What should I know absolutely?
To pretend to do photography, beyond grabbing your phone and tapping its nice touch screen as a trigger, you must know some things. The good thing is that this number is quite small: you can start photography with a limited amount of knowledge, and enrich this database as you go along.
Know what you're talking about: vocabulary
Nothing is more frustrating than listening to two thoughtful photographers or reading a photo thread on the Web while understanding only a word or two. Like all disciplines, photography has its language.
Learn photography in the field ... Photo © P. Lando
On Pix Populi, you will not be bored with technical terms for fun and to make interesting, but you must know how to manipulate essential key terms such as focal length, depth of field, openness, sensitivity, etc.
As a first step, read the basic article on photo vocabulary. It's the survival guide! Then, afterward, you can come back, as you learn, on our lexicon of photography.
Ok, once the basic terms are under control, let's get down to business: framing.
Know how to frame a photo
Once the basics of vocabulary are assimilated, you will learn to watch. Yes, you read correctly! Before you take control of your new camera, we will explain a few basic rules so that your eye gets used to accurately compose images according to the scenes that are presented to him.
This part of framing or composition is essential. We will not talk about technical things, but you must make sure you have assimilated this before you start to photograph: framing and composition in photography.
Light, the basic component of a photo
To make a photograph, your camera will only use one element, and which element: the light. On Pix Populi, you will learn to manage the light, as they say: recognize the conditions in which you photograph, adjust the camera to expose a photo or know how to overcome a lack of brightness are skills that you must acquire.
Take the time to study our light and photo exhibition management tutorial thoroughly. It's a tricky part, affordable but not trivial: do not try to control everything in 5 minutes, persevere, and if it does not go, ask for help on the photo forum!
The depth of field: the blur and the net!
The last important thing you need to understand is the depth of field, in other words, the sharp areas and blurred areas of the image. As a photographer, it's up to you to decide which shot should be clear, which shot should be unclear, or that the whole picture should be clear!
To control the depth of field, there are 2 or 3 little things to assimilate. Read the tutorial Depth of field carefully: blur or net? , and experiment with your camera!
Ten tips to make a beautiful picture
Once you understand the light, the framing and the depth of field, you will be ready to make your first beautiful photos! In the meantime, you can also discover our ten tips to make a beautiful photograph, which will bring you some other tips to succeed your shots.
And now, at work!
Truce of whim, it's now time to get started! And do not forget: you are never alone on Pix Populi if you have a problem, a doubt or a misunderstanding, hundreds of confirmed photographers can help you on the forum specialized in photography!