Do you need the tech side?

Lorri

Hi I have a question,do you need to know about camera settings and so on to be able to take photos that you can sell,or can you just take photos that look good from the artistic viewpoint using the automatic setting on the camera.I am asking as I need to know if it makes much differance to the outcome of good looking photos.I have a cannon rebel 300.
Cheers Lorri

DavidTO

Yes. It makes a huge difference.

Taking great shots means finding and controlling great light. The camera can't do that for you. It can come close, guess, take a stab at it, but it is not capable of making artistic decisions about capturing the moment.

LiquidAir

Lorri wrote:

Hi I have a question,do you need to know about camera settings and so on to be able to take photos that you can sell,or can you just take photos that look good from the artistic viewpoint using the automatic setting on the camera.I am asking as I need to know if it makes much differance to the outcome of good looking photos.I have a cannon rebel 300.
Cheers Lorri

For ambient light photography, the controls on the camera largely serve to give you more consitant results. "P" mode on your camera will get it right some of the time, but a more active approach will give you good pictures more often. The quailty of your results using only the auto setting will depend a lot on what you are taking pictures of. I think all kinds of photography benefit from good camera technique, but some kinds benefit much more than others. Once you get into artifical light, you will need to learn quite a bit to get professional quality results. The on camera flash will give you a record of the scene but it will rarely return and appealing image.

One of the things that sets pro photographers apart from your typical vacation shooter is the fact that the pro knows how to get the most from his gear and that includes knowing what every button and dial does. SLR cameras typically put all the controls in places where they are easy to reach while you are shooting without taking your eye from the viewfinder. I know I am constantly riding the controls on my camera to get the most out of it.

Lorri

thanks
Thanks for that,I think I better get studying my camera manual.One day at a time I think.I do like taking photos and do some nice ones already but need to up my skills some if I want to make a bit of money from it.
Cheers lorri

dragon300zx

Professional photography isn't a fly-by-night thing. It's alot of hard work and no one can truly cut it as a photographer if they don't know the basics. It's not just knowing your camera, it's knowing what settings to use, when to use them, and why to use them. If this is something you are serious about and want to do, don't try to do it without really having a firm grasp of the foundations of photography. Otherwise you are just cheating yourself and cheating your clients.

~Jan~

Get comfy w/ manual! The best thing I ever did was force myself to keep my camera on manual (which was literaly only 2 weeks ago but I've made huge improvements since then). I'm sure tons of other people have mentioned this book but Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is what opened my eyes and made shooting in manual seem less daunting. GOOD LUCK!

LiquidAir

~Jan~ wrote:

Get comfy w/ manual! The best thing I ever did was force myself to keep my camera on manual (which was literaly only 2 weeks ago but I've made huge improvements since then). I'm sure tons of other people have mentioned this book but Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is what opened my eyes and made shooting in manual seem less daunting. GOOD LUCK!

I think it is worth reading Understanding Exposure before you delve too deep into your camera manual. That way you will have a sense of what you are trying to achieve before you start reading about how to do it.