Advice for beginner

[Irina_Ser]

Hello!
Not long ago I realised that I really want to develop my photography skills. As a teenager I used to take photos of beautiful landscapes, my friends and family, macro, etc. But then I was really busy at university, now it`s work... But I still want to create something beautiful.

So, here I am... Can you give me some tips, what I should begin with? Must read books, tutorials (I have a good knowlrdge of photoshop, but there are many things to learn about retouch), maybe some forums and communities to follow.

And, the most importan, the camera. Which device is best for beginners? (I`m ready to apend about 500$, is it possible to find something appropriate?)

Thanks a lot in advance! I will appreciate any help you can give. I`m also interested in your own experience, how did you start?

 

[lance70]

Hi there, well my opinion is to check out some used equipment at your local camera store or Ebay. You will need to decide what brand and for $500 you could pick up a body and maybe a 35mm lens to start with.

 

[jcdeboever]

A Nikon D3400 or D3300 with kit lens is a great start. As far as reading, the first thing to read is your camera manual.

You can buy used John Hedgecoe books on Amazon really cheap. They are well written, easy to understand, lots of descriptive pictures, and many have projects in them. Even the ones that don't have projects, you can easily create your own. Don't be afraid to order the really old ones, they still are very relevant. @Derrel turned me on to these and I have found them invaluable. Come next week, I will have ten or 12 of them.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...search-alias=aps&field-keywords=john+hedgecoe

Additionally, browse through the beginners forum thread on this site, lots of fantastic info in there as well. I printed off, and book marked many of them when I started out just over a year ago.

 

[SquarePeg]

+1 for buying used/refurb. Photography can be a very expensive hobby and you can save 20-25% by buying used/refurbished products. I can't say about ebay because I have not used it to purchase any camera equipment but I do recommend the major online sellers like B&H, Cameta, Adorama... Also note that Nikon sells refurbished camera bodies and lenses direct from their website.

I really like the Bryan Peterson book Understanding Exposure. A great introduction to the exposure triangle and it comes with access to some online video tutorials. I've given this book as a gift to several beginner photographers and they have all loved it and found it very useful.

There are a lot of tutorials available on youtube (both good and bad, you need to be choosy). I have found lynda.com to be helpful and they have a free trial. Kelbyone.com also has a free trial and has been highly recommended but I have not had the chance to try it myself.

Welcome to our community. I think you'll find lots of free advice here, lol.

 

[Designer]

Hello!
Not long ago I realised that I really want to develop my photography skills. As a teenager I used to take photos of beautiful landscapes, my friends and family, macro, etc. But then I was really busy at university, now it`s work... But I still want to create something beautiful.

So, here I am... Can you give me some tips, what I should begin with? Must read books, tutorials (I have a good knowlrdge of photoshop, but there are many things to learn about retouch), maybe some forums and communities to follow.

And, the most importan, the camera. Which device is best for beginners? (I`m ready to apend about 500$, is it possible to find something appropriate?)

Thanks a lot in advance! I will appreciate any help you can give. I`m also interested in your own experience, how did you start?

You can get a new Nikon DSLR kit that falls within your budget, and then just start getting used to your camera. Taking artful photographs is not easy, but start by visiting interesting places. When I started, I would visit botanical gardens, for instance. Just stroll around, looking for good compositions wherever you go. Concentrate on scenery or still life, as people are difficult in any situation unless they are willing to pose for you.

Once in a while post a photo on here to get some C&C. When you read some beginner threads, you will learn what information to include which will aid in reviewers helping you to accomplish your goals.

 

[Irina_Ser]

Hi there, well my opinion is to check out some used equipment at your local camera store or Ebay. You will need to decide what brand and for $500 you could pick up a body and maybe a 35mm lens to start with.

Thank you, I`ll check it out!

 

[Irina_Ser]

A Nikon D3400 or D3300 with kit lens is a great start. As far as reading, the first thing to read is your camera manual.

You can buy used John Hedgecoe books on Amazon really cheap. They are well written, easy to understand, lots of descriptive pictures, and many have projects in them. Even the ones that don't have projects, you can easily create your own. Don't be afraid to order the really old ones, they still are very relevant. @Derrel turned me on to these and I have found them invaluable. Come next week, I will have ten or 12 of them.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/151-3086700-5500247?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=john+hedgecoe

Additionally, browse through the beginners forum thread on this site, lots of fantastic info in there as well. I printed off, and book marked many of them when I started out just over a year ago.

Thanks a lot, I was thinking about Nikon anyway, I believe it`s a great choice!
Also thank you for books!

 

[Irina_Ser]

+1 for buying used/refurb. Photography can be a very expensive hobby and you can save 20-25% by buying used/refurbished products. I can't say about ebay because I have not used it to purchase any camera equipment but I do recommend the major online sellers like B&H, Cameta, Adorama... Also note that Nikon sells refurbished camera bodies and lenses direct from their website.

I really like the Bryan Peterson book Understanding Exposure. A great introduction to the exposure triangle and it comes with access to some online video tutorials. I've given this book as a gift to several beginner photographers and they have all loved it and found it very useful.

There are a lot of tutorials available on youtube (both good and bad, you need to be choosy). I have found lynda.com to be helpful and they have a free trial. Kelbyone.com also has a free trial and has been highly recommended but I have not had the chance to try it myself.

Welcome to our community. I think you'll find lots of free advice here, lol.

I was thinking about used camera, but I`m afraid to miss some defects it can hide...
Thank you very much for resources!

 

[Irina_Ser]

Hello!
Not long ago I realised that I really want to develop my photography skills. As a teenager I used to take photos of beautiful landscapes, my friends and family, macro, etc. But then I was really busy at university, now it`s work... But I still want to create something beautiful.

So, here I am... Can you give me some tips, what I should begin with? Must read books, tutorials (I have a good knowlrdge of photoshop, but there are many things to learn about retouch), maybe some forums and communities to follow.

And, the most importan, the camera. Which device is best for beginners? (I`m ready to apend about 500$, is it possible to find something appropriate?)

Thanks a lot in advance! I will appreciate any help you can give. I`m also interested in your own experience, how did you start?

You can get a new Nikon DSLR kit that falls within your budget, and then just start getting used to your camera. Taking artful photographs is not easy, but start by visiting interesting places. When I started, I would visit botanical gardens, for instance. Just stroll around, looking for good compositions wherever you go. Concentrate on scenery or still life, as people are difficult in any situation unless they are willing to pose for you.

Once in a while post a photo on here to get some C&C. When you read some beginner threads, you will learn what information to include which will aid in reviewers helping you to accomplish your goals.

Thanks for a great advice of finding an inspiration! I'll definitely try it in the nearest future!

 

[dennybeall]

You don't mention your location or country but in my area of Florida the local public libraries have extensive collections of both how-to photography books and books with collections of photos. All free of course.

 

[robbins.photo]

Hello!
Not long ago I realised that I really want to develop my photography skills. As a teenager I used to take photos of beautiful landscapes, my friends and family, macro, etc. But then I was really busy at university, now it`s work... But I still want to create something beautiful.

So, here I am... Can you give me some tips, what I should begin with? Must read books, tutorials (I have a good knowlrdge of photoshop, but there are many things to learn about retouch), maybe some forums and communities to follow.

And, the most importan, the camera. Which device is best for beginners? (I`m ready to apend about 500$, is it possible to find something appropriate?)

Thanks a lot in advance! I will appreciate any help you can give. I`m also interested in your own experience, how did you start?

Greetings!

Ok, so for reading material.. wow.. there's a ton. My recommendations usually start with some online discussions of composition, since that's the area where most beginners (myself included) trip themselves up the most.

I've always been a fan of this one in particular :

5 Easy Composition Guidelines from Nikon

I think it gives you a great starting place without being overly long or technical.

As for camera bodies, my recommendation would probably be an entry level Nikon with a kit lens. D3300 would make a great starter and should keep you under budget. Just avoid those places that want to sell you a big bundle of stuff like tripods, bags, etc.. most of it is very cheaply made junk that you'll find very quickly you either don't need, won't use or breaks quickly.

 

[Derrel]

The beauty of photography books is that they can show you photographic techniques, and styles of pictures, within a framework,as a part of a larger whole. Making good pictures with a camera and lens has not changed for decades and decades. Some of the core principles go back well over a century. The types of lighting such as side lighting backlighting front-lighting bounce lighting these are all old old types of lighting. Photos at the beach, in Europe, pictures of pretty girls or handsome men, birthday party photos for little kids, portraits of loved ones, or portraits of business people, all these types of photos can be distilled into basic how to do lessons. This is why I am such a huge believer in the John Hedgecoe how-to photography books.

Yes Denny is giving you good advice. Go to your library and look in the Photography book section. Even old books from the 1980s and 1990s from companies like Kodak or silver Pixel Press even outdated books will have valuable information on how to. A lot of people get caught up in the difference between digital and film picture making, but there really isn't that much of a difference in the light that we use to make pictures with.

For people who want to learn about photography, books have the advantage of having a framework. Learning about photography from YouTube is a hit-or-miss affair. Yes there are hundreds of thousands of videos on YouTube, but presented with no structure,no organization, or only a loose one. Many of the videos assume a base of knowledge that only an intermediate or Advanced photographer will have, and are therefore of limited use to the beginning shooter. Definitely go to the library and check out some of the photography books they have.

 

[Irina_Ser]

You don't mention your location or country but in my area of Florida the local public libraries have extensive collections of both how-to photography books and books with collections of photos. All free of course.

I'm afraid it's not an option for me, I`m living in a little town not far from Moscow, our libraries don't have a lot of book. But anyway, I`ll try to visit one, who knows.

 

[Irina_Ser]

Hello!
Not long ago I realised that I really want to develop my photography skills. As a teenager I used to take photos of beautiful landscapes, my friends and family, macro, etc. But then I was really busy at university, now it`s work... But I still want to create something beautiful.

So, here I am... Can you give me some tips, what I should begin with? Must read books, tutorials (I have a good knowlrdge of photoshop, but there are many things to learn about retouch), maybe some forums and communities to follow.

And, the most importan, the camera. Which device is best for beginners? (I`m ready to apend about 500$, is it possible to find something appropriate?)

Thanks a lot in advance! I will appreciate any help you can give. I`m also interested in your own experience, how did you start?

Greetings!

Ok, so for reading material.. wow.. there's a ton. My recommendations usually start with some online discussions of composition, since that's the area where most beginners (myself included) trip themselves up the most.

I've always been a fan of this one in particular :

5 Easy Composition Guidelines from Nikon

I think it gives you a great starting place without being overly long or technical.

As for camera bodies, my recommendation would probably be an entry level Nikon with a kit lens. D3300 would make a great starter and should keep you under budget. Just avoid those places that want to sell you a big bundle of stuff like tripods, bags, etc.. most of it is very cheaply made junk that you'll find very quickly you either don't need, won't use or breaks quickly.

Thank you very much for the article, I found it very useful.
And thanks a lot for an advice, I was afraid about all these shop assistances who could sell me things I didn`t need. That is why I decided to ask professionals in the first place.

 

[Irina_Ser]

The beauty of photography books is that they can show you photographic techniques, and styles of pictures, within a framework,as a part of a larger whole. Making good pictures with a camera and lens has not changed for decades and decades. Some of the core principles go back well over a century. The types of lighting such as side lighting backlighting front-lighting bounce lighting these are all old old types of lighting. Photos at the beach, in Europe, pictures of pretty girls or handsome men, birthday party photos for little kids, portraits of loved ones, or portraits of business people, all these types of photos can be distilled into basic how to do lessons. This is why I am such a huge believer in the John Hedgecoe how-to photography books.

Yes Denny is giving you good advice. Go to your library and look in the Photography book section. Even old books from the 1980s and 1990s from companies like Kodak or silver Pixel Press even outdated books will have valuable information on how to. A lot of people get caught up in the difference between digital and film picture making, but there really isn't that much of a difference in the light that we use to make pictures with.

For people who want to learn about photography, books have the advantage of having a framework. Learning about photography from YouTube is a hit-or-miss affair. Yes there are hundreds of thousands of videos on YouTube, but presented with no structure,no organization, or only a loose one. Many of the videos assume a base of knowledge that only an intermediate or Advanced photographer will have, and are therefore of limited use to the beginning shooter. Definitely go to the library and check out some of the photography books they have.

Thank you! I`ll try to do some researches in my libraries, but I`m afraid all I can find there are books from Russian authors, which can be out of date a little. Anyway, it will be better to learn photography from different points of view. Thanks again!