What was the one photography tip you learned after which you no longer felt like a beginner?

[textures4photoshop]

Hi guys,

I've written an article called "A Photographer Journey From Beginner to Pro. Rules and Tips From Pros" (don't want to post the link here since this is my first post on the forum).

I'm curious to find out what was for you the thing that you learned that made you say "From now on I'm not just playing with my DSLR".

For me it was finding about the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed triangle

Looking forwards for your feedback which might help me extend the article

Thanks!
John

 

[john.margetts]

I had been a competent photographer for 35 years before I bought my first DSLR camera. My big learning was to find out what those four little levers on the front of my Agfa folding camera did. No instructions with the (then) forty year old camera and no one to ask.

 

[textures4photoshop]

thank you for the feedback!

and now you got me curious, I've recently picked up a couple of film cameras myself. what agfa camera model did you have and what did the levers do?

 

[Destin]

There was no single tip that made me feel like I wasn’t a beginner anymore.

Reaching the point of being able to consistently produce good photos in any light was when I was confident enough to no longer consider myself a beginner.

 

[KmH]

Yep. It's a feeling that develops over time and really can't be boiled down to just 1 thing.
The length of that time frame is a function of how aggressively a new photographer pursues learning the art and craft of making photographs.

 

[textures4photoshop]

I know that every photographer's journey is different, but I'm looking for "eureka" moments, tips/tricks that were eye-openers

Here's what I have so far:
A Photographer Journey From Beginner to Pro. Rules and Tips From Pros

 

[snowbear]

When I discovered that "ASA" changed her name to "ISO".

 

[textures4photoshop]

Haha

but joking aside, it took me some digging on the internet to explore how to set my Sema 8M

 

[Braineack]

Being able to consistently frame & focus with appropriate settings and technique.

If I look back at images I've taken from even 2010 my framing was bad (very close up of faces) and many were blurry because I just shot in A without any regard to what the camera was choosing.

 

[Gary A.]

Fill the Frame.

 

[textures4photoshop]

Being able to consistently frame & focus with appropriate settings and technique.

If I look back at images I've taken from even 2010 my framing was bad (very close up of faces) and many were blurry because I just shot in A without any regard to what the camera was choosing.

I also shoot almost exclusively in A - but that's Aperture priority, I think you meant A as in Auto

Framing is very important indeed, and a lot of beginner photographers don't realize that. Cutting parts of the subject is not really desirable.

Also, background is as important as the foreground, so you need to pay attention to both.

Thank you for your response

 

[textures4photoshop]

Fill the Frame.

Definitely a good one!

btw, love the photos on your website! Did you really take the photo of Gregory Peck?!?

Also, may I ask what film/camera you use?

 

[textures4photoshop]

Yep. It's a feeling that develops over time and really can't be boiled down to just 1 thing.
The length of that time frame is a function of how aggressively a new photographer pursues learning the art and craft of making photographs.

A pro photographer told me that going out and shooting is the best photography class you can take

 

[dunfly]

When you read a pro tip and think to yourself "well, heck, everyone knows that" and then read the comments and realize that "well, everyone doesn't know that".

 

[Gary A.]

Fill the Frame.

Definitely a good one!

btw, love the photos on your website! Did you really take the photo of Gregory Peck?!?

Also, may I ask what film/camera you use?

Yes those are mine. I used to be a news photog during the film only days. Those old B&W's were all shot with Tri-X and various Nikons: F, FTn, FM, F2, F3 and an occasional photo with a Hasselblad.