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10 Things New Photographers Should Know—04/12/10

What I wish I had known when I got my first camera

This Article Features Photo Zoom

You’ve got your brand new DSLR and you’re ready to move into the ranks of serious amateur photographers. First, here are a few key pieces of advice every new photographer should know—the 10 things I wish someone had told me when I first picked up an SLR. It would have saved me a lot of time, a lot of headaches, and I’m sure I could have become a better photographer.

1. Carry your camera a lot. There’s an old adage that you should carry your camera all the time. That may not be practical for everyone, but if you can carry your camera as often as it’s convenient you’ll find yourself seeing like a photographer better and faster. And that means you’ll start taking better pictures sooner.

2. Keep it simple. Be it compositions, lenses, special effects and any number of things, remember that photographically speaking, less can often be more. Don’t just take bad photos and then apply every photo filter you can think of. Concentrate on doing one simple thing well in every photo.

3. There are rules. Learn them. Then learn to break them. My suggestion for breaking rules doesn't mean you should skip the “learn the rules” stage. It’s a crucial one, as with practice it will help to understand composition and visual storytelling more intuitively.

4. Protect your investment. A good camera bag, protective filter, insurance… The only thing worse than not having a good camera is having a good camera and being too afraid to use it. So take the necessary precautions to make it easier for you to use that camera as often as possible. Free your mind from worry by protecting your gear. After all, it isn’t about the camera—it’s about the pictures.

5. Don’t think, “I’ll fix it in Photoshop.” This mistake is easy to make. I still find myself doing it all the time. But if you can fight the urge to make due in a later step, you’ll find yourself making better pictures too. Think of it this way: If you settle during shooting and spend your post time “fixing,” you’re a step behind. A great photographer makes it as ideal as possible during shooting, then uses that postproduction time to make the image even better.

6. Learn the digital stuff. You don’t have to become a computer master, but you do need to understand the basics. It may have been that you were very comfortable with film photography, and even the techniques that went into making analog photographs. But times have changed, and if you don’t get comfortable with “the digital darkroom” you’ll spend way too much time fighting with the “digital” parts and not enough time working with the “photography” parts. Plus, much of the power of digital comes from empowerment; the tools have the capabilities to create the images we envision—but only if we know how to put them to use.

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