#Photography Lessons

Photography for Beginners (The Ultimate Guide)

By Joshua Dunlop 

Cameras are complicated. I was frustrated with my first DSLR. I couldn’t capture what I saw through my viewfinder. It took a ton of trial and error to improve my photography.

When I managed to work it all out, I started taking some pretty spectacular images. This photography for beginners guide will share with you everything that I’ve learned from my mistakes.

 

How Do Cameras Work?

As beginner photographers, we tend to be visual learners. And it’s my job to make beginning photography as easy as possible for you.

So I thought to myself, “What better way to help beginner photographers learn how to use their cameras than by creating an infographic?” And that’s exactly what I did.

I collaborated with an illustrator friend of mine, and together we made these images. The following are something that will make understanding exposure, and how cameras work, a whole lot easier!  

Exposure

For those beginning photography, exposure is key to capturing a great image.

Learning how exposure works will help you to take control of your camera and take better photos. Shutter speed, aperture and ISO are the elements that combine to create an exposure.

As you’ll soon learn, these elements have an effect on more than the exposure. They also cause alterations in depth of field, motion blur, and digital noise.

Once you understand how each one works, you can start diving into manual mode. This is where you take control back from your camera.

The exposure triangle is a great way to remember the three settings. When combined, they control the amount of light captured from any given scene.

This will help you to understand that changing one setting will need a change in the others. That is if you are photographing the same scene with the same exact lighting conditions. 

Aperture

Exposure happens in three steps. We will start with the aperture. This is the hole inside the lens, through which the light passes.

It’s similar to the pupil of your eye. The wider the aperture, the more light is allowed in and vice versa. Simple? Not quite.

As the aperture widens, the f/number gets lower and more light is allowed into the camera. This is great for low light. But be aware that it’s going to make the depth of field very shallow. This is not ideal when taking landscapes photos.

So this is a short summary but I go into full detail about that in this post. The aperture is the preferred setting to set first, as it directly influences how much of your scene is in focus. But, if you are looking to create motion blur, then it is second to the shutter speed.

Exposure will be much easier if you can memorize the f/stop scale.

The scale is as follows: f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22. 

Shutter Speed

Once the light has passed through the aperture of the lens, it reaches the shutter. Now you need to decide how much of that light you’re going to allow into the camera.

Ordinarily, you only want a very small fraction of a second (for example 1/250) to prevent motion blur. However, different shutter speeds complement different situations.

Anything from really fast (1/4000) for sports photography to really slow (30 seconds) for night photography. It all depends on what you’re shooting and how much light you have available to you.

Knowing how your shutter speed works is a key element in the basics of photography.

ISO

Once the light has passed through the aperture and been filtered by the shutter speed, it reaches the sensor. This is where we decide how to set the ISO.

As you turn the ISO number up, you increase the brightness. But, at the same time, the image quality decreases. There will be more digital noise or “grain”.

So you have to decide upon your priorities in terms of exposure versus the grain.

For example, I would reduce the image quality if it meant that I could prevent motion blur in my photo. There’s no possible way to fix that in post-production (yet, at least).

Exposure Summary

Once you’ve understood aperture, shutter speed and ISO, you need to learn how each of these elements of exposure work together.

For all those basics of photography, exposure is the most important.

If you don’t have this down, composition and framing become a moot point in beginner photography.

In this post, you will learn about the ‘stop’ based system for measuring exposure. And you’ll also learn how to prioritize the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO for the best photo.

Understanding Your Camera

Metering Modes

Digital photography for beginners can be confusing. Exposure isn’t as simple as learning about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. You also have to learn about how your camera looks at light.

Metering modes are there to tell your camera how you want it to look at a scene.

The picture below was taken on spot metering mode. If you were to take the same photo using the evaluative mode, you would end up with a completely different exposure.

This is also covered in my free video training. If you’re looking for an article that explains digital, including Canon, metering modes, here it is.

Understanding this basic photography point might be the key to understanding why your photos are coming out underexposed or overexposed.

Histograms

The histogram shows you a mathematical review of exposure after the photo has been taken. It tells you how evenly exposed a photo is. New photographers often find it frightening to understand. But it is easy, and I tell you how.

LCD screens aren’t very good at showing you this information through their display of the image. This is because they are affected by the ambient lighting conditions you’re in and the brightness of the screen itself.

That’s why the histogram is such a powerful tool to utilize in beginning photography correctly.

Shooting Modes

Full-Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority or Manual Mode. How do you work out which one you should be using?

There’s also a lot of misconceptions about which mode to use under which conditions.

When you understand what each mode does, the one that will be suitable for your situation becomes a lot clearer. This is also covered in my free video training.

Depth of Field

When you’re shooting in low light, you have to widen your aperture to allow enough light into the lens. But this has a major side effect. A shallow depth of field.

You can use this in a creative way. But it’s not the only possibility. There are many situations, such as landscapes, where you’ll want to use a narrower aperture. So that the whole scene remains in focus.

This tutorial walks you through everything you need to know about choosing the right aperture (and the DoF) for the right situation.

When it comes to covering all of the basics of photography, DoF is very important.

White Balance

White balance is something I wish I’d learned more about much sooner than I did. I look back on some photos now and wonder what I was thinking.

The white balance changes the colour cast of the entire photo. It is responsible for the overall warmth. It can determine whether your photo appears blue or orange, cold or warm.

Auto white balance doesn’t often do a good job. Especially with tungsten light. The sooner you learn about this basic photography idea, the more accurate your photos will look.

This is also covered in my free video training.

Focal Length

Have you ever wondered what the ‘mm’ on your lens means? Or why people use longer focal lengths for portraits?

It’s all discussed in this post. The focal length affects more than the ‘zoom’. It also influences the perspective.

I cover which focal length you would want to use in different situations. As well as their possible side effects.

It’s a really worthy read and one of my favourite tutorials to date.

Crop Factor

A lot of you may not realize but, unless you spend about $2000 on your camera, you’re shooting on a crop sensor.

This means that your sensor is much smaller than professional SLR cameras. It is cropping your image. The crop factor has a range of effects on your photos.

It creates a narrower viewing angle and will influence your lens purchases in the future. For those beginner photographers, research what lenses will help your field of photography first.

Polarizing Filters

Polarizing filters only allow light into the lens from a certain direction. This results in the removal of glare and reflections from non-metallic objects.

Water and glass are the most affected, as well as haze from the sky. Cutting out these reflections and anomalies will make for more natural saturated colours.

This looks fantastic and it cannot be replicated in post-production. That’s why it’s so important to understand.

How to Take Sharp Images Like a Pro

Photography beginners, I will walk you through the 10 step process of taking sharp photos like a professional.

It covers everything from choosing the right aperture and shutter speed to shooting in RAW.

It’s pretty easy to make only a few small mistakes which will result in less sharp images. That’s why we cover all ten in order of importance.

The Nifty Fifty

What can I say about the nifty fifty? What’s not to love?

For those of you who are beginner photographers, when I talk about the nifty fifty, I’m referring to the 50mm f/1.8 (or faster) prime lens. This can be picked up very cheap for most digital SLRs.

It’s a great introduction to buying better quality lenses. And an excellent way of getting to grips with aperture.

The article linked is a review and guide. I wrote it because I recommend this lens as the first upgrade for every beginner photographer to make.

It’s easy to use and, for the price, will yield some excellent results.

Composition

It’s important to understand exposure. But, if you can’t get to grips with basic composition, you’ll struggle to take really good photos.

I’m not saying that you have to follow every compositional rule. But it helps to learn these rules so they can help guide you in taking better photos.

Rule of Thirds

This is often the first compositional rule that any beginner photographer comes across. And that’s for an excellent reason: it’s simple, and it works.

The basic premise is that you divide your camera’s frame into thirds. By planting key objects on these lines, the composition of the image works better.

This is a tool that always works. But it is easy to overuse it. If you’ve not learned much about photography yet, it’s a great way of improving your photos.

It will help to make them more exciting.

Visual Weight

Visual weight differs in size or weight as we know it. It’s all about what we’re drawn to when we look at a photo.

When you understand visual weight, you’ll start to understand how people look at photos. And how you can position certain elements in a frame to direct the viewer’s attention to where you want them to look.

It’s not so much a tool or a rule, but an understanding.

Triangles

Shapes are essential in photography. Triangles are in almost everything we see in one way or another. It’s only a case of distinguishing and knowing what to do with them.

Triangles make great compositional tools. They’re easy to make and manipulate and are quite common. These are a great way to use the simplest and most basic photography compositions.

They are also perfect for combining different compositional techniques. These include lines and paths to create a more interesting part of a photograph.

You can even use them to make a photo feel more stable or unstable.

Eye-Lines

If you take photos of people, you’re taking photos with eye lines. It’s important to understand the effect that eye lines have on how we view a photo.

Eye-lines are the direction your subject’s eyes are pointed in. The negative space in front of the subject’s face is known as ‘lead room‘.

These have the ability to focus our attention on a particular part of the photo. They also produce tension and other photographic elements.

Although they’re not physical lines, they can be used as such to produce different elements. These will help make triangles and vertical lines.

Balance

Balance in a photo affects how we feel when we look at it. An unbalanced photo can make us feel uneasy. A balanced photo will make us feel more relaxed.

It doesn’t matter whether you choose to make the photo balanced or unbalanced. But you should understand why you’ve chosen one or the other.

Both affect your photos in different ways.

Again, it’s one of those situations where the more you know, the easier it will be to produce the desired effect.

So that’s a brief introduction to digital photography for beginners. 

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Three Mid-Range Cameras That Are Perfect for Beginner Photographers – Free Quick Guide

Download Your Free Guide Now →

You’re tired of the limitations of your smartphone camera. Perhaps, you’re thinking about buying a new dedicated camera body and lens.

Maybe you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the choices?

We asked photographer Tobie Schalkwyk to provide us with a recommendation for three entry-level cameras for that first big purchase.

Tobie went deep into his research and came up with some excellent recommendations.

He looked at many factors, including…

• Cost
• Lenses
• Menus
• Aesthetics

He also gives you the pros and cons of all three models that are discussed.

Even if you don’t want to invest in one of these particular cameras, the information will be valuable to reference when selecting the model you are interested in buying!

Click below for an excellent read.

Photo Credit: Tobie Schalkwyk

Download Your Free Guide Now →

 

# Photo, Images, & Drives

How (And When!) to Use Aperture Priority Mode

Tags: Shutterbug Photography, Rookie Photographer  

By Taya Ivanova 

Aperture priority mode can help you take eye-catching photos without controlling your settings all the time.

It can be a great time-saving tool for both photography beginners and professionals.

But what exactly is aperture priority mode and when should you use it?
 

 

What Is Aperture Priority Mode?

You can find aperture priority on your camera mode dial. It’s usually symbolised by the letters A or Av.

When you switch to this mode, you can control your aperture, ISO, and white balance. Your camera will change the shutter speed every time the light changes. You can’t manually adjust your shutter speed in this mode.

What Is Aperture?

Your aperture determines how blurred or detailed your backgrounds will look. A large aperture, such as f/1.4, will make your background look very soft. It’s also great for shooting in low light. A small aperture, such as f/22, will capture more details in your background.

Aperture is a great way to experiment with deep and shallow depth of field. It comes with many additional benefits that can make your photography stand out.

The Difference Between Aperture Priority Mode and Manual Mode

Many photographers use manual mode to have full control over their camera settings. It’s something you should familiarise yourself with as you learn more about photography. But it’s not a mode you need to use all the time.

Having full control over your settings can be time-consuming. You need to be aware of exposure compensation, ISO, shutter speed, and so on.

When you switch to aperture priority mode, you let the camera do most of the work for you. All you need to do is select an aperture. You can also manually change your ISO, but this isn’t necessary. Your camera will automatically decide what shutter speed is suitable for a given situation.

Avoid Automatic Mode for More Control

When you use the automatic mode, you let the camera do all of the work for you. No matter where you are, your camera will try to find the best settings for you to take beautiful pictures.

The downside of using automatic mode is that it doesn’t give you any control over your pictures. You can’t control how sharp or blurred your images are.

This is a great way to take decent photos in any lighting situation. But it’s not the best option for photographers who want to have at least some control over their settings.

Aperture is something that many photographers prioritise in their work. Some people want their backgrounds to have a specific amount of blur. Others want to capture as much detail as possible. Aperture priority mode is perfect for you if you fit into this category of photographers.

When Should You Use Aperture Priority Mode?

Using this mode all the time may not be a good idea. If you use it in the right situations, you can significantly improve your photography.

Here are a few instances in which you can make the most of it.

To Achieve a Fixed Depth of Field

A fixed aperture means a fixed depth of field. This means consistent photos, which can be very important in some photoshoots.

Let’s say you’re a portrait photographer who regularly uses an aperture of f/5.6. You want to take as many decent photos as possible on a cloudy day. The lighting is inconsistent, so you have to adjust your settings regularly. This can be a big obstacle.

Instead of doing that, you can switch to aperture priority mode, select your desired aperture, and take as many photos as you like. Your camera will make sure that your shutter speed and ISO are properly adjusted.

To Get Better at Changing Aperture as a Beginner

As a beginner, you might find manual mode overwhelming. Constantly switching to different shutter speeds, apertures, and ISO values can be stressful.

Aperture priority mode is an upgrade from automatic mode. It can help you get ready for manual mode and introduce you to different aperture settings at the same time.

When You Want to Experiment With Different Apertures

You might be a beginner photographer who wants to figure out how aperture works. You might also be a professional who wants to get better at adapting to different kinds of apertures.

You can achieve this quickly with aperture priority mode. Instead of worrying about shutter speed or ISO, you can quickly go through each aperture to find your favourite one. You’ll get decent photos as you do this, which is always a plus!

How to Use Aperture Priority Mode

1. Switch to Aperture Priority Mode

Different cameras have different buttons for aperture priority mode. Look for a symbol that represents this mode. It should say something like A or Av.

On the Canon 5D Mark II, you just need to turn the mode dial. Your camera should have a similar feature.

2. Choose Between Manual or Automatic ISO

This important step can save you a lot of editing time. If it’s not very bright outdoors, or if you’re shooting indoors, you might want to use a manual ISO.

ISO can help you compensate for a fast shutter speed or a small aperture. Too much ISO can make your pictures look grainy. It’s possible to remove grain in an editing program, but this can take some time if you have hundreds of images.

If you have some extra time on your hands, select an ISO manually. Automatic ISO is great for experimentation, but it might not be your best friend if you have a specific vision in mind.

3. Change the Value of Your Aperture

Aperture priority mode makes it very easy to change your aperture setting. On the Canon 5D Mark II, all you need to do is turn the little gear right above the ISO button.

You’ll notice that your camera will change the shutter speed as you change your aperture. It will also automatically change the shutter speed when the light changes.

4. Focus on Your Subject and Take a Few Test Photos

You don’t need to overthink this step. Just choose a subject and take a few test photos.

I started out with a relatively large aperture, but it wasn’t large enough for my desired style. To achieve a dreamier look, I changed my aperture to f/1.8.

There’s really no specific rule for this. The aperture you choose depends on your subject and your style.

5. Experiment With Different Apertures

Even if you like your results, experiment with different apertures. You might find an even better option. If not, at least you’ll figure out what aperture values you’d rather stay away from.

This is especially important for beginner photographers. The more apertures you experiment with, the more variety of pictures you’ll have in your portfolio.

Common Aperture Priority Mode Questions

Do Professional Photographers Use Aperture Priority?

Yes. Many professional portrait and landscape photographers use aperture priority. This is also a great mode for beginner photographers in any genre.

Which Is Better Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority?

Aperture priority keeps your aperture fixed and changes your shutter speed. This is great for those who want to have the same depth of field in their pictures. Shutter priority keeps your shutter speed fixed and changes everything else. This is ideal for action photography.

Using aperture priority mode can help you take better photos without stressing you out. All you need to do is adjust your aperture and ISO. Your camera will experiment with different shutter speeds for you.

This mode is perfect for beginners, portrait photographers, and landscape photographers. It’s ideal for you if you want to achieve a fixed depth of field without worrying about shutter speeds all the time.

 

#David Manning

List of Photography eBooks

Must-Read Photography eBooks

The Photographer's Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone

by Lindsay Adler

 

 

 

 

 

Learning to See: A Photographer’s Guide from Zero to Your First Paid Gigs

by David Molnar 

 

 

 

 

The Complete Guide to Nature Photography: Professional Techniques for Capturing Digital Images of Nature and Wildlife

by Sean Arbabi  

Find them all and more here: 

Hot Photography Books

 

 

 

 

 

The Photographer’s Guide to Hand Poses

Tags: Shutterbug Photography, Rookie Photographer   

By Hillary Grigonis 

The question I hear most during any portrait photography session is about hand poses. And it’s usually accompanied by a nervous laugh.

What do you do with your hands in a picture?

Hand poses can make or break what’s otherwise a great portrait. Getting those hand poses right can be tricky to do and tough to communicate.

Here are 11 essential techniques that will help you find the best hand poses in any situation.

11. Give the Hands Something to Do or Touch

People feel awkward when they cannot figure out what to do with their hands. The fastest way to get the model comfortable is to give them something to do with those hands.

Something simple like placing their hands in their pockets. Or ask them to fold the arms in the front. This can help both put the subject at ease and get the hands in a flattering position.

Giving the hands something to do isn’t the only option here. Give your model something to touch instead.

Ask the model to place their hands against something specific. It can be a wall or a desk. This is an easy starting point for posing the hands.

Your model can also hold something. A ball, a glass of wine or flowers look great in hands. Personal objects also allow the viewer to learn more about the model in the photos.

10. Use Hand Poses to Flatter the Rest of the Body

Sure, this article is to learn where to put the hands. But where the subject places the hands can change the entire body shape.

In general, use the hand pose to create space between the torso and the arms. The subject will look wider if you don’t. Try placing the hands on the hips, for example.

That’s not a hard and fast rule, though. Crossing the hands in an X at the front can exaggerate curves (often used with women).

Crossing the hands with the elbows out can make the shoulders look broad. This hand pose is often used by men because it also highlights the arm muscles.

9. Avoid Foreshortening

Foreshortening is a posing error that applies to any limb of your model.

Posing the torso parallel to the camera makes the subject look wider. So does posing any limb pointed straight towards the camera makes that limb look shorter.

Watch out if your model poses their fingers so that they are pointing directly at the camera. The perspective will make those body parts look short and stubby.

If the fingers are placed straight at the camera, they take up less space in the photo. They appear to be shorter than hands that are angled.

The same concept applies to arms, legs, and feet.

If you see hands pointing into the camera, adjust the pose. Make sure the fingers and arms aren’t headed straight towards the lens.

8. Don’t Hide (or Crop) the Entire Hand

Hands can add beauty and personality to the images. Why leave them out of the photos? While obscuring part of the hands is fine, avoid hiding everything from the wrist down.

If you ask a model to put his hands in his pockets, you want him to look relaxed, not nervous. Don’t put the hand all the way into the pocket or the hand will disappear. This could even make the model’s hips look a little larger than they are. (Even Hollywood agrees.)

The same applies to determine where to crop the photo. Don’t crop at the joints, wrists and finger joints included. Cropping at a limb feels incomplete. If you’re going to shoot a pose that’s not full-body, crop mid-way between joints for a more natural look.

Photo by Samarth Singhai from Pexels

7. Don’t Place the Hands too Close to the Camera

Cameras should come with a warning almost identical to the one in the corner of the mirrors on your car. Objects are larger than they appear. If something is closer to the camera, it’s going to look larger than anything that’s farther from the camera.

The effect is exaggerated with wide-angle lenses and decreased by telephoto lenses.

Avoid placing the hands closer to the camera than the rest of the body. Or the hands will look larger in the photos than they are in reality.

In a seated position, don’t place the hands beyond the knee. And in a standing position, don’t move the hand more than a few inches closer than the face.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. I sometimes ask engaged couples to hold the ring out towards the camera while they kiss in the background. But that’s okay because the ring highlights their engagement.

The first photo below isn’t wrong. But in the second image, the eye goes straight to the faces. The hand is no longer competing with the faces.

6. Use an Angle to Make Hands Look Smaller

The placement of the hands can make them look larger. The hand poses can also influence the perceived size.

A hand straight on to the camera will look larger in the photos. But if you can only see the side of the hand, the hand will look smaller.

Hands should be at least at a slight angle away from the camera. Or you should photograph hands from the side.

This is most important when the pose keeps the entire hand visible. It’s less essential when it’s only a portion of the hand in the shot.

Why? Larger hands will compete with the face. Of course, if there’s no face in the image, getting the hands angled is less important.

5. Avoid Poses Where the Hands Push Against the Body

I learnt one of my first hand posing tips when I was in front of the camera for a professional portrait, and not behind it.

Use hand poses that create a soft touch and not a push.

The photographer was referring to a classic hands-on-the-face pose. But the same applies to hands placed anywhere on the body. On the arm, for example, the hand can push skin out to the side and make the arm look wider.

When posing with the arm touching any part of the body, ask the model to be gentle.

The last thing you want is to squish the face while trying a lovely traditional pose with the hand on the face.

4. Use Hands to Highlight Specific Bodyparts

The arms and legs create natural lines in portrait photos. Anything the hands are touching is drawing the eye in the photo.

The hands can direct the attention to the waist. Or create the illusion of a smaller waist by placing them in a bit from the actual waist.

That traditional hands-on-the-face pose became a favourite. This is because the hands draw attention to the model’s face.

In couples photography, the light placement of a hand on a cheek can direct the eye to both faces.

Avoid placing the hands on areas that you don’t want to draw attention to. Sometimes when I ask a groom to wrap his arms around the bride, his hands end up resting on her stomach.

Re-directing his hands to the waist draws less attention to the model’s gut.

A perfect time to break this guideline is in maternity photography. You actually want the eye to be drawn towards the belly.

Placing one hand on top of the belly and one below can also help make that baby bump pop. Especially in a stance that’s straight on to the camera.

3. Avoid Hands Crossed in Front

For some reason, many people stand with their arms crossed in front in wedding images.

It makes a great joke (for the right crowd) that they look like someone walked in on them in the shower. But it draws attention to the wrong area. You want to avoid focusing the viewer’s eye on someone’s lap.

2. Watch Out for Tense Hand Poses

How do you spot tense hands? They’re flat and tight or curled up into fists. Make sure you avoid both poses.

In case of tense flat hands, ask the model to relax their hands and curve the hand a bit.

In the case of fists, ask the subject to place his or her hands softly instead.

Like any photography rule, there are always exceptions. This includes photos when your aim is to create tension.

1. Avoid Symmetrical Hand Poses

When posing, it’s easy to group the hands together. You’ll actually get a more dynamic pose if the hands are in different positions. Or in other words, if the pose isn’t perfectly symmetrical.

Instead of both hands in the pocket, leave one out resting on the thigh or waist. Or when placing hands on the hips, place one slightly higher than the other.

A symmetrical pose isn’t wrong. But asking the model to do something different with the other hand can create a stronger image. When photographing groups in a short time frame such as family formals after a wedding, symmetrical poses makes it possible to take many images in a short time frame.

But when you have the time to work, using hand poses that aren’t symmetrical can help create more creative photos.

Photo by Євгеній Симоненко from Pexels

Hand placement is one of the first questions photographers face when working with posing. Hand poses can make or break photos.

Start by asking the model to do or touch something with the hands. Use hand poses to flatter the body.

Remember, placing the two hands separately can also create a stronger, non-symmetrical shot. Follow the tips above and search for the best hand placement for your model.

Then, perfect the hand poses by checking for each of these potential problems:

• Foreshortening (or fingers placed straight towards the camera)
• Hidden or cropped out hands
• “Large” hands with the largest sides flat to the camera
• “Large” hands because the hand is closer to the camera
• Hands drawing attention to the wrong part of the body (like hands crossed straight down in front)
• Tense hands

Ward off that dreaded ‘where do I put my hands?’ question before it even starts by working hand poses into your posing instructions from the start. You’ll have more confident clients and better photos as a result.

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