Photography and Education. Learning how to use your Camera!

Macro assignment

I have been taking pictures and posting here for a couple years. I think I do a pretty good job, but I also think there is always more I can learn! Here are my thoughts on learning how to use my camera.

Black and White Assignment

If you have read any of my other blog post here or my bio. You know I have not been at this all that long, maybe 3 years. My photography has improved greatly during that time!

Have I upgraded my equipment yes! I love my cameras and lens I have now. Is that what has made me a better photographer? NO! It has helped get me more opportunities for good shots with longer reach with my Sigma 60-600mm Sport Lens, and the faster shutter speeds, bigger sensors and just all around better gear.

Freeze the subject and blur the background in camera assignment

Better gear is not what has made me a better photographer. There are 2 things and the first one is more important than the second.

The first one was education!!!

Framed in nature assignment

Let me give you a little background: I have owned a DSLR since right after I left the military in 2012. With some of my separation money, I went to a big box electronic store and bought myself a Canon 3Ti with 2 (count them 2) kit lenses. This was going to make me a photographer. I put it in Auto Modes (standard, portrait, sport, etc….) and went and took pictures. OK snapshots. Once in a great while a good shot. But I didn’t know how to move that selector to Manual and get any kind of good picture. I played around with that for a few years. Bought a 3Ti for dummies book a year or two later and learned a little about what all those extra switches and knobs were all about. Slightly better pictures. I struggled until 2019 when I found a class at John A Logan (Adult Education Classes) taught by Kris Killman. There were 2 levels: Beginners photography class and intermediate/expert photography class. Well my Ego said you should take the later. I should be an intermediate photographer. I found out quickly I was not! I was determined to step up and learn. I learned about exposure triangle, composition, rule of thirds, lighting, white balance and most importantly how to use my camera in manual mode. It was a struggle but in the end I think I caught up to the intermediate photographers in the class. —— That could be my Ego talking again.

Later I took a post processing class with Kris Killman again. It was a very small group class there were only 4 student because at the time that was all there was room for. I have also watched hours of YouTube, hung out with other photographers and picked their brains for how to do things.

With those 2 classes and all of my other channels for learning this skill, it has brought me to where I am today. A much better Photographer and headed back to class!

Yes I am headed back to class because I have determined there is always more to learn! Plus I am still not as good of a photographer as I want to be (even if I am a pretty good one I want to be better).

Now comes the second thing that has made me a better photographer. Getting out and taking lots of pictures, i.e. practice! you have to get out and take photos. Not lots to expound on here just get out and take pictures.

So the bottom line in this is that investing in yourself will always bring you the greatest return! To that end if you have any questions about where to find training or any of the resources I used or even if you think I could help you directly, reach out to me. I will be happy to help and share what I know.

If you have not done it already please “Like” my FB page https://www.facebook.com/RedlegPhotographyLLC and/or follow me on Instagram @redlegphotographyllc