camera sensor through the lens. Different lenses are helpful for different situations. Zoom lenses are helpful for landscape and architectural shots, while a 50mm lens is great for portraits and everyday shots. The best way to learn which lens works best for you is to try them out and start shooting with them.
– Tripod – This will help you to get a steady shot, you’ll want to use a tripod. It’s helpful for long exposures and in situations when you need to keep the camera completely still.
– Remote shutter release – When shooting long exposures or in low-light situations, it’s helpful to have a remote shutter release so you don’t accidentally move or shake the camera and create blurry shots.
– Manual flashlight – While you don’t want to use a flash when photographing people, you can use a manual flashlight to light landscapes or architectural shots. You can also purchase an inexpensive light source for your camera.
Practice makes perfect: Try the 100-Day photo challenge
If you want to master the basics of photography and truly get to know your equipment, try a 100-day photo challenge. For this challenge, take one photo every day and share it with the hashtag #100daysofphotos on social media. This will help you stay motivated and get you in the habit of taking photos. This challenge will help you get a feel for what different settings do, and what works best for your particular situation and allow you to really get to know your equipment. This challenge will give you the opportunity to try new things, learn about photography, and see the world through a photographer’s lens.
Don’t forget the art
While it’s important to know the basics of photography, it’s also important to remember that the art is more than just the technical details. Together, shutter speed, aperture, and ISO make up the exposure. While they are important aspects of photography, they aren’t the only aspects that matter. There’s also composition — the arrangement of the elements in your photo — as well as how you relate to the subject and what feelings the image elicits. And finally, there’s post-processing — the ways you manipulate your image after you take the picture.
Bottom line
Learning the basics of photography is not an easy task. It takes time, effort, and practice to become a good photographer. However, with practice and time, you’ll get a feel for the equipment, have a better understanding of the exposure, and be able to create stunning images with relative ease. Remember that there is no “right” way to take a photograph — there’s just the way that works best for you.