How to Get Into Photography

Learning how to get into the beautiful and tiring world of photography has never been so easy nowadays thanks to the currently available technology and the amount of information we can access. But what is the best and easiest way to get started into photography? Maybe you just want to capture better photos of your holiday to get that perfect insta shot so your friends and co-workers can be jelly about it, take better pictures of your family during Eid, Christmas or any other holidays, or you’re looking for a hobby to do in your free time cause apparently staying at home browsing through memes isn't exactly a hobby. There are many resources online that teach you how to get sharper images or various photography techniques but there aren’t many that explains how to get started into photography and I am bored to death during this quarantine and the many assignment given by the lecturers on my uni decided to put together this list of random things you should know to get started in photography. Start SIMPLE Use THAT Smartphone

Today’s smartphones are fantastic devices for taking photos. Their hardware and software are so advanced and easy to use that no matter your level of expertise with tech tools, it will be very easy to start snapping the hell away. You will have it always with you since you seems to always wait for them to reply your messages (they doesn't like you like that, leave them and do photography instead!!) and it also delivers sharp and detailed enough photos that are better than a lot of point and shoot cameras on the market today. You can start using your default phone camera and if you feel like you want to get naughty and tweak the hell out of that hot ootd you just took for your crush with something a bit more advanced so its gonna look fancy af you can download a third-party app like Lightroom (not sponsored) Mobile and have a go with some of the basics concepts of photography like exposure, depth of field, ISO how to manually focus end so forth.

“The best camera is the one you have with you”-Chase Jarvis

Learn COMPOSITION In the beginning when using your phone or your camera, you’ll most likely to use auto mode almost all the time like the basic person you are. Before you gonna jumped into camera settings or dealing with complex technicalities:

• Learn how to compose those shots. (so you wont miss your shot lol)

• Learn how light affects your photos.

• What is the best time of the day to take photos?

• How to position your subjects in your composition so that your final image is compelling and worth sharing?

There is not a single existing camera, lens or device that will compose a great photo that your heart so desire for you. Photography, in the end, is a creative process that allows you to express yourself and your personal style so get that shutters snapping already. Choose the RIGHT gear

So you’ve started shooting with your smartphone or mom old compact camera, a few days, weeks, and months went by and you feel more confident with how to compose your shots. You see the world in a different way now like a teenager who just found out and learn about some forbidden things which will not be disclosed here and you’ve decided that photography is for you and you want to make it your hobby and get better at it because you feeling risky and why not YOLO. Now it’s time to talk about photography gear and spent that cold hard cash.

BUT First of all, don’t make the common mistake of buying all at once so hold onto that credit card first and DO NOT go swiping it wherever you want especially on your friends "intergluteal cleft".

Seriously don’t waste your money, you don’t need to buy a very expensive camera like Leica 0-Series no. 122 that thing cost like $2.97M. There’s no reason to spend a lot of money in professional tools which you have no idea how to use at their full potential. Don’t trust people that say that if you buy expensive gear they will be like an investment, they will last longer, etc cause i fall for this when i started on painting. You are starting photography and just switching from using a smartphone to a DSLR or Mirrorless camera.

You can do whatever you want with your money, but my advice is to try to save your money for a trip for example. So that you can put in practice what your learning and get the best out of your photography learning experience as ultimately photos are also made by great locations, landscapes and people you meet. Learn The Basics

These are the key basic concepts you have to learn if you want to master photography:

• Aperture. Aperture is the lens diaphragm opening that allows light through into the camera sensor.

• Shutter Speed. Shutter speed is the length of time your camera shutter remains open to let the light hit the sensor.

• ISO. ISO is the third element of the exposure triangle and it’s a setting that tells your camera how sensitive the sensor has to be to light.

Learn a Photo Editing Software

Mobile editing is the first step to take if you want to improve your pictures. As I previously suggested before, download an app like Lightroom Mobile and start editing in your smartphone. Photo Editing Software is like a Swiss Army Knife and it has everything you need to begin your post-production. Learn more on Lightroom mobile basic editing tips and hints.

Getting Into Photography is About Practice

“Repetition is the mother of all learning”. You don’t have the limit of being told what to do by anyone except probably your parents. You’re a hobbyist so you can take your photos, find your own photography style and have fun with the process of learning and doing it. You can practically experiment with basically any style of photography you like. Long exposure, HDR, landscape photography, portrait, adventure photography. Shoot at different hours of the day to see how with different light you obtain different results. You can experiment by creating small projects for yourself. You can also join communities and get to know other photographers like you and start working on something together, pushing each other to improve and exchanging information.

AND DON'T FORGET TO SHARE THOSE JUICY PICS

Don’t forget that your experience is much more enjoyable if you show those photo of yours to others. It can be to your friends or family or anyone really, and today we can also benefit from the power of Social Media, and also seek help, and keep track of your progress will be very rewarding.

Conclusion Photography will inevitably changes your lifestyle, waking up early or staying out late to catch unique lighting that you so desire will and trust me on this it will becomes the standard in your life. Also, take it easy. You don’t need to be perfect and you have to enjoy it.