Advice for a rookie

[Primetyme195]

Well i just thought i would come out and ask...i was just wondering what types of things i should focus on as a rookie. Are there any bad habits i should be aware of ? anything i should work on to become a better photographer? or any advice?

[masdog]

It greatly depends on what you want to shoot, Primetyme. Before you can start to look for things to focus on, you have to know your strengths and weaknesses in that particular area.

[ken1953]

Hi Primetyme....
What I have been learning as a rookie is....

1. Know your camera!!!!!! You want to be able to react to a situation without having to stop and think about the mechanics of your camera!!!!

2. Know the basics!!! You want to know the basics of photography, like rule of thirds and basic lighting.

3. Know your subject!! If you're going to shoot people...understand people, if wildlife, understand wildlife, if landscapes, understand what makes a good landscape shot.

There are many others and this site will gladly let you know what to focus on. They have been a fantastic help to me. My final suggestion is to shoot lots of photographs, analyze yourself, post in the critique forum, reanalyze and finally, determine if you agree or disagree with the analyzation and learn from what they have told you.

This is just a rookies suggestion. I make suggestions and hope that they will help!!! I hope these help you!!
Ken

[srobb]

Primetyme, pretty much what ken said. Don't let him fool you, though. He is very knowledgeable even if he does consider himself a rookie. I have been in this off and on for many years and I find I am constantly learning.

The most important thing is to realize that through all the critique you get and advice, you have to filter through all that to find your comfort zone as a photographer. What you will be photographing will play a large part in what you need to learn and how you apply it.

[Old Timer]

Some very good advice so far. I have only one thing to add and that is don't hesitate to take pictures. Shot loads and learn from the mistakes and the successes. Looking at and critqueing your own work is the most valuable tool you will ever have. Only you will know what you are striving for and if you have achieved it in your own mind. Third party critques are valuable but in the long run you have to satisfy yourself. So shoot tons of images and decide what you like and or don't like about them. Than duplicate the successes and avoid the mistakes the next time out. Above all have fun with it, enjoy the expereince of creating images and sharing them with others.

[payn817]

srobb makes a good point in "filtering" critiques. Sometimes, we don't know what you are trying to acheive, so you need to be able to take things with a grain of salt. What may be a work of art to some (sometimes very few) will be trash to others.

[ken1953]

Primetyme, pretty much what ken said. Don't let him fool you, though. He is very knowledgeable even if he does consider himself a rookie. I have been in this off and on for many years and I find I am constantly learning.

The most important thing is to realize that through all the critique you get and advice, you have to filter through all that to find your comfort zone as a photographer. What you will be photographing will play a large part in what you need to learn and how you apply it.

Thanx srobb, but, to let Primetyme know, I AM A ROOKIE!!! haha..But Primetyme, the compliment should go to PR because until 6 months ago, I really didn't know anything about photography and everything I have said is a direct reflection of what I have learned here. I would say that over 80% of what I know about photography has happened because of PR and the other 20% comes from links I have found because of PR. If you really want to learn, stay here...THEY WILL TEACH YOU!!! as they have been teaching me. Don't forget to checkout the "How-tos" in the main menu. It links to some very excellent lessons.
Ken

[adina]

Turn the date stamp off!

Really, just read lots, and shoot. Read some more and shoot. After a while, you'll be able to see what you gravitate towards.

[another view]

Hi and welcome - I moved this to the"Help" forum...

Good advice given here so far. To that I'll add/agree with:

Bring your other interests into photography as subjects. If you're into cars, shoot cars. If you're into food, grab stuff out of the fridge. There are all sorts of great things that can be photographed. Almost everything that we know of has been photographed but don't look at that as a limitation - look at other pictures of cars, celery, etc for inspiration.

Learn the technical side of it - this way you don't have to think so much about what you're doing and it will come naturally. Don't be afraid to shoot the camera in manual mode, and learn why it does what it does. The Kodak book series is really a great start and you can probably find them at your local library.

[livin4lax09]

my best advice?


shoot a lot. This is how I learned all (well, about 90%) that I know about photography

and also, have other people critique your photos. Don't get the people that go "wow, that's awesome" all the time. Get people who will give you meaningful advice.

[masdog]

my best advice?


shoot a lot. This is how I learned all (well, about 90%) that I know about photography

and also, have other people critique your photos. Don't get the people that go "wow, that's awesome" all the time. Get people who will give you meaningful advice.

If you do get a lot of "wow, that's awesome" followed by questions about how you did it from other photographers, it means you're doing something right.

But livin is right. The more you shoot, the better you will become. You have to make opportunities to take photos, though.