Beginner I'm not 'technically minded'... HELP!

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FizzyFish

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So I've always loved photography, but not really had a proper kit to take it too serious. But now my kids growing up I want to get back into it and invest in a proper camera and leneses. And work my way up to doing it professionally.
I take photos of my kids and stuff, and I do have a SLR camera, just a very old one, but I've never got into all the technical side of things. I have no idea what all the technical words are what the 'f' bit on the lenses description means, or anything ha!
I get that the scroll thing on the top of my camera makes my photos darker or lighter and how to let the camera know the light source - cloudy, sunlight, tungsten etc and I'm pretty awesome with the editing software I have, but yea. That's it.
I guess photography for me is just a feeling - knowing what works without really fully knowing why - if that makes sense? I went to art school, I'm naturally creative, I get angles, perspectives, setting up photos, forground background etc etc so do I really need to know what all of it means??
Ha! I guess I know the answer to that, that's why I'm here!
I bought some books on digital cameras, but to be honest I zone out when I'm reading them and learn nothing.
Is there a website or something that just explains all the things I need to know, purely and simply, without to much tech speak and jargon?
Thanks guys :-)
 
Assuming you are based in the UK, the February 2017 edition of 'Digital Camera Magazine' featured a section called 'Master Your Camera Now', which explained the various usual basic functions and settings on a typical digital SLR camera, together with examples of what the various functions and settings do, all illustrated with what I thought were good, clear, photos and quite easy to understand text.

For £4.99 you could probably do worse than buy a copy (I don't know if there will be any left in the shops now, or if the March edition has replaced it, so you'll probably have to order a back copy from the publisher - it's edition number 186, with the cover date of February 2017).

This is the edition, if you are interested: https://www.myfavouritemagazines.co...ssues/digital-camera-february-2017-issue-186/
According to the pop up 'advert' I got on that web page, if you order before 2pm on 1st of Feb you get 20% off if you use the voucher code MAGS20 at the online 'checkout'. Hope this is useful. :) (as usual, check the web link is safe and genuine before entering your order details, just in case some bright spark has hacked it!).

Oh, and when it comes to photography terms and descriptions, a tip someone gave me years ago was to regard the term 'Depth of Field' as 'Depth of Focus'. I found that explanation was easier for me to understand.
 
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FizzyFish said:
so do I really need to know what all of it means??
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Honestly, I would say no, not really. What is much more important is having creativity, an "eye" for what makes a great photograph, and having something to convey/communicate.

That said, knowing the basics of exposure, how the factors interact/affect an image, and how your camera works, will make it much easier to create the images you want.
 
Phil V said:
Or even this forums very own guide to exposure.
Click to expand...

Yes, that one :thumbs:

You've got to put in some work to learn the basics, if you want to add creative input and do more than take just record snaps. But it's fun along the way.

Welcome to TP :)
 
If you find learning from books difficult any advice read on the internet may also be difficult for you. Talk to your friends and colleagues about it and I can almost guarantee that someone will know someone who would be able to give you face to face advice. Once you have a bit of knowledge ask specific questions on here as they occur to you, don't try to learn it all at once if it seems daunting.
 
Don't just read. If you're creative you may need experimental interaction to learn. Read with the switched on camera in your hand, and try out every single thing that gets mentioned. Satisfy yourself that it does what the words say, and if it seems not, experiment and explore the book until you've found out why.
 
Given you don't get on with learning from books, etc, can I suggest you find yourself a photo 'buddy' you can meet up with to talk through stuff, practice with, etc? Or maybe join a local photographic club?
 
My grandfather gave me his film camera as a teenager and basically explained, aperture, shutter speed and ISO. I got by with that information and the more photos I took the more I understood.
You tube is a good starting point and if you don't understand ask here, people like to pass on their knowledge.
Learn one step at a time.
 
Thanks guys for the help! I was told at school I'm 'borderline dyslexic' but I just think I use my brain differently! I like the idea suggested of being shown rather than reading so I'll see if there is a local photography group :-)
- and sk66 - thanks for that ;-) and yes you're right about it making it easier!!
 
I'm the same as you really - I zone out very easily. I've found YouTube tutorials to be really really good, it might be worth taking a look there first.
 
If you don't like the look of a book. Clear your diary and as mentioned above, plonk yourself in front of a computer and watch YouTube. Every level is covered, by many people. You will find a style you like.

Practice x 3 :)
 
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