Yesterday I posted question on Facebook, what photography related info might you like to learn from me? This post is the first in a series addressing some of the questions shared....where to start? Well, I thought the best place would be the beginning!

I also thought the easiest way to relate would be share my photography story, and since I am obviously a very visual person what better way to do that than through photos showing the progression in my photography style:

I believe my style has developed some certain characteristics: clean, bright, full of light, and shot with a shallow depth of field

I grew myself as a photographer through reading many photography books, practicing a lot, and taking advantage of the wealth of educational online blogs and videos. I also completed a course on professional photography from the New York Institute of Photography. The formula for my photography journey has been study + practice + repeat

Here are some great online resources that I have benefitted from  if you are interested:

www.jasminestarblog.com/faq

www.iheartfaces.com/tutorials

www.christinagreve.com/photography-tips

www.katelynjamesblog.com/category/ask-anything

The starting point: My interest in snapping the shutter began as early of the age of nine, when I began taking photography a 4H project and shot film with a cheap 110mm camera. I was not very good, but it was fun and I enjoyed it. I have always been a creative, mess making type of kid, I think my "creativity" it drove my Mom a little crazy...I have always been the impatient kind as well, so photography "clicked" because  of the instant gratification factor that came into play when our family purchased our first digital camera. When I was a young teenager I purchased my first DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera and the "kit lens" that came along with it. This is when I really started to learn the how and why and began shooting in manual mode.

If you are interested in photography I highly recommend investing in an affordable DSLR. This is when you can really start learning your settings and understanding your camera, as you will have the ability to change lenses an easily adjust important settings like aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Prime lenses with low aperture capabilities provide you with tools to really step up your photography experience. Through your investing process it is important to remember that the knowledge of the photographer is much more important than the equipment.  That said, my recommendation for a good starting point would be a body in the Canon Rebel series with a 50mm 1.4lens. This pairing allows for lots of flexibility and room to grow.

One of the most important tools you have available to you is your camera owner's manual...read it over and over!

My advice to you is to learn shoot in "manual" this is how you can really begin take control over "the look" of your images by adjusting the ISO (light sensitivity), aperture (depth of field/light let in the lens), and shutter speed. These three are the building blocks. Use google or the sources above to find many good explanations. Once you master these you can do pretty much anything!

I usually "expose for the shadows" letting more light in for a brighter image, if you like my photography style chances are that's a big reason. Look for opportunities to backlight (shoot into the light) this can be tricky to master, but its my favorite. Open shade is the easiest type of lighting to master. Unless its cloudy or overcast I try to avoid having my subject facing the sun.

Looking for the photos that are very sharp in one area, but beautiful blurry in another? This is called "bokeh" and is a result of shooting with a low aperture setting like 1.4 or 2.2, you have to be very careful in achieving precise focus, but the end result is my favorite. This is why I recommended a lens with low aperture capability, they also let in more light.

I hope this blog post helped you...happy shooting!

-Danae