I want to share with you everything I have learned over the past couple of years and help you along your journey! Whether you just got your first DSLR or you have been shooting for years, we have photography tips for everyone.
I am a huge advocate of shooting in manual mode. You will be amazed at how much your images improve once you take complete control over all your settings. Not sure you want to make the leap to manual mode? Be sure to read 5 reasons to shoot in manual mode. Manual mode may seem scary at first but I challenge you to put your camera on “M” for a week.
- No.01Manual Mode
Like so many people, I had a fancy new camera but my photos weren’t turning out like some of my friends with the same fancy camera. What was I doing wrong? I wasn’t shooting in manual mode. With the help of a friend and hours of reading all the photography tips and tutorials I could get my hands on, I tackled manual mode. If I can do it, you can do it too.
Photography Tips: Where to begin
– How to shoot in manual mode: The basics
Aperture
– Aperture
Shutter Speed
– Slow shutter speed to show movement
ISO
– ISO: Grain/Noise
– ISO: Don’t be afraid to raise itCamera Settings
– Changing your focal point
– Metering mode: Basics
– Reading a histogram
– RAW vs JPEG
– How to meter using the sky
– Interval timer vs wireless remote
– The Zone System: The basicsWhite balance
– Custom white balance
– How to use Kelvins for white balance
– How to nail white balance like a pro
– How to correct white balance in Lightroom
– How to warm up your image in ACRNailing Correct Focus
– How to take a sharp image
– Tips for achieving sharp focus
– Back button focus: Do you BBF?
- No.02Composition
Learning how to compose a shot to draw your viewer in is a quick way to take your photo from looking like a snap shot to something you want to frame on the wall.
– Rule of thirds
– Limb chopping and basic composition
– Shooting from different angles
– Fill the frame
– Leading lines
– Negative space
- No.03Lighting
One of the best piece of advice I received was from Sarah Wilkerson in a workshop was “Find the light first and then find the subject”. The light in an image can make or break your image.
– How to create catchlights
– 6 steps to creating a haze effect in photos
– Window lighting
– 6 steps to creating a silhouette
– A tip for shooting in full sun
– Split lighting with easy with 5 steps
– Creating dramatic light in small spaces
– Shooting for black and white photographs
– Dramatic light: Start to finish
– Silhouette photos: 10 tips for capturing them
– Finding light in unexpected places
- No.04Photography Equipment
If you get several photographers together, they are bound to talk about photography gear. I myself am a lens junkie. Oh, I love lenses! There are so many out there to choose from and all the different gear can be quite confusing. Let us help you with that.
Cameras
– Looking to buy a DSLR
– 5 tips for traveling with your photography gear
– Sensor cleaning: Is my sensor dirty?Lenses
– What lens to buys first?
– Comparing a 20mm, 35mm and 50mm on a crop sensor camera
– Understanding the writing on the lens
– What lens to buy next?
– Our favorite lenses
– Lens on crop vs full frame sensor
– Comparing different lenses
– 50mm 1.8 vs 50mm 1.4
– Camera lens rental: Your questions answered
– Wedding photography lenses: What you need to knowBooks
- No.05Editing
Something to keep in mind when you are first starting out is not to compare your SOOC to edited images. Every photographer I know edits their images. It is part of learning about photography. Besides editing it is important to make sure that you have a system in place to keep your photos organized.
Lightroom
– Noise reduction video
– Creating rounded corners in Lightroom
– 236 Free collage templates for PS, PSE and Lightroom
– Adding vignetting in Lightroom
– Editing silhouette photo in Lightroom
– Lightroom Black and white conversion video
– Exporting Photos from Lightroom
– Sync button in Lightroom
– Organizing photos in Lightroom using stars, colors, and smart collections
– Cloning in Lightroom: How to remove distractions
– How to create you own preset in Lightroom
– Presets and Actions: Working smarter not harder
– Before and after: Underexposure videoPhotoshop
– Photoshop editing: Creating negative space
– Photoshop tutorial: How to add blur
– RAW editing in ACR & Lightroom using the tone curve
– 236 Free collage templates for PS, PSE and Lightroom
- No.06Push your creativity
It is inevitable that at one point or another in your photography journey you will hit a rut. Finding ways to get out of your photography rut can be a challenge. I post creative exercises to help keep you from getting in a rut but there are several ways you can get out of one.
– 8 tips to get you photography juices flowing
– Get out of your photography rut in 10 steps
– One subject, many vantage points
– Photography bucket list
– Photography project ideas
– 30 day challenge: Photograph your kids
– 11 tips for completing a Project 365
– 7 photography project ideas
– Photography blues: 4 tips to kick the winter rut
– Personification: Creative exercise
– Find your photography style
– Photography style: 5 tips to find your style
- No.07Photographing children
It’s the same old story, girl has baby, girl gets camera, girl wants to take better pictures of her kids. I know that is when I decided to tackle manual mode. I just wanted to capture better photos of my kids and still do.
– Details, details, details
– Newborn photography tips for on-location photographers
– The everyday: Photographing your own kids
– Capturing true character
– 6 tips for photographing your baby’s birth
– 10 tips for photographing your baby
– Toddler photography: 8 tips for capturing those early years
– Birth photography: 10 lessons learned
– 6 quick and easy tips to capture kids in the leaves
– 10 tips to photograph kids together
– Photographing children in less than 7 minutes
- No.08Photography business tips
We did a whole series with secrets from the pros from start up costs to getting creative with your advertising.
– Creative advertising through giving back
– 3 tips to brand your business
– Start up cost
– Owner to hobbyist: 8 lessons learned
– 7 things customers look for in a photographer
– Facebook page: 7 ways to make it better
– How to add a personal touch using photos
- No.09Photography video tutorials
I recently started these photography tips video question and answers. If you have a question you would like me to answer please email me at [email protected] with the subject line: Video Q & A. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
– Indoor sports photography tips
– Tips to take your camera out in public
– Tips to find a photography Mentor
– Getting past discouragement and intimidation - No.10Personal favorites
Of course, I have some posts that I loved writing and sharing with you guys. If you learn anything from this site please learn to get in the photos with your kids. They don’t care what you are wearing, how much you weigh, or if you have make-up on. Just get in the photo.
– Self portraits: Get in front of the camera
– Think before you click
– Tips to for taking your own family portraits
– 21 lessons learned in my 2nd year of shooting in manual mode
– The secret to editing a month of photos in one week
– How to prepare a room for photos
– Street photography: 9 tips to follow
– What to do with all those photos: Digital photography books
– What to do with all your photos: Photo albums
Learn the EXACT techniques that I use everyday to photograph my kids. Stop feeling frustrated with your DSLR. Let me help you with this FREE webclass.
Sooooo much helpful info here! Thank you very much! You are my new ‘go to’!!! :)
Yay :) Thanks!
So much goodness!
Thanks! It’s fun to see it all in one spot!
Whoa! Thank you so much for all these fantastic articles! I will share this link with all my photog friends! They will keep me busy for a while!
Thanks so much for sharing! I really appreciate it!
I’ve been working my way through your tips, now it’s all nice and organised for me, thanks!
Thanks! Glad it helps you out!
Excellent collection of tips and suggestions. I’ve been perusing through the posts to find my interests. A little more time and effort and you could write a book!
I was actually thinking the same thing and have something in the early stages :)
This is just an awesome list!! Thanks so much for putting it together! I shared it on my #spreadbloggylove Share Saturday today. You can take a look here if you’d like: http://www.creativekristi.com/share-saturday-2/ If you’d like a ‘featured on’ button let me know :)
Hey Kristi!
Thanks so much for sharing this post on your site!! That makes my day :)
I don’t know how to thank you enough! Do you have a Facebook page? I’d love to follow you. I’ve been scouring any info I can get my hands on, on the web to learn how to go manual and something about the way you teach clicks with me. Thank you thank you, my pics are coming out awesome and I’m learning SO much!
Hey Amy!
Yes, I have a FB page – https://www.facebook.com/clickitup Welcome!
Wow. I have read and bookmarked COUNTLESS photography tutorials on the web, but I’m seriously considering deleting them all and just leaving your website up in my browser as my homepage. So much valuable information in one place and I could understand it all! I loved how you broke down the specific lenses you used for each moment of a wedding. I am shooting my first in November and that was particularly very useful for me!
Thanks again for taking the time to post all these tutorials. My brain is full and I can’t wait to start applying all my new knowledge!
Thank you so much!! Feel free to make it your homepage ;) Enjoy reading it over and playing around with your camera!
You’re amazing Courtney, and such a gift to those of us eager to learn as much as we can about photography! Thank you for all you do, and good luck with your new project ;).
Aww thank you so much :)
How do put a flower hood and lens filter on properly ?? For canon rebel Thanks
I wish I could, but I don’t use lens filters.
This is so helpful to me. I want to become a professional photographer when I get older so this has been very helpful to me on becoming the best photographer that I can be!
Glad you found it helpful and a passion for photography already :)
wow I found this website last week at P interest and I have learned so much from it …I am addicted to it.., thank you, thank you….
Aww, thank you :) and Welcome!
You are the best…have had life get in my way, but coming back!!
Missed you!!
I found your website about a year ago and I have been learning so much! I absolutely love it. Thank you so much for all of the hard work you put into what you do. Seriously, it is amazing!! :)
Thank you so much for your kind words! It means so much :)
I’ve been loving ALL your posts. There is such a learning curve when first starting out, and you are making it so much easier, especially with this particular ‘one stop shop’ post.
As I’m working my way down, I noticed that Metering mode: Basics led me to an error as well as Metering off the skin. I’m going to search your site and hope I can find them elsewhere.
Thanks for being a great teacher!
Thanks so much, Kari! I’m so glad you are enjoying the post. Thanks for the heads up about those two posts. I will look into what the issue is. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this, I’ve learned so many tips on how to shoot on manual mode, though my photo’s are not that perfect because I’m just starting out but knowing the shutter speeds, aperture and iso settings was really a big help for me.
I don’t think I’ve ever been provided with so much valuable information as you do in your blogs.
You are open and willing to help others and I think its wonderful. It is what drew me to this community.
Thank you so much! I’m glad to hear you have found such valuable information here. Welcome!
I’ve started out using manual, but something is vitally missing, because my images do not come out to my liking every time.
Learning to see the light and use it properly to get the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to work together will help you achieve the looks you are going for.
Okay, totally off topic, but I love your Noonday necklace:) . Are you a fellow ethical fashion lover?
Yes :) LOVE Noonday!
Invaluable, thankyou so much for the roundup :)
Awesome….Thank you for puting this together………
I’m just getting started, but thank you so much for putting all this free information out there. And the way you describe things are so intuitive! I’ll definitely share with anyone I think needs this guidance.