Intro to Photography- Getting Started
In every blog post that I write, I try to provide some information that you, my humble reader, can take and incorporate into your own photographic adventures. However, I have yet to write a full series focused on simply teaching. I figured that it's time to do that. This will be the first post in a series entitled "Intro to Photography". I'll give an overview of just that: the elements that I wish I knew when I was starting out in photography. I won't go into too much detail on any one topic, but if anyone is interested in a deeper dive into one of these topics, I would be happy to write a post about it, so just let me know! So without further adieu, let's talk about getting started in photography.
If I had to really boil it down, there's not much you need to begin taking pictures. If you have a camera, a willingness to try something new, and some patience, you're ready to go! Of course, there's a little more to it, but those are truthfully the basic elements.
As far as camera, almost everyone has a phone with a camera nowadays. Some photography snobs will tell you not to use that, but I think that phones make a great first camera because they're so accessible. If you get serious, I would definitely recommend purchasing a dedicated camera, but for the purposes of getting started, a decent phone from the last five to ten years or so will actually do just fine. Having older or lower end cameras will certainly limit your options, but with some creativity, you can absolutely make it work. For example, this image below was taken with an iPhone XR, which was released in 2018.
A little abstract, but not bad for an eight year old phone, eh? (taken with an iphone xr @ 4.3 MM, 1/4 sec, f/1.8)
Once you've gotten your hands on a camera to use, you do need the willingness to try something new that I mentioned. This goes hand in hand with patience. The unfortunate truth is that, as with almost anything, your early photography will probably be bad. There are so many images, especially from my early days, that I have taken and, looking back, I think look terrible. Even now, not every image that I take is great, but there is certainly a learning curve. As you gain experience and dedicate time to photography, you will take more good pictures. As you learn from other photographers, you will take more good pictures. As you get better gear, you will take more good pictures. It just takes time, and it takes real patience to be able to go on this journey, so you have to be able to find the fun in it. However, this journey can be very rewarding indeed. Just don't expect to be Ansel Adams on your first outing.
This picture certainly falls well short of my current standards, but when I took it, I thought it was pretty good (taken with a nikon d5100 & nikon 55-200 mm f/4-5.6 @135 mm, 1/160 sec, f/6.3)
I think that brings me to the last big thing: you have to be able to have fun. If you don't enjoy taking pictures, then there's no use in forcing yourself to do it. Whether you're good at it or not, it's hard to do anything that you don't enjoy. Photography isn't for everyone, and that's ok! There are a lot of other ways to show off your creativity or look at the world critically, so I would encourage you to find the one that you truly enjoy. If that's photography, great! If it's not photography, I hope that you find another creative outlet that you can enjoy in short order. Photography is a hobby (at least for most), and hobbies are all about having fun.
This was a shorter post today, but when it comes to starting out in photography, those are really the basic elements. Find a camera, be willing to try things new, practice patience, and have fun! Once you have those four things, just go out and take pictures. As a beginner, I would suggest taking pictures of whatever you find interesting. Don't think about shooting anything in specific, just get out there and experiment. As time goes on, you'll find things that you enjoy shooting, and things that you don't. It's a feeling out process, and not everything will pan out, but this process can be fun in and of itself. With that being said, get out there and start shooting. I'll be back next week with another facet of starting your photography journey!
