Master the Basics of Photography

photography 101

Cameras are incredible pieces of equipment. However they can be daunting
if you don’t know how to operate them or are unsure about how they work.
Use the camera, don’t let it use you.

Shop Guide Here

What’s up guys! When this blog first launched, I started a series on the basics of photography. I went over aperture, shutter speed, ISO, light and composition. It’s a culmination of all of the knowledge I’ve gathered over the past seven or so years. However, it’s a lot of reading, and online! So I’ve created a mini e-book that can be downloaded with all of the information, plus some more!

Just before I left New Zealand, I taught a seven-week photography course for both adults and kids. Each week I took them how to operate each setting, and then apply it to their own cameras.

The best part about learning about photography nowadays, is that it doesn’t just stop at DSLR cameras. A lot of phones nowadays will give you the option to control aperture, shutter speed and ISO as well. This means you can learn the basics first before investing in a camera if you need to.

At the same time, if you have a DSLR and are stuck on using automatic, what do you have one for? Cameras have such a range of amazing capabilities, which allow you to craft your own style in a way that phones haven’t caught up to yet.

Use the camera, don’t let it use you!

I don’t want to be used anymore…

Aperture

In the photography guide, you will learn how to use depth of field and adjust focus to the most important parts of your photo. These can be the difference between a simple shot and a clear, focussed portrait!

There are a couple of different ways to use aperture on your camera, including Av mode, as well as Manual – both which are covered in the guide.

Learn Aperture!

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is responsible for motion blur and freezing or creating a sense of movement in a photograph. I cover tracking and both high and low settings within Tv and Manual mode.

Learn Shutter Speed!

ISO

Don’t know what ISO is or what it’s responsible for? I cover that in my guide. 🙂

What the heck is ISO?

The fun stuff

Now this is the part that I’m most excited about. I go into depth into my two favourite parts of photography – astro and automotive. You’ll learn how to take star photos, track cars to create movement and also how to use built-in settings on your camera for some cool visual effects. I also go into detail about how each aspect of the exposure triangle affects the other. This is super helpful for thinking independently from the camera.

I want to do that!