One of the trickiest parts of starting to teach a subject is where to begin. So I thought that before we jump into the real meat and potatoes of how to take better pictures, we need to establish some common ground about what to expect, and what you may be getting yourself into, along with a few observations that will make it easier to understand what I’m talking about down the line. By the way, this photo is the last decent picture I took on film, so in a way it represents the end of your old photography ways and the start of the new. Welcome aboard.

I cannot change the laws of physics

Much of what we will discuss can be applied to all types of photography digital or film since in general the same physics of light apply and composition is composition, but here in MarkWorld we will be focused on digital photography. However, any digital camera will do whether you have a compact/ point-and-shoot model or the latest digital SLR. In fact, in our next lesson we will be starting with composition, so it won’t matter if your using an $8,000 Nikon D3x or one of those disposable cardboard boxes that you bought at the checkout stand at Walmart.

Stuff you need to understand

So here we go with a few thing that will help get us all on the same sheet of paper.

1. I’m not your camera manual – There are going to be a lot (we hope) of different people reading these lessons with a lot of different types and models of cameras and although I am more than happy to help you figure out how to do some new things with your camera, all the manufactures are a little different and I am no expert at them all so please before the next lesson, take some time and Read Your Manual.

2. Cameras Take pictures, People MAKE photographs – In its simplest form a camera is just a box with a hole in it. Photography is the art of controlling what passes through that hole. If your camera is always set on full auto, then you as the photographer have almost no control over your photo. I’m going to teach you how to take control and how to get all that fancy automation to work for YOU instead of making all the decisions by itself.

3. Make Lots and Lots and Lots and Lots of Pictures – With digital, the cost of making one photo is the same as making 300 photos. You will hear me say it over and over, Make Lots of Pictures. The best way to learn is to do. My dad always tells me that everyone has something to teach you, some people teach you how to do things, some people teach you how NOT to do things, but both lessons can be equally important. In other words, take your camera with you every chance you get and practice, practice, practice. And don’t be afraid to make a bad picture, sometimes you can learn more from bad ones than good ones.

Yin or Yang? Can’t you make up your mind?

For a medium that is so closely associated with the term ‘black and white’, you are going to find that there is an awful lot of gray. The photography forums all across the internet are full of people who just want someone to tell them Exactly what aperture, ISO, shutter speed etc. that they need to set in order to get a certain look to a certain photo. They are always frustrated and disappointed with the answer which usually starts with, “well, that depends”. You see there are so many small variables that what works in one situation might not work exactly the same way in another. My goal here is not to give you a table of numbers for each situation and send you on your way, my goal is to help you understand what the variables are and how they affect your picture. Then YOU get to decide how to best use the tools that we are going to put into your photography toolbox. Remember, photography is a balance between art and physics and as a friend of mine’s grandfather once said, “Son, if everybody liked they same things they’d all be after your Grandma.”

So hopefully by now I haven’t scared you off and you are looking forward to getting to the fun part where your photos start looking better. If I have made you nervous just remember this, in the simplist of terms all I’m going to do is teach you how to see your photo before you push the shutter button. You will find that putting just a little thought into what your doing before you click will make a world of difference in how your photos look. In lesson 2 we will start on composition and you will find out how paying attention to a few details when looking through your viewfinder or on your LCD can make your pictures start to look like photographs. In the meantime your homework assignment is to pick out the 10 best pictures that you have ever taken and next time we are going to see if you might already be using some of the rules of composition without knowing it. Thanks for reading, if you have any questions just post them in the comments and I’ll answer them as soon as I can.