Getting Started in Photography

So you think you want to take up photography as a hobby. The first question you probably think of is “which camera should I buy?”. This is the wrong question to ask at this time. There are a few questions you must ask first.

Questions to Ask Before Buying a Camera

What Am I Interested in Photographing?

You may have one or two photography ideas in mind, but you should consider other areas that you might be interested in. For example, here is a non-complete list of things to photograph. I have tried most of them at least once.

• Nature
  • landscapes
  • flowers and leaves
  • birds and other wildlife
  • insects
  • tree bark
  • sand and rocks
• People
  • your friends and family in informal settings
  • your children playing
  • portraits
  • weddings
• Professional and amateur sports
  • baseball
  • basketball
  • hockey (ice, field, etc.)
  • football (soccer, rugby, American, Canadian, Aussie Rules, etc.)
  • tennis
  • track and field
  • bicycle races
  • canoe and kayak races
  • dragonboat races
  • car, drag, motorcycle races
  • horse races
  • highland games
• Street photography
  • people interacting with others or their environment
  • street portraits
  • indoor and outdoor events
    • fall fairs
    • street festivals
      • giant garage sales
      • ethnic festivals
      • pride parades and festivals
      • national holidays
  • buildings and architecture
  • cityscapes
• Closeup and Macro
  • flowers
  • insects
  • fungus and lichens
  • watches
  • jewellery
  • kitchen gadgets
• Other
  • air shows
  • car shows
  • carnivals
  • fireworks
  • food
  • still life
  • ICM (Intentional Camera Movement)
  • multiple exposures

And those are just a few photography subjects and ideas off the top of my head.

What Will I Do With My Photos?

The obvious answer is ‘you will display them’. But how? Here are the most frequent ways:

• On social media (Instagram, Facebook, flickr, Vero Social, etc.)
• In albums on my phone, tablet, or computer
• As slide shows on my computer and smart TV
• As screen saver images on my tablet or computer
• Printed and placed in photo albums and portfolios
• Printed and hung on a wall
• In printed books and zines
• Printed as post and other cards (Christmas, birthday, etc.)

Now What?

So, you have made a start at answering the questions above. What camera should you buy? If you own a smart phone, that is an iPhone or a phone that runs Android, then you already have a camera. Well, in most cases, more than one. Every smart phone has at least two, and probably three or four lenses and sensors, with one on the front for selfies, and one or more on the back. The ones on the back each come with a lens of different focal length, and each sensor may have a different pixel density. More on that in an upcoming post.

So, if you have a smart phone, start with that. You will be able to determine what your interests are, and what the limitations of that device is. Only then will you be ready to consider a new camera and its required capabilities.

But that is for a different post.