Tips from a Self-Taught Photographer

"Start doing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on." -Louis L'Amour

Earlier today I came across the first photo I "professionally" took. It was a photo of my dog (taken in automatic mode). I didn't even know what manual mode was back then! She was running inside the house, so it was super blurry, had terrible lighting, and the flash is almost blinding. Fast forward a couple of months to my first ever "photo shoot". By this point in time, I had done some research on Pinterest about manual mode for beginners and how to edit in Photoshop. After the shoot, I was AMAZED at the progress I'd made. These photos were beautiful and 100 times better! I say this to remember that you have to start somewhere...

1. Automatic-Mode

Please, please take your camera out of automatic mode. Using your camera in automatic mode is like using your iPhone ONLY to make phone calls, no messages, no apps, never unlocking the full potential of your device.

2. Exposure

Speaking of shooting in Manual mode, learn about exposure. Exposure is the three main variables that control the amount of light that is allowed to enter your camera’s sensor. These things are: ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

-ISO measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. The lower the number the less sensitive it is to light and the finer the grain. You always want to incorporate natural light into your photos and use a lower ISO, because the higher your ISO number, the more “grainy” your photos are going to be. This will affect the quality of your photos, allowing more noise to pass through.

-Aperture is measured in f-stops (ex: f/8). Aperture either allows you to add dimension to a photo by blurring out the background or magically bringing everything into focus. A large f-number such a f/32 will bring the subject and all background into focus while a small f-number such as f/1.4 will blur out your background and your subject object will be sharp.

-Shutter speed is how fast you allow light to pass through the lens. Compare this to how your eye blinks. For a lower shutter speed (1/20), you will create motion blur. For a higher shutter speed (1/500), you will be able to “freeze time”

and capture objects in motion.

3. Angles

Use different angles. You know how everyone thinks they have a “good side”? Cameras have this too, but I'd more so call it "good lighting". When taking a portrait, take the photo from all different angles because the lighting in one photo may look better from a different angle! Try and walk around your subject while snapping multiple shots.

4. Simple Equipment

Start off with simple equipment. I started off with a Canon EOS Rebel T6. It came with 2 kit lenses, but I bought a 50mm as well because I knew I’d be taking portraits. Learning with limited equipment only makes you a better photographer.

5. Copycat

Find a photographer you love, and use them as inspiration! I found a family photographer with years of experience and subscribed to her blog so I could compare my work to hers. It taught me what I needed to be doing to have better lighting, poses, editing, and photos overall. Find your muse!

6. Keep Going!

Most importantly, keep going. I know it gets hard sometimes. It's super time consuming and can sometimes be very discouraging when you see other professional photos but remember, these people have years of experience. Don’t give up! With every photo you take, you become a better, more experienced photographer. With photography, you will never stop learning.