How to Start Photography: The Basics of What You Need To Know

If you're looking for a new hobby, photography is a great way to spend your free time. Whether you're looking to take pictures of nature or capture people's emotions, the possibilities are endless.

Photography is a versatile hobby that will allow you to travel and learn more about other cultures and see yourself evolve as a person. However, the topic of photography has been covered in many other guides.

It doesn't hurt to have another one at your disposal. Here are some basics to help you get started, from beginning photography mistakes to using your camera correctly.

What is photography?

"Photography is the act of capturing images using a camera or a camera on a tripod," explains PDN. While your image could be anything, you'll need a subject if you want to make money with photography. While this could be taking pictures of sunsets, it's not for beginners because you won't have much control over what's in the picture. This guide pretends to teach you the basics.

The basics of what you need to know

A camera is one of the most important things you'll need if you want to be a professional photographer. You can take pretty good pictures without one, but you need the proper equipment and knowledge to take lovely photos. The camera is just a tool to get the images you want.

You can take pictures just by setting them on a tripod or taking a picture with your phone. Although the camera is one of the most important tools you'll need, most beginner photographers don't get enough out of it. You should take pictures of whatever you feel like taking pictures of.

You can start out simply by taking pictures of people around your home or through your camera phone, but it's not going to be long before you want more control over your camera. You can create a folder on your phone or computer for images you want to capture later on, which is a great way to work on your composition before getting your hands dirty with your camera.

It's important to know your camera's settings to take great photos. The camera has a number of different options that you can adjust to get the best shot.

Creating your shot

The first significant rule of photography is to learn that everything you see is not an image. What you see in the photos you create should make you smile or get goosebumps or give you a lot of different emotions.

Once you have mastered the basics, you can start experimenting with different modes and settings. If you want to get serious about your photography, you'll have to learn how to use a tripod and use the flash for taking pictures indoors or without the sun to give a blue-saturation effect.

Once you're used to those settings, you can move on to techniques such as using f-stops, cropping, and choosing your lighting.

Different types of photography

There are two main types of photography, indoor and outdoor. So as you're looking to shoot nature, indoor photography is better suited for you. Although many photography tutorials show indoor shots, you'll be surprised how many outdoors photos you'll be able to capture.

Lighting is also an essential aspect of photography. To properly light your subject, a sun filter and a flash unit are a must.

For example, if you want to photograph a sunrise, it's best to use a front- and back-curtain flash. You want the camera to be able to capture the entire scene because you want the light to be coming from multiple angles. If you don't use a flash, you may only get the subject's hands and the bright sky in the photo.

There are many ways to think about your photo choices, but most have one thing in common: you want to have a little bit of each. Photos of people or people in nature can convey a lot about the subjects and convey a feeling of serenity. Like most photographers, you'll want to use as little as you can.

Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is a frequent theme for many photographers. Landscape photography is the most easily recognized of all photography genres. Even if you've never been on a bike before, there's no reason to stop before trying this pastime. The relaxed pace of biking and taking scenic photographs makes it perfect for beginners.

Street Photography

The first and most common skill that beginners usually learn is how to use a digital camera. Knowing how to use a point-and-shoot camera is not as simple as many would believe.

Unfortunately, many people that haven't had the opportunity to learn how to properly operate a camera often assume that all digital cameras work the same.

This is far from the truth. In order to master how to use your camera and produce quality photographs, you have to learn about the different types of cameras, which can range from pocket to semi-professional. You also have to know how to use the controls to get the best shot possible.

An important lesson that beginners learn early on is the fact that different cameras have different aspects, such as lenses, ISO, and aperture.

Macro Photography

macro photography is a popular hobby that involves taking photos of small objects such as insects, flowers, and micro-life. You can take macro pictures through a zoom lens, which enables you to get closer to the point without distorting it.

You can also use a flash to help illuminate the subject, although you don't want to go too dark as it may show up as an underexposed or overexposed photo. You can also use a small LED light, such as a hairdryer, like a strobe to help focus the lighting and create a clean and crisp photo.

Macro photography doesn't require a very big lens, but you will need to be prepared to work at angles and with the limited depth of field in a subject.

Close-up or Micro Photography

As someone who can barely work my cell phone with a decent camera, let alone use one to shoot a moving subject, I have to say that close-up photography is what has fascinated me the most. In addition to portrait photography, close-up photography is typically the type of photography that will be most utilized by fashion, portrait, and wedding photographers.

In fact, you can learn more about close-up photography on our sister site Photofocus. Although there is a learning curve, the benefits of using a macro lens far outweigh that initial intimidation.

If you're a beginner, the first thing to do is find out which lens you'll need and decide on your focal length. When I first started out with photography, I used my Canon 40D DSLR and used a 50mm lens on it.

Black & White Photography 

If you're an aspiring photographer, you know that there's no silver bullet for beautiful photography. There are different types of photography and different types of pictures. While you'll get great shots if you're outside capturing bright, sunny days, there's something to be said for photographing in a dark setting.

Different types of illumination can make a scene look like a totally different place, like black and white photography that combines black and white film or negative into a digital file, such as a JPEG.

Although many cameras can handle black and white photography, you'll want to pick up a new camera that is specifically designed for black and white.

How to use your camera properly

The first step to taking good pictures is knowing how to use your camera properly. Getting your camera right is crucial to take the best pictures possible. Here are some tips on the basics to make sure you're taking great pictures every time.

Your camera is an expensive piece of equipment, and having it broken down by dirt is not good for the quality of your photos. Clean your camera with a damp cloth and wipe off any dirt and dust that is on it.

Another option is to clean it with a soft bristle brush or a microfiber cleaning cloth. Don't wipe it down too much, or you will ruin the zoom in and out of the mechanism, which most cameras have.

If you want to buy new accessories for your camera, make sure you go to an actual camera store rather than the electronics store.