"Digitial Photography World ...An easy Learning"

  
 

Digital has revolutionized photography and with net there is more interaction, which is why we are here, and there is easier access to information, which is good for learning. More communication, you can show around your pictures more easily than years back.
Today we are towards the later stage of the transition from film world to the digital world. Rather more towards an upgradation within Digital itself moving from about 6 megapixel cameras to 39 megapixel medium format digital backs, which are much more faster and portable compared to when they came in. even Dslrs are now with much higher resolutions.
Upgradation has always been important. Earlier you would need a medium or a large format camera for more demanding jobs and today you need higher resolutions and bigger sensor sizes. But this is important if you are commercially into photography, otherwise even basic cameras are good enough to indulge in photography as long as you are satisfied with them. Photography has become more reachable with easier access to equipment and especially with mobile phone cameras.

Many of us started with film and have adapted to digital but most of you, the younger generation here started off easy with digital cameras, some with point and shoot and some with dslrs. Probably it’s easier to shoot without learning with a digital than with an analogue camera. But not in the long run and not always.

As far as learning photography is concerned I’ll touch upon a few points to discuss it further.


People think that with digital anybody can be a photographer.
While learning indulge in all areas of photography
We will do it later in photoshop
Formal training is important
Digital has made the learning process faster.
With digital you have more control in your hand.
Are you consistant enough
Do not follow blindly


People think that with digital anybody can be a photographer.
Shooting with digital is easier but there is more to it than just the camera. Whether it is analogue or digital few things have not and will not change and are independent of the mode you use for taking pictures. Understanding of light, how it exists and how and where it can be applied is important irrespective of the camera. Ability to compose well within the split seconds, the moments which probably will never get repeated again, and if they do, maybe you might not be carrying your camera with you. Digital or analogue ,you have to be equally fast. Developing the eye to see what photographers see and others don’t. what may seem to be an ordinary scene or a situation a good photographer may find a great picture within the same. The art of communication, getting what you want from your subject and that too diplomatically. Punctuality and planning. A good shot or opportunity will not wait for anyone. 4 am in the morning means 4 am! Critical analyses of good and bad photography. Learning the rules and having the confidence to break them and rather get a better picture many a times. Learning to be in command. You may get a lot of suggestions during a shoot but you should be the one who should take the final decisions. Learning how to sell your work, what works and what doesn’t.


While learning indulge in all areas of photography- all areas compliment each other.
Most of the people want to learn fashion photography and only fashion photography. But that’s a later part, first you have to learn photography. I feel Street photography is a very good exercise to develop your reflexes for any area of photography.
Two aspects of photography- something exists and you capture it in your camera and do it at the right moment. You have to be lucky to be there at the right moment, and technically and aesthetically sound to get it right. You’ll be lucky only if you make an effort. Reach out. Situations will not come to you. No second chances.
You create it. This is equally difficult and challenging. Not everyone can do it unless you have a thorough knowledge about light and the subject and the way it exists. It should look real.
Both are related. A candid photographer is also making a photograph and not just capturing the action. Through a specific viewpoint as he moves around, he is showing the viewer only what he wants to show. He is seeing with the photographers eye. He is conveying what he wants to say. He may have even moved the elements.
On the otherhand, one who is shooting madeup shots, needs to be observing all the time and may catch the model or the subject unaware and get a shot which may turn out to be better than the one planned. So, you should be ready to shoot even in a controlled situation.
This is where experience comes in irrespective of digital and analogue. Many a times people would condemn- what’s the big deal in that picture? This is all made up. Or the photographer happened to be around and caught the action. The bottom line is- It does take efforts to get an outstanding picture even if you are shooting with digital.

Formal training is important. And from the right source. Hard work is the key to successful learning but its good to have a check to make sure that you are working hard in the right direction.
Once you have learnt the basics a non diplomatic critical analysis of all your images plays a very important role in learning. And this is where you actually develop your creativity and grow. You may be happy getting a lot of good comments on you pictures. But maybe from friends who do not want you to feel bad, or actually do not know if there is anything wrong in your pictures. And if someone is criticizing your pictures do check out the credibility of the person doing so. You may be self taught. Reading is good. But reading a good book is more reliable and trurtworthy compared to blogs on the net by various individuals.

Digital has made the learning process faster. Some students can differentiate between the right and the wrong while shooting while others need to visually see what has gone wrong and need to be thoroughly explained. with digital it is much easier while with film it was not possible till the roll comes back after processing. Since the shoot is still going on the student can actually improve the shot. Also with the film, students usually due to budget constrains used to get the prints made from a cheaper lab with no quality standards. Although they have shot very well but it is the aweful prints which they are actually looking at, making explaining a point more difficult. Besides the prints, the settings and the quality of your monitor plays a key role but that is in your own hands. The same image looks better on a good monitor. With photo quality printers you can make your own prints to your satisfaction. You may run a few test prints, that is the same size image but a portion of the most important area only to be printed. This is same as doing test prints in a darkroom. Because eventually it’s your print that you may be showing around.


We will do it later in photoshop- Not that I am against photoshop but you should not have this attitude of saving the picture later on in the computer. It is as if saying, I’ll do it later in the darkroom! You wont do that. If you can improve the picture while shooting , nothing like it. If your picture is good to start with you can enhance it further in photoshop. Same was true while shooting with film. If your negative is great you get a great print and can play around with various exposures till you come out of the darkroom with a satisfied print but if it is under or over you are just about struggling to save it. Ofcourse, you also end up wasting time.
Which is why even now it makes sense to try your hand once at shooting transparencies because even 1/4th of a stop variation will show while shooting slides. If you are able to shoot a transparency well you will have a different confidence level all together.


With digital you have more control in your hand. I remember taking a photograph of a deep gorge with a small river flowing through it long time back. It was a beautiful scene but for a bright packet of “uncle chips’ right in the middle of my frame, which some tourist had thrown down after eating up. Only way at that time was to compose the scene in way so as not to include it. Or do some touch ups on the print. Today you know what can be done. A couple of clone stamps and it is done. Now this is contrary to what I just said- “we’ll do it later in photoshop”. Certain situations are unavaodable.
Your computer with photoshop or any other editing software is actually your dry darkroom, which is more affordable, easier to maintain as you do not have to bother about the consitency of the chemicals, ratios of the solutions, exact temperatures, expiry dates, devoted time slots etc etc once you are inside darkroom you cant possibly do any thing else.
But it does not mean that a DTP operator can work on the photoshop the same way as a photographer. This is an extention of your picture taking process. Ofcourse your pictures should look nice straight out of the camera but a little bit of tweeking is required at times

Are you consistant enough- How many good photographs are you producing. Few out of several photographs or several out of few? If it was film, I would give my students a marked film to check out what quality are they producing within the limited frames. With digital, since it is free, people just go about taking pictures. I am not saying that you shoot less. Shoot more ! As much as you can. There is nothing that can beat the experience of actual shooting. With digital you can gain this experience faster without burning a hole in your pocket. But shoot carefully. Make sure that when ever you shoot you shoot it right. And it will develop as a reflex action. Otherwise you will develop a bad habit. Whenever I comment upon a bad photograph, I get the same answer “oh, I clicked it just like that…..” every picture that you take if not great atleast should show that you tried.

Do not follow blindly- If you are learning from somewhere or assisting someone do not try to be a mirror image of your mentor. Develop your own style. It’s not just about the equipment or lenses. Learn to be creative but give it your own contribution.
I asked a student of mine as to why he had bought a particular brand ? he did so because I was using that brand but he didn’t know that I had already switched over to another brand.


To develop a good understanding of all of these and any other points which I may have missed out, digital with some self discipline certainly is a cheaper, faster, convenient and a better tool to master all these parameters of photography both for amatures and professionals.


In end I would say, it is all about understanding and learning, this way or that way. This way being digital that way being film. This way being formally trained and that way being self taught.
Whichever way you may adopt, if the going is right you’ll eventually reach a point where equipment, technicalities and other things will take a back seat and you’ll be shooting with your heart!