3 Simple Basics of Photography for Beginners

Photography is a lot of fun. It’s a great way to be creative and express how you see the world. Whether you like to take pictures of people, pets, nature or travel destinations, there are so many options. Although you can take photos with your phone, professional photography involves understanding all the camera controls and how these will help you create your unique photo style.

To become a good photographer, it’s important to know all the controls your camera has so that you can create what you want your viewer to see. Essentially, there are 3 controls that you need to know about: Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO.

Let’s break them down individually:

Aperture - the lens opening

Sometimes referred to as “F Stop”. Aperture controls: 1. how much light enters your camera and 2. the “depth of field” and how much of your subject is in focus (or out of focus)

F2 (more light / less in focus) F22 (less light / more in focus)

The “bokeh” (blurry background) has a lot to do with the distance from your foreground subject to the background.

Shutter Speed - the “invisible curtain” that controls light

Shutter Speed controls 1. how much light enters your camera and 2. stops the action of your subject.

1/60 (more light / more motion) 1/1250 (less light / less motion)

Keep your shutter speed at 1/60 or above if your camera is not on a tripod to avoid camera shake.

ISO - essentially the “sensitivity” of the entire exposure

The higher the ISO, the more “grain” on the image. Your subject will become less sharp as the grain increases.

Learning photography may seem overwhelming, but my best advice is to try one control at a time. I promise if you take it step by step, you’ll be a pro soon.

First, start with trying out Aperture first - Set your camera to “Av - Aperture Priority” and your camera will set the shutter speed. For instance, you might want a flower in focus and the background to be out of focus so you would use a wide aperture.

Second, you can try out the Shutter Speed - Set your camera to “Tv- Shutter Priority” and let the camera set the aperture. For instance, you might want a the water in a waterfall to appear as if it is flowing, so you would use a slower shutter speed. Or perhaps you have a dark scene then you need a might low shutter speed.

Of course, all of these controls are best demonstrated by visuals, so please click on this link to see my Keynote Presentation.

Quote of the Day:

“The miracle isn’t that I finished, The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

John Bingham

Sending you sunshine!

Lynn

Lynn Cobb Studios - www.lynncobbstudios.com