Photography 101 - - Lesson No. 1
I’ve been assisting the Storyteller for 3 wedding seasons now. An assistant is another word for glorified equipment protector and transporter. It is about time that I learn how to use a camera properly. I will chronicle each lesson and share with you what I’ve learned and hopefully one day I’ll be an in-demand detail photographer.
Lesson No. 1 - - - How to hold a camera
Phew! I thought the first lesson would be on learning all the technical aspects and terms of photography. I’m dredging that day, but hopefully the Storyteller will make it fun when the day comes, because I know nothing about brightness, contrast, ISO, etc.
How you hold your camera will change the look & mood of the photo. There’s no right or wrong way to hold a camera, but you must be comfortable with how you hold it.
The difference in weight between the point and shoot and professional camera took some time adjusting to. It was hours later before I was able to shoot comfortably with my new camera.
Three words from the Storyteller can sum up my first lesson, “firm, but gentle”.
I need to hold the camera firmly and at the same time treat it gently. If I don’t hold it firm enough, it may easily fall out of my hands. If I hold on to the camera too tight, it’ll be hard to press the button to take the picture. Also, sweaty palms are not too good for the camera.
Just grab a camera and shoot, because practice does make perfect. And just as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe has said, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”