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photography for beginners

by Heather

Happy Friday!

Hope your almost weekend is going well.

Did you get a chance to check out part 2 of Hunter’s birth story? You should!

Today Hunter and I are going to see a friend who had her baby on Tuesday. Her girl is 8 days younger than Hunter but since she was 9lb when born already much bigger! I don’t think either of them are old enough to really notice another baby yet, but we’ll see.

My wonderful guest post for today comes from Kristen. She’s is sharing some great photography tips (her photos always look amazing). Makes me remember how much I want a DSLR camera!

Hi all! My name is Kristen and I blog over at Swanky Dietitian. Heather asked if I’d write a guest post and I gladly accepted. Heather is one of the first blogs I started reading when I started my own blog a little over 2 years ago!

Being a dietitian, you might assume I’d be sharing a post about food. But, I thought it would be fun to talk about another passion of mine…photography.

Ever since getting my DSLR camera last Christmas, I have been so in love with photography. I recently attended a photography workshop, Capturing True Emotion and I thought I’d share a few tips. I shoot in manual mode most the time which allows you to change all your settings.

What camera do I use?

I use a Canon Rebel EOS with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens. This is a great starter camera to use. I just love it!

I just got a EF 50mm f/1.8 lens for Christmas. It is a fabulous lens for close up photography (hint hint: food photos).

Basic Elements of Photography:

  • ISO
  • Aperture
  • Shutter Speed

Make sure you know where these 3 settings are on your camera.

ISO
ISO determines how sensitive the image sensor is to light. A great way to think about ISO is the way you would your pupils.

A low ISO (ISO 100) – the image sensor is less sensitive to light. This can be used with bright light, especially if you are shooting outside. Will yield a high quality image.

This picture was shot outdoors in bright light with a low ISO.

A high ISO (ISO 800 or higher ) – the image sensor is more sensitive to light. To be used in situations where they is low light, for example, a darker restaurant. Will yield a lower quality image.

Aperture

Aperture controls light and depth of field. It controls the amount of light passing through the lens.

Now this is where I often get a bit lost. For some reason, I find aperture to be real confusing.

Remember that a large aperture will (f 2.8 ) allows in more light, while a small aperture (f/16) does not allow in a lot of light. The smaller the f-stop # (ex: f/2) the larger the aperture etc.

Use a large aperture if you want a shallow depth (ex: Close ups of food. Background will be more out of focus.)

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed controls exposure. Shutter speed describes how long the camera shutter is open. (the click you hear when you take a pic)

A great tip: Shutter speed number should be greater than the length of your lens. So for example, if you have a 50 mm lens, your shutter speed should be 55 or higher.

A faster shutter speed will freeze an image (ex: 1/500 or faster), where a slower shutter speed will blur image (ex:1/30 or slower).

In the photo below, I used a slow shutter speed to blur the person.

Once you’ve mastered these three settings, the possibilities for a great photo are endless.

My best piece of advice is to just get out there and shoot! You will learn so much just by playing around with different settings. And if I have learned anything from photography, lighting is key!!

Be sure to stop by my blog and say hello! I’d love to hear any photography tips you have!

Kristen is a Registered Dietitian and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree. She lives in Las Vegas where she enjoys traveling, cooking, and yoga. You can find her over at Swanky Dietician.

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0 comment

Brittany June 8, 2012 - 10:25 am

Lovee this, I need to get a good camera STAT! I use my iPhone for all my blog photos!

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Emily Butler @EmilysHomestead June 8, 2012 - 3:42 pm

Great post! I don’t have a DSLR but just a good digital that does have manual settings, so I have lots of practicing to do!

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Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers June 8, 2012 - 7:35 pm

Wonderful tips! I’m still learning to take photos. I’m getting better, but it’s still a lot of learning. Thank you for the great post!

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Kathleen @ KatsHealthCorner June 14, 2012 - 1:50 pm

What a very informative post. Thanks! 🙂

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Jennifer July 21, 2013 - 8:08 am

I have A new canon sx40 HS and I don’t even know where to find my shutter speed! I have kids In Sports so I want to take pictures of them in motion and a lot of times it’s In gyms where the lighting is horrible! I cannot get them to not be blurry and most of the time it does not take the pictures fast enough… Any advice or tips would be awesome.

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Fit Mama July 22, 2013 - 7:40 am

I would google your camera to find out how to do that – it should also be in your camera’s manual. Hope that helps!

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