Creative Tips For Beginners

When I first fell in love with photography, I would often see great photographs and wonder how did they take these shots! As a post-graduate student, I knew I had a lot to learn when it came to creative photography.

In fact, I wanted to learn because I enjoy great photographs and I enjoy taking great photographs. However, there were some basic digital photography tips that I needed keep in mind as I began my digital photography journey.

Expensive Equipment

People often think you need the most expensive equipment to take great photographs. I realized that's not true!

I realized I simply needed a working understanding of the equipment I already had in order to take great photographs.

Take some time and learn how to use your Digital SLR Camera. Lenses are another area that takes time to understand. A growing understanding of lenses will help you make better choices and save you money - lots of money!

Professional Results

Some people think only professionals get professional results. I realilzed that's not true!

All you need to do is learn some basic digital photography skills and you too can take professional photographs. For example: I had to learn some basic skills about composition, depth of field, lighting, etc. etc.

Auto Settings

Most people think that your auto settings on your camera are the best setting. I realized that's not true!

The auto settings on the camera are only a guide. To take great photos, you will need to learn more about your camera settings and your lens settings. For example: shutter speed, aperture, metering mode, auto-focus mode, white balance and exposure mode!

Once I gained a working understanding of these settings, I began to make photographs rather than just take photographs. There is a difference!

Too Complex

Most people think digital photography is too complex to grasp. I realized that's not true!

If you take some time, you can learn the basic skills of digital photography. If I can do it, you can do it too.

The more you learn, the more experience you will gain. The more experience you gain, the more creative you will become with your digital photography. Digital photography is a learned skill and most people can learn it! In fact, I am still learning heaps about digital photography.

No Rules

Some people think there are no rules in photography. I realized that's not true.

Following the rules will help you take great photographs. For example: rule of thirds, depth of field, white balance, lines and frames and lighting.

Creative Helps For Beginners

My passion is to make photographs rather than take photographs. In other words, I want to be creative in my digital photography.

I have taken several courses to gain a very good working knowledge of my Nikon D7000 Digital Camera (recent purchase). With those courses, I have learned much about lenses and their uses.

I have purchased some great products with a creative edge to digital photography. I am still learning from these products.

Trick Photography and Special Effects

Trick Photography and Special Effects was the first product I purchased to help me or should I say to inspire me to be creative with digital photography.

Evan Sharboneau has put together a very popular product. I have used many of his ideas to take great creative photographs.

Some ideas that I appreciated from this product were: long exposure effects, light painting and HDR photography.

Long exposure effects will help you to take great night photographs and those misty waterfall photographs. Light painting will help you take mysterious night shots. To read more...

Digital Background Secrets 2.0

Another very popular product that I purchased and found to be very useful was Digital Background Secrets 2.0.

You will need Adobe Photoshop if you intend to purchase Digital Background Secrets. Adobe Photoshop and digital photography go hand in hand and this product shows you why?

Digital Background Secrets helped me to understand the process of extracting a portrait image from one photograph and placing it on a digital background. This is all done with video tutorials and is very easy to follow. I now create all my own digital backgrounds in Adobe Photoshop.

There are some amazing techniques explained in these seven video tuturials. To read more...