If you are reading this, you are probably ready to take the next few simple steps to elevate your photography skills. Maybe you’re still using your cellphone or maybe you’re still using the auto settings on your camera. Either way, wherever your skills are, the next few steps I have outlined are for you. Just a few months prior I decided to take my skills to a whole new level and here are the steps I took to do that.
Step One
Ditch your phone as your camera (don’t actually ditch your phone, you might need it) and upgrade to a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. So I know iPhone cameras nowadays can take incredible photos, but becoming a better photographer or a professional one requires an upgrade. More times than not, especially travel photography or event photography, your phone camera just “doesn’t do it justice”. I promise if you make the upgrade, you research the types of lenses you want, you will absolutely be able to capture a beautiful whatever it is your phone couldn’t.
You have to do your research with this step. Like no joke, you need to google, google, and read blogs on it. I was about to get the Nikon D3500 which is a very quality style camera for a fraction of the price. I would have been totally fine with this except for one thing, the weight. I decided to go with a Fujifilm XT3 because it is MUCH lighter than any DSLR counterpart. Fujifilm is a mirrorless camera which means that the camera is without a reflex mirror. With this, the light will flow through straight to the digital sensor. DSLR camera means that is will have a digital lens reflex, aka what the mirrorless cameras are missing.
You can also get a film camera, which will also help upgrade your photos but you need to know a few things about them. It is a film based camera so developing film and buying film can get expensive. Either that or learning how to develop photos in the dark room.
Your camera is also going to depend on what suits you better and what style of photography you are looking to do. If you are looking to do travel photography or weddings where you are on your feet for long periods of time, a lighter and smaller Fujifilm might be what you want. If you have bigger hands and need a better grip on your camera, a DSLR will be better. Either way and at either price range, it will be an upgrade. You don’t need to start off with the best of the best camera. You also don’t need to spend so much money on it when you’re first starting out. I think that some great beginner cameras are: Nikon D3500, Fujifilm XT-30, Canon EOS 250D, Canon EOS M50, Sony A6000. PLEASE only shop at accredited camera stores. Online I would highly suggest Adorama, BH photo+ video, or KEH for used gear. If you buy your camera on amazon, you run the risk of getting a grey market camera. A camera that looks perfect but has a faulty part to it.
Step Two
Invest in a beginners class. I took a class on udemy before I decided I wanted to do my masters and that helped me so much. I really started to be able to understand compositional aspects and technical aspects. You can also look on YouTube for tutorials as well. I don’t know about you but if I don’t pay for something, I usually just put it on the back burner. So if you are like me or are very serious about becoming a quality photographer: you need to look into beginner classes.
The reason I decided to get my master’s is that I do plan on possibly furthering my education to get a doctorate. I also found myself wanting to understand more than just taking pictures and capturing art that helps tell a story and creates emotional feelings. I also thought that this was a great way to build my portfolio while learning even more about how to become an expert. I wasn’t sure exactly the direction I wanted to take in photography when I was first starting out. I’ve been finding more and more interest in fashion photography and I think that having a master’s is a great stepping stone for me, and could be for you too.
Step Three
Once you upgrade and get a camera whether it’s DLSR, Mirrorless, or Film, it’s time to put your camera in manual mode. When you do this, the exposure is UP TO YOU to figure out. One thing I recommend is downloading an exposure triangle and keeping it will you. Another thing I recommend, your camera is going to have an exposure meter on your screen. It will tell you if your photo is over or underexposed. If it is at 0 on the meter, you are perfectly exposed. Something though about being an artist is deciding how you want to expose a picture. You may want to overexpose or underexpose the picture for an artistic touch. Just be careful that you don’t blow out your highlights or have too much shadows in your black areas. (Refer to these pictures showcasing a blown out sky)
Manual mode will mean you have entire control of your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. First things first, keep your ISO as minimal as possible. The higher ISO, the more digital noise you will get. The next, shutter speed not only affects exposure but also the speed of how fast the shutter closes. A faster shutter speed can help you freeze an image and a slower shutter speed can give you a motion blur. Reference the photos below to see what I mean. For aperture, this is where you can get that shallow depth and blurry background feel. Again it also affects exposure. A shallow depth of feel is a blurry background with a small area in focus, that is created with large aperture. The large aperture that I am referring to is going to be a smaller number, I know it’s strange. A wider depth of field will be created with a smaller aperture but a larger number. This means a larger area is in focus.
My biggest suggestion for getting used to the controls on your camera is to blindfold a few times a week and see if you can remember where all your controls are. Another reason I choose Fujifilm is that your iso and shutter-speed settings are physically located on the top of the camera. It makes it easier for beginners to see what they are doing. For more information on mastering manual mode, check out my blog post.
Step Four
Now get out there and get practicing! Practice as always, will help your skills and confidence grow. If you are serious about photography and getting better, you need to be practicing everyday. Push yourself out of your comfort zone too. If you feel confident in taking landscape photos, push yourself to try portraiture or self-portraiture work.
I would suggest putting your photo settings into RAW mode. You can either look it up online or in your camera’s manual on how to do that for your specific camera. All photographers should be shooting in raw because it allows for your photograph to have more information. This makes it way easier for postproduction edits and allows you to do a lot more with the image than just starting off with a JPEG.
