?? on process of learning to take better pics?

[Michelleltn]

Since I am new to photography (Well I have been taking pics for 13 years.) But not really learning much about how to take pics until this last year, when I decided I wanted to start learning more and got a real camera. (Besides a P & S).

Anyway, is it better to focus on one technique at a time. (Say Macro in January, Portrait in February, this sort of thing?) Or maybe doing that weekly instead of monthly.
I may not shoot every day, but I usually sometime in every week.

Also does anyone know if there will be a weekly challenge to work on besides just the weekly contest. (Since all pics don't get feedback there.)

It would be neat if there was just a board for critiquing photos, and if there was an assignment each week that users could post things they are working on-more technique specific.
I see a 52 week challenge, but it looks like individuals decided to make up their own, is there an organized place for more to join?

Thanks

[graciousness]

Well, there is a whole section on Critique here in the forum....go take a look. That is where people learn the most and that includes me.

The mode of learning is really all up to you. I just dabble on what I feel like per week as at the end of the day, the basics of photography (exposure triangle - aperture, shutter speed and ISO) does not change with whatever kind of photography you want. Your aperture, shutter speed and ISO all changes depending on the scene and circumstances of what you are taking. It's not about who or what you are taking, but learning to recognise these:

- How much light is available and where it is coming from;
- Is your subject moving and how you want to capture motion;
- How much of the image do you want in focus (depth of field);

It's all a balancing act with the above and requires lots and lots of practice in order to get the hang of it. Whether you are shooting a person/persons, a bug or an animal, light, movement and depth of field are all applicable to how you use your settings.

If you are not shooting on a daily basis, then weekly assignments are good enough. You can also set your own weekly assignments and or look at other photography sites that have challenges.

[Michelleltn]

Originally Posted by graciousness

Well, there is a whole section on Critique here in the forum....go take a look. That is where people learn the most and that includes me.

The mode of learning is really all up to you. I just dabble on what I feel like per week as at the end of the day, the basics of photography (exposure triangle - aperture, shutter speed and ISO) does not change with whatever kind of photography you want. Your aperture, shutter speed and ISO all changes depending on the scene and circumstances of what you are taking. It's not about who or what you are taking, but learning to recognise these:

- How much light is available and where it is coming from;
- Is your subject moving and how you want to capture motion;
- How much of the image do you want in focus (depth of field);

It's all a balancing act with the above and requires lots and lots of practice in order to get the hang of it. Whether you are shooting a person/persons, a bug or an animal, light, movement and depth of field are all applicable to how you use your settings.

If you are not shooting on a daily basis, then weekly assignments are good enough. You can also set your own weekly assignments and or look at other photography sites that have challenges.

OK thanks, found the critique area. I will read more about those three things and go from there.