D
Deleted member 96197
Guest
The comments here are great, but they keep edging away from the basics.
.
Being able to "see" the photo is all fine and good, but if you are talking about the "green button" or auto setting on the camera, then what you first need to know is how the camera actually functions in order to improve the quality of your photos. This is where the basic photography class comes in, before you worry about shooting in RAW, you should be able to capture a well exposed and properly focused photo that is immedately baked in to a jpg in the camera. This is why pros can pick up an iphone or point and shoot, and still get a quality photo. Of course the potential results will be better with a better camera, but a poorly exposed and improperly focused photo can be taken with any camrea.
.
Henri Cartier Bresson said your first 10,000 photos will be your worst. This was in the days of film where every photo had to be intentional, there was no green button in 1950. Now I still agree, your first 10,000 "intentional" photos are where most your learning will take place. When I say intentional, an intentional photo is when you have a reason for each setting on the camera, as well as your placement in relation to the subject and the framing of the photo, anything short of that could get a good photo, but it will be by luck, which doesn't help you learn. With that in mind:
The first task for your software should not be photo editing, as referenced above, the first task should be sorting and organizing. If you start editing too much too early without learning the physics, your photos might look better quicker, but your ability will quickly be limited to what the software can help you do, rather than what could be potentially captured in the photo.
.
I'm not trying to knock any of the advice given here, but it's easy to forget what it takes to really get started, and the advice you were given about getting out of the auto settings is the right place to start. While you're picking a class, or to prepare for it, or potentially even skip it, this book is where I have started my students in the past (https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photography-Book-Part-2nd/dp/0321934946). It truly breaks down the basics. While you're doing this, look at as many photos as possible.
.
Being able to "see" the photo is all fine and good, but if you are talking about the "green button" or auto setting on the camera, then what you first need to know is how the camera actually functions in order to improve the quality of your photos. This is where the basic photography class comes in, before you worry about shooting in RAW, you should be able to capture a well exposed and properly focused photo that is immedately baked in to a jpg in the camera. This is why pros can pick up an iphone or point and shoot, and still get a quality photo. Of course the potential results will be better with a better camera, but a poorly exposed and improperly focused photo can be taken with any camrea.
.
Henri Cartier Bresson said your first 10,000 photos will be your worst. This was in the days of film where every photo had to be intentional, there was no green button in 1950. Now I still agree, your first 10,000 "intentional" photos are where most your learning will take place. When I say intentional, an intentional photo is when you have a reason for each setting on the camera, as well as your placement in relation to the subject and the framing of the photo, anything short of that could get a good photo, but it will be by luck, which doesn't help you learn. With that in mind:
The first task for your software should not be photo editing, as referenced above, the first task should be sorting and organizing. If you start editing too much too early without learning the physics, your photos might look better quicker, but your ability will quickly be limited to what the software can help you do, rather than what could be potentially captured in the photo.
.
I'm not trying to knock any of the advice given here, but it's easy to forget what it takes to really get started, and the advice you were given about getting out of the auto settings is the right place to start. While you're picking a class, or to prepare for it, or potentially even skip it, this book is where I have started my students in the past (https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photography-Book-Part-2nd/dp/0321934946). It truly breaks down the basics. While you're doing this, look at as many photos as possible.
