After getting my first dSLR i have a question for you all.

joeconway

joeconway

joeconway

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I just got a 400d and I'm EXTREMELY happy with it:D


what I wanted to ask though...


There are a lot of people on this forum with a hell of a lot of talent and experience. So my question is this, what is the one pearl of wisdom you would pass on to someone if you had to choose the most important lesson you've learnt in your photographing days.


thanks:D
 
I'm no good at photography, but if you have the camera and you see something you might like a photo of, take loads of pictures. If you don't have the camera on you, WHY NOT?! :p

Seriously, take the camera with you as much as you can, and take as many photos as you can.

I currently only have a phone camera and take pictures of loads of random things, but I hate taking it out as it's picture taking ability is poor and I look like an idiot with the phone out.

I am getting a 400D in the next few months, and it'll be with me loads, I'll be taking many, many photos, as you should be. :)

aztechnology said:
For just one piece of advice....

Slow down and think before you press that button.
Click to expand...

Aye true, take many photos, but do think before pressing the button. :)

InvG
 
Very nice idea for a thread!

I would say...don't be afraid to think outside the box :)
 
Use rule of thirds in the viewfinder instead of cropping to it in Editing afterwards - it will make things much simpler during processing and archiving or printing :)
 
As has already been said; Take the camera with you at all times and take lots of pictures. Keep taking pictures and when you have finished, take some more. Don't be scared of going outside to take pictures if the weathers bad or the situation doesn't seem interesting. If you don't have your camera on you, then you are guaranteed to see the shot of a lifetime... and wish you had your camera there.

And when taking a shot, don't just snap away. Look at the whole frame and think what are you including in the shot and what are you missing out. Don't just look at the subject but also think carefull about whats around the subject and what should be missed out.
 
Try to be different and think creatively, think about what you're going to take and if its been done a billion times before (picture of a robin on a branch, hillside landscape etc) how can you make it look different and good at the same time.
 
like the others say - take stacks of photos - On a recent trip to Venice I took around 600 photos and only a limited few were great but the whole process is a learning experience. You learn to train your eye on what makes for an interesting composition.

The main thing that I have learnt is to keep it simple and try to form your compositions through the viewfinder before pressing the button. Focus on your subject and try to think of how the flow of the surrounding scenery can help enhance it.

Spend lots of time looking at photography sites and reading books, learn to see what it is in the composition that makes an image interesting to the eye.

Have a read of these sites:

http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/digital-photography-composition-tips/
http://www.colorpilot.com/comp_rules.html
 
Use the camera on manual and learn about the relationship between light,shutter speed and aperture settings.
 
Continuous Improvement
When viewing back through your photos ask yourself - Could I have done a better job to capture the scene?
  • Is the photo interesting? If not how could you improve it?
  • Did you use the correct shutter, aperture and ISO settings?
  • Is the image framed correctly?
  • Is there too much or too little depth of field?
  • Is it sharp?
 
From a landscapes point of view...

Get a good tripod.
Learn about hyperfocal distances.
Get an angle finder and get your camera as close to the ground as possible.
Get a 10mm lens.
 
1. Buy a tripod.

Incredibly handy, and force you to pause slightly which makes you think about what you're doing.

2. If you don't think it's worth pressing the shutter, don't.
 
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