Getting smart about photography
So now that I have the camera, I'm determined to fulfill my dream and actually learn about photography and the tricks of the trade. I'm not sure how deep I will dive into this new hobby, but for now I'm excited at learning the basics. Then maybe onto some more serious classes - we'll see.
My friend Mandy, who is also a proud new SLR owner, found a local class for us to take at Ritz Camera, and last night was class #1: Digital Imaging Basics. As the class started, I grew worried. We were the only ones with our monster bags and all of our equipment. Why didn't anyone else bring their camera? Didn't we need our cameras to learn? We soon realized that the other three people in the class had digital point-and-shoots. Uhhh, so we weren't going to learn about SLRs? And then the instructor starts asking us if we know how to charge our cameras and explaining the basic components of a camera. Is this going to be a waste of my time?
However, despite all of this, the class ended up being very interesting overall. Once the super basic stuff was over, our instructor reviewed a lot of helpful information on digital photography. He made sure to point out features about each of our types of cameras, and he clearly knew his stuff. The two hours went fairly quickly, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
What did I learn?
I learned that I cannot use the close-up function unless I use a macro lens. No wonder I could never get super close with my camera!
I learned you should always leave extra space above, below, and to the sides of your subject to allow for cropping, as all print sizing is slightly smaller than actual digital sizes. A true professional will take that into account on all photos. I guess my wedding photographer is not a true pro, as I sit here staring at a wedding photo printed to 8x10 with my feet cut out of the print. Ugh.
I learned that a camera is 65% accurate on Auto mode. Not bad, but imagine the possibilities to improve that.
I learned that a .jpg will decrease in quality every time it is re-saved, so if editing a photo several times, I should use .tif. Who knew?
I'm loving this photography stuff.
My friend Mandy, who is also a proud new SLR owner, found a local class for us to take at Ritz Camera, and last night was class #1: Digital Imaging Basics. As the class started, I grew worried. We were the only ones with our monster bags and all of our equipment. Why didn't anyone else bring their camera? Didn't we need our cameras to learn? We soon realized that the other three people in the class had digital point-and-shoots. Uhhh, so we weren't going to learn about SLRs? And then the instructor starts asking us if we know how to charge our cameras and explaining the basic components of a camera. Is this going to be a waste of my time?
However, despite all of this, the class ended up being very interesting overall. Once the super basic stuff was over, our instructor reviewed a lot of helpful information on digital photography. He made sure to point out features about each of our types of cameras, and he clearly knew his stuff. The two hours went fairly quickly, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
What did I learn?
I learned that I cannot use the close-up function unless I use a macro lens. No wonder I could never get super close with my camera!
I learned you should always leave extra space above, below, and to the sides of your subject to allow for cropping, as all print sizing is slightly smaller than actual digital sizes. A true professional will take that into account on all photos. I guess my wedding photographer is not a true pro, as I sit here staring at a wedding photo printed to 8x10 with my feet cut out of the print. Ugh.
I learned that a camera is 65% accurate on Auto mode. Not bad, but imagine the possibilities to improve that.
I learned that a .jpg will decrease in quality every time it is re-saved, so if editing a photo several times, I should use .tif. Who knew?
I'm loving this photography stuff.
I think I am going to just copy this post and add it to my blog! I was quite worried at first that the class was going to be a complete waste of time but I learned all kinds of things (basic as they were) that will be so helpful in the future! I am looking forward to the rest of the classes and diving a little deeper into the what's and how's of photography! I am pretty sure I will continue with classes after these "basic" classes are through... I have always loved photography and would love more than anything to make a career out of it or at the least a little extra money on the side while helping others make memories to last a lifetime! Thanks for taking the classes with me... and don't forget about our homework!
ReplyDeleteSo Creative!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're going to be even more of a pro by the end of this class!!! I think you do such a good job, and I love that picture!!! How in the world did you do that??? (If it's too complicated, you don't need to tell me ;) )...
ReplyDelete