Beginning Photography: Your First Camera

Are you thinking of taking up photography as a hobby or as a potential business? Then you’ve come to the right place. As someone who is taking their photography to the next level I was once in your shoes. I remember the anxiety of choosing my first camera, which brand to go with, and what lenses to get, as well as what level of camera to buy. So let me put your mind at ease...you really cannot go wrong with any modern DSLR cameras with the exception of Sony DSLRs (but their mirrorless lines are currently the leading standard). It is important to note I mention DSLR and not mirrorless for this “modern” category. DSLR technology has been around much longer than mirrorless technology, you CAN choose a poor modern mirrorless camera. Not to say “don’t go mirrorless” it just requires more research and they have a bigger upfront cost.

So you’re looking at cameras and you don’t know which one to get, this article isn’t about the pros and cons of each camera or what to go with; it all depends on what you want to shoot and most importantly, what features you need for the type of photography you want to do.

If you are a beginner I would recommend going with a camera that is designed with beginners in mind. Now it may seem like a beginner's camera is just for beginners, this is not the case. Many cameras that are touted as beginner cameras are really just beginner friendly and leave a lot of room to grow to the intermediate level. These beginner friendly cameras are designed in mind that many people want to grow and improve as a photographer, while keeping in mind that many people just want the ability to point-and-shoot while getting higher quality photos than a point-and-shoot.

My first DSLR was a Nikon D5200, a very beginner friendly camera that has preset modes for portraits, sports, and landscapes, as well as an auto-mode for easy shooting. These modes aren’t anything special, they advise the camera what kind of conditions you are anticipating to shoot in and allow it to adjust on its own. These modes are great, however, they make the photographer more reliant on the camera and lower your capacity for creative control. Beginner cameras such as the D5200 also come with more advanced settings that aren’t available in most point and shoot cameras, such as: Shutter, and Aperture priority, a Program mode, and a full Manual mode. I’ve taken that camera all over the world and some of my favorite photos were taken with it.

CHOOSING A CAMERA (AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APS-C AND FULL-FRAME)

At some point in your search for the perfect beginner camera you’ve probably come across the terms “APS-C” and “Full-frame” sensors. The biggest difference between these two types of cameras is the physical size of the sensor that captures the image. An APS-C camera has a smaller sensor than a full-frame camera. Many people seem to think that full-frame cameras are inherently better than an APS-C camera for this reason. This is far from the truth as we are really only referring to the size of the sensor, not the quality of the sensor. Now because the sensor sizes are different you’ve probably come across something called a “crop factor” in your research. A crop factor effectively means that the image the lens projects on the sensor will not fully fit on the sensor. Many cameras have a crop factor of 1.5X. This means that if you put an 18mm lens on an APS-C camera you will effectively have a 27mm lens instead. Lenses are made to indicate their focal length on a full-frame camera, so it’s good to keep that in mind. 

Credit: Nature TTL

Before you start thinking “I don’t want to do the math to find my effective lens length”. Full-frame cameras are often much more expensive than APS-C cameras, and their lenses are even more expensive than that. A full-frame lens CAN be used on an APS-C camera, but an APS-C lens will not use a full-frame camera’s full functionality, though they are technically usable in the sense that they can fit the same camera mount. An APS-C lens on a full-frame sensor will cause very heavy vignetting and is not recommended.

Now before you’re thinking of choosing an attractive full-frame camera, it’s very important to bear in mind, full-frame cameras and lenses are more expensive than APS-C gear. Choosing a camera system and type should be considered as the first investment into a camera brand and/or system. 

COMMITTING TO A SYSTEM

Choosing a camera is a commitment. Each camera brand and type has its own lens mounts and usable gear. For example, if you purchase a Nikon F-mount camera you will not be able to use Nikon Z-mount lenses without an adapter, and you will not be able to use Canon lenses with your Z-Mount camera without an adapter. Adapters typically cause the lens to lose some functionality. So while choosing a system it is good to take into account the cost of lenses and accessories that you may want to use.

For example, my first DSLR was a Nikon, I have now invested in a Sony Mirrorless system, this means I now have to buy lenses that fit the Sony system or buy an adapter in order to keep using my Nikon F-Mount lenses. If I had bought another Nikon F-mount system I would still be able to use those lenses.

When choosing a camera, you will want to get something that gives you the confidence to go out and shoot. You want to choose a camera that you will want to take with you, but also something that matches your experience level to learn and grow with.

Major Take-aways

• "Beginner” DSLRs are beginner friendly and leave room to grow

• APS-C systems are typically less expensive than full-frame, especially their lenses

• Choosing a camera and brand is a commitment to what that manufacturer has to offer

• Try out your camera’s Program mode to understand each setting’s relationship

• Choose a camera to match your experience level, upgrade when you need more features to realize your vision

Developing your Eye

Developing your eye as a photographer is extremely important. Even if you have been taking photographs for a while now a few exercises can help you improve. Having a photographer’s eye means a few things: being aware of your environment, visualizing the image in your mind, and noticing potential for a composition before the opportunity passes. In this article I will talk about a few good practices for developing your photographer’s eye and why they can help improve your photography.

PATTERNS

One exercise that is fairly common is photographing patterns around you. While this exercise probably won’t produce fantastic shots you’ll want to publish or the exercise itself may even sound boring, it can actually be really fun and helpful to produce even better work later.

Why is photographing patterns helpful?

Photographing patterns is helpful because you’re practicing composition and training yourself to notice small details that normally go unnoticed. Some patterns can seem obvious, like patterns on a blanket or quilt, but some may not be so obvious. For example a staircase going from left to right in a parking garage or the way a lamppost holds its bulbs. This exercise is more about finding patterns in ways that you may not have noticed before and is very helpful in seeing things in a new way.

CONSUME PHOTOGRAPHY MEDIA

Another way to develop your eye as a photographer is to look at your favorite artist’s and other peoples’ work, and seriously ask yourself what you like and/or dislike about their work as a whole (their body of work) and as singular pieces. I have found this to be very helpful and it provides a good source for inspiration in my own work. Using sources like Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, and magazines can really give you sources of inspiration and an idea of how a good photo is composed and edited. Part of getting better at photography is consuming other peoples’ work. (I highly suggest Flickr, the images posted there often have the settings of the camera in the post automatically). 

Shameless plug for my Flickr with camera settings: https://www.flickr.com/photos/187287546@N02/

Join a constructive criticism group on social media! Critique groups are especially useful for improving your photography. This not only allows you to get advice on your own work but you can also benefit from reading criticism of everyone else’s photos.

TAKE VISUAL NOTES

Taking visual notes is also a good way to develop your photographic eye. Visual notes are pictures or snapshots that you found interesting in the moment. This could be an instance of interesting lighting with good contrast, but not much of a subject to really make it a great photo. In a digital age there is almost no reason to take these notes and assess what you liked about what you saw. Perhaps it’s a location in the city where that lighting will occur almost everyday. Taking that visual note could remind you of that location where you can then look for a subject. An example of a visual note:

This picture likely won’t win any awards or be featured anywhere other than this site, but it is a visual note of a night in Japan. Now why is this helpful to improving at photography? This practice helps raise awareness of the environment around you. Increased awareness helps find more interesting lighting and subjects. This practice can also help anticipate favorable photo conditions. It is all about raising awareness of your environment.

ANALYZE OTHERS’ WORK

One exercise that may divide a lot of people is taking deep inspiration from other peoples’ work. When I suggest taking inspiration from other peoples’ work I only mean to take it as far as practice, and over time you will develop your own style.

Taking inspiration from other peoples’ work and analyzing it is good practice because it informs you as to how the piece was shot. Was the shot taken low to the ground? Was the camera angled up or down? How far away was the photographer? Were they zoomed in or were they close to their subject? While doing this exercise it’s important to ask yourself “What did the photographer do to get this shot? What am I doing differently? How can I improve this photo?” Once you have tried to recreate someone else’s work, manifest your own vision! The other photographer already captured their vision and you recreated it, and while it may look impressive, it isn’t your personal vision for the subject. Use what you learned to help convey what you have in mind.

Much like other artforms, making use of reference to understand your own shots can help ensure success.

Now let’s practice a little bit. Below is one of my own images and I’d like you to try and figure out how this shot was taken.

Was I  far away or close to the subject?

Was I zoomed in? What focal length do you think I used?

What was the shutter speed?

Was the camera low to the ground, high up, or chest level?

If you enjoyed this content, feel free to comment below and share with your friends! It will really help me grow and produce more content.

Thank you.