The hubby got me a digital camera for Christmas. It’s a Sony DSC W-7, and it is so very, very sexy. In my completely uneducated opinion, it seems to have a good suite of automatic options, plus plenty of opportunities to tweak the settings, and a manual mode as well.
I’ve been playing around with it, but, as has always been the case, all my pictures look amateurish and snapshotty. I really enjoy good photographs, and whenever I see one my heart fills with yearning and I think, Damn, I wish I could do that! I’m studying the manual, experimenting with the different modes, and working on composition (the rule of thirds, foreground framing). I’m sure that I will improve with practice, but the question is, what kind of practice should I be doing?
Are there any good tutorials that will give me some guidance? I’d really like some exercises . . . assignments . . . structure . . . I feel kind of silly wandering around snapping pictures of random things in the hopes that some day I won’t suck, plus I don’t want to miss any important basics.
My knowledge of (non-astronomical) photography is very poor, but I’m very comfortable with CCDs and digital imagery. (For example, I note with glee that my camera has an on-screen histogram display, and when I read that it does a dark frame subtraction, that gave me great geeky pleasure.) But on the theory that I should start with basics, and that a Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing, I’m trying not to monkey with the settings too much. I’m also trying very, very hard to resist the urge to load images into GIMP to tweak the bejeezus out of them. Basically, I feel like I should master the point-n-shoot basics first, then start exploring manual settings and postprocessing. Is that a good instinct?
You seem to have a couple of different questions there; one being how to compose photographs so that they look interesting (i.e. not “snapshotty”) and the other being how to make best use of the particular features of the digital camera. Now I’ve just gotten into photography in the last few months–I have a Sony DSC V3, which is a somewhat upscale version of the camera you have–and exclusively in digital format, so take my advice for what it’s worth.
There are a lot of books on photography; Photography by Barbara London, et al, seems to be the most popular, but doesn’t cover digital photography in any but the most shallow manner. There are also a lot of books on digital photography; unfortunately, most have scant coverage of actual composition or technique, preferring to focus on what software package you should use and the like. I have yet to find a good reference on digital SLRs (which isn’t an issue for you). The Sony manual is okay at providing basic information about what the various modes do but doesn’t offer any real advice on actual photography technique or the like.
The best book on composition I’ve found so far (and am currently reading) is Axel Bruck’s Practical Composition in Photography. He explains image composition beyond simple “rule of thirds” type guidelines and goes into quite a bit of detail regarding contrast, color versus B&W, the “movement” of the composition, and so forth. It’s pre-digital, so he talks strictly in terms of film but the techniques are all valid. Unfortunately, it appears to be out of print, but try the local library–in fact, go and check out half a dozen books on photography that look interesting and try various techniques, at different times, different places, different viewpoints, different conditions until you get a feel for what you like. I’ve ended up with some great shots of Santa Monica pier…at 3am. :eek:
Anyway, just take pictures and more pictures; with digital, it’s cheap to go with trial-and-error.
Well, in photography lighting is almost everything, so indoor flash pictures taken with the W-7 are going to look a bit snapshotish because of the location of the flash – all the pictures will be flat-lit and, unless the subject is far from a wall, you’ll have some harsh shadows. Using soft existing light will help a lot. Make sure your shutter speed is high enough to avoid camera shake, or use a tripod.
Digital cameras are ideal for practicing. You can take a hundred pictures of a single subject if you want, varying the settings and deciding what works. And the camera records the exposure, so you don’t even have to write it down.
I would say don’t worry yourselfs about the specifics of digital photography, but rather photography in general. The camera itself is merely a tool, and when I made the transition from film to digital, I can’t really say much changed about the way I shoot, other than now I take many more pictures and have instant feedback about my lighting and metering.
In my very simplified opinion, there are two main characteristics that separate a professional-quality photographer from an amateur snapper: attention to lighting and composition. Explaining lighting would take visual aids and time that I cannot dedicate to this post, but I can simplify composition into one basic guildeline: fill the frame. Too many casual photographers include WAY WAY too much visual information in their photographs. Compose your photographs such that no extraneous detail enters the frame. As Robert Capa once said, “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”
Of course, what consitutes “extraneous detail” is a matter of opinion, but that one compositional principle–either getting closer to the subject or zooming in more–is the quickest way to better pictures.
The easiest way to teach is through example and critique of your work. My emails in my profile if you want me to review some of your pics and give you advice. I can’t really recommend any books, but from what I’ve seen of John Hedgecoe’s books, they seem to be very informative, easy to understand, and should steer you in the right direction.
Thanks for the suggestions. I guess I’ll keep snapping away, and hit the library if I can find the time. Finagle, that makes sense, about the flash. For some reason the camera doesn’t seem smart enough to adjust its own white balance for the flash, either. I’ll turn it off when I can. I might take you up on your offer, pulykamell, if I ever come up with anything I’m not completely ashamed of.
I agree with puly. When I was in photo school, I learned more from just looking at photographs from as wide a range of photographers as possible. Learn the history. Learn what’s possible. Your ideas will springboard off of those. Look at paintings too, to gain a sense of composition. Spend time in museums, contemplate. It all sticks.
Lots of good advice, here. Read lots about photography and composition in general, look at lots of photos (and paintings and drawings) from artists you admire and try to articulate what you like about them and, above all, take lots and lots of pictures.
Some free, online resources you might be interested in:[ul][li]Photo Composition Articles - Index site (some links are better than others).[/li][li]MorgueFile - 10 Lessons in composition and technique.[/li][li]The Luminous Landscape - Very good tutorial and technical reference site.[/li][li]Digital Photography Review - Hardware review site but also has an extensive online Glossary and busy community forums.[/ul]Some photo sharing communities you might be interested in:[ul][]Flickr - Lively, growing community of enthusiasts (mostly amateurs) with a multitude of discussion groups on a variety of topics including technique, equipment and critique (Shameless, self-promoting link to my photostream.)[/li][]photo.net - Another community but with more pros and high standards. Not always accomodating to newbies but a great place watch and learn.[/ul]Also, you might look into community camera clubs or take a course at your local college. This will give you real-life feedback on your work.
I agree with everything everyone else has already said. Just wanted to add another good photography web site to the list: BetterPhoto.com. It has a great online community, offers online courses (for a fee), and has a free monthly photo contest you can enter. I get inspired just by reviewing the contest entries.
I also endorse Hodge’s recommendation to join a local camera club. I’m a member of the Fort Worth Camera Club and I’ve learned a lot from my fellow club members.
A simple (although hardly inviolable) “rule” of composition I heard from a friend was “Don’t put the main subject of the picture in the dead center of the frame.” The rationale is that symmetry is boring and static, asymmetry suggests motion and creates interest.
A centered subject is obviously a common characteristic of snapshots, so much so that your camera may make it hard to follow my “rule.” Most cameras focus and expose on whatever’s in the center circle, so an off-center subject may end up out of focus and under- or overexposed. But many cameras have a focus/exposure lock feature where if you press lightly on the shutter button while centered on your subject, it will lock those settings as long as you’re holding the button. Set your new (off-center) composition, then press harder to release the shutter.
Another common mistake: the busy background. If your subject is in the foreground, check the frame for how the subject relates to the background. If there’s a flagpole protruding from the top of your model’s head, move a foot or two to one side. A model’s dark hair or clothes could blend into a dark background. Simple beginner’s mistakes to remember and avoid.
What made me a better photographer is the same way to get to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice. Climb that learning curve before those “special” moments. Don’t be afraid to take pictures. Lots of them. It doesn’t cost any more to take 1 picture than 200 with a digital camera. Embrace that freedom and have fun.
How? Take your camera everywhere with you. Bring it with you in the car. Take it to work. Keep it with you when you go out to dinner. When you go to the park. You want to take pictures in as many environments as you can. Inside, outside, dim light, bright light, sunrise, sunset, midday. Whenever, wherever you see something that tickles your fancy. Take 10 or 20 shots of the same scene, changing settings between them, zooming in and out, moving around to get different perspectives.
Eventually the camera will become a part of you. OK, you won’t become a cyborg but you’ll be able to look at a scene and instinctively adjust the camera. You’ll get a more keepers from each photo shoot. You’ll learn what you enjoy taking pictures of, too.
I also looked at photo magazines for amateurs. The British ones seemed to be most helpful. The question and answer columns are great for tips while the articles usually include examples that I could compare to my shots.
