Basic Tips for Beginner Photographers

When I was just starting my photography journey, I struggled to find just simple tips that would help me learn and understand the basics of photography. I spent months just researching the different settings, what equipment I needed, and how to refine my skills. It was so hard to sit and research everything because it felt like there was a new term that came with every video I watched. I was so overwhelmed and felt like I was in over my head.

The first thing you need to hear…. Do NOT get discouraged. There’s a lot to learn but you don’t have to learn it all to just start practicing. Here’s my basic tips for beginner photographers.

Just learn the main elements of of photography

• Shutter Speed - How fast your shutter opens and closes to take the photo.

• Aperture - How much light is let into the camera. It also affects the blurriness or clearness of your background.

• ISO - How much light information is captured with the camera. This setting also affects the ‘noise’ the photo has. Usually, the higher your ISO, the more dirt the image appears to have.

There’s a lot more information about how these settings work and I recommend watching the video below to understand how they work. You also need to know how they work together to capture an image. Take your time understanding these elements and how they work together because they are the base of every photo that you will take with your camera. The cheat sheet below from Mikeroscoop.com is one of my favorite cheat sheets to help visualize and understand how these settings work. 

Photo Courtesy of mikeroscoop.com.

You don’t need the best, most state of the art equipment to start.

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people ask me what equipment they should buy to start learning photography. My answer is always the same… don’t spend a ton of money on a camera if you’re just starting out. The only thing you have to make sure of is that you get a DSLR that allows you to adjust the settings that we just talked about above. I also recommend a camera that has a detachable lens system because you can always upgrade your lenses as you grow your skills. Just get something that will help you start your photography journey.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

This is probably the most important task when you’re at the very beginning of your journey. Practice your knowledge. Get comfortable with your settings, adjusting them, framing your photos, how light affects your settings and how your camera works. If you can, take your camera with you everywhere. Treat it as a second phone. It goes everywhere you go. Set a goal for yourself to take at least 5 photos a day with your camera. Whatever you can do to get some practice in and don’t stop practicing.

Never Stop Learning

Once you learn the few settings we talked about earlier and get comfortable with them, keep learning. There’s a lot to learn about settings, framing, lighting, posing, editing, and other parts of photography. Technology is always changing, there’s always new ideas to try and you’ll always find new ways to enhance your work. Even after 8 years of photography, I learn something new every day through research, practice or other creatives. I’m sure if you ask any professional photographer, no matter how long they’ve been doing it, they learn new things all the time. Never stop learning and never stop consuming educational content.

Network as much as possible

This tip is imperative, especially if you’re looking to turn your photography into a side hustle. Even if you’re not, it’s important to connect with others in your industry or industries you may work with. You’ll be introduced to new challenges or tools, and you may even find someone that you can partner with for jobs. Networking is crucial to keeping yourself encouraged, motivated and hungry to improve your knowledge. 

Starting out as a photographer is not necessarily easy. There’s a lot to learn and a lot to try. If you stay consistent and create ways to build your skills, you’ll catch on easily. However, it takes work to continually grow and stay passionate about creating.

What’s your favorite tip to share with creative professionals or business owners? Let me know in the comments!