Photography Tips for Beginners: So You Got A New Camera…..

It’s the second most wonderful time of year: that time of year when you make ALL OF THE RESOLUTIONS and have ALL OF THE GOALS.  I know some people got fancy new cameras for Christmas and some of us are just determined to rock what we’ve got LIKE A BOSS. You want to take your camera out of the box and just start shooting! But before you do, I have a few tips. Check out these photography tips for beginners that will help you improve your photography this year.

Did you get a new camera this year? Check out these photogrpahy tips for Beginners that will help you improve your photography skills.

Stop thinking that your new camera is going to make you a better photographer.

Listen. Your brand new $1500 camera is a tool and nothing else. STOP thinking that just because you have that brand new camera that you are now the best photographer out there and your photos will be perfect straight out of camera. Your new camera can HELP you share your vision, help you take great photographs. BUT it is just a tool.  Which you need to now how to use. Which leaves me to the next point.

Read your Camera Manual.

It seems like a simple thing right? I cannot stress this enough. Yes, you want to just take your camera out of the box and start shooting .  But take the time to read the manual.  Sometimes, something as simple as the right way to focus will solve many of your problems.

Learn the Exposure Triangle:

Because again the camera alone will not help you take great photos. Learn the exposure triangle( aperture, shutter speed and ISO) and learn how they work together. Master the basics and you will see your photography skills improve.

Then, Take your Camera off of Auto.

Yes, most of the newer cameras do perfectly fine on auto. But I guarantee that if you take your camera off of auto, you will see a BIG difference. Try out one of the other modes like Aperture Priority Mode( a semi manual mode) if you are just not ready to make that leap.  But like I said in point #1, your camera is a tool, learn how to use it.

Start a Photography Project:

Doing a photography project helps you to practice the first 4 tips until taking a photo with your camera becomes natural. Check out this list of Photography projects to help you get started or if you need ideas.

Join a Supportive Photography Group.

There are photography groups everywhere: Flicker, on photography websites, Instagram and Facebook  Finding a supportive environment is important when you are learning to shoot. The Everyday Project Facebook group is a growing community of over 600 members who love photography and welcome newbies and professionals alike.  We share photos, photography tips for beginners AND there is a year long photography project going on.

I hope that these photography tips for beginners help! Did you get a new camera for Christmas?

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31 Comments

  1. Congratulations, very good your tips! My camera lived in the automatic until when I really decided to learn about photography and I took it from the automatic even without knowing how I was trying until I learned. Great tips. great website.

    Reply

  5. I love everything you said here, LaShawn! I remembered the first time I got a new camera and I was so excited to try it out. I went around the city, visited parks and took pictures of people, dogs, even establishments. By then, I decided that I want to learn more about photography and as a beginner, I was not so good at it about a year ago. Now, I’ve learned a few tricks by reading photography tips on the internet, watching tutorials and when I have time I visit a photo studio hire to learn from freelance photographers. These tips you shared are helpful not just for beginners but for me as well who continues to learn more about photography. Keep posting and thank you for sharing this post. Cheers!

    Reply

  6. Thanks for sharing tips for beginners. Some peoples starts taking pictures without any prior knowledge of camera and photography. This article is really useful for beginners.

    Reply

  10. Thanks for sharing the post. The way you narrated the post is good and understandable. After reading this post I learned some new things about photography. Please let me know for the upcoming posts.

    Reply

  11. I totally agree, work on your photography skills first before investing in expensive gadgets and having one good camera would not make you a good photographer ? I know because I thought I’d be one (great photographer) after I invested in a very expensive camera. I ended up, going back to basic. Now, I just love taking photos of our dogs

    Reply
  15. Pingback: The Best 100 Tips to Help You Take Better Photos - Everyday Eyecandy

  19. I personnaly use to buy cheap old USSR lenses for my portraits.
    Some of theme cost 5 to 10$ but are amazingly sharp and with a good apperture and bokeh, like professional lenses. You just have to be used to manual focus.
    Good Work, Keep up !

    Reply

  20. I love photography from my childhood. But I had no camera till last year or even a mobile to capture my dream. Now I have a mobile and trying hard to capture some beautiful moment. Your blog encorage me more and I feel that I can do the best. Thanks a lot

    Reply

  24. This blog is very useful for me because I am also a beginner.its well a written post. I read your whole article and really learned something new. after reading this article everything is clear. it helps me to improve my photography skills. I have a mobile I will try hard to capture some beautiful moments.

    Reply

  28. I love photography very much my passion is to become a photographer, I started with a mobile camera and posted my works on social media now I’m gonna buy a new DSLR camera, so I’m searching a blog that will recommend me a good camera.

    Reply

  29. Thanks for sharing some of your creative and nice tips. I like them a lot. It was very valuable to me.

    Reply

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