Have you ever been fascinated by a photograph that captured a moment perfectly?
As a photographer for 12 years, I’ve seen the power of photography to tell stories, evoke emotions, and freeze time in a beautiful frame. I am also a photography trainer. But I also remember my own struggles when I first started.
My first journey with photography
As a photographer, I’ve seen many beginners overwhelmed by technical terms and complex settings. That’s why I decided to create this course – a beginner’s guide to photography that breaks down the basics in a clear and easy-to-understand way so that one can easily make him/her a photographer.
At the very first time when I bought my first DSLR camera, that time I wanted to know about basic photography learning like others, but knew nothing about photography. I faced lots of problems and didn’t find any better basic photography courses on the site or the internet. That time I decided to write a basic photography course for absolute beginners and those who want to be photographers.
Why I made this course
If you go to other photography courses, they will teach you lots of technical terms, but as a newcomer or beginner photographer, you won’t be able to understand those terms. For that reason, most people like you who went there to learn photography find it difficult to follow because of the difficult terms and language.
I write in the easiest way to learn basic photography. If you are interested in becoming a photographer, or rather, a first-time cameraman, please continue to the next paragraph. Otherwise, it will be the worst time for you.
Who is a photographer?
Now it’s up to you. What do you want? To be a photographer, or to be a first-time cameraman and then a photographer. The term “photographer” is very vast; to call anyone a photographer, they have to be recognized as a photographer for their photography. After that, we can call anyone a photographer.
Now you are a beginner, and if you want to learn from basics, this course is for you.
Start Learning
If you agree with me, please follow step by step. Don’t skip a step to go to the next one.
Step 1 Drawing
Oh no, don’t be scared. You don’t need to be an artist. Just take a plain paper. Draw anything that you love; don’t worry about what it will be, just draw anything in a proper way. Just draw anything as a subject; it can be a bottle, doll, or anything.
Stop reading and complete the first step first. After drawing, please continue to the next paragraph.
Step 2
Step 2 – Click on your smartphone, or if you have a DSLR camera
if you don’t have a DSLR, don’t worry; use your smartphone.
Which subject did you draw for the first step? Now, take some snapshots with your DSLR or smartphone.
Again, stop reading and do the second step. Otherwise, it will be worse for you.
If you’ve finished the second step, please proceed to the next reading; otherwise, it will be worse for you.
Evaluation between steps 1 and 2
Now evaluate between the first step and the second step of learning basic photography.
When you went to draw the subject, you took more time and were careful to draw. For drawing, you tried to draw very carefully so that every portion of your subject could be drawn. But when you went to take a snap, you weren’t as careful.
Do you know why?
Whether smartphone or DSLR, you can click without any hesitation, but you have only one piece of plain paper, or if you waste the paper, you have to buy another one to draw. But with your smartphone, it’s a click; you can delete and click again, with no extra expenditure.
Learnings from steps
What do we learn from the above two steps?
For basic photography, you have to be very careful when clicking on your subject. Before taking an image/click, you have to spend more time on the viewfinder or your smartphone screen. Before clicking, take time to view the subject and the background of the subject.
Lesson one – Take time before clicking and spend as much time as possible observing your subject.
After the above lessons you have to know how digital cameras work.
Step 3
Step 3: The Rule of Thirds
To understand the rule of thirds, first, imagine it as one kind of A4 size plain paper. You can take images in landscape/rectangular shape or portrait/horizontal shape. If you visualize that your image is an A4 size plain paper, then you can easily understand the rules of thirds.
Rules of third
What are the rules of thirds?
The ‘rule of thirds’ is a popular composition technique.
This is a composition technique where you imagine dividing your frame into a grid of nine squares with two horizontal and two vertical lines and dividing your image into a 9 square frame. The idea is to place your subject or points of interest along these lines or at the intersections where they meet. This creates a more dynamic and balanced composition than simply centering everything.
If I understand correctly about the rule of thirds, first, you have to see some pictures/images below-
Step 4 Choosing Your Photography Path
Step 4 – now you have to decide what types of photographs you want to capture or what types of photographer you want to be.
It is very important to know the types of photography.
If you plan to earn money through photography from the very beginning, then you have to know different types of photography and what makes you earings. Actually, what you will do after my course will help you in choosing the types of photography.
So carefully choose the types of photography.
Types of Photography
The basic types of photography are below:
- Portrait photography
- Landscape photography
- Wildlife photography
- Macro photography
- Food photography
- Sports photography
- Fashion photography
- Wedding photography
- Event Photography
- Travel photography
- Street photography
- Corporate photography
- Product photography
- Portfolio photography
- Freelancing photography
- Journalism photography
- Cultural photography
- Birds photography
This article is only for beginner photographers, for that reason I only described which is better for beginners. If anyone wants details about types of photography, please click.
What types of photography are suited for beginners?
What types of photography are a good start for beginners?
Landscape is the first step in photography. Now for the first time, we have to understand what landscape is.
Landscape refers to the visible features of an area of land. This includes mountains, hills, plains, valleys, rivers, lakes, and other natural geological features. This covers vegetation like trees, grass, flowers, and deserts. This also includes buildings, roads, fences, and other man-made structures that are part of the environment. These are temporary aspects like weather conditions (sunny, cloudy, snowy), lighting (daytime, sunset, nighttime), and seasonal changes.
We can easily identify whatever we see in front of us as a landscape. I think it’s clear to you now.
Start Taking Photo
Now step 4 starts for you. Stop reading and take 100 different pictures of landscapes, without thinking about any options or rules. If you have a DSLR camera, switch it to auto mode, or if you have a smartphone, also switch it to auto mode. After taking the pictures, please transfer them from your DSLR/smartphone to your PC. Please take some time to carefully examine the pictures you have taken. Aim to observe each picture at least five times.
After taking the pictures, now go to Google and search for awarded landscape photos.
Now, head outside again and try taking some pictures while keeping the rule of thirds in mind. For this exercise, focus solely on the rule of thirds and don’t worry about other techniques or knowledge. Aim to capture around 100 photos this way.
For the next 5-10 days, focus on capturing photos while following the rule of thirds and using your camera’s auto mode. After completing this practice period, head back to my blog for the next step. Remember, completing steps 1, 2, 3, and 4, along with capturing photos for 10 days, is necessary before moving on.
Step – 5 Exposure Triangle
Welcome back! I hope you had a fun-filled 10 days taking pictures. This step you have to read very carefully. I will just give you an idea about that.
What is the exposure Triangle?
The Exposure Triangle is a fundamental concept in photography that refers to the three key settings that determine how much light is captured in your image: ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture.
These three settings work together to create a well-exposed photo, where the image is neither too bright nor too dark. This combination helps you to take pictures in heavy daylight or at night or in a dark place.
So, for a well-exposed photo, you have to know technical knowledge about the three: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.
What is ISO (In Sensitivity Out)?
ISO controls the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor to light. Think of it like the volume knob on a radio. A higher ISO setting is like turning up the volume – it allows the sensor to capture more light even in low-light conditions. However, just as increasing the volume on a radio can introduce static, a higher ISO can introduce grain (noise) into your image.
This is another way to say it – In bright daylight, a low ISO setting like 100 is ideal because there’s plenty of light available. As the light gets dimmer, however, you’ll need to increase the ISO to capture a properly exposed image. For example, in the evening light, you might raise the ISO to 400 or 800, and even higher for night photography. However, there’s a trade-off: as you increase ISO, more digital noise (grain) appears in the image, which can make it look less sharp and detailed.
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed controls how long the camera’s shutter stays open, allowing light to reach the sensor. It’s like the duration of a window being open. A slower shutter speed lets in more light, useful for capturing images in low light or for creative effects like motion blur (waterfalls, moving cars). A faster shutter speed lets less light in but freezes action (sports photography, wildlife).
A slower shutter speed means the shutter window remains open for a long time so that a significant amount of light can reach the sensor, resulting in a motion-blur effect.
Image example – Please try to take this type of image.
A faster shutter speed means the shutter window does not remain open for a long time, allowing less light to reach the sensor, resulting in a frozen motion effect.
Image example – Please try to take this type of image.
Aperture
Aperture refers to the opening of the lens that controls the amount of light that enters the camera. Imagine it like the pupil of your eye. A wider aperture (indicated by a lower f-stop number, like f/1.8) lets in more light and creates a shallower depth of field (background blur). A narrower aperture (indicated by a higher f-stop number, like f/8) lets in less light but creates a deeper depth of field (more of the scene in focus).
Example – image
How They Work Together: please click
This article serves as a launchpad for aspiring photographers, guiding you through the fundamentals of capturing captivating images. It acknowledges the initial challenges faced by beginners and breaks down complex photography concepts into clear, actionable steps.
Here’s a Summary of the Key Takeways
Here’s a summary of the key takeaways:
Importance of Observation: The article emphasizes the importance of training your eye to see and compose a scene before capturing it.
Mastering the Basics: Step-by-step exercises help you practice the rule of thirds and understand the exposure triangle (ISO, shutter speed, aperture).
Experimentation and Practice: The course encourages you to take a large number of photos to experiment and develop your skills.
Building a Strong Foundation: By understanding these core principles, you’ll be well-equipped to explore different photography styles in the future.
This is just the beginning of your photographic journey. Remember, practice and experimentation are key to mastering the art of capturing a moment perfectly. The article encourages you to keep learning and exploring different photography types as you gain experience.
