Your one stop shop for everything photo-video
When you first start photography, everything may seem overwhelming. So many rules, information, and techniques seem to be thrown at you all at once. As exciting as it is, it can also be frustrating.
In this short, yet super-informative video, Pat Kay managed to compress so much of photography basics into only 10 minutes. He explains the famous exposure triangle, breaking it down and teaching you every single aspect of it so you start taking sharp and properly lit photos as soon as possible.
At some point, we were all beginners and there are new people coming to photography and buying their first DSLR or mirrorless camera every day. A lot of people starting out stick to the automatic modes and basically treat their camera like an expensive point-and-shoot, not really understanding how it all works. And that’s fine if that’s your thing. But if you want to learn more, it can be difficult to know where to start.
In this video, the Koldunov Brothers walk us through the basic principles of cameras and photography, and how they all tie into each other. It’s an easy-to-digest video, that’s a little over 19-minute long going over everything you need to really understand how your camera works.
If you’re feeling a little rusty on camera functions and settings, or simply want to brush up on your basic knowledge then you could do a lot worse than watching this video presented by photographer Andrew Boey. It is quite literally everything you could ever possibly want to know about aperture!
For those who’ve never seen TheCrafsMan SteadyCraftin on YouTube, you’re in for a treat – even if you already understand everything contained within this 25-minute video. For those who have, you know exactly what to expect. I’ve been following this rather unconventional channel for a while now. It covers a lot of handy DIY and crafting topics as well as the occasional random tangent.
Today’s random tangent is the topic of exposure as it relates to photography. Although our host is a sock puppet, the principles are explained very well, in a manner that most people will be able to grasp quite easily – and probably find quite entertaining, too. So, if you’ve struggled to make that switch to “M”, this video may just help you out.
Master manual mode
If you own a DSLR and have a passion for photography, you have landed in the right place. A lot of people are under the common misconception that buying a new DSLR camera will instantly improve their photography. They place an order, and a few days later, their new, shiny toy arrives on their doorstep. Then things usually get tricky. Once the camera is out of its packaging it becomes quickly apparent that working the damn thing is much harder than it looks. Therefore the dial is switched to Auto mode, and that is where it stays for the foreseeable. Here is a handy guide to help you master manual mode in no time.
Shooting in manual isn’t some magic bullet that will make all your shots perfect, no matter what some photographers might want you to believe. But there are things you need to understand in order to be able to use it effectively. Those three things are ISO, aperture and shutter speed.
In this video, photographer JoshinCincinnati walks us through the three basics of manual mode exposure, what they mean, and the implications of changing each.
Depth of field can be a somewhat confusing topic to get to grips with if you’re new to photography. That is to say, it’s easy to see what depth of field is, but it can be tricky to understand what elements can cause it to change, whether intentionally or by accident. In this video, photographer Kellan Reck takes a look at depth of field and explains the variables that can affect your depth of field.
Manual exposure. It’s probably the scariest term out there for new camera owners. Stepping out of automatic or semi-automatic exposure modes for the first time can be a daunting task. When you’ve only ever shot in the automatic modes, understanding the manual and the exposure triangle can be difficult to wrap your head around.
Well, this 26-minute video from photographer Sean Tucker should help to demystify it for you. He goes in-depth to break everything down to the basic fundamental principles. He explains what each of the three settings means, how they function, and how they all work together to create a good exposure.
If you’re new to photography, there can be many concepts that still seem overwhelming and confusing. In this video, Aaron Nace of Phlearn explains the basics of aperture to help you grasp the concept and see what the change of aperture does for your shots. But the fun part is: he uses Star Wars Lego (and even Master Yoda’s voice occasionally) to guide you through the theory. I think that it hardly gets more amusing than that.
A camera’s built in meter often does a great job of making a “correct” exposure, but it’s not always what the photographer wants to capture. Despite how “smart” they’ve become, camera meters will still often get it wrong. They’ll blow out the sky to maintain the ground, or you’ll get a well exposed sky with your subject crushed to a black silhouette.
This three part video series from photographer Greg Benz walks us through the process from start to finish. It begins before we’ve taken the shot through to reviewing the raw file on the computer. We’re not talking about the “technically correct” exposure here. We’re talking about the right exposure. The exposure that, all things weighed up, gives you exactly the shot that you want.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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