Photography Addiction: Favourite

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100 Photography Tips for Beginners (downloadable)

If you’re new to photography, it can be quite daunting. There is so much information on the internet about photography, but a lot of “mis-information” as well. If I started photography all over again, this is the advice I would give myself.

Through my personal journey of photography, I’ve learned a lot of lessons. This list is a distillation of all the lessons I’ve learned so far. None of these are “right” or “wrong” — they are just opinions of mine that can hopefully spark some new ideas in you. Feel free to pick and choose what resonate with you, and throw away the rest.

Table of Contents

Table of Content

“When in doubt, click.”

Be selective about what you decide to photograph; but once you find something good, shoot the hell out of it

Big cameras are overrated

Don’t “take” photos, “make” photos

Focus less on technical settings; focus more on composition and framing

“Set it and forget it”

What you subtract from a frame is more important than what you add to a frame

The most important question to ask yourself in photography: “Why do I make photos?”

Buy books, not gear

Photography workshops are a better “bang-for-the-buck” experience than attending photography schools

Tips for Photographing Local Parks

Parks are wonderful places to capture fantastic, unique photos. Besides the obvious fauna and flowers, you will often also find people interacting with each other and the environment. All of which can lead to some great photos, to highlight another point of interest at a destination.

Here are some simple tips to try out next time you are heading to a local park:

Check the RulesOften you will find that local parks (e.g. parks in cities) have guidelines regarding photography. The majority of the time if you do not intend to use the photos for commercial purposes (i.e. they are just for yourself) you will be fine and should have no problem. But, be on the lookout for signs in the park which indicate otherwise. However, if you are intending to sell the images you should check the guidelines and rules that apply. For example some of the Royal parks in London allow photography for editorial use but not commercial. This means the photo can be used when in context to a story, or feature about the park or London, but not advertising something – so make sure you check the rules before selling your images.

Be Selective with Your PhotosOne of the great things about parks is the wealth of things you can photograph. Flowers, wildlife, trees, lakes, animals, statues and even people, all offer great opportunities for photos. But instead of trying to photograph everything, think about what the park represents, and is famous for, and focus on a few subjects that will bring it to life. This will mean you end up with a few great photos that really highlight the best attributes rather than a hundred that end up being repetitive.

One of the most iconic things about Hyde Park in London is the Peter Pan statue.

This is a personal thought on 7D mark II from Laszlo Pusztai

When I first picked up the 7D Mark II at this year's Photokina show, it struck me how similar it feels to the 5D Mark III. I thought that if image quality is there, I would definitely buy one. Due to this similarity with the 5D Mark III, I instantly knew that ergonomics and handling will be great. The only haunting question was image quality, but lacking any useful reviews, I had to place my order without knowing anything about it. My primary goal was to certify the camera for my ShutterCount app - and actually using it for photographing birds came as second. Purchasing blindly wasn't that big risk, because if it somehow turns out to be something I don't like, I would be able to easily sell it given the high demand.

And as you may guess, I really like the 7D Mark II. But being a perfectionist, I don't think everything is as glorious as marketing materials may suggest. Some of my observations may look strange, or don't even important to you and your style of photography, but this is what I think of the camera.

Handling

As I mentioned, handling is virtually identical to the 5D Mark III. I can switch between them effortlessly. The 7D is a tad smaller, and is on the edge of being comfortable in my large hands. Buttons and dials are almost the same on the two cameras, with two notable differences.