10 methods TO MAKE the most OF YOUR new video camera

Last Updated: 9/25/20 | September 25th, 2020

Photographs are an essential part of the travel experience. because I’m not a photographer, I’ve invited expert professional photographer Laurence Norah of discovering the world to share his suggestions as well as advice. In this post, Laurence will assist you make the most out of any type of new camera.

In my experience, people are frequently dissatisfied with their very first efforts with a new camera. Somehow, the shots don’t look rather as great as they were hoping. That’s since while your new video camera may be capable of taking much better photos, it is going to need a bit of time as well as effort to discover exactly how to make the most of it.

I’ve spent time mentor people exactly how to get the very best out of their equipment, both on the internet as well as offline, as well as understand that it takes some trial as well as error to get where your pictures look exactly how you want them. method makes ideal (I promise)!

In today’s post, I want to show you a few of my suggestions for getting the most out of your new camera, based on my years of experience as a expert travel photographer, working with a range of different video camera producers as well as shooting around the world. I’m going to instruct you my top ten suggestions that you can begin to apply today to take your photography to the level you want to get it to.
 

1. checked out the Manual

Modern cameras are complex pieces of devices with myriad functions as well as capabilities. The method you gain access to as well as handle these functions varies between video camera models. Don’t worry, I don’t want you to sit down with your video camera handbook as well as discover the whole thing by rote. however it is the very best location to discover out at least the fundamentals of exactly how your new video camera works.

Despite my years of experience, when I’m faced with a new camera, it still will take me time to get utilized to discovering all the features I want to gain access to — even easy things like altering the focus mode or ISO setting can be buried deep in a hidden menu. To this day I still struggle if somebody hands me a video camera from an unfamiliar manufacturer. I’m just not going to get the very best out of it since I haven’t discovered exactly how to utilize it properly.

Grab ahold of the handbook to at least get an concept as to what all those buttons do. That method you don’t miss a shot since you couldn’t keep in mind exactly how to flick between focus modes!
 

2. discover the fundamentals of Composition

The essential part of photography is you the professional photographer — not the camera.

Thankfully, taking much better pictures with your new video camera isn’t rocket science as well as anybody can discover the fundamentals (heck, even Matt did it). (Matt says: It’s true. My pictures were awful however even my unphotogenic mind chosen up a few tricks!)

If you instruct yourself some fundamental guidelines for exactly how to compose photos, you can shortcut your method to taking incredible shots.

These guidelines aren’t difficult to grasp. They just need you to apply some easy principles to all your shots. For example, a road leading into a shot will naturally lead the viewer’s eye together with it, while a sprinkle of color can be utilized to accentuate a subject.

Over time, as you utilize these guidelines more, you’ll begin to apply them naturally as well as you’ll establish your photographer’s “eye” (i.e. the capability to compose a shot without having to believe about it as well much.

Take a look right here for an extensive publish covering a few of those essential rules: the guideline of thirds, leading lines, utilize of color, as well as more.
 

3. discover about the exposure Triangle

The fundamental ideas of exactly how a video camera works to catch light are essential to master however sadly can be confusing to wrap one’s head around. numerous people just provide up as well as leave their video camera in car mode, never completely realizing the prospective of their device.

This isn’t assisted by video camera producers adding ever much more bells as well as whistles to their products in an effort to stand apart in a congested marketplace, implying you may not be sure which controls are essential as well as which are superfluous.

Here’s a tip: the most essential controls are those that impact what we professional photographers phone call “the exposure triangle,” namely the shutter speed, ISO rating, as well as aperture — the three essential aspects of a video camera that we have manage over as well as enable us to vary the amount of light that we capture.

Understand those things as well as the photography world will be your oyster. altering each one has a different effect on the method a shot looks, however general they manage the exact same thing: exactly how dark or bright the picture is. begin to try out your aperture, shutter speed, as well as ISO, as well as don’t be scared to get it wrong — digital “film” is free!
 

4. discover about Light

At its many basic, a video camera is just a gadget for catching the light. That hasn’t altered because they were very first created in the 1800s.

Light is, therefore, a essential element of photography. different times of day offer different high qualities of light, with the light around sunset as well as sunrise providing a warmer, softer high quality to our images, while midday light is less flattering, with severe contrast as well as flatter colors. Ideally, you want to shoot better to sunrise as well as sunset as well as less around midday if you can.

Where the light is coming from is likewise important. If you shoot directly into the sun, you’ll discover your subject will likely be a black silhouette. Instead, you ought to setting the sun behind you when shooting, to correctly illuminate your subject as well as provide you the very best results.
 

5. difficulty Yourself

As a travel photographer, I’m lucky since I’m frequently out traveling the world as well as discovering fun things to take photos of. However, I’m pleased to admit that I can struggle to discover motivation during the downtime between trips. as well as if you’re not traveling regularly, you as well may struggle to discover reasons to get out as well as take photos.

But photography is a skill as well as the very best method to enhance a skill is to method it. You can checked out articles such as this all day, however the reality is, you requirement to get out into the world, apply that knowledge, as well as begin training your brain to ended up being a photographer.

One method to do this is to begin setting yourself challenges, providing yourself a focus as well as reason to get out there. perhaps it’s something simple, like a picture of a new subject every day. perhaps you set a regular style as well as stay with it. Whatever it is (and there are lots of locations on the internet to discover picture difficulties too!), just make sure that you provide yourself as numerous chances as possible to learn.

That way, when you go on a trip or experience that you truly want to capture, you’ll be ready!
 

6. get utilized to Taking It With You

This is associated to the previous tip, in that method makes perfect. the very best video camera is always the one we have on us. So if you’ve just gotten a new camera, get into the practice of taking it with you anywhere you’re headed as well as get some method utilizing it. If it is always with you, you’ll never have an reason not to take it out as well as utilize it (remember method makes perfect).

Leave your video camera by your keys, near your jacket, or next to your shoes. Make sure it’s always with whatever it is you leave your home with so you keep in mind to take it with you. just having it with you will boost the frequency in which you utilize it! even going from zero to one picture a day is much better than nothing!
 

7. get a inexpensive Prime Lens

If you have a video camera that lets you modification lenses, like many mirrorless or DSLR cameras, then I extremely suggest costs a bit bit of money on a prime lens. A prime lens is one with a fixed focal length, which implies you can’t zoom in or out.

This will force you to relocation around as well as truly believe much more thoroughly about your structure before you take a photo. Prime lenses likewise have extremely broad apertures, which has two advantages: they let a great deal of light in, so you can utilize them when it’s darker; as well as they let you accomplish a shallow depth of field, enabling you blur the background as well as truly let your subject shine.

The finest thing about a prime lens is that the fundamental designs can be chosen up extremely cheaply — frequently for less than $100 USD in fact. For Canon, my suggestion is the 50mm f/1.8, likewise referred to as “the nifty fifty,” a lens that every Canon professional photographer ought to own. other producers offer likewise priced equivalent lenses.
 

8. begin shooting in RAW Format

When I instruct photography workshops, one of my goals is to try as well as get my trainees to switch to shooting in RAW rather than JPG.

If these letters don’t imply anything to you, don’t panic. All they are is styles for the method your video camera saves the picture data it captures.

The difference is that a RAW data includes whatever your video camera has captured, while a JPG is much more of a completed product, which has been edited by the video camera as well as decreased in size for your convenience.

While a JPG is certainly much more practical (you can directly share it to social media), it likewise enables you less manage in the editing process.

You can believe of a RAW data as a roll of film as well as a JPG as the completed print. With the RAW file, you have full manage over the advancement process, as well as as a result, you have full manage over the final look of your image. It is a bit much more work at your end, however it’s eventually worth it.
 

9. begin Editing as well as Curating Your Photos

Something I discovered early on in my photography profession was the significance of editing my photos. even minor corrections, like straightening a horizon or adjusting sharpness as well as contrast, can make the difference between an okay picture as well as a fantastic one.

Don’t be put off by the believed of having to spend a great deal of time editing your photos. even an application as completely featured as Adobe Lightroom can be chosen up fairly quickly as well as you can utilize an even-simpler editor like Snapseed on your smart phone to make your shots pop.

I like the innovative possibilities that picture editing opens up for me. I likewise want to share one more photography suggestion that I’ve learned, which is the art of curation. You requirement to ended up being one of your most significant critics. I’m frequently asked why I don’t take poor pictures. The truth is that of program I take poor pictures! I just do my finest not to share them anywhere.

Curating our own pictures is truly important: always try to only share your extremely finest work, so the world will believe that you as well only take fantastic photos!
 

10. keep Going

The reason that people be successful at tasks is not since they are necessarily much better at it than other people. It’s since they keep persevering, in spite of the setbacks, frustrations, as well as mental barriers to success that they discover along the way.

Photography is the same. the very best professional photographers in the world all started out without any concept whatsoever what they were doing. What got them to where they are today was a drive to be successful as well as a willingness to put the effort in.

I was 13 when I got my very first video camera as well as I’ve been shooting ever since. So don’t provide up! Make photography your enthusiasm as well as it will reward you!

***
Remember that photography is a long-lasting game, as well as just having a new video camera won’t immediately imply your pictures are going to improve. You requirement to invest a bit of time as well as effort into it — however the benefits will be worth it.

Laurence started his journey in 2009 after quitting the business life as well as searching for a modification of scenery. His blog, Finding the Universe, catalogs his experiences as well as is a fantastic resource for photography advice! You can likewise discover him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. He likewise teaches an on the internet photography course.

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