How to learn photography well?

Since photography is a means of recording the world, this process must be based on observation. That is, the question about "seeing" mentioned earlier. Photographic observation is a process of combining human eyes with cameras. To improve observation, we should start from two aspects: our own eyes and camera vision.

First of all, we should improve the observation ability of our eyes. Our eyes have been watching everything around us anytime and anywhere since we got up in the morning. We may not care too much about what we are already familiar with, perhaps your indifference missed the beautiful gesture of a flower under the sunshine this time! Photography is not just to let people express something unusual, but the most common thing, which is the charm of the world of photographic art records. For beginners of photography, to effectively observe the things around them, we can start from the following aspects:

1. Try to change the way you look at things. We use the head-up observation angle in most cases in our daily life. What do you see when you raise or lower or tilt your observation point one day? Will the head-up observation point see something different? I remember in college, a teacher told us to bend down and look back from our separated legs. Although this action is not very elegant, the result shows us an inverted world that we usually don't pay much attention to. This inverted image subverts the normal balance of power up and down. The established observation method is the easiest for us to fix the image of a thing, and it is impossible to fully explore the beauty of things in different angles and different States. In this case, we should change the established observation method and practice observing the object you want to shoot from a new angle. Let's take a look at what American photographer Doyle Finger said in the book "The Art of Photographic Observation"-"Let your imagination get rid of the shackles and express a theme from as many angles as possible. You can shoot at noon in the morning; Shoot down and shoot up; Make the picture hazy and clear; Close-up, remote ... in summer, in winter; You can try to highlight the center and dilute the theme. "

2. Don't ignore the role of light in photographic observation. The light here is not only necessary for us to see things and expose films. Instead, we should pay more attention to the shape change formed by the light projecting on the object we observe, and the shape change of the projection. Due to the influence of the direction and intensity of light, the same object will show different faces and produce different projections under different lighting conditions. Have you ever tried to observe the outline of a tree in the backlight?

3. Master the principle of conciseness. When expressed in language, we often encounter such problems. When you try to explain a thing in more and longer words, you find that the more you say, it seems that the more complicated it is and the more fragmented it is. It's not until you finish that you know what you are talking about ... that is, if you can express something clearly in a simple sentence, it will never be. So is photography. If you want to show the most beautiful posture of a tree, it's better to have a picture. Never put several pictures together, and add a lengthy explanatory text. Observation, especially in photography, simple principles will make your insight more acute.

4. Pay attention to the relationship between the object you observe and its surroundings. The relationship between a thing and its surroundings can be summarized in several aspects: the relationship between subject and background, the relationship between primary and secondary, the relationship between light and shade, the relationship between clarity and blur, the relationship between color saturation and unsaturation, etc. The reason why we think that an object is big or small depends entirely on its comparison with the surrounding objects. In other words, everything in this world, including each of us, is in various contrast relationships with its surroundings at all times. In order to find the aesthetic feeling of an object in so many complicated relationships, it is necessary to fully extract the various states formed between it and the environment, and turn these states into visual elements that can be used for photography, and finally freeze them on film or turn them into digital signals to be stored in our storage devices.

5. Keep a sensitive observation state. Things like this happen around us every day, some suddenly, some regularly and some unexpectedly ... these are enough for you to find some interesting pictures. Even those roadside wildflowers that we pass by every day, have you ever stopped to observe them carefully? Even if you stop to look at it occasionally, have you ever observed the various states of this flower at dawn, early morning, noon, evening and under the street lights during the day? People who are engaged in photography should always keep their enthusiasm for life and keep a sensitive observation state of things around them, which will undoubtedly give you more useful information than ordinary people.

Secondly, in addition to improving the observation ability of your eyes, you should also combine the camera's framing characteristics to achieve targeted observation. In the next chapter, we will discuss the camera frame and the limitation of lens range. Take the common 135 camera as an example. The size of a single film is 24× 36 mm. When we take pictures with this camera, it seems that a small grid with the size of 24× 36 mm is attached to our eyes. The camera is to let us selectively "frame" objects with this small grid. It depends on how we choose whether to let an object in. In the actual shooting process, you will find that the messy branches at the top of the picture destroy the relationship between the distant peaks and the sky. At this time, you should not hesitate to move the camera down slightly to avoid these branches and "catch" them out of the picture. Of course, we don't always carry cameras with us. Without a camera, we have to imagine that there is such a "small grid" in front of us. Gradually, when you get used to such a selective observation method, your observation results will make you more and more satisfied.

Learn to observe things around you effectively. The so-called "effective observation" is a way of viewing that can grasp the subject at a glance, distinguish various relationships and take pictures selectively. What are you hesitating about? Explore your observation potential quickly and devote yourself to effective observation of photography!

Second, master appropriate technology.

Effective observation only solves the problem of how to observe life and how to choose objects. Another major problem in photography is to master appropriate shooting skills. The process of photography is inseparable from the participation of photography technology. In the photography department of the bookstore, you will find many books introducing photography skills, such as How to Shoot Flowers, How to Shoot Night Scenes and How to Shoot Beautiful Models. Faced with so many technical skill books, which one should you choose? Should we all choose? If everyone should choose, maybe you bought How to Shoot at Night today and published a book How to Shoot at dusk tomorrow, then your home is like a library. Obviously, we can only master the appropriate technology.

Among the numerous photography skills, the following essential skills should be mastered:

1. Attributes and usage of cameras, lenses, photosensitive materials and common accessories;

2. Photometric principle and exposure combination

3. Basic composition rules

4. The process and method of image output.

Technology is always endless. In this society where the slogan of "technological innovation" is overwhelming, how to master those basic and necessary technologies is the fundamental source of your innovation. On the other hand, technology has always been used by people, not an obstacle. Just like rules, "it is only a guiding principle and must not be a slave to rules."

Third, persistently participate in filming.

Photography is more than just theoretical words in books. Photography training spends more time on actual shooting. No matter how familiar you are with the theory of photometry and exposure, it won't help if you don't pick up the camera and experience it yourself. At best, you can only be regarded as a "photography theorist". After learning to observe life effectively and mastering the appropriate technology, the remaining task is likely to be to "waste" your movies and fill your storage device with your spare time that you originally wanted to have fun and video chat. As the saying goes, "Genius comes from diligence". Persevering in photography will continuously improve your mastery of technology, stimulate your creative passion, and let you realize the endless fun that photography brings you. ...