Photography is a fun, creative, and even therapeutic activity. With how media-centric and media-focused we are nowadays, it’s easy to imagine that many new people will take an interest in photography. For students who want to take some time to explore photography, why not check out these essay writing service reviews, and check out all the websites that can give expert help on any writing tasks for college.
Ever thought of buying a camera and getting into photography? Thought of dropping some serious money into buying a pricey camera? Before doing that, we’ve compiled a list of pointers that might change your mind for the better.
1. Expensive Gear But No Ideas
A camera costing $1000 or more will perform better, but it’s not a guarantee of success. Many factors matter when someone wants to be good at photography. The camera will allow the photographer to have high-quality pictures because of its features, but the camera won’t be responsible for the lighting, composition, originality, or creativity.
For aspiring photographers who want to become professionals, and for hobbyists who just take pictures for the sake of it – having an expensive camera but not knowing what to do with it is kind of like buying a $1000 dress but not having any occasion to actually wear it.
2. Rule of Thirds
It doesn’t take an expensive camera to make pictures more attractive to viewers. For example, there’s a trick that many filmmakers and photographers learn to use when becoming more experienced with their craft, and this is called the ‘Rule of Thirds’.
So what is it? It’s the process of dividing an image into thirds using 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines, which in turn creates a grid that sections an image into 9 parts with 4 intersection points.
The trick is to have an off-center image or shot. Why? According to the experts, an off-center visual is more visually appealing to the eye, because it’s where the eye goes first. On top of that, it’s more natural in comparison to a centered image.
On that note, it’s important to understand that composition matters a lot when taking impactful and beautiful pictures ‒ not only gear.
3. High-Performance Entry-level Cameras
Entry-level cameras usually mean the cheapest cameras that a manufacturer creates that target newcomers in photography who might not know what to buy. For example, there are many DSLR (digital single-lens reflex camera) cameras that are entry-level.
In any case, a very pricey camera is not needed for good performance and good pictures. DSLRs can be accessorized too, which gives them even more advantages. So, for photographers looking to get more for less, try buying an entry-level camera after doing some research.
4. Learn To Use The Settings
At one point, shooting in auto won’t give you an advantage, or put you any closer to figuring out what style of photos you want to be taking, so knowing the settings and how to tweak them is essential.
Here are a few important examples:
- Aperture: This setting controls the amount of light that passes through the camera lens, by modifying it, photographers can choose just how much lighting they want, or how to play with lighting.
- ISO: not unlike aperture, the ISO setting also controls how much light the camera will let in. If you don’t know what to do with it – keep it on the lowest setting.
- Shutter Speed: the shutter speed controls the speed of the shutter – how fast will it close? The faster the shutter speed is, the shorter the exposure. The slower the shutter speed is, the longer the exposure. When photographers play around with shutter speed, they can manipulate the time and motion of the composition, which will give them interesting shots.
Having expensive gear but not learning the essentials, such as the settings, can hinder the process of becoming a better and knowledgeable photographer.
5. Invest In Other Gear
Accessorizing and investing in other gear could actually make a better impact on your photography than an expensive camera. Good lenses, lighting equipment, lenses, filters, tripods, even photography courses – they could be niche or general courses.
There are so many interesting accessories that can be paired with the camera. A drone, for example, can take shots way up in the air. A camera stabilizer can solve the problem of shaky hands.
Photographers looking to improve should think about what could take their shots to the next level, instead of buying the most expensive camera without looking at the other options.
6. iPhones, Editing And Creativity
Smartphones, especially Apple’s iPhones, have impressive cameras that get better with each new model. The newer iPhone models, for example, come equipped with slow-motion features, timelapse, 4k video, and so on. iPhones even beat a lot of older DSLR cameras.
Moreover, there are many creatives on Instagram who only use their iPhones and still come up with amazing photos, because of editing and creativity. Even some YouTubers take videos solely with their phones.
There’s nothing at all stopping someone from taking better photos, it all comes down to what they do to that photo, and how creative they can get when shooting a photo. Creativity can set a photo apart, and the desire to keep learning can cultivate originality. At the end of the day, photography is an art.
Conclusion
So, with all of that said, it’s clear that aspiring photographers and photographers, in general, don’t need a $1000 camera to get into photography, or to be good at it. We won’t discourage anyone who is set to buy expensive equipment, because good equipment obviously has many perks and advantages.
We simply wanted to enlighten and encourage those who might have been hesitant. Even with a smaller budget, you can still be great at photography. Taking time to learn, buying useful accessories, trying a few tricks, experimenting with editing, and giving importance to creativity can prove more vital to becoming a great photographer, than an expensive camera.
