Beginning Photography

Introduction

In this lesson, I'll give you an overview on the structure of the course and ask you the key question you have to answer to begin this course. 

How to Study This Course

How to Study This Course

The three most essential tools of the photographer

What are the three most vital tools of the photographer? Almost everyone knows the first two and almost everyone doesn't guess the third. Do you know? 

Telling Stories with Light

Many people beginning in photography get obsessed with gear and they overlook the most important thing that they should be obsessing over. So what is it? 

What is Exposure?

Every photo exists because the sensor or film was exposed to light, but very few people fully understand what exposure actually means

What is Light Sensitivity/ISO

A lot of people think of ISO as "that setting you adjust which brings more light into the camera," and that's actually wrong.In this video I'll cover what ISO actually is, how it came to be and how you use it.

The Problem with Higher ISOs: Noise

In this lesson we will discuss why noise occurs and what you can do to control it. 

What is Shutter Speed?

Shutter speed is one of the most versatile adjustments a photographer can use to get properly exposed photographs. In this video we will talk about what it is, what it does and how you use it. 

The problem with Longer Shutter Speeds: Movement.

Many people run into problems with blurry photos, especially in low light, and they don't know how to fix it. Here we will examine why you get blur in your photos and what you can do about it. 

What is Motion Blur?

One of the main things shutter speed controls is motion blur, but the first part of controlling it is understanding what it really is and why you would use it or not. 

Motion Blur as a Technical and Artistic Choice for Photographers

There are dozens of different shutter speeds that you can use as a photographer to control your expose and create interesting artistic effects. In this video I'll show you how to choose the right one for your photo and cover the three main factors which influence what I call "the motion blur triangle."

Using your lens to help control exposure: What is Aperture?

For many people, aperture can be one of the most confusing things to learn in photography, but it's actually quite simple to grasp once you know the basics of it. 

What are Aperture Numbers/F-Stops?

Part of learning to use aperture as a tool to control exposure is learning the numbers which regulate it, and a lot of people get lost on this. Here I'll show you how to easily learn to use and remember them. 

What is Focus Really?

Most people don't really understand what focus, they just think of it as making sure what you are taking a photo of is crisp. But they don't understand how flexible and adjustable focus is or how to control it. Here we will tackle the first part of this and show you how focus in your image can be adjusted through aperture. 

What is Depth of Field?

In this lesson, we will demystify the subject of depth of field and teach you what shallow depth of field is and deep depth of field is and when they would be used. 

How Aperture Helps Control Depth of Field

In this video you'll learn to control of how shallow or deep your depth of field is through the aperture on your lens and how this will affect your image. 

The Exposure Triangle for Photographers

ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture are often referred to as the Exposure Triangle in photography. So let's see how these three relate to each other and how changing one of them has to be offset by changing the others to keep the exposure balanced while achieving the artistic effects you want to get. 

Understanding The Main Controls and Shooting Modes on your Camera

In this lesson we will go over all the main parts of your camera and how to use the different modes on your camera including Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority modes. We will also touch upon what the other modes are as well as Exposure Compensation. 

Understanding Color Temperature and White Balance

Color Temperature and White Balance can be confusing or daunting to understand so it seems safe just to leave the camera on Auto White Balance. But Color Temperature is actually easy to understand and control if you know what we cover in this lesson.  

Intro to Lenses and What is Focal Distance

In this video we will examine what the different parts of lenses are and what focal distance is and how focal distance affects your depth of field. 

What is Focal Length

This lesson covers exactly what focal length is, how it is measured, how it affects how much you can see through the lens and why it is such a key component in photography. As part of this you'll learn what field of view or angle of view is and how it changes as focal length changes. It also includes a bonus tip on how to set shutter speed to avoid camera shake. 

How Focal Length influences depth of field

Focal Length is another factor which influences how shallow or deep your depth of field is. In this video we will cover this and also go through the three main factors which make up what I call "the depth of field triangle." 

How Lenses Distort Reality

Lenses influence and distort light in very interesting ways. In this video I will show you some different effects you can create by changing which lens you are using. 

An Overview on Lenses and Lens Vocabulary

There are hundreds of different lenses on the market for sale and understanding which lens should be used for what or how to even refer to these can be confusing. This video will help you understand how all these different types of lenses are referred to, what their characteristics are, what the common lenses are used for what type of photography and how to find the lenses you want to buy.  

Lens Filters for Long Exposures

Here we will briefly cover what lens filters are and why they are so important in controlling exposure in long exposure situations. 

Introduction to Composition

Composition is often the "x-factor" which takes a technically perfect photo to an entirely new level. In this lesson, I'll give you a basic introduction to composition as well as the rule of thirds and leading lines to help you start taking better photos. 

Remembering Camera S.A.F.E.T.Y

When you begin learning professional photography you can be struggling to remember all these different things that affect your finished photo. Camera SAFETY is a helpful way to ensure that you don't forget any key point before you click the trigger on your camera. 

Image Quality: Resolution and Megapixels

Every camera has different settings and factors which change or influence the resolution of the image. In this video we will go over what these are and why you shouldn't obsess over it. 

Image Quality: Dynamic Range

Dynamic Range influences how much light information you can get in a single exposure. It's really important to understand what it is and why you want to have as much of it as possible. We'll go over this and also what High Dynamic Range photography is. 

Image Quality: Color Reproduction

In my opinion, how well a camera captures and reproduces shades of color and brightness is the most important consideration in choosing a camera. In this lesson I discuss why color in a camera is so important, what color science is, what color space is and what the magic is involved in reproducing colors with a camera.

Image Quality: File Formats (RAW vs JPEG)

You've probably heard various things about RAW camera files and JPEG camera files. So in this lesson we are going to go over what both of these are, what their advantages and disadvantages are and which one you should use. 

A Quickstart to Adobe Lightroom and Course Completion

In this video I'm going to give you a whirlwind tour through Lightroom to focusing only on importing photos, doing basic retouching on them and exporting them so you can share them with the world. I cover around 1% of the program's capabilities, but enough to get you started in using it. It's a 5 minute quickstart that ended up taking 15 minutes. I also finish out the course with a simple instruction on what you should be focused on as you walk down the road of your personal photographic journey. 

My Final Words on Photography and this Course

Congratulations! You made it through. Now - go out there and take some amazing photos!