"Photography For Dummies"

Ribbons · Jun 24, 2013

It's the Canon Rebel XTi.

ShooterJ · Jun 24, 2013

Then you'll have EXIF data in the image that gives the shutter, aperture, ISO etc.. you won't have to write anything down.

You can usually view the image data in the camera... OR you can view it in the image properties/info after uploading.

If you prefer to have a written copy you can check out something like this... they can be a handy reference guide to help you get used to settings vs. conditions while you're learning.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1451521111

hirejn · Jun 25, 2013

You can always check out my blog. I wouldn't say forums are a great place to learn. Most people on here are not pros, so it's amateurs leading amateurs. But sometimes the advice is good. You want pro advice. You can get ideas on forums and chat about photography, but learning will come from practicing. It's better to get the fundamentals from professional resources. You're a bit far away for mentoring but online training is one option, as is local workshops and classes. If you have a pro that you like, see if he has training materials available. Photography is largely a hands-on thing. You eventually have to take the information into the field and use it.

cynicaster · Jun 26, 2013

hirejn said:
I wouldn't say forums are a great place to learn. Most people on here are not pros, so it's amateurs leading amateurs. But sometimes the advice is good. You want pro advice. You can get ideas on forums and chat about photography, but learning will come from practicing. It's better to get the fundamentals from professional resources. You're a bit far away for mentoring but online training is one option, as is local workshops and classes. If you have a pro that you like, see if he has training materials available. Photography is largely a hands-on thing. You eventually have to take the information into the field and use it.

The fact that somebody is a "pro" photographer says nothing whatsoever about their ability to communicate clearly and teach. Heck, if you listen to the sentiments of some members of this very forum, being a "pro" doesn't even necessarily say anything about a photographer's ability to take pictures.

It's entirely possible that a reasonably well-informed hobbyist photographer could be 10x more effective than a professional photographer at transferring knowledge and understanding to a beginner. I know I learned a lot more useful information and technique about playing guitar from friends and schoolmates than I did from paid lessons by a professional with a degree in music.

Ribbons · Jun 26, 2013

cynicaster said:
hirejn said:

I wouldn't say forums are a great place to learn. Most people on here are not pros, so it's amateurs leading amateurs. But sometimes the advice is good. You want pro advice. You can get ideas on forums and chat about photography, but learning will come from practicing. It's better to get the fundamentals from professional resources. You're a bit far away for mentoring but online training is one option, as is local workshops and classes. If you have a pro that you like, see if he has training materials available. Photography is largely a hands-on thing. You eventually have to take the information into the field and use it.

Click to expand...

The fact that somebody is a "pro" photographer says nothing whatsoever about their ability to communicate clearly and teach. Heck, if you listen to the sentiments of some members of this very forum, being a "pro" doesn't even necessarily say anything about a photographer's ability to take pictures.

It's entirely possible that a reasonably well-informed hobbyist photographer could be 10x more effective than a professional photographer at transferring knowledge and understanding to a beginner. I know I learned a lot more useful information and technique about playing guitar from friends and schoolmates than I did from paid lessons by a professional with a degree in music.

I do agree with cynicaster's statement more so than yours, hirejn. A "professional" photographer has a lot of recognition in their community, so they would have had more time, money, and equipment to become "pro". They would have a lot of experience I'm sure, not only with using a camera and all the wonderful accessories that aid their images, but on the business side of it too. I can agree that someone who has created a business out of their Photography may have more to say. I am not denying you your point.

But to be honest I am not fond of photographers, or any other kind of artist for that matter, stating that they are a "pro". Sure, you can use it in it's realistic sense where as "pro" means "professional" as in, you're making money off of your work. But in other ways it's almost as if stating that they are "pro" means that they are better than everyone else. Which as cynicaster pointed out, and as I have seen for myself, there are many photographers out there who are not professionals who make glorious images.

When I was in high school I had the chance to do a co-op course at a local studio. It was more commercial photography than I had expected, but the "pro" photographer that owned the joint was a total jerkwad. (Excuse my language.) He assumed that just because I was a teenager, that all I wanted to do was hang out at the mall and smoke. (Which he didn't seem to notice that I was the complete opposite of that "typical" teenager.) He teased me and didn't seem to recognize that I was severely impressionable and shy during the time I spent at his studio. At that time I had just finished a high school Photography course that focused on the "Masters of Photography" and I was SO in love with photography. I wanted to be artistic. I wanted to convey my thoughts and emotions through images just like they did. I wanted to take gorgeous portraits that just breathed the personality of the person I was shooting. I was excited to be able to see my first studio from the inside, and to meet "real" photographers, and to see the equipment they use and watch how they create their magic.

I was pretty disappointed. Not only that, I became somewhat jaded. I thought to myself, if this is what all photographers are like, if this is what I have to look forward to, dealing with pompus butts who think so highly of themselves just because they wield a camera, then I didn't want it. I think the nicest thing he ever did for me was to actually lend me one of his cameras, a Rebel. (Not sure which one, at the time I thought there was only one Rebel.) That's why I have an XTi today, because I enjoyed the rebel that much. Even after seeing me go out every day and come back with images, he still treated me with a poor attitude.

So instead of exploring my photography as a career, I turned it into a hobby instead and had quite a bias towards photographers. I even avoided college for Photography because I assumed my teachers and most of my classmates would be egotistical too, and I didn't want to try to learn with all the "pros" around me. Of course as I grew older I learned that not all artists are egotistical buttheads like he was, but it still did put professionals in a rather dim light for me. I'd rather learn more from the down-to-earth hobbyists, or those that are still learning, because they can understand where I'm at. I steer clear from those who state that they are "pros" because if you have to be so obvious about it, then you may not be as great as you think.

Besides, forums are a great resource. I have plenty of links to look at right now, thanks to everyone here. I can post my image and tell them what I was trying to do, and they can point out where I went wrong, just like any other photographer can, AND I can make many, many friends from around the globe here and get to see their work, get inspired by their artistic ventures as well. Maybe they're not the best resource in the world, but forums aren't all that bad either.

(As a disclaimer, I know it sounds bad of me to decide on a bias based off one incident. I've always suffered from anxiety and depression, so my insecurities played a big part in that event. Like I said, I have learned otherwise and my mental health is much better than it was before.)

amolitor · Jun 26, 2013

People running a "pro studio" are first and foremost going to be business people, at least if they're successful. They might also be jerks, sure. They're pretty much like everyone else, some are jerks, some are sweethearts, and everything in between. Sorry you met a jerk.

I object to the word "pro" on this forum since it's used, basically, as an appeal to authority. The implication is that because I am capable of filing some trivial paperwork, or in some cases merely of designing a sort of logo, I am better than YOU. There are several kinds of professionals running around on TPF:

- the fake kind who are simply lying about ever having worked at photography for money, to try to grab a little credibility. This kind bores me and usually doesn't know anything worth knowing.
- actual professionals who make money but have a fairly narrow view of photography, "good photography" is what they do, it's what pays their bills. All else is bad or suspect. Many of these folks are fine people, but they generally don't know much stuff I'm interested in.
- actual professionals who make money but have a less narrow view of photography. These folks might or might not have interests that overlap mine.

When all's said and done, claiming professional status is uncorrelated with any abilities that *I* am interested in. If I wanted to know how to run a small business, I'd be all over several of these folks, cuz that's stuff they know. I don't, though. Not everyone does. Some of the people who claim professional status do know things I am interested in, and some of them don't. Some of the amateurs know things I am interested in, and some of them don't.

jowensphoto · Jun 26, 2013

I've always thought of the camera like my eye. I did a quick google search and this explains it pretty much the same way I've always thought about it: For Beginners ? Your Camera Explained in Plain English

Ribbons · Jun 26, 2013

amolitor said:
People running a "pro studio" are first and foremost going to be business people, at least if they're successful. They might also be jerks, sure. They're pretty much like everyone else, some are jerks, some are sweethearts, and everything in between. Sorry you met a jerk.

I object to the word "pro" on this forum since it's used, basically, as an appeal to authority. The implication is that because I am capable of filing some trivial paperwork, or in some cases merely of designing a sort of logo, I am better than YOU. There are several kinds of professionals running around on TPF:

- the fake kind who are simply lying about ever having worked at photography for money, to try to grab a little credibility. This kind bores me and usually doesn't know anything worth knowing.
- actual professionals who make money but have a fairly narrow view of photography, "good photography" is what they do, it's what pays their bills. All else is bad or suspect. Many of these folks are fine people, but they generally don't know much stuff I'm interested in.
- actual professionals who make money but have a less narrow view of photography. These folks might or might not have interests that overlap mine.

When all's said and done, claiming professional status is uncorrelated with any abilities that *I* am interested in. If I wanted to know how to run a small business, I'd be all over several of these folks, cuz that's stuff they know. I don't, though. Not everyone does. Some of the people who claim professional status do know things I am interested in, and some of them don't. Some of the amateurs know things I am interested in, and some of them don't.

Oh I definitely agree. I'm sorry if my post made me seem a bit closed minded. I'm just not fond of people using the term "pro" in an authoritative nature. I think what I was trying to point out, is exactly what you portrayed in your post. Yes, I have met a man who could do well with an attitude adjustment, and yes, I can say it still makes me a bit hesitant when it comes to speaking and meeting with those who have made a career out of their photography. But that's my internal problem, and I do my best to keep an open mind about people. I get it though, running a business is serious stuff. There's still a lot of competition out there. I don't expect all business owners to be crabby, at least I haven't for a long time now.

I have a few photographers that I watch on my Facebook feed, and those individuals seem like wonderful people. (Although they mostly take images of babies and weddings so, I can't see someone who deals with babies all day in a less-than-sunny disposition. Hahaha.

)

Ribbons · Jun 26, 2013

jowensphoto said:
I've always thought of the camera like my eye. I did a quick google search and this explains it pretty much the same way I've always thought about it: For Beginners ? Your Camera Explained in Plain English

Awesome! Thanks for this post, I'll have to keep that in mind when I'm taking pictures again. It's silly that I never thought of it this way before, lol.

imagemaker46 · Jun 26, 2013

I really don't believe that anyone is a dummy when it comes to photography, there are lots that say they really can't take pictures but that isn't even the case. All it takes is a lesson or two, and anyone can take a picture. Some people are happy with staying at a basic level and some want to learn more, but there are no dummies, just the positive or negative attitudes.

cynicaster · Jun 27, 2013

I was pretty disappointed. Not only that, I became somewhat jaded. I thought to myself, if this is what all photographers are like, if this is what I have to look forward to, dealing with pompus butts who think so highly of themselves just because they wield a camera, then I didn't want it.

That’s the name of the game, I’m afraid. There are of course exceptions, but it seems to be the case with most creative endeavours (keeping the extra ‘u’ in that word because I see you’re a fellow Ontarian

). My “main” creative outlet is music, as I’ve done it far longer than photography. Growing up with it and playing in bands through the years has given me the opportunity to meet and play alongside all kinds of other players, writers, live performers, etc., and I’ll tell you what: the a$$holitude in that section of society knows no bounds. Photography seems to be very similar, if not quite as bad (so far).

There’s this prominent stereotype about the “hot-headed, cocky jock type guy” that, thanks to pop culture and all that, stands as a kind of “archetypal a-hole”, but I’m suggesting we might need to re-think what an a-hole looks like for the next big summer teen movie. To be sure, there are a lot of a-holes in the jock crowds, but if there ever was an a-hole Olympics, I’d place my bets on the group of skinny hipper-than-thou photographers and musicians with their big nerd glasses, ironic trucker hats, and painted-on jeans any day of the week over the football players.

I'd rather learn more from the down-to-earth hobbyists, or those that are still learning, because they can understand where I'm at.

I actually meant to say this exact thing in my last post, but apparently forgot. I agree completely that there is enourmous benefit to interacting with those who are in the same stratosphere as you are, rather than strictly relying upon the “pros” who can’t even remember what it’s like to not understand a given concept. Sure, some of those “down-to-earth hobbyists” are going to provide questionable advice from time to time, but, at least on a forum like this one, it’ll be easy to identify the wrong info because it won’t take long for some worldly sage to step in to rip that person to shreds with a retort heavy in sarcasm, Socratic irony, and words spelled out in CAPS.