Confessions of an Newbie Photographer

I’ve had the opportunity to photograph several family and friend events now with a DSLR, and I’ve already learnt so much about having a camera in your hand and hopefully ending up with some decent shots. I thought I’d share some of the things I didn’t read in the technical manuals and endless websites that I devoured, and maybe other newbie photographers can gleam something from it. These particularly deal with my experiences in people environments.

Get it out early
The hardest thing can be getting your camera out of your bag. You know you’ll have to deal with everyone talking about it and asking questions, but it’s best to do this early on. Once you break the ice and let people know you have it, you’ll feel more comfortable about using it, and people will slowly warm to the idea of having their photo taken.

Vary it up
Don’t leave your camera on one focal length all day and night, and experiment with different apertures and shutter speeds. Even if it’s not a perfect shot, it might give you an idea for a shot next time. If you’re using a prime lens, it’s even more important to get out of your chair and find new angles and perspectives. Nothing is less satisfying than returning home with fifty photographs taken from the same angle of your table.

Learn from your failures and successes
After loading one hundred or so photos from my camera onto my computer, I find I crop the majority of all photos I keep. Clearly, this is a message to tell myself to get closer and fill the frame more than I have been. It wasn’t from the duds that I learnt this, it was from the photos that look great. The duds tell me different things (like stay still!). Pay attention to everything you shoot, and make notes to yourself on how you can make these photos better at the time of the shutter, not post-production.

Understand your subject
As the person behind the camera, I want to capture great images of people looking wonderful and having a great time. In contrast, most of the people I photograph think the camera is the enemy, hoping to catch them at their worst and do their best to spoil your photos. Try to assure them you’re going to take a good photo by giving them a pose suggestion, and allow them to review your shots. If they resist, take covert shots as you pretend to change settings or review other shots. As a rule, toddlers love to be photographed and see themselves while self-conscious teenagers hate it.

Train a friend
Let one (or more) of your trusted friends get comfortable with your camera. After snapping a few shots of them, hand the camera over for a while. An interested friend will want the chance to shoot some snaps that you hadn’t thought of, and will give you a chance to enjoy the event not through the viewfinder. As a bonus, you’ll actually end up in a few of the shots, instead of forever absent.

Ease your Workflow
You won’t want to go home and traul though your latest shoot if you have a convoluted workflow. Do a little research, then develop and stick to your scheme. With my point and shoot, I used iPhoto and now I rely on the Adobe Lightroom beta to quickly go from memory card to Flickr. I’m planning to write in more detail about my workflow soon.