Beginning Digital Photography


The creative process comes from our minds and emotions and has very little to do with technology. Technology is the means to the end but we do not need to know how it works in the same sense that chemical bonding theory is of no use whatsoever to an artist who works with oil paints. This is an important point to grasp because the fact is it is now possible for anyone to create great Photography without detailed technical knowledge


With digital, imagination is the only thing which limits our creative potential. Photography is now easier, cheaper and more accessible to everyone because all the technical stuff has been hidden from us by the people who design cameras and the software applications we use to edit and present our work. This is great because Photography is more of a mental process than a technical one anyway and a modern digital darkroom offers Photographers the freedom to experiment and focus more on the craft from a position of altitude rather than becoming bogged down and obsessed with irrelevant technical details


An appreciation of Art is far more useful to a creative Photographer than is a mind full of technical facts. It can very instructional for Photographers to study Art because a lot of the age old techniques used by artists were later adopted by photographers - creative use of colour and compositional devices spring to mind. With modern software applications we can easily make photographs look like watercolour or oil paintings for example and a beginner is not restricted to taking plain straight photographs


Making photographs is not very difficult but what stops many people from embracing it is the false perception that Photography is somehow difficult or that it is too technical for mere mortals. The answer of course is that it can be as difficult or as technical as you want to make it and at the same time it can be beautifully simple. It is your choice


You can use a cheap point and shoot camera on automatic settings and get your prints done at a lab or you can use an expensive camera with lots of manual options and set up a digital darkroom for making your own prints. Either way it is the mind of the person behind the camera that makes the images and any experienced Photographer will agree with this observation


Personally I keep my photography workflow as simple as possible but no simpler and as a result I enjoy my Photography more than ever so hopefully the articles in this series will help you realise the truth of these assertions and convince you that you really can create digital works of art quite effortlessly and without it costing you the earth or your sanity



Choosing the Right Tools

Photography is far more enjoyable when you like the tools you use and for this reason you should choose tools which make you want to use them. This will be reflected in your work as you improve with practice and will give you increased self belief and help lead to a real sense of purpose. As with any creative interest it takes time to learn about the tools available and you should enjoy your Photographic journey and not rush things - like drinking Guinness it should be done slowly and enjoyed


Unfortunately some people give up too soon through frustration and I suspect that the main reason is that they are using the wrong tools. It is better to start simply with modest aspirations and learn the basics well using simple tools which do the job. The basics are used by all photographers and you never forget them once they have been learned


After each shooting session you need to import your images into a computer where you begin the process of evaluating each shot for duffers and keepers; sorting and filing your keepers, backing them up and preparing selected images for further editing prior to outputting to media such as printers and the web


All this can all be made to run very smoothly if you adopt simple workflows that you are comfortable with. When you are out with your camera you are doing camera workflow and when you import to the computer you adopt different workflows for image management, image editing and output. I talk a more about this workflow business in the article digital photography workflow



Camera Skills

The technical skills required to operate a digital camera are minimal and anyone can now do it because on automatic settings all digital cameras produce images that are sharp and well exposed. Almost. Digital cameras are such well designed tools that it is hardly worth thinking about them once you know how to operate them and have them taking the types of shots you want. Smooth ergonomics and ease of use rather than megapixel count is what most manufacturers are now competing on and all this slick automation means we have more space to focus on what we are trying to do - enjoy ourselves and create art. An appreciation of the camera skills listed below will ensure you can be as flexible as possible:




Computer Skills - The Digital Darkroom

The computer is the Digital Darkroom where we process our images and turn them into works of art. The list below has been kept deliberately simple for the reason that when you analyse it this is all we are really doing on the computer. Some people insist on making all this so complicated that other people write books about it to plug a gap in the market but there is no reason to make complicated something which is actually quite simple. The trick is to get things right at the shooting stage and then make a few tweaks in your imaging editor. Later you may decide to resize particular images for printing or emailing to friends and family. No big deal




Photographic Skills - Composition

Learning some basic rules of photographic composition such as the "Rule of Thirds" will get you off to a flyer and will greatly improve your photography from the start. These simple rules have been tried and tested by artists and photographers for donkeys years and they are successful because compositions using thirds are usually well balanced and pleasing to the eye. For example you should never place your main subject slap bang in the middle of the frame because it can make an image appear static and boring


Rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a compositional technique which will vastly improve your photography and it is used all the time in Landscape Photography. Some cameras have these guidelines available at the flick of a switch and this feature is very helpful when composing and framing landscape shots. In the image of Lough Gill, County Sligo above I made use of the rule of thirds to give a pleasing composition. The fir trees and the boat in the foreground both lie on a third line and when you look at the image you will find that it is either of these two elements which the eye will focus on first


Printing and Framing

Photography is a craft and mastering the basics is the first step in turning any craft into an art. Creating a framed print is an excellent first project for any aspiring photographer because the process involves separate stages in what we call photography workflow and the experience gives you a good appreciation of what is involved in the process from pressing the shutter to crafting a print. When what began in your minds eye as a simple idea is eventually framed and hanging on your wall then you will have all the evidence you need to believe that you can be a successful photographer


If you intend to print and frame your photography for sale or public display then you need to pay close attention to presentation. Photographs should be framed in such a way that the frame and the mount colours compliment the image and are barely noticeable to the eye. Plain mounts and simple frames are always a safe bet and can make a photograph really stand out and command pride of place on any wall. The image below shows how a photograph can come into it's own when tastefully framed:


Welcome to Bundoran

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Many Photographers hand their prints to a Framer who carries out the work but choosing frames and cutting your own mounts is more rewarding in my opinion and cutting mounts is easy if you have the right tools. My article on how to make a double mount explains what is involved



Developing your own Style of Photography

Ultimately you will want to develop your own style of Photography and you can do this by photographing subjects and themes that are easily accessible to you. I photograph seascapes, landscapes, road shadows or strange looking trees because these subjects are all around me whereas when I lived in Glasgow I could photograph street life and architecture. No matter where we live we will find something to photograph if we look carefully enough - even the plants in your garden could make an interesting project if you can think of some way to put your own creative spin on the theme



Photography Magazines

Photography magazines can be a great source of reference material and inspiration once you get into the habit of reading the articles and tutorials while mentally filtering out the adverts. Photography magazines tend to heavily push Photography products and they always assume that you are using Adobe Photoshop and other expensive photography software products. This is not the case with myself because all the software I use is free of charge is featured in the Linux section of this site if you are interested in how to do serious Photography on a shoestring


UK photography magazines are particularly good and there are some excellent niche magazines available like Photoshop Creative which is geared more towards artistic photography and blurs the line between photography and art. Some of the demonstrations and tutorials in these magazines are excellent and you get all the tutorial files on the CD for trying them out for yourself


Uk photography magazines

Amateur photographer is a cheap weekly photo mag that is a good read. It's good for photography competitions and has a lot of used equipment for sale


Digital photographer is a monthly magazine with good digital photography tutorials and practice images on the cover disk. If you are a new SLR user then you will like it


Black and white photography is a monthly dedicated to both traditional and digital black and white photography. It is excellent and is a great resource and source of inspiration for true black and white aficionados


Shutterbug is a very good American photography magazine and widely available in the US and Canada


Painter magazine is for artistic photographers and digital painters. You can learn how to do things like make serious paintings from landscape and portrait photographs


Photoshop creative will interest Web Developers and Graphic Designers as carries lots of great tutorials for web and print design


Photography magazines have some great featured articles and a lot of the photographers who contribute to these magazines were beginners who used to read them when they were learning


You can also use magazines as a good source of reference material. It a good idea to stick your own labels on the backs of your magazines so that you can add index notes. There is nothing more crazy than rifling looking through 100 magazines for an article you once read on polarising filters. Most of the magazines also publish 'bookazine' versions on DVD where you get one years worth of back issues plus all the instruction videos and tutorial files. Enough to keep you busy for a while and it only costs about €20



Photography Websites and Places of Inspiration

Blogs and Forums are a great source of inspiration and self-motivation because you learn about what other photographers are doing and how they arrived at where they are now. Interacting with other photographers is a good way to get feedback on your work and pick up some tips. Some of these critiques will be unasked for so don't take criticism too personally because if you do you will just lock up and then feel as though you can't trust your own judgement. If you are critiquing someones work then remember that you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar


A large busy Photography forum is great because most of your general Photography questions will have been dealt with in the past and the answers will be available in the archives. Try to search forums for your answer first before posting a request for help. Specialist forums are also good for questions about particular genres such as landscape photography, nature photography, portraiture etc so try to find a forum that focuses on your type of Photography


Looking at the portfolios of other photographers and the types of work they produce will reveal a multitude of styles. These people all started out clueless but like you and me but they were driven by a desire to express themselves as individuals through being creative. The only thing I would say is that is important not to hang too much on all you see and read. Your creative flow can become constipated if you are constantly comparing your work to that of others. Instead it is far better to trust your own intuition, do what you enjoy, and see where it leads. This way you are much more likely to discover what styles you like and those you don't like. It is what pleases you that really matters and simply a case of to thine own self be true


Learn to notice how simple great images can be and how the picture elements compliment each other to form a strong impression. Less is always more in photography and simplicity makes for more compelling images. Finding that simplicity is probably the biggest challenge facing all photographers but you might just surprise yourself with what you are capable of if you make the most of the humble equipment you have while tuning your mind to take care of the real source of your creativity



Practice Practice Practice

Once you are happy with your choice of camera and the software applications you have chosen for your digital darkroom then it is time to buckle down to the business of refining your skills over time. Operating the camera and the computer software should become second nature to you. Once you have convinced yourself that you don't need to worry about the tools you are using then you will be free from self doubt and all that silly thinking that blocks your creative mind. You know that silly voice that keeps telling you that you will never be any good at this? Well you should stop listening to it from now on and be your own boss


We just need to open our minds and learn to recognise the creative possibilities which are all around us. Digital photography offers endless scope for creative experimentation and the more you practice and learn about it the more you will understand what I am getting at. Ten years ago I took straight photographs on colour slide film and found it restrictive from a technical point of view but with digital tools I find myself thinking about all sorts of creative possibilities. There has never been a better time to get into Photography


I started off clueless but with a real desire to express myself creatively back in the days of film photography and by using cheap used equipment I slowly learned things by trial and error. Now almost 20 years later I reckon that my Photography consists of roughly 60% commitment, 30% organisation and 10% equipment


These figures may surprise you but the fact is that motivation and organisational skills are more relevant to your success than the equipment used


Good luck