Learn Photography

So you want to learn how to be a good photographer? Here's how...

First of all, accept that it will take time and practice. Although we can give you plenty of quick tips to improve your work, real results will only come with effort. The good news is that digital photography makes the whole process easy and cheap. You can take lots of test photos in different ways, see which ones work, then delete them without any cost except batteries.

Your first tasks will be:

• Learn what makes a good photo (composition, technical qualities, etc).
• Learn all the functions of your camera, in particular the manual settings (if it has them).
• Learn what digital formats to use and how to work with photos after you've taken them.

Once you are underway, you will need to begin evaluating your photographs. It's very important to critique your work in order to improve. While it makes sense to get feedback from other photographers, you can also learn to judge your own efforts if you know what to look for.

Tip: Join a camera club! There are few better ways to improve your photographic skills than to mix with other enthusiasts. Amateur clubs are usually very welcoming and non-intimidating. Don't worry about being a complete novice — that's how most club members started out and they will probably love having a new learner on board.

Next Step: Photographic composition