No, I'm not going to break out in an Oscar Meyer song-although I did think about it!
What I wish is I didn't always have to learn lessons the hard way. That I had paid attention when someone who knew what they were talking about and had been where I was gave me advice.
I had a girl email me asking for advice on photography. Me. I was so incredibly humbled! I still consider myself a 'hobby-ist' photog. I have so much to learn and a long way to go before I will feel like I have the right to call myself a 'professional photographer.'
I've learned so much in the past 9 months due mostly to those amazing photographers that took their time and replied to my silly little questions about photography. They gave me critiques when I asked and told me what they had learned. I don't think they will ever know how much I appreciate them-I think you know who you are.
Now here's the point of this blog post. I know there aren't many people that read this little blog of mine, but if there is just one would be photographer that reads this and feels empowered to go out there and pursue his or her dreams I'll be so incredibly happy.
This is a reply to the sweet girl that wrote me for advice. Copy and pasted from my email with a few modifications to make it a little more blog worthy[aka personal info omitted]
To the new kid,
Wow! Advice! There's so much I could give{most of it I've learned the hard way}and I'm positive I'm not done learning.
I'll stick to the basics though.
First: Equipment: If you haven't yet, invest in a good camera{a D-SLR} My suggestion if you're just starting out is a Canon Rebel XS or T1i. I don't know much about Nikon or I'd suggest one of their cameras. Canon or Nikon is probably the best way to go. You can be sure they are gonna perform well.
Do your research before you buy ANYTHING! One of my biggest mistakes was running to Best Buy and recklessly buying the first camera and lens I saw that was in my price range. There are a lot of websites out there that have good equipment cheaper than Best Buy.
Always get the warranty! Always.
Shooting techniques: Shade is your best friend. You'll usually get pretty good exposure on your subjects if you place them in the shade. That being said, avoid dappled sunlight on your subjects. Your eye is automatically attracted to the brightest spot on your picture. You don't want that spot to be about 5 places of your subjects face.
My general rule of thumb is to either shoot at sun rise or sun set.{about 9am or 4pm}
Keep the sun to your subjects back. It gives a really pretty glow to their hair and gets rid that yucky squinty look they get when looking directly into the sun.
My biggest piece of advice when you're actually shooting is slow down. Take your time. Notice the details and pay attention to the sun and its reflections. These are all things you really have to train yourself to do. Usually at shoots I get these HUGE adrenaline rushes{i know, sounds weird, but it's true}I'll find myself getting distracted. I'll be working on one idea, think of something else I want to try and hurry through what I'm working on. It's an awful habit I'm having to break myself of now.
People: This is a hard one. I'll start with posing. Keep it natural. You don't HAVE to have people sitting up super straight and always looking at the camera. Find a few photographers{via blogs, facebook, pinterest, etc...}that you can study and you respect and pay attention to their work. I'm not saying copy it. I'm saying watch how they pose people. The angles they choose and the way they light their pictures. Note what you do like and what you don't then make it your own. Be careful with looking at other photographers work. Sometimes people like to tear others that may not be as good as them down. Don't let that discourage you. I don't know how serious you are into photography, but really pray about what God wants you to do. I had no idea I was going to like photography so much, but God really gave me a passion for it.
I'll stick to the basics though.
First: Equipment: If you haven't yet, invest in a good camera{a D-SLR} My suggestion if you're just starting out is a Canon Rebel XS or T1i. I don't know much about Nikon or I'd suggest one of their cameras. Canon or Nikon is probably the best way to go. You can be sure they are gonna perform well.
Do your research before you buy ANYTHING! One of my biggest mistakes was running to Best Buy and recklessly buying the first camera and lens I saw that was in my price range. There are a lot of websites out there that have good equipment cheaper than Best Buy.
Always get the warranty! Always.
Shooting techniques: Shade is your best friend. You'll usually get pretty good exposure on your subjects if you place them in the shade. That being said, avoid dappled sunlight on your subjects. Your eye is automatically attracted to the brightest spot on your picture. You don't want that spot to be about 5 places of your subjects face.
My general rule of thumb is to either shoot at sun rise or sun set.{about 9am or 4pm}
Keep the sun to your subjects back. It gives a really pretty glow to their hair and gets rid that yucky squinty look they get when looking directly into the sun.
My biggest piece of advice when you're actually shooting is slow down. Take your time. Notice the details and pay attention to the sun and its reflections. These are all things you really have to train yourself to do. Usually at shoots I get these HUGE adrenaline rushes{i know, sounds weird, but it's true}I'll find myself getting distracted. I'll be working on one idea, think of something else I want to try and hurry through what I'm working on. It's an awful habit I'm having to break myself of now.
People: This is a hard one. I'll start with posing. Keep it natural. You don't HAVE to have people sitting up super straight and always looking at the camera. Find a few photographers{via blogs, facebook, pinterest, etc...}that you can study and you respect and pay attention to their work. I'm not saying copy it. I'm saying watch how they pose people. The angles they choose and the way they light their pictures. Note what you do like and what you don't then make it your own. Be careful with looking at other photographers work. Sometimes people like to tear others that may not be as good as them down. Don't let that discourage you. I don't know how serious you are into photography, but really pray about what God wants you to do. I had no idea I was going to like photography so much, but God really gave me a passion for it.
Much love,
Kristin
Awww...that is sweet..I wish someone had told me all that when I was starting out!!! And yay canon!
ReplyDelete