Photography 101

Welcome to Photography 101 with Hornsea Photography Club. Whether you have just picked up your first camera or want to brush up on manual settings, composition, and exposure basics, this guide is designed to help you build confidence behind the lens.

Learn the basics, take better photographs

Photography is about more than simply pressing the shutter. It’s about learning to see light, shape, colour and moments — and then using your camera to capture them. Whether you’re using a DSLR, mirrorless camera, compact camera or smartphone, understanding a few basic principles can make a huge difference to your photographs.

 

1. Understanding Your Camera

Before worrying about complicated settings, get comfortable with your camera.

Learn what the main controls do: the shutter button, mode dial, focus controls, exposure controls and lens zoom or focal length. Spend some time photographing familiar objects while changing one setting at a time.

The goal isn’t to memorise every button. It’s to understand how your camera behaves so that changing settings becomes second nature.

Start with these three settings

Aperture controls how much light enters through the lens and affects how much of the image appears in focus.

Shutter speed controls how long the camera records light. A fast shutter can freeze movement, while a slow shutter can create motion blur.

ISO controls the camera’s sensitivity to light. Higher ISO settings can help in darker conditions, but may introduce more digital noise.

Together, these three controls form the exposure triangle.

2. The Exposure Triangle

Think of exposure as a balancing act between aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

Changing one affects the others. For example, if you use a faster shutter speed to freeze a moving subject, you may need a wider aperture or higher ISO to maintain the same exposure.

Don’t worry about getting everything perfect straight away. Experimenting is one of the fastest ways to learn.

A simple exercise

Find the same subject and take three photographs:

  1. One using a wide aperture.
  2. One using a fast shutter speed.
  3. One using a higher ISO.

Compare the results on your computer or phone. Look at brightness, background blur, movement and image noise.

3. Learn to See Light

Good photography starts with good observation.

Notice where the light is coming from. Is your subject lit from the front, side or behind? Is the light soft or harsh? What happens when a cloud moves across the sun?

Early morning and late afternoon often produce softer, warmer light. Midday sunlight can be much harder, creating strong shadows and contrast.

Try this

Photograph the same person or object at different times of day. You’ll quickly see how dramatically light can change the mood of an image.

4. Composition: Where Should Things Go?

Composition is the way you arrange elements within your photograph.

One of the best-known beginner techniques is the rule of thirds. Imagine your image divided into nine equal sections by two horizontal and two vertical lines. Placing important subjects near these lines or their intersections can create a balanced composition.

But rules are starting points, not laws.

Other useful composition techniques include:

  • Leading lines — use roads, paths, railings or architecture to guide the viewer’s eye.
  • Framing — use doorways, windows, trees or other objects to frame your subject.
  • Symmetry — look for reflections and balanced patterns.
  • Negative space — leave empty space around your subject to create a sense of simplicity.
  • Patterns — look for repeated shapes, colours and textures.

5. Focus on Your Subject

A photograph usually needs a clear point of interest.

Before pressing the shutter, ask yourself: “What do I want the viewer to look at?”

Once you know the answer, compose the photograph so that your subject stands out.

For portraits, focusing on the eyes is often a good starting point. For landscapes, you may want a greater depth of field so that more of the scene appears sharp.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Move

One of the simplest ways to improve a photograph is to change your position.

Take a few steps to the left. Get lower. Move closer. Try photographing from above. Look behind your subject.

Instead of taking one photograph and moving on, make several versions from different viewpoints.

You may discover that the photograph you like best is the one you almost didn’t take.

7. Photograph in Different Formats

Don’t always photograph everything horizontally.

Try landscape orientation for wide scenes and environments. Try portrait orientation when photographing people, buildings or subjects with strong vertical lines.

And occasionally try something unexpected.

If you’re creating photographs for a website or social media, also think about how the image will eventually be displayed. A great photograph can work very differently as a banner, square image or mobile-screen portrait.

8. Practice With a Simple Challenge

You don’t need an expensive camera or exotic location to improve.

Try this seven-day photography challenge:

Day 1 — Light

Photograph the same object in different types of light.

Day 2 — Colour

Find a photograph dominated by one colour.

Day 3 — Texture

Look closely at wood, stone, fabric, leaves or other interesting surfaces.

Day 4 — Movement

Photograph something moving and experiment with shutter speed.

Day 5 — Portrait

Photograph a person using natural light.

Day 6 — Composition

Take photographs using leading lines, symmetry and negative space.

Day 7 — Your choice

Go somewhere interesting and photograph whatever catches your eye.

9. Review Your Photographs

Taking photographs is only half the learning process.

Look back through your images and ask:

  • What works?
  • What doesn’t?
  • Where does your eye go first?
  • Is the subject clear?
  • How does the light affect the image?
  • What would you change next time?

Don’t delete every photograph that isn’t perfect. Your older images are useful evidence of how your photography is developing.

The Most Important Lesson

Photography is learned by doing.

Read about aperture. Then photograph something.

Learn about composition. Then go outside and experiment.

Study light. Then photograph the same scene at different times.

You don’t need to know everything before you start. Pick up your camera, slow down, look carefully and take photographs.

The more you practise, the more naturally the technical side of photography will begin to disappear — leaving you free to concentrate on what you actually want to say with your images.

Your next photograph is waiting.