7 Valuable Photography for Beginners Tips

When it comes to photography and beginners, most want-to-be photographers get lost in the sea of new and complicated words like ISO, exposure, aperture and so on, so here is the point in which we come to your aid.

This will be the first guide from a series of articles containing valuable photography tips for beginners and it includes most of the words that are associated with photography and their definition.

1. DSLR, SLR, Point and Shoot cameras

This is probably the main question when it comes to photography cameras for beginners: What kind of camera should I choose?

valuable photography for beginnersWell, a point and shoot camera is a compact camera designed mainly for really simple operations, its features not being complicated or plenty. It is suitable for people who have never used a camera in their lives and want to experience digital photography for beginners.

valuable photography for beginners

A  Single lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that has a mirror between the lens and the image sensor or film which helps it provide a focus screen. Having a focus screen lets you see the same image that appears as your digital image or on film in your viewfinder.

valuable photography for beginnersDSLR is a Digital Single lens reflex camera. The difference between a DSLR and a SLR camera is the fact that a DSLR lets you see a live preview of the image you are capturing, on an LCD screen.  In terms of DSLR photography for beginners, you should consider your level of experience, the frequency of use and your budget, before checking out prices for a DSLR camera.

The best camera for photography beginners is probably a point and shoot camera and then decide if photography is actually your passion and if you want to invest more in it.

2. Viewfinder

valuable photography for beginners

A viewfinder is a device used to reveal the field of view through the camera lens and its main purposes involve framing and focusing the picture that you are about to capture.

3. Aperture

valuable photography for beginners

The hole through which the light reaches your film or image sensor is defined as aperture.

4. Shutter Speed

valuable photography for beginners

Shutter speed is the term used to define the amount of time your shutter uses to expose your photographic film. If you want a longer exposure time, you need a slow shutter speed.

5. Exposure

valuable photography for beginnersThe amount of light that goes through the aperture and reaches your image sensor or film is called Exposure, in digital photography. To control your exposure you have to make a good use of your aperture and shutter speed.

6. Macro lens

valuable photography for beginnersTaking a “macro” picture basically means to take a large picture while being really close to the subject. Macro lenses are different from usual lenses through their shape. A macro lens will always be able to focus on a subject from really close without disproportioning the object you want to photograph.

7. ISO

valuable photography for beginnersISO is a term used in digital photography to express the sensitivity of your camera’s image sensor. The light sensitivity of your camera increases with the ISO number, that means that a picture taken at an 100 ISO will be far less grainy than a picture taken at 3200 ISO, for example.

In terms of photography equipment for beginners, you should definitely consider purchasing a tripod, as it will make your pictures less noisy. Some good photography books for beginners can be found either online or in different bookshops.

The best photography books for beginners available online can be found by accessing this link and for some great photography tutorial for beginners, check out this channel.

If you really want to step up your game when it comes to photography skills, tips and tricks, you should also consider investing both time and money into a professional kit, classes or different photography courses or lessons. For a basic user, as long as you know what you want and what you are expecting from a camera and know the concepts of lights, lighting and the definition of the main features, you do not need to spend a lot of money to learn how to use a camera.

The internet is filled with useful information so check out different websites, blogs or forums specialized in photography before purchasing an expensive camera.

You should also keep in mind that you can make a picture look more professional in a photo editing software, so you can still be a good photographer while staying on the cheap side.

More photography tips for beginners will come up in the following days so stay tuned!

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About Greta Jacobs

With a background in media and design, Greta has an eye for innovative and mind-blowing photographic techniques. She studied photography for over five years and started practicing from college. Her inclination to arts is another asset you will notice in her in depth posts.