10 Tips for Photography Students
One of the exciting things about editing Digital Photography School lately is some of the email that I get from readers. One type of email that I’ve been getting increasingly lately is from teachers and students of schools who are using DPS as a resource for their studies.
One such email came recently from Sharla Hartzell, the teacher of an 8th grade photography class at Dover Middle School. Sharla thanked me for DPS and told me about how her class (pictured right - image by Eric Hartzell) had been reading it.
I emailed back and asked her if perhaps her class might be interested in writing a short guest post for DPS - summarizing some of the lessons that they’d been learning about digital photography.
The class was divided into groups and each group came up with a list of photography tips. They then came together to come up with their Top 10 tips for photography students. Here it is!
Dover Middle School’s 10 Tips for Photography Students
1. Hold the camera steady with your elbows close to your body, or propped on something stable (table, bench, etc.) OR use a tripod.
2. Don’t be afraid of angles or changing your orientation (portrait or landscape).
3. Before pressing the shutter button, check your focus points. Is your photo focused on the subject or on something in the foreground or background?
4. Check your camera settings before shooting photos…Are they correct for the current conditions? ie: ISO, Shutter Speed, White Balance, etc.
5. Listen to your teacher (if in a classroom situation) AND use great resources such as DPS!
6. Listen to experienced photographers. Also, view and study works of other photographers. This helps provide different perspectives and inspiration.
7. Learn how to use the Macro settings (or Macro lens) for your camera. Give the smallest details of nature great importance!
8. Use the continuous shooting mode to capture movement.
9. Take LOTS and LOTS of pictures!
10. Have FUN!
You can see some of the work of the class who put this list together here.
12 Responses to “10 Tips for Photography Students”
November 8th, 2008 at 1:14 am
Very good tips for any level photographers.I would love to read some professionals commenting these!
November 8th, 2008 at 1:16 am
It’s great to see the next generation of competition. ;)
Kidding aside, I hope the kids at Dover Middle School are inspired to continue making great photographs! Kudos to their teacher for piquing their interest in such a great art.
November 8th, 2008 at 1:59 am
Good list.
I can’t resist throwing in my favorite. The triangle method. Shooting wide, medium and close up. This helps to create lots of variety in the photographs.
Rosh
http://www.newmediaphotographer.com
November 8th, 2008 at 5:30 am
I LOVE knowing there is a new generation of young photographers out there! That’s a great list for new photographers and for more experienced photographers that need to be reminded.
November 8th, 2008 at 5:41 am
They missed one….
11. Get your subjects out of the shade! Yikes! or at very least, photoshop it a bit before sending it to DPS. If I’m ever that cyan, call an ambulance!! :)
November 8th, 2008 at 6:34 am
Great advice, especially #9. You learn best by doing!
November 9th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Great guest article. Glad to see the class is using the resources here on DPS. I wish there would have been a photography class and DPS available to me when I was in the eighth grade in 1957-58.
I would like to expand on #7…
There is more than objects in nature to photograph with a macro lens.
While nature provides an abundance of objects to photograph, get your macro lens up close and personal with small man made objects too. Photograph the inner workings of an old watch, jewelry, circuit boards, small instruments etc.
I enjoy nature photography as much as the next person, but if I see one more photo of the itsy bitsy spider with the beady eyes…well you get the idea.
For Jim Fitzsimmons #11 in the comments; If you use shade then a bit of fill flash does wonders for the image if you also have objects illuminated by the sun in the frame too.
November 9th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Good stuff, and great idea for a post. I am jealous hearing about kids getting to take digital photography classes in school nowadays. We had photography, but it was a lot more complicated and expensive to be into it back then. Digital has helped me discover my love for the art.
http://www.frombrandon.com
November 9th, 2008 at 3:16 am
Thanks for the guest post, guys! I hope you keep shooting and learning. The pictures on the student website show great potential. I hope you keep it up. :)
November 9th, 2008 at 3:32 am
I really wish that some of the local middle and high schools had a photography classes or clubs. I love that the next generation is really interested.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I am one of the enthusiastic, always hunt for more information about photography, I found this tips are really useful, really thanks for sharing your knowledge
November 16th, 2008 at 9:32 am
i think this a wonderful article^^. i especially agree with #2. not to be afraid of trying different angles, personally i found this one a real eye opener for me.
i would also like to agree with Bob when he mentioned ‘There is more than objects in nature to photograph with a macro lens’… i would like to add a little tidbit of info and personal experience…there are a lot of photographer who shoot macro and who are good at it. i saw in one of my photography books something about is and i had to try shoot macro. i bought a lens and tripod and went on major hunt for insects (as i thought this may be a good starting point in my “macro experience”). after about a week of taking about 1000 pictures of insects and bugs (of all shapes and sizes) i took the pictures to a friend who mentioned that all my “insect” pictures turned out only average and i had nothing spectacular - like the ‘real’ macro photographer. i was upset at this comment as i had/have a major phobia of bugs in general. so i tried something completely different. i ended up doing a whole portfolio on just peoples EYES!
maybe another rule to add…
#12: try new things (something completely different). try photographing something or someone in the rain, or try underwater pictures…ect
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