Suggestions for "re-learning" photography?

[DaveAndHolly219]

Little backstory: I got very into photography when I was younger and got pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. Life got in the way and I stopped shooting with any level of seriousness maybe 10 years or so ago.

I really want to get back into it and I'm wondering how to best go about re-learning everything I lost. Basics like camera settings, white balance, exposure, lighting, etc.

Books? YouTube channels? Other?

Hit me with your suggestions!

 

[john.margetts]

If it is a case of re-learning just spending half an hour with a camera should do the trick.

 

[Designer]

There are almost too many books available, and some are better than others. Books and videos will help quite a bit. Books on lighting, composition, digital editing, etc. Look at several You Tube channels and find a few that are informative without being condescending or self-aggrandizing, with videos covering what you're interested in. As always, ask questions on here. There are pros and former pros who are willing to help, providing you are ready to learn. Post a photo for which you have a question in the appropriate forum, and you will get expert advice within a few day's time.

 

[photo1x1.com]

I´m with john.margetts spending a bit of time with your camera will soon get your memories back. Things you do a lot and are good at won´t be lost after a few years of absence.

 

[dunfly]

First question is did you learn shooting film and, if so, will you be shooting in digital. I was in the same boat as you but I originally learned on film cameras and started up again in digital. If you are moving to digital from film, there is a considerable learning curve, particularly in post processing. If you were shooting digital and will now be shooting digital, you should be good to go without too much pain.

 

[Derrel]

The Photo Forum is a place I might check out to see if some learning could be had there. It has a lot of people willing to help with questions, sometimes with example photos, or links to good articles or blog posts on specific issues, practices, or topics.

Books are plentiful, and there are books for many topics. Blogs and web sites are also plentiful. I like The Visual Science Lab, and occasionally read PetaPixel, used to read The Strobist Blog, and also hit up the Sekonic YouTube channel, as well as the Broncolor YouTube channel. I see the digitial education site Cambridge In Color referenced quite often here, as a way for people to get a refresher course on digitial imaging basics.

 

[dasmith232]

I'll throw in another vote for the tutorials on "Cambridge In Colour".

Also, I like a lot of what's over at Digital Photography School's site. I used to be a regular there before they shut down the forum part. But I think a lot of the tutorials there are in nice "bite-sized" chunks.

 

[fmw]

Go forth and shoot. It will all come together.

 

[weepete]

I found books very useful, some websites and of course this forum! The ones I found most useful are:

Books:
Scott Kelby's Digital photography series of books
The Digital picture by Jeff Shewe
The Digital print by Jeff Shewe
Light, Science and Magic
Adobe Photoshop: Classroom in a book
Adobe Lightroom CC: Classroom in a book

Websites:
www.thephotoforum.com
www.cambridgeincolor.com
www.dpreview.com
www.digitalrev.com
www.the-digital-picture.com

 

[Gary A.]

Take a class at Community College or Adult School. Both are quite affordable, and the classroom structure is helpful to stay on track and focused.

 

[table1349]

Lesson 1. R.T. F. M. TWICE!!!!! (Keep it on hand)

Lesson 2. Pick up camera, go fort and take photos.

Lesson 3. Examine you work and decide how you can make it better/more to your liking.

Lesson 4. Physics haven't changed, you have just gotten rusty. Doing will shake off the rust.

Lesson 5. Once you learn you never forget how to ride a bicycle. Same with photography. Practice will bring your former skills back and will help you improve on those skills.

 

[jcdeboever]

PM

 

[zombiesniper]

As has been stated above, if you were shooting digital before then the best learning the gear is going to be RTM and shooting. Re-learning techniques and retriggering the dormant photographer in you could be as easy as getting out there and shooting. If this is not the case do a quick search of your question here/google/youtube and the answer should come up.

If you are coming from film to digital there is a bit more to learn. Depending on your tech abilities (Hey your online, It can't be all hammer and chisel ) this may or mayn't come easy.

Either way I would suggest reading the manual first. If you have questions, ask.
Second get out there and try. If you have questions, ask.
Learn as much as you need for post processing. Don't stress about how to do advanced processing until the basics are down. If you have questions, ask. (See a theme?)

Hope this helps.
Now get started. There's no time like the present.

 

[nickgillespie]

Shoot, review, post here, ask questions and cc... watch youtube for technical stuff, rinse and repeat.

 

[loonatic45414]

If shooting digital, focus on the art aspect. That's where you'll make the biggest impact. Techniques can be learned or re-learned on YouTube, then you can go from there.

Digital cameras are pretty much idiot-proof. They do everything for you. Most people feel they need to over-saturate the colors to the extreme and pump up the contrast. I would resist that urge, personally.

Explore with changing light, try the pastel look, play with under-saturation, light/dark levels, consider the strength of shapes and angles, try using flash effectively.

Have fun with it and when you're ready to explore technical aspects, it will all fall into place better. Look at what others are doing on Flickr for ideas.