What was ?

[palms]

(this is for all from professionals to happy snappers)

What was

the first important thing that you learnt in photography/using a camera ( and you cant have remembering to take the lens cap off )

Mine was learning to steady myself and not have arms flapping around like a chicken , the gentleman's words were "dig those elbows into your waist"

please do add yours

Palms

[Janet Petty]

Take a deep breath and very slowly let it out as you gently squeeze the shutter.

One I like to pound into student's heads is to get the camera up to the face and don't hold it out at the extension of your arms.

Janet

[amica999]

Can't contribute much to this, as I sure don't know how to photograph
I do like taking pics though, and by surprise some turn out nice.
But I have a nice story: I have the same cell phone as my daughter, and she showed me some pics she took and they turned out really good - for a cell phone camera! So I don't really choose the phone for the camera as I have a shoot and pray camera, but being on a business trip I didn't bring it along. So at night I looked outside of a window to a more or less busy street, but it had beautiful lightening around. I took some snaps and they were all crap , blurry, too dark etc. Next day :-) I had a look at the pics again and realized that I didn't pull off the protection foil from the lens

[pellepiano]

The moment with most impact, was seeing a shot of myself, that my buddy took with a Nikon 70-200 at 2.8, full body shot with this incredible shallow dof. Then I stopped using my compact Olympus 5050z and got a 350d ( Rebel ).

[palms]

Janet your first tip comes natural to me i hold my breath and hope
The second one i agree with as i have just realised that i take better photo's when using the viewfinder and not the screen

Whoops Amica, bet it took better photo's after you had removed the foil and you have contributed, I was hoping that this thread would help and reveal some inspiration for all of us

Pelle that is a big no no, looking at other peoples camera's and shots as there is always another camera i would like

Palms

[Mike]

Read the manual first and often.

[palms]

Originally Posted by Mike

Read the manual first and often.

That is a sound one, each time i re read mine i either learn more or i understand a bit more

Palms

[Veralisa]

What was the first important thing that you learnt in photography/using a camera?

It was so long ago-1964-I truly don't remember...except my professor's name (Doc Martin) who wore sandals in mid-winter and the positive feeling of elation when I learned how to open a film canister in total darkness.

[lurch]

That a person couldn't hand-hold an exposure longer than 1/30 sec.

[AngeloLorenzo]

That photography is, essentially, magic.

[TreesOfMyTime]

That it is a very long road from picking up and snapping your first camera at something you see, to getting an image that reflects that vision. The first time for me was in 1946 with a Brownie Six-20 (I was 10).

It has also become an expensive "toll" road as well since the inception of digital, with its quickly depreciating equipment, new technology and software and its myriad updates.

However, it does seem worth it!

[palms]

Angelo you have hit the nail on the head there pure magic

Don another nail on the head the cost can be frightening but not always necessary for a bit of fun, my granddaughter has just had her first digital camera for her 7th birthday and she loves it to bits, ( I just wont ask her in future what she would like for xmas or birthdays )

and you have broke my thoughts i too used a brownie box as a kid and only just realised that you looked through them a bit like the screen of a digital ( boy did they take some great photo's and built like a tank )

Palms

[Mike]

Originally Posted by TreesOfMyTime

It has also become an expensive "toll" road as well since the inception of digital, with its quickly depreciating equipment, new technology and software and its myriad updates.

However, it does seem worth it!

When buying a digital camera think of it like buying a film camera and several years of film and processing at the same time.

For a good many of us, it comes out fairly even.

[Southbay]

This was my first camera. I recall being quite excited to be getting a complete kit with flash! What I quickly learned (and still practice today) is, to use in-camera flash sparingly.

[CathyH]

I'm still learning, but the most important thing I've learned is that photography is all about light. The quality of light and the way it shapes things.

[Nasturtium]

Look up. There could be a really cool picture there.

[bpurvis]

I agree about the light. When I've taken a really good photo, it's usually because the light was just right. I've become very aware that the glare of a too-close flash will ruin a picture every time. When I have to use the flash, I'll back up and zoom in, so that I get just enough light without the glare.

I'm saving my pennies for a camera and flash that will give me more control. Wish I could control the sun! In the end, the light makes or breaks the picture.

[Sweetlight]

AMEN ABOUT THE SWEET SWEET LIGHT........
See Palms, I have some contribution but I won't get back on my soapbox about "ONE SUN.......right?