Step by step into world of photography


Right Image:
Canon EOS D30, Tamron 70-210mm f-2.8, 1/500 sec at f-5.6, Bogen tripod and ball head.

Photography is a wonderful hobby and very rewarding. What I like the most about photography is not the actual picture taking process or how sophisticated my equipment are. Photography has thought me to see and observe better the world around me. I see things I never noticed before, and that is a good thing. My eyes have become like a zoom lens. I have learned to zoom in and out with my own eyes to isolate portion of what is in front of me. I see things most people never even notice. I guess that is what they call photographic eyes. What is most important about photography is learning to see, not what type of camera or lens is best. If you are just beginning to take pictures, take my advice, concentrate on learning to see and how light controls what you want to photograph. Be less concern about camera brands or fast lenses. Those are just equipment. True you need good equipment to work easier, but your thoughts should be focused on learning to see better and how to compose a photograph. There are two parts to photography. The equipment and the process of actual picture taking. This article is designed for beginners to help them take the first steps into world of photography. I'm not going to cover camera features or teach you about f-stops and shutter speeds here. I have covered these subject on many other articles which you will find under Tips and News & Reviews sections. This article is designed to give you a better idea of what photography is about and what is important to get you started. To take pictures, you obviously need to have good equipment, so lets start by covering this subject first and then continue by learning about the actual process of picture taking.

Equipment

Start your photography by investing in one camera, one or two zoom lenses, a good tripod and cable release. I assure you, if you are serious about photography, you will definitely upgrade in the future. It is best to invest as little as possible, and learn on your own what other equipment you need to purchase. No one can tell you what you should use. You may ask, why not invest in the best camera or lens now to avoid extra cost later. Not true. Unless you develop a style and technique, you won't know what you will need later. Do you need a fast autofocus camera if you are primarily interested in landscape photograph? Will you need a 70-210mm f-2.8 fast zoom if you plan on taking architectural pictures or a moderate speed 70-210mm f-4.5-5.6 zoom will do the job? How about film or digital cameras? The future of photography is going to be digital. However, this does not necessarily mean that you should invest in a digital camera. A 35mm camera and a good film scanner purchased now or later may be a better way to begin. Lets examine both systems first.

35mm Cameras: There are dozens of very affordable 35mm SLR cameras than digital models to choose from. You can purchase a high quality full featured 35mm SLR for about $200. Canon, Nikon, Konica Minolta, Pentax, and Sigma all make excellent cameras that have so many features that make you dizzy trying to figure them out. Best of all, you can own one of them brand new for very affordable prices. For instance, my manual focus Minolta X-700 manual focus cost about 300 dollars back in 1984, and that was without motor drive which cost an extra 200 dollars. You can by the Konica Minolta Maxxum 70 for less than an X-700 and motor drive combined, and Maxxum 70 offers much more than the X-700 or the professional Nikon F-3 of the 80's. So, consider yourself very lucky to be starting your photography now.

Look into every system available and pick the one that offers the most extensive line of lenses and accessories. You want to choose a brand that will have all the lenses, flashes, and other accessories you might need in the future. The four major companies are Canon, Nikon, Konica Minolta, and Pentax. All produce superb cameras and lenses. You can not possibly go wrong with any of them. Start by a 35mm camera that is within your budget and offers full control. Full control means having the ability to override the settings your camera chooses. A fully automatic camera is not suitable for serious photography. You need aperture priority and manual exposure modes, exposure compensation, different type of metering systems to name a few. Luckily, almost all 35mm SLRs made today have everything you can possibly want and more. Cameras today are so good that I can't even think of a model that I wouldn't use. Actually, I feel comfortable using any model or brand knowing I can have full control over any photographic situation. I just tested a Canon Rebel Ti and was amazed of what this camera is capable of. Ti is an entry level or "armature" camera. Yet its performance and features surpasses or equals the Canon EOS-1n pro of the mid 90's that I love so much. Ti may not be built as tough as a pro camera, but it is certainly capable of getting the job done easily. It is wise to invest in a mid priced camera such as Canon Rebel Ti or Konica Minolta Maxxum 70 instead of a more expensive model, and save your money for a better lens which is much more important than your camera. I have mentioned this before and mention it here again, your camera does not produce quality pictures, you the photographer do.

Digital SLRs: Digital SLRs are interchangeable lens cameras the same as 35mm, except that digital models use cards to record images instead of film. The major draw back to digital SLRs are their price tags. Digital cameras cost three to four times more than their 35mm equivalent. Canon EOS Digital Rebel for instance, costs four times more than the EOS Rebel Ti 35mm version. On the other hand, you won't be spending any money on film and processing with the digital version. That is a major plus. In order to learn more about photography, you need to take lots and lots of pictures, which can add to your cost if you choose film cameras. With digital cameras, you just erase the images after you download them into your computer. If your budget allows, a digital camera might be a better way to start your photography hobby or career. However, purchase an SLR which allows you to use several lenses and accessories. Serious photography requires interchangeable lenses and accessories. Before purchasing a digital camera, look to see how many megapixel the camera offers. As of this writing " December 2004", 6 megapixel is the minimum most digital SLRs produce. That is plenty for most applications. 6 megapixel produces enough information for a good quality 11x14 inch print. Also make sure the camera can be set to manual white balance control. White balance allows you to set the camera for correct color temperature. Light has different color temperature through out the day. Sunrise, sunsets, cloudy days, or sunny days all have different color temperatures. With film cameras, you can select the right film for different types of light. With digital SLRs white balance works the same way. Good thing about this is that you can change the white balance as you like without having to change film.

Lenses: To simply put it, buy the best lens you can afford. Lenses are much more important than cameras when it comes to producing sharp photographs. Technology today is so sophisticated that even budget lenses are of great quality. A pair of either 24-85mm or 28-85mm f-4.5-5.6 and 70-21mm f-4.5-5.6 or 75-300mm f-4.5-5.6 are affordable and practical to start with. You should be able to cover most subjects with these zooms. After a few months of photography, you'll know if you need additional lenses or not. Another way to start is by purchasing an all-in-one zoom such as a 28-200mm or 28-300mm zoom. Again purchase the best you can afford. All-in-one zooms however, are good for starters or for traveling light. Eventually, more lenses will be required for certain tasks. I promise that you will find out on your own better than me or anybody else what you will need.

Tripods and cable releases: Buy a sturdy tripod and let it be one of your first purchases. Avoid cheap tripods. A good solid tripod and head can not be purchased under $100 unless you find one used. You will go through several cameras and lenses through your photography career, but a good tripod should last you a long time, perhaps a lifetime. I'm still using the same tripod I purchased almost two decades ago. My other gear has changed but my good old solid tripod is still going and going. A cable release is a must have accessory for tripping the shutter with your camera mounted on a tripod. This will reduce the risk of vibration caused by you if you were to hold the camera and release the shutter. Cable releases for modern SLRs are costly, but well worth the investment.

Left Image:
Canon EOS D30, Tamron 70-210mm f-2.8, 1/60 sec at f-8. Bogen Tripod and ball head.

Once you purchase your equipment, you need to learn how to use them. That may be very obvious, but surprisingly many people don't have a clue on how to operate their cameras even months after purchasing them. There are two parts to photography- operating the cameras and designing the photograph. It is like repairing cars. A mechanic needs to have the knowledge of fixing cars and know how to operate his or her equipment to do the job. Read your camera manual to learn how to operate its features to a point that you can quickly change to any desired setting without having to think where the dials and buttons are. Your equipment must become part of your body.

The next step is to learn the very basics of exposure and composition. You must know the relationship between f-stops and shutter speeds. That is the very first thing you must master to become a successful photographer. Shutter speeds and aperture settings control exposure, motion, and depth-of-field. These along with composition, make good photographs. It is not the camera, the subject, nor anything else. This brings us to the next part of photography, the process of taking pictures.

Once you've purchased your equipment and learned the very basics of photography, you need to get out and start taking pictures. Before you leave run a check list to make sure your camera is ready for action. First, check the battery power and carry some spares. Make sure your camera is loaded with film or memory card. Always carry twice as much film or storage device that you think you might need. Check all the camera functions before operating. Make sure exposure compensation dial is set to zero. Set the appropriate exposure mode. Check correct ISO setting. Check drive speed, auto exposure bracketing, and any other previous settings you might have used. Clean your lenses with lens cleaning tissue. Do this to the front and rear glass. Don't forget your tripod. I realize tripods are a pain to carry, but for sharp and well composed shots, a tripod is a must.

Now you are ready to go. But, what's there to photograph? National Geographic quality photographs are waiting for you right outside your front door. When I started taking pictures, I beloved I had to travel the world to find good subjects. I didn't see anything close to what I'd seen in books and magazines when I went out to take pictures. So it was the place and not me! Wrong. It turned out, I wasn't looking close enough. The problem wasn't the place, it was me. I was in such a hurry and not taking the time to look closely. I saw what everybody else saw. I had human vision, not photographic vision. My eyes were just eyes, not photographic lenses. I had to learn how to train my vision to see things a little closer. I had to learn how to isolate what was in front of me.

That is the first major step to take to become a good photographer. Look at everything around you differently. Objects should no longer be what they really are in reality, rather interesting shapes and lines isolated from their surroundings . Pay close attention to light and how it affects the mood of the subject. If you can do this, you just entered the world of serious photography which is composition and light. Once you find an interesting subject, be it a building, a tree, or a person; ask yourself what makes this subject so unique for you to want to photograph it. If you can answer this question, you know exactly how to compose the shot. Is it how old the building is? Is it the shape of the branches on a tree? Is it the expression a person has on his or her face? What is striking about your subject, is what you should try to record on film. Everything in life has something unique and interesting about it. You just have to look a bit closer to see it.  

Once you find a subject you like to photograph, look at it through the camera at different angles. You should then set up your tripod and mount your camera. Compose the shot carefully by looking through the viewfinder, making sure nothing else is included in the frame that is not supposed to be there. This is called composing, placing the subject where it belongs without any distraction. Next, is exposure or controlling the light. Pay close attention to the direction of light and set your exposure accordingly. The rest is just good photographic common sense. Use a cable release to release the shutter. Make sure your camera is secured on the tripod, and always take extra insurance shots. Once you’re done, look at your subject one more time from different angles and lenses. Chances are you’ll find something new and more interesting than before. Congratulations! You just became a serious photographer.