I didn’t have a camera for a long time, it wasn’t until I got my first iPhone that I really got started. It seemed that everyone I knew was using Instagram. Photography then took all different forms, whether it was pictures of food, selfies or holiday pictures.
Eventually, Instagram seemed to become more than things you wanted to show your friends, but into different artistic styles. Whole accounts dedicated to a theme or a style. This is when I started to explore different options on the App when it came to my personal photography.
I started using my iPhone, but then I found my mum’s old film camera. I started to use this and it was a thrill not knowing what you were going to receive. I would get 36 photos developed at one time. The photos themselves had a natural filter to them. To this day I still use my film camera as it always develops unique and intriguing photos.
Then I began to borrow my cousin’s Canon camera. Things began to change when I did this. It allowed me to be precise with what I want to do. Having a flip out screen gave me an advantage when doing different angled shots. During this period, I used the camera in different settings: Gigs, holidays and shoots I arranged.
Finally, I got my hands on my own camera. Nikon D3400. This camera has been great even if it doesn’t have a flip out screen like my cousin’s that I was previously using. The camera also has built in Bluetooth, so you can directly send photos to your phone from your camera, making photography much easier.
Photography doesn’t have to be hard, it’s rather simple. I find the shots that work the best are those that aren’t complicated but are simplistic. Two of the main things I focus on are angles and lighting. Natural lighting always brings a photo out better. This is why I personally find concert/gig photography much more complicated, as the lighting is reduced, leaving the quality to be decreased in my opinion. The angle of a photo is also important to me. Some shots are better taken from below, the side, above or straight on. Taking the photos is half the battle, the rest can come from the editing of a photo.
I am a firm believer that anyone can do photography. My advice is to take time exploring what you like to take photos of and in what style you like to do them in. Everyone has to start somewhere.
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