Photography 101: Helpful Hints and Tips for Beginners
Over the past few years, I have learned much about photography, from trial and error, professional photographers (thanks, guys!) and basic photo classes. I want to pass along some of what I've learned.
#1. Start slow, start small, and be realistic without limiting your adventuresome nature.
Don't rush into photography, and don't start with some fancy camera. You'll wind up wasting time and money. I recommend a disposable camera such as Fuji or Kodak (no, I don't own stock in either company!) to cut your photographic teeth on. Seriously, though, some of the best pics I've snapped have come via a disposable. They're usually inexpensive, too, which is a definite plus.
Don't expect to capture that ONE PERFECT PICTURE OF A LIFETIME. It doesn't exist. The sooner you learn this, the sooner you'll enjoy the pictures you take. And believe me, even if you THINK you've taken the picture of your life, you'll nearly always bound to take an even better one. The more chances you take, the more pictures of a lifetime you're likely to snap.
#2. Know your camera.
Even the most basic disposable camera has at least two tools to operate; the film advance wheel (also known as the wind-up clicky thing that you have to press to get from one picture to the next - of course, that's the technical term) and the shutter release button (the button that you push to take a picture.)
More advanced disposables have a flash feature, which (surprise, surprise) enables the user to inject a flash of light into the composition (composition = what you're taking a picture of; also called the subject, if you want to sound pretentious.) Obviously, the flash should be used when you are using your camera in low light situations. Be aware, however, that the flash tends to cast a bright light only a few feet in front of the camera. So, if you're trying to shoot a picture of something in a dark setting from many feet away, it may not be worthwhile. But, experiment, experiment, experiment.
And finally, some disposables come with a panoramic option. This is perfect for wide-angle shots. It changes the compositional layout of your picture from a basic rectangular shape to a horizontally elongated shape. I find it particularly interesting (for storm pictures, especially!) to hold the camera vertically while using the panoramic camera vertically. That way, you can get the highest ratios of ground to sky to cloud, and a real feeling of height.
Which brings me to the next suggestion...
#3. Cameras don't have to be held in one position.
Just like the panoramic mode, regular cameras take great shots when they're held at different angles. Go wild, go crazy! Hold those cameras diagonally! (It'll give you something to talk about at dinner parties if you hang the photos on the wall, too!)
#4. Study That Manual!
Let's face it. Most of us don't like to spend hours reading boring manual instructions. They're usually dry, and sometimes hard to understand. But, it's important to understand how your camera really operates under different conditions. So, if you've opted to move "up" (I say "up" in relation to degree of difficulty and skill involved in operation) from a disposable to an automatic camera, be sure to devote enough time to learning which buttons do what. It's worthwhile.
Try out the different options. For example, learn how to use the delay timer (will you have enough time to get in front of the camera before it goes off?), or how to get the appropriate setting for action shots to minimize blurriness in your pictures. You can get artistic with blur, to be sure, but many times it can detract from a picture's overall appearance. Remember, though, only YOU can and should judge the quality of your print.
#5. You Say Opening, and I Say Aperture...
Okay, so you've moved "up" from an automatic camera to more manually-controlled one. Don't let those photography terms intimidate you. More than likely, with a manually-controlled camera, you will have the opportunity to set the aperture and the f-stop. APERTURE refers to an opening inside the camera that controls how much light can be delivered to the film. The larger the amount of available light, the less time the hole will have to be open, the smaller the hole needs to be, and the smaller the aperture setting needs to be. (Because light burns images onto film, brighter light will require less time to burn the image onto the film.)
Similarly, a darker situation will require a larger opening, because it will take exposure to MORE light to burn the image onto the film. Therefore, for dark situations, the aperture would have to be set at a, say it all together, HIGHER setting.
The F-STOP setting on your camera is conversely proportional to the APERTURE setting on your camera! (Basically, if one is set high, the other will automatically be set low.) Don't ask about the specifics, that's just the way it is.
A high F-Stop number setting will result in a better-focused picture. A low F-Stop number allows you to focus on one object, while blurring out the rest of the background or foreground (depending on what you're shooting.) The larger the aperture setting is, the smaller the f-stop number will be. A low f-stop setting means the film is more exposed to light (because the aperture will be larger) and will require a faster film speed. (The faster the film speed, the less light is required to burn the image onto the film.)
#6. Film Speed
Typically, you want to use a faster speed of film (800) if you'll be photographing in darker/dimmer situations. A slower film speed (200) is great for bright, sunny days or well-lit (I mean WELL - as in flourescent/halogen/day-glo orange - lit) rooms.
For storms, I usually stick to a faster speed of film. I prefer 800, but 400 sometimes does the job. It depends on how close I will be getting. Anything under the meso is wasted on film less than 400, and really should be shot with 800. That's my opinion, because I've lost a good deal of pictures due to lack of sufficient light, and a miscalculation thereof. When in doubt, go for the higher film speed.
#7. What To Shoot, Where To Shoot It
Now that you've learned how your camera operates, it's time to take to the streets (or stay inside, if you prefer) and put your picture taking skills to work! Some people choose to start with still objects, trying out various shades of light to work with. Some choose to dive right into action shots. It doesn't really matter, as long as you have fun doing it. But here are a couple of Do's and Don'ts that I find helpful to remember.
Do:
Be mindful of your available light sources, and plan accordingly when it comes to film speed.
Be aware that posed pictures will invariably look posed. I prefer to not have my subjects pose (which is good, since many of them are storms or wildlife anyway) as I think it detracts from the "natural" look.
Be sure to keep your lens(es) clean. Carry a supply of soft cloth wipes (some photo stores sell fancy wipes, but I use the same type of wipes I clean my glasses with.) This goes for the whole camera, actually. A clean camera is a healthy camera is a happy camera!
Store your film in the refrigerator. I don't know why it works, but it does. Also, use your film by the "Use By" date for best results.
Don't:
Don't get over-zealous and put your film in the freezer. Refrigerator is okay, but NOT the freezer. Save that space for your Fudgesicles or Ice Cream Bars or whatever.
Don't EVER point your camera directly towards the sun to take a picture. Aside from potentially damaging your eyes, you'll ruin your picture.
On a similar note, don't have your subjects (if they're human or animal) facing the sun directly if it's bright out. It's hard to look into, and your picture will be full of squinting individuals. Again, the potential is there to ruin the picture with too much light, too.
Don't put yourself in mortal danger to get a picture. Trust me, if you're SERIOUSLY risking your life to get a photo, it's probably not worth it.
Don't leave your camera where it can get dirty, stepped on, sat on, or misplaced. Kind of common-sense, but you'd be surprised how, in the heat of the moment, one can forget and just plop the camera down anywhere.
This is more of a suggestion than an absolute "DON'T," but if a person asks you not to take their picture, you really shouldn't. Respect people's desire to stay off film. I have it easy because I'm the family photographer now, but when I was younger, I seriously hated getting my picture taken, and was really bothered when it was snapped anyway. A person who shies away from the camera isn't saying "Yes, I want my picture taken." Take the hint, and back off.
#8. Storm Photography Suggestions
Try not to take pictures while driving. It really isn't safe, even if you have someone hold the wheel for you. Pull over to the side of the road (unless you have a tornado bearing down on you - in which case, get the hell out of there. As a general rule, though, NEVER try to outrun one with your car unless you're ABSOLUTELY sure of the direction it is moving, and ABSOLUTELY sure you can accelerate fast enough to drive ahead of it.)
DO NOT STOP TO PHOTOGRAPH A TORNADO THAT IS CLOSELY AND/OR DIRECTLY BEHIND YOU. CLOSE = 2 MILES OR LESS, IN MY BOOK. TORNADOES CAN EASILY AND QUICKLY CHANGE DIRECTIONS, AND THEY DON'T COME WITH DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS.
For lightning shots, get a tripod. You can't get a decent shot without one. Practice lightning safety procedures, too. Don't get out of your vehicle if there is a lot of CG (Cloud-to-Ground) lightning!
Occasionally, hold that camera vertically to get in as much of the storm structure as you can. It's nice to go back and look at the WHOLE picture, so to speak.
Be mindful that people around you may not want you to photograph storm structural damage (i.e. damage to houses, trailers, movie theaters, schools, etc.) DO NOT attempt to photograph people or their belongings after a major storm, unless THEY approach you first and ask you to photograph them or their belongings. It's just plain rude, otherwise.
In general, be mindful of other drivers on the road. They may not have the same desire to get to a monster storm that you do (imagine that!) and remember to respect their space. Don't tailgate.
A very neat thing to remember to photograph is fallen hail. If you can't get a picture of hail as it's falling out of the sky or hitting a water source (large hail will make it look like ponds, lakes, puddles, pools, etc. are boiling, and very cool to capture on film) take a picture of hail that's already fallen on the ground. Use a dime or some other small object for scale (meaning, lay the hailstones next to the object) to refer back to later. I love pictures of large hail!
Protect your camera from rain, snow, sleet, and other precipitation, obviously.
R
a
i
n
b
o
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are some of my favorite things to photograph. Even the worst storm can leave behind a beautiful, serene rainbow in its wake. For a rainbow picture, you need to be between the sun and the precipitation source, and the sun's angle needs to be between 38 and 45 degrees away from you. I've found that 42 degrees is the optimal.
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