A New Year For Photography

Photography Basics

Happy New Year Everyone!

So we are now into 2009. Hopefully you were on Santa’s ‘has been good list’ and you might have got a new camera or a new lens or maybe an accessory or two.

Have you tried them yet?

Well now is the time to set yourself some (belated) photography resolutions for 2009. Here are a few that I’ve made:

  1. Perhaps the most important one is to regularly update this site. I am aiming for a new post each week.
  2. I want to sell some of my images, whether it is as a framed print, or in electronic format as stock photography.
  3. Learn how to use my flash gun properly.
  4. Write a handbook to use with the photography courses I will be running.
  5. Carry my Canon G9 around with me a lot more.

Some of these may be a bit more of a challenge than others, but those are the targets I am setting myself.

But for those of you just starting out in photography, these might be some good suggestions:

  1. Dedicate a few hours a week to learning how to use your camera and it’s various features.
  2. Pick a particular area of photography, like portraits or landscapes and concentrate on that area until you are more confident in it. Then move onto another area.
  3. Join a camera club. They aren’t for everyone but it won’t hurt to give it a try. Most clubs will allow you to visit a couple of times before joining up so you can see what you think.
  4. Join a web site like Flickr.com and share your images. It’s a great way to get constructive comments on your images and a great way to get inspiration.
  5. Print some of your pictures, frame them and hang them on the wall.  Images take on a whole new look when you put them on the wall instead of look at them on the computer screen.

So there’s a few to get you going, but also remember to keep taking pictures. Try and take your camera with you a lot more and learn to see photo opportunities. With your camera with you, you can make the most of them.

3 thoughts on “A New Year For Photography

  1. Hi,
    I am beginning to learn photography, after having gone through these posts, I reckon it’s a must to have a DSLR or above camera for good photography. I have a fully digital camera, Sony IXUS 70, which is 7.1 megapixels. Dou you think such a camera has the aperture priority and shutter priority modes?

    1. Hi Rakesh. A DSLR isn’t a must have for good photography, but it does help. There are so many different types of camera available now that I don’t know the details of every one, but the Canon IXUS 70 (you put Sony in this one, but your other comment said Canon) is a fairly well specced little camera from what I remember, but it may not have dedicated shutter priority and aperture priority modes. Do you still have the manual for it?

  2. Hi Garry thanks for replying. Yes, it’s a Canon. Yes, it does have a manual setting, but under this category, there are options for changing exposure (ranging between -2 and 2+, don’t know what unit it is), and for shutter, it says “long shutter” and the options are 1″, 1.3, 1.6, 2, 2.5, 3.2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15. Now, what I don’t understand is, what is this thing called long shutter and what does ” represent. I reckon the shutter speed is in 1/x seconds, isn’t it? But there are no options for changing aperture. Or is it something to do with the shutter priority? After reading your posts, I reckon using the aperture priority is a better option.

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