If you are just starting out in photography and you don’t know where to begin, or perhaps you have been taking pictures with your camera for a while and want to improve your shooting skills, the collection of material compiled in this article will not only help you in building up your photography knowledge, but also assist in advancing you to the next level. On this page, you will find everything from basic photography tips for beginners all the way to more advanced techniques and tutorials to help you grow and get the best out of your equipment.
Let’s start out with the essentials.
1) Know Your Camera
Before you start learning about photography, you should first get accustomed to your camera, so that you can find the relevant camera settings when we go over them further down in the article. If your primary camera is a DSLR, it does not hurt to know what a DSLR is and how it works. If you shoot with a mirrorless camera, we have a similar article that describes what a mirrorless camera is and how it compares to a DSLR. And if you want to take it up a level, we have a detailed DSLR vs Mirrorless article that lists every advantage and disadvantage of the two. If you shoot with a point-and-shoot camera, check out our DSLR vs Point-and-Shoot article that compares the two.
2) Buying a Camera
If you currently do not own a camera and want to buy one, we have articles on How to Buy a DSLR camera, Which Nikon DSLR and Nikon Lenses to Buy First and if you are a Canon shooter, we also have a great article Comparing Canon Entry-Level DSLR cameras. Wondering which brand is better? Perhaps you should read our Nikon vs Canon vs Sony article, after which you will hopefully realize that camera brand does not matter, especially for a beginner. And if you don’t mind buying used gear, we have an article on How to Buy Used DSLR Cameras and How to Buy Used Lenses.
If you are evaluating a mirrorless camera system, we have several in-depth articles for you. Start out by reading our Beginner’s Guide to Choosing a Mirrorless Camera, then see our Mirrorless Camera Comparison article for a general overview of all mirrorless systems on the market and lastly, check out our in-depth article on Evaluating Mirrorless Camera Systems that gives our subjective rating on all the mirrorless camera systems on the market.
Want to put together a great camera kit? Check out our detailed Beginning Photography Equipment article.
And if you are not fully satisfied with all this reading material, we have even more links for you to check out on photography gear and how to buy it:
Where to Buy a DSLR
Why You Should Only Buy From Authorized Dealers
Beware of buying camera gear from unauthorized sellers
The Perks of Switching Camera Systems
Micro Four Thirds vs DSLR Camera Considerations
Must-have DSLR Accessories
How to Choose the Right Lens Set
Why Are Some Lenses So Expensive?
How to Use a Monopod
How to Choose and Buy a Tripod
How to Use a Tripod
How to Reduce Camera Shake on a Tripod
What is Arca-Swiss Quick Release System?
Which Nikon Prime Lens to Buy First?
Things to Do After Buying a New Lens
Best Nikon lenses for Wedding Photography
Best Nikon lenses for Landscape Photography
Best Nikon lenses for Wildlife Photography
Best Nikon Lenses for Food Photography
Nikon DX vs FX
Diseases that Plague Photographers
Replacing GAS with SAS
Lastly, don’t worry too much about photography gear. Although we cover quite a bit of it here at Photography Life, learn to improve your photos without buying more gear!
3) Learn Photography Basics
Once you have a camera kit to shoot with and you know how to turn it on to take a picture, it is a good time to learn and understand the photography basics. First, start out by reading about Aperture (also see Lens Aperture Chart for Beginners), Shutter Speed and Camera ISO. Then put the three together in Understanding ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture for Beginners article and seal it with the Exposure Triangle for Beginnersand Choosing a Creative Exposure articles. Oh, and don’t forget about properly exposing your images through our Underexposure and Overexposure and Exposure Compensation articles, where we go in depth about proper exposure and how you can make quick exposure adjustments to your images. If you read all this material, you will get pretty far already, definitely brave enough to start taking your first pictures!
From there, I recommend reading about Exposure Stops in Photography, then learn about White Balance and what it does to your images (see Understanding White Balance for more information). If you have challenges understanding camera metering, see our detailed Understanding Metering and Metering Modes article. Wondering what histograms are and how you can use them? See our Understanding Histograms article. Once you read our guide on Understanding Digital Camera Modes, you will hopefully be brave enough to finally switch from that “Auto” mode!
And if all of the above is not enough, there is plenty more:
How to Hold a Camera
Understanding Depth of Field – A Beginner’s Guide
DSLR Autofocus Modes Explained
How Phase Detection Autofocus Works
Prime vs Zoom Lenses
The Versatility of Prime Lenses
How to Use Wide-Angle Lenses
How to Use Telephoto Lenses
Nikon AE-L / AF-L Button
Focus and Recompose Technique
Taking Good Photos in Bad Light
How to Take Good Pictures
How to Take Sharp Photos
Low-Light Photography Tips
Understanding Auto ISO in Photography
What is Crop Factor?
What is Reciprocal Rule in Photography?
What is Lens Compression and How to Use it
How Focal Length Affects What and How You See
Using Nikon DX Lenses on FX Cameras
How to Spot Dust on Your DSLR Sensor
Hyperfocal Distance Explained
Which Camera Settings Affect RAW Photos?
Compressed vs Uncompressed vs Lossless Compressed RAW Options
What is a Teleconverter?
What is an Extension Tube?
Why Use Fisheye Lenses?
What is Bokeh?
How to Obtain Maximum Bokeh
4) Learn How to Compose and Frame
Now that you know how to operate your camera, set camera settings for proper exposure and use your lenses, it is time to learn how to compose and frame with your camera. Many beginners struggle in this area, so we have plenty of material that covers not just the basics, but also more advanced topics on framing and composition. Start out by reading about Composition, then check out our Introduction to Composition. From there, see basic composition articles such as The Rule of Thirds, the Importance of Straightening the Horizon and Aligning Lines, Creating and Using Leading Lines, Leading the Eye of the viewer, Using Central Composition, Using Negative Space, differences between Open and Closed Composition and Using Foreground Elements to Create Added Depth.
That’s a lot to cover isn’t it? Well, we have plenty more material for you to check out:
What’s Important in a Photograph and What Isn’t
What a 365 Challenge Taught Me as a Novice
Balance in Photography
Four Simple Tips for Better Composition
The Magic of “7” in Composition
Improving Eye Flow by Creating Corner Exits
Composition in Photography: Assignment Discussion
How to Improve Your Photography
Improve Your Photography
Explore the Edges
Beyond the Obvious Shot
The Myth of the Rule of Thirds
How to Find Your Personal Style in Photography
5) Learn Specific Photography Techniques
Ready to keep on learning? Perhaps you should check out the following photography tips and techniques for all kinds of photography genres:
How to Fix Light Leaks in Long Exposure Photography
Six Tips for Better Photographs of Plants
Introduction to Black and White Nature Photography
How to Photograph Cathedrals
How to Focus Stack Images
How to Photograph the Milky Way
How to Photograph Cemeteries and Explore Their Beauty
How to Deal with Harsh, Midday Lighting
Introduction to Street Portrait Photography
Street Photography Tips for Beginners
How to Photograph Food with a Camera Phone
Food Photography Tips: Introduction
Tips on Photographing Food Outdoors
Getting Started with Sports Photography
Maximizing Dynamic Range
How to use a Polarizer
How to Photograph Clouds
How to Photograph a Rainbow
Mountain Photography Tips
Nature Photography Tips
HDR Photography Tutorial
How to Photograph Textures
How to Photograph Waterfalls
How to Photograph the Moon
How to Photograph the Supermoon
How to Photograph a Lunar Eclipse
How to Photograph a Solar Eclipse
How to Photograph Fireworks
How to Photograph a Lightning
Street Photography Techniques
Bokeh on Point and Shoot Cameras
Nikon Lens Bokeh Performance
Smartphone Photography Tips
Aquarium Macro Photography of Ornamental Shrimp
If it Moves, Make it Blurred
Stop Taking Crappy Pictures!
Macro Photography Tutorial
Macro Photography Lighting Tutorial
High Magnification Macro Photography on a Budget
Focal Length in Reverse Lens Macro Technique
Using Extension Tubes in Strong Wind
Photographing San Francisco’s Botanical Gardens With An Extension Tube
6) Clean and Maintain Your Camera Gear
It goes without saying that a badly maintained camera can fail at any time, so you should do your best to learn how to regularly clean and maintain your camera gear. We have written a number of articles on this topic, so we recommend that you check them all out:
How to Clean SLR Camera Lenses
What to Do with Dust Inside Lens
How to Wet Clean your DSLR Sensor in Less Than 5 Minutes (video tutorial)
How to Clean DSLR Sensor and Keep Your Camera Gear Clean (video tutorial)
How to Use and Care for Memory Cards
How to Store Memory Cards
Dead vs Stuck vs Hot Pixels
Camera Maintenance: Is Proactive Maintenance Worth It?
Nikon Quality Control Issues
7) Learn Nomenclature and Apply Camera-Specific Settings
For more in-depth articles on specific nomenclature and abbreviations, along with recommended camera settings for a number of different cameras, please see our detailed articles below:
Nikon Lens Abbreviations
Canon Lens Abbreviations
Sigma Lens Abbreviations
Fuji Lens Abbreviations
Sony Lens Abbreviations
Nikon DSLR Error Messages
How to fix blinking “Err” error on new Nikon DSLR Cameras
How to Enable Nikon’s “One-Click Zoom” Feature
Recommended Nikon D750 Settings
Recommended Nikon D810 Settings
Recommended Nikon D800 / D800E Settings
Recommended Nikon D600 / D610 Settings
Recommended Nikon D7100 Settings
Recommended Canon 6D Settings
Recommended Canon 7D Mark II Settings
Recommended Canon 5D Mark IV Settings
Recommended Sony A7R II Settings
Recommended Sony A6000 Settings
How to Find Total Shutter Actuations on Nikon and Canon DSLRs
Focal Length Comparison on Nikon DX (1.5 crop factor) Cameras
How to Update Firmware on Nikon DSLR
