I want to learn photography. Any tips?

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   Victoriaaaposted 14 years ago

   I love taking pictures and I want to eventually become better at it and start doing professional pictures. What can I study (without going to school) to learn about different cameras and photography elements as well as editing pictures? My grandfather use to be a photographer before he passed away and I've always been fascinated with taking pictures since I was little by watching him. Any advice is appreciated

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      loganrosiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You must have an artistic mind to be a good photographer. Moreover you need to be creative too.
      http://www.articlesbase.com/health-arti … 70354.html

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      BuenSaborposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      try here
      
      http://www.theamericanmonk.com/

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      Charlinexposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      With today's digital cameras, it is not hard to take decent photos. However you must learn Photoshop and other image enhancing softwares if you ever want to go pro.
      
      Can you teach yourself? Of course. But you need to start at the right direction. Good luck.

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      Erika Lynn-Marieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Learn under someone else, that is the best way to learn (5yrs experience)

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   Website Examinerposted 14 years ago

   There are several good photographers on the site. I suggest you check out Blue dog and Alahiker.

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   theirishobserver.posted 14 years ago

   To be honest I have read a great deal about takiking pics - but the simple answer is to buy a digital camera and practice.....I get good feed back here on hub pages about my pictures....so take some pics post them and see what happens

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      Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I'll definitely try that out. Thanks!

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   Aiden Robertsposted 14 years ago

   Hi Victoriaaa
   
   If you want to be a photographer; study photography, not in an educational sense but in a creative sense. Digital camera's are great but only in manual mode were you are controlling what the camera is doing will you learn anything.
   In order to be a photographer all you actually need is a camera, to be a good photographer; one that makes good pictures (notice I said makes not takes)you need to understand what the camera is doing, have an understanding of light and composition and then it depends on what kind of photographs you want to make.
   Get yourself a cheap fully manual 35mm slr with a couple of lenses, buy a load of film and fire it all off (be careful can be expensive) then study what you took, why you took it, what could make it better and how do you achieve that.
   Then look on internet at some classic picture, Ansel Adams is a personal favourite and study how those pictures were taken, what makes them classic.
   Sorry for going on quite interested in photography.

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      Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      When buying any kind of camera, is there anything in particular that I should be looking for? Like brand or quality or anything? When it comes to cameras, I normally just get one that's "cute" but if you're talking about a camera that I have to get lenses for, then I'm not too experienced with that lol.

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         Aiden Robertsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I have found both Nikon and Canon very reliable and robust. They are good 35mm film SLR's (single lense reflex).
         
         You do not need a top end camera; the more basic the better.
         
         The Nikon N50 or N70 is ideal for starters,  or any of the Canon Eos range. You can use them in full manual mode or full automatic mode, there are lots of configurations in between in relation to shutter, aperature and speed but it will get too technical here so I will shut up now.
         
         The main thing is pick up a cheap one and play with it; it really is the best way to learn. You can also buy a digital camera but that takes away most of the fun and learning.
         
         Here is an exercise I used to do: Take a picture with a digital camera; doesn't matter what of. Now get an SLR, learn the basics and take the same picture but this time you will be the one making the picture, not some processor that doesn't have feelings or a photographers eye.
         
         Compare the two pictures, you will not be dissapointed with your efforts.

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            Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks soo much! I'm definitely going to invest in a camera and try that exercise that you mentioned.

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   thisisoliposted 14 years ago

   this is something I have always wanted to do too, unfortunately the cost has been a bit of a no go, and time constraints are pretty pressing when self employed!

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   travelespressoposted 14 years ago

   If you're serious about learning about photography then my advice is to get a good Canon or Nikon SLR camera.  Digital is just fine and the Canon EOS range is excellent.  As Aiden Roberts said you can operate them in both automatic or manual mode or even somewhere in between so they are very forgiving when you are learning.
   
   If you're anything like me (and people like to learn in different ways)you will benefit from courses.  I've taken a few - some at a community college and some directly with a professional photographer.  In each course I learned something new and I learnt much more about my camera.  Read the manual too!  It can be rather tedious but its essential.
   
   Also consider joining a photographic club.  In fact if you have one near you, you might be able to go along and talk to the seasoned photographers.  They will be able to give you lots of advice.  So too will a really good photography store.  I've found the individually owned ones are the best as they are usually staffed by enthusiasts.
   
   It's an awesome hobby!

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   earnestshubposted 14 years ago

   Hello Victoriaa, welcome to hubpages. agvulpes has a hub that reviews SLR cameras and knows quite a lot about them.
   
   There are some photos on his camera hub showing the results of using different lenses. Very informative!

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   agvulpesposted 14 years ago

   Hello Victoriaaa, just my old 2 cents worth here. I will argue against Aiden's suggestion to go for a 35mm camera.  There are a number of reasons for this, but the main one is cost. The cost of film and processing is getting too expensive to just 'play with'! As earnestshub has said I have written a number of Hubs on this very subject. I will not promote them here but if you are interested pop over and have a look.
   My suggestion  is to buy a "point and shoot" camera of a well known brand within the budget that you set!  The camera would have at least 3.1 megapixels and the highest 'mechanical' zoom lens you can get. Buy the highest capacity SD card you can afford!
   My own camera is a Canon Powershot A400 and has done good service for about 4 years. I have taken over 3000 photos with this camera and it has never let me down. One advantage is that it only uses standard AA batteries!
   Then as everyone has said 'go shoot some pictures' practice makes perfect!

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      SomewayOuttaHereposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I have a  nikon (digital) and just take lots of pics - I don't consider myself a photographer.  I just like having some fun with it - for me.  Last weekend I took around 400 pics of crows and about 100 of surfers  and selected 4 that I liked and trashed the rest.  Next year i want to buy a longer lense - I want to get closer....I'll pop over and read your hubs!

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         agvulpesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         This is the point I was trying to get across to Victoriaaa. If you go down the track of 35mm you have to pay for the processing before you see the result. With digital you can 'delete' before the shots even leave the camera, making way for more good shots.
         Although many pro's would not approve of this hit and miss method, it is a good way to start your learning curve and find out what works for you!

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         Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks! I'll definitely get out more and take more pictures. Being that it's summer, there's so much activity that goes on! But for now, I'll use my regular digital camera. I don't know how close I can get with 3x Optical Zoom lens, but hopefully close enough to capture something cool!

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            travelespressoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You can use the software that comes with the camera to experiment with editing too.  Do go into the camera settings to check that your settings set to take the best quality possible.  You'll fit fewer photos in your memory, but you've have much better quality photos. Have fun!!!

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               Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Darn, unfortunately I lost the software . But I'll definitely try that though. I have a 4GB memory card ready to be put in use!

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                  travelespressoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Darn!  That's a real shame because even using the edit functions at a basic level can change photographs a lot.  For example, some quite average photographs can be improved immeasurably by cropping them.

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                     Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     well is there a software that I can download for free that could give me the same results? Would it help for me to have something like photoshop?

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   earnestshubposted 14 years ago

   There is lots of good free software for your camera at snapfiles.com, including a free program almost as good as photoshop.
   Go for the ones with the most stars.
   Start here on their freeware page. http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/
   The graphics software is near the top of the page in the middle.

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      49lartposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Photography is about seeing images, being creative with ideas, lighting, texture and design. It is best to set up one task a week such as portraits out doors using white reflectors. The best camera is one that has manual setting ability and a good zoom range.

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         Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks a lot! I'll definitely keep this in mind.

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    Sunny_Sposted 14 years ago

    Good camera. Good scerery. Good timing. Good way of viewing things differently.

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    mega1posted 14 years ago

    other than good camera, the essential techniques, and the desire - be in the right place at the right time looking for the angle others didn't see and get up early in the morning to catch the sunrise on your subject -
    
    photograph around the seasons and in all kinds of light -
    
    keep your photos and videos organized so you will always be able to actually use them.
    
    Take the photo even if you don't think it will turn out for some reason -
    
    like with any art - don't think of the money you're going to make or what you have spent while you are making your photos -
    
    don't be afraid to get rid of the obvious failures that aren't up to your standards - but if you are afraid you'll dump something good, put it in a MAYBE file and go back and look at it a month or so later and then make the decision whether to dump.
    
    photography is alot about editing, just like good writing!  You can crop and otherwise manipulate your image to get it right - don't be afraid of the technology - its fun!

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       Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks so much for your insight!

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    jeremiah.swensonposted 14 years ago

    Hey great! The first thing they teach in art school is called the "Rule of 3rds". Whatever it is your taking a picture of, imagine a transparent tic-tac-toe board over top of it. Now, where the lines cross should be the focal points of you picture. Forget what we learned in elementary school where everything needs to be right in the middle of the page....that makes people feel uncomfortable. Oh, and simply take a LOT of pictures...it is the best possible thing to do and with digital cameras it is cheap! Good luck

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    H.C Porterposted 14 years ago

    If you want to learn the art of photography start with a good camera. I recommend a Canon or Nikon (like I noticed many others have) I use a Canon, and I love it-but the lenses can be costly.
    If you are looking for a starter camera consider a Sony. The lenses are less expensive because the stabilizer is in the camera-not the lens...which is not true for Canon. Sony is also lighter than Nikon's and Canon's and for someone attempting to get familiar with a camera...it serves its purpose well. Once you have your camera...Read about it---learn the settings and then play with it.
    Although Sony, Nikon, Canon all have an AUTO...learn about ISO and how to decide what ISO speed you need to use for a shot (this takes practice---and wont come overnight). Then practice, practice, practice...Take pictures of the same object, same angle on different settings (different ISO, with and without a flash, play with the saturation +/- and the white balance setting +/- just to see what the effect are of each of these different settings).
    As you get better and more confident, upgrade...buy more lenses...buy filters... buy reflectors or whatever your heart desires...but proceed at your own pace and one new item at a time so you can learn how to use and utilize each piece of equipment as your camera bag fills up.
    Have fun, and practice makes perfect...no matter which advice you decide to take     I've been in this field for almost 13 years and one thing is fact---we all had to start off somewhere and all had to ask questions when we didn’t understand...so if you should need more suggestions/ ask away

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    philosotographerposted 14 years ago

    “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.” – Ansel Adams
    
    I became a self taught photographer in late 07, because I desired to document my children's lives and could not afford a pro every time I wanted to capture our special moments together.  So I began googling the words in the menu of my little Sony Cybershot I had to discover what ISO was, what aperture was, what shutter speed was etc.  I absolutely fell in love with photography as an art and developed my own unique style due to my no influenced approach of a "photography degree".  I now have a collection going on a 15 city tour from San Antonio TX, to Washington D.C.  Liberty Let's Roll. Needless to say I was honored to be asked for my images of Ol Glory to go along the tour. I wanted to take a picture of something as common as the American Flag, something that has been photographed millions of times by millions of people and make it different to prove that I deserve the title of an Artist.  I accomplished just that and now my "AMERICA" collection is heading to D.C.  I have sold pieces that now reside in my State Capitol building because they are different including portraits of the Capitol itself, because they were Different.  I have created a handful of other themed images that have never been done by any artist in any medium, again to prove I deserve the title of an Artist.  My POINT is not to seem like I'm bragging, and I feel sorry for those who think that,  I have just noticed that "self proclaimed" "photographers" are becoming as common as car owners calling themselves drivers.  In respect to the Art of Photography, I wish people would first try to accomplish something first with their imagery rather than just being able to shoot a portrait of someone standing against a wall, putting their initials on it, and then networking as a photographer.  I encourage people to explore photography as an art because it can be liberating, but I ask for you to not become one more of the millions disrespecting it as an art.

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       philosotographerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       A correction I'd like to make of one of the sentences I wrote. I meant to say that I developed my own unique style due to my non influenced approach vs that of a photography degree.

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       Victoriaaaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Wow, thanks a lot for your input and congrats on everything that you've accomplished. I agree with you, I think that photography is an art that you have to discover yourself to fully appreciate it.

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          charlottelacarposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Discovering and enjoying at the same time. You must capture things related to your interest to become more successful in this field.

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    Island Hopperposted 14 years ago

    Hi Victoria. My latest hub has some good tips.
    
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Turning-Vacatio … s-Into-Art

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    Orcatekposted 14 years ago

    As others have said, take pictures, lots of them. Give yourself a challenge.  Fill box with slips of paper with emotions, colors and shapes.  Then each day pick a slip of paper from the box and try to capture it in a photograph.  Try to see how many ways you can show love or green or oval in a photograph.

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    elayne001posted 14 years ago

    I took a photography class at a local college. It was great fun to be challenged to bring in something original and intriguing. I did write a few hubs about photography:
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Photography-Children
    
    http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-backup-d … n-vacation
    
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Pictures-from-t … re-of-Oahu
    
    Good luck and have fun.

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    mypleasurefantasyposted 14 years ago

    I have started a hub on photography, and I just touched on the basics of it, especially with form and narrative. Both important things you need to know and understand in photography. I have been doing professional photography for 10 years now and I think I am going to share my knowledge. Both school based and trial and error. So if you would like to check it out, you may learn something

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    minhhichposted 11 years ago

    Start with learning to see light, shadow and shapes. Then grab the best point and shoot camera you can find. Start snapping away
    
    You can find some camera buying guides and reviews to help choosing a camera

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    Gaurav Kumar393posted 10 years ago

    Checkout link below they provide free 2 months professional photography video tutorials. you can learn basic to professional photography for free from here. if you already know some photography than it will Improve your photography skills and help to learn new tricks.  Get Enquiry for your free video photography tutorials.
    
    digitalphotographytricks.comyr.com
    
    Learn with fun.

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