Slow learning photographer

[NE-KID]

True story a long time ago I developed slow learning disabilities from a major reaction from the vaccine shot called Diphtheria Pertussis Tetanus vaccine that I coded x2. But anyways from that time I turned 18 and higher in age I wanted to do photography but never had the chance or anyone to show me the steps on how to do photography. I know some which are point, shoot and take the picture. I have a Nikon D810, GoPro Hero 7 black edition and iPhone 11 Pro max.

Some of the people I've asked they didn't say much they just said "search Google" on what though? My learning disabilities some what have passed and can learn at a faster pace but still need some guidance on how to work the camera. I know reading the manual or watching YouTube videos will be best but there is nothing around my area where I live in central Georgia that has a camera store besides all the electronic stores...Yes I tried Best Buy they were not much of a help.

I also want to know how to shoot video with my GoPro Hero 7 black edition and edit them in Adobe Premiere Pro.

 

[vintagesnaps]

What do you already know how to do? I'm wondering what would be a good starting point. Depends on how you learn best, reading an article? watching a video? seeing a demonstration?

 

[Soocom1]

Step 1: Get a lower end camera to learn on. Higher end cameras will come in time. A Point and Shoot may not work as well as you would like. But keep the budget low. A used Nikon 50D or such will work fine.

2: Regardless of the make or model, ASK QUESTIONS FROM EVERYONE ONE HERE!
We will answer.

There are no dumb questions, only no questions asked.

3: Anything your confused about ask again.

4: Take each step carefully.

5: Dont let anyone talk you intk anything high priced, start small and work up.

6: Ask questions, ask questions ask questions.

7: Dont stop asking questions.

 

[AlanKlein79 18]

Adobe has good videos on their products You could start there for Adobe Premiere Pro. I use Adobe Premiere Elements and have used their videos. They also have a forum that I found very helpful in getting good responses from Adobe people who seem to know the product very well. Good luck.

 

[Soocom1]

KEH is in Smerna GA, they sell used equipment and have experts on hand that can def. help.

 

[Original katomi]

Make notes that you can refer back to.
Make a list of just what your aims are for that shoot.
Eg indoor vs outdoor.
Sit at home or on location and in your mind try and run through the stages noting any points that you will need to change
Eg photo of family and something in the background is clashing
Just thoughts for now,if you give an example I will try and talk you through my thoughts before I shoot something the same

 

[Michael Smith 12]

I will give you the same advice I give everyone.
Buy an entry-level camera with a decent lens set first. Check out photography websites, get an understanding of basic photography through articles and videos and go outside with your camera. Keep practicing, remembering what you learnt. Then go back, read again, go out, shoot again. Repeat a few weeks/months/years and you will become a photographer

 

[Designer]

I know some which are point, shoot and take the picture..

Set all functions of your camera to "auto" and use it as a "point-and-shoot".

Since we don't know what more you want to do, ask more specific questions. We get questions all the time about specific settings on the camera, so we're ready when you are.

 

[JustJazzie]

Good morning!

My advice to you would be to work with a mentor and work with ONE teacher at a time. For someone who has trouble learning, too many opinions and suggestions can lead to confusion which would create more mental struggle. Find someone who's work you admire who's been shooting a while and ask them if they will guide you.

Also know that learning is a process for everyone, and especially with art, its never about the destination, its about the journey.

How do you best learn? Are you a visual learner? Auditory? Do you learn from reading? Its important to identify that first so you can connect with a mentor in a format that works best work with you. Perhaps email is the best format to teach, or maybe Skype is better for you.

First,
Set your focus: "I want to learn to shoot portraits (or landscapes, or whatever)

Then,
Set clear, attainable goals for yourself, something open like "I would like to learn ONE new thing a week"

Finally,
Shoot with intention. (the method for this will depend on your focus)

 

[Warhorse]

Am I understanding your original post correctly, you already own a D810?

 

[Original katomi]

Post 9
Try setting out on paper or a note book and ticking off as you master

 

[Derrel]

John Hedgcoe's book John Hedgecoe's Complete Photography Course. Now that we are free from needing to select a film, photography has become even easier. We no longer need to choose black and white or between color slide film or color print film. We now can take photos without the need to develop film, or to send film out to a lab for processing. Learning how to become proficient in photography is much easier and cheaper and faster these days than it used to be. I think within a couple of years you will become quite proficient. Photography is not that difficult to learn, especially now that we are working with digital images.

The advantage to working with a book is that you can see the various aspects of The Craft broken down into their component parts, which will greatly aid you in doing searches on YouTube. For example Hedgecoe is one of the best teachers as far as learning how to see light, how to understand light, and how to position yourself in relation to the light to make good pictures.

There are other teachers who have written pretty good books such as Michael Freeman and I think also Brian Peterson's book Understanding Exposure is also good if somewhat more simplistic in its approach.

A lot of modern books are what I call "recipe books", and deal pretty heavily with specific software apps and how to do something in a cookie cutter way, and focus much less on the basics, on the nuts and bolts of the field than did John Hedgecoe. He wrote 32 books about how to learn photographic technique and almost every one of them is much like the others, with over eight or nine hundred to as many as 1,200 small illustrations and short descriptions of how to do things. This book approach is very different from today's typical six-minute YouTube video.

 

[JustJazzie]

Oh! Also, you may look into one of the many UDEMY courses on photography. I have really enjoyed all of courses I have signed up for over there- though not for photography specifically. Things are broken down into videos with a teacher guiding you through each topic. You can view the videos over and over- but with a specific scope and sequence to the course. You can usually find a coupon code and get the classes for $20 or less.

 

[Derrel]

If you have a book such as the one I suggested you have a map, a guide, on topics, which you can use in your search on YouTube.

There is an old expression, " You don't know what it is that you do not know." I think it is silly to tell a beginner that he should Google things or look for YouTube videos when that beginner has no idea what it is that he wishes to be shown how to do.

Let us say that you were interested in studio portraiture. Do you think you would find videos about how to set up a gridded hair light if you did not know about the use of hair ights which have been fitted with a grid? Do you think you would be able to make a search for contre jour lighting if you were not made aware that such a type of lighting existed? This is why I recommend that people who are interested in the field a photography get a good guide book, as a way to outline the field that lies hidden before them.

YouTube has lots of videos, but they are not organized in any real way, and Google leads us to all sorts of web-published articles, but unless we know what it is that we are looking for, the chances of us finding the knowledge that we seek is extremely remote.

Start with a book and use it to shape your understanding of the field of photography. I gave you the title of a book that you can buy for $5 or so on the used Market.

 

[Derrel]

CreativeLive.com offers free classes on their first publication , but you can pay a fee and have permanent access to the classes if you want.

What I mean is that the class is conducted live over 1 or 2 or 3 days, but if you want to re-watch or have continued access, you pay for the class, and they give you download links or Links at which you can watch it over and over again.