If you’re anything like me when I first started out with photography, I didn’t know where to begin. I desperately wanted to be able to learn how to create that beautiful bokeh (shallow depth of field) along with many other things, but just felt like I wasn’t making any progress.
BEFORE FINDING THE RESOURCES
I was working a full-time job and didn’t necessarily want to go to school for photography. I didn’t have time for that.
More often than not, I would find myself scouring the web during my breaks to try and learn a little bit about how to get that beautiful bokeh, or how to get that silky smooth waterfall look. The only thing was, I had no foundation, so everything I was trying so DESPERATELY to learn didn’t stick.
What’s more frustrating is when I went to practice I could sometimes get that shot, but then without the understanding of how I got the shot, I’d completely forget the next time around.
This is when I put down my DSLR for a while. Work got busy and I simply didn’t have the time to spend hours researching, hopping from site to site, only to find that I couldn’t remember what it was that I wanted to research in the first place! Sometimes that snowball just keeps rolling, am I right?
So obviously what I was doing wasn’t working. I needed a foundation. And after clicking through many different sites to find some quality resources, I finally was able to find a few. Soon after discovering them, I had my foundation that I needed to help my photography skills take-off!
AFTER FINDING THE RESOURCES
Since building a foundation with photography, I’ve been able to boost my photography skills tenfold and in half the time I spent researching in the past. Ouch, that hurts to think about!
Now, I actually understand how to get the photos I want – that bokeh, the silky smooth water, the candid moment I’ll never see again and the list goes on! Plus my knowledge of how my DSLR works has allowed me to take creative control and operate on Manual Mode. My photos on Manual now turn out better than when I’m using the assisted modes like Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. I have to say, that makes me feel awesome!
So what exactly are these resources might you ask?
AWESOME RESOURCES FOR BEGINNER PHOTOGRAPHERS
SLR LOUNGE
SLR Lounge is an incredible resource with workshops and tutorials developed by Pye Jirsa of Lin and Jirsa Photography, one of the most successful photography studios in the world! On SLR Lounge’s site, they share a variety of industry-leading workshops and tools.
What I love about SLR Lounge is that their workshops are fun. I actually caught myself smiling and laughing out loud throughout certain parts of the workshop. Plus, Pye teaches photography is in such an easy way to grasp that I wondered why I had so much trouble with it before!
RESOURCE 1: PHOTOGRAPHY 101 – MASTERING MANUAL MODE
Starting off with my absolute favourite, is the Photography 101 – Mastering Manual Mode eCourse.
What I love about this course is that it answered questions I didn’t even know I had like:
- the advantages and disadvantages of both prime and zoom lenses, and
- why it’s so important to consider the reciprocal rule. Before this course, I didn’t even know what the reciprocal rule was!
I can’t believe how much time I wasted on Google just hoping to find a thread that would tie everything together. But in this workshop, things flow naturally from one topic to another. Some examples of topics included are:
- Understanding Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO
- Metering Modes,
- Color Theory,
- How to Get Tack Sharp Images,
- Understanding what Truly Makes a Great Photograph
plus so much more! And it’s not just about being able to master Manual Mode, but to find a passion for photography and get that little jolt of excitement when you can look at the back of your LCD screen and see those beautiful moments captured frozen in time. I loved how quickly I was progressing, so I finished this course in one week. What’s awesome though is you have it accessible to you at anytime, so anytime I want to brush up on something, I just login and head to the right module and voila! I always find a little something new to learn each and every time.
Click here to check out the Photography 101 – Mastering Manual Mode eCourse.
RESOURCE 2: ALL ACCESS PREMIUM
What I love about SLR Lounge is that they have a members only section where you can get full access to all of their courses year round like:
- Photographing the Milky Way
- Lighting 101 & 201
- Lightroom 101
- Photography 101 – Mastering Manual Mode
- HDR Photography Workshop
Plus, they also include access to their:
- Best Selling Lightroom Presets (with updates)
- Photoshop Cloud Packs
- Adobe Camera Raw Presets
- Smoke Textures
- Photoshop paper textures
just to name a few. Overall, it adds up to more than $2,000 in photography education that they’ve bundled altogether for $348.
Click here to check out SLR Lounges Premium Membership.
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL
Digital Photography School is one of the most popular and longest running photography blogs online today. Darren Rouse, the founder and photography enthusiast, created this site to share tips for photographers who wanted to get the most out of their digital cameras. Filled to the brim with tips and tricks from the pros, Digital Photography School is another one of my go-to’s if I’m looking for valuable and trustworthy photography information.
Once I completed the Photography 101 Course, I was on a roll and wanted more! I wanted my photos to wow my viewers and I found the resource to do just that.
RESOURCE 3: PHOTO NUTS AND SHOTS
The Photo Nuts and Shots eBook is all about taking those next steps with your camera. It’s a great resource if you find yourself looking at others’ photos and think “Why don’t mine look like that?”
In this eBook, professional photographer Neil Creek teaches how to tap into your unique creativity to take evocative photographs that reaches out to viewers. If you’re looking to take gorgeous shots every time and you already know how to work your camera, check out the Photo Nuts and Shots eBook from Digital Photography School.
Click here to check out the Photo Nuts and Shots eBook.
RESOURCE 4: PHOTO NUTS AND BOLTS
If you’re not quite there yet though, Digital Photography School has a great alternative to help get beginner DSLR photographers started. The Photo Nuts and Bolts eCourse is meant for absolute beginners and is also taught by professional photographer Neil Creek.
Here, he covers how your camera really works, teaches you about lenses, magnification and light. Then he dives into Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, metering and exposure. Finally, he teaches how to put everything together on the scene to make it relatable and easy to remember.
So for the natural progression, I’d recommend starting with the eCourse and then following up with the eBook.
Click here to check out the Photo Nuts and Bolts eCourse. (beginner)
SUMMARY
Learning photography is something I wish wouldn’t have taken me so long because I love the memories I’m able to capture today.
I started off somewhat in the dark. Mostly, I was just simply terrified to use the monster of a DSLR. It was so much bigger than any of my other cameras!
Honestly though, the more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll become. Soon you and your buddy will be tossing lenses at each other and snapping them on in record time!
Having the right resources from the start will definitely put you on the right track so what are you waiting for? Check out these awesome resources and fill that noggin full of photography goodness!
4 VALUABLE RESOURCES TO TAKE YOUR PHOTOS FROM GOOD TO GREAT:
1// Photography 101 – Mastering Manual Mode eCourse
2// SLR Loung Premium Membership
3// Photo Nuts and Shots eBook
4// Photo Nuts and Bolts eCourse
Hoping you can start taking some beautiful photos that capture your memories the way you remember them to be very soon!