Where to Begin Learning About Photography | Digital Photography Education
A Little of My Story…
I have always loved photography. I started taking pictures with a little Kodak 110mm film camera when I was in elementary school, posing and photographing my Cabbage Patch dolls before I even know what portrait photography was. People always told me I had a good eye, but until my own wedding, I never considered pursuing it other than as a hobby.
I did not go to school to become a photographer. When I was in college, digital photography was just in its infancy, and the main medium of photography was film, which was very expensive! In addition, I had always wanted to be a teacher, so deviating from that plan was not on my radar. I had been teaching for 10+ years and had a Master’s degree in Middle Level Education before I began to seriously think about photography, so going back to school again was not something I could afford (or had the time for).
I am mostly self-taught. I am sure people who have studied art and photography in school and have degrees would find a million and one things wrong with my work and techniques. But I am ALWAYS learning and seeking out ways to grow and become better. In the end, as I’ve always told my students, your work speaks for itself. There are some things about being an artist that you just can’t learn from a book or class—you have to have an eye and a passion for it.
This is my favorite bridal portrait taken by my friend and photographer, Carol McDaniel. Can you tell how much fun we were having?
My first official headshot, taken by my friend Siobhan Lorraine on one of our first photography adventures. (It was also my first maternity photo—I was 6 weeks pregnant with my first son here!)
Every photographer has their own “origin story.” When my husband proposed in 2009 and I started planning my own wedding, I was clueless. But I knew a great photographer through my church, so I hired her. Working with Carol McDaniel was SO MUCH FUN. Our engagement photo session was the first time I had professional photos made (other than school yearbook pictures), and I was so impressed with how fun it was and then how the portraits turned out. Then it came time for my bridal portrait session, and again, I enjoyed every moment and was thrilled with the results. I had bought a nice DLSR camera a few years before and thought I did a pretty good job with it, but my photos were nowhere near the quality of Carol’s, and I wanted to know how she did it! So I started asking questions. Carol told me about The Light Factory, a photography institute here in Charlotte that hosts classes and workshops for all levels of photographers, even at night—which was the only time I would have been able to take them. So I signed up for an Intro to DSLR Photography class with a friend, and a whole new world was opened to me. After wrapping up that course, I took a few more classes and workshops. I started reaching out to local photographers who I might be able to talk with and found few who would actually reply (So many photographers are secretive about their work!), and I kept asking questions. I asked for critiques of my work, what books I needed to read, and where I could find online resources. I subscribed to magazines, watched YouTube tutorials, and PRACTICED. I began shooting family sessions for close friends and family, and then I began getting referrals…it wasn’t until then that I actually thought about pursuing this more than just a hobby! I was asked to photograph a couple of weddings for an extended family member and a coworker, and that’s when I discovered how much I loved capturing special moments for people—and in 2012, Kimberly Cauble Photography was born! But even now, after 8+ years of dabbling in all kinds of photography and running a successful wedding and portrait photography business, I know I have so much more to learn about my craft…and I am still learning.
So Where Do You Begin?
Whether or not you want to become a professional photographer or not, learning photography can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding things you can do. There is SO MUCH information out there, but where do you even begin? First, you must master your camera. Then, you must master your craft.
GET OUT THERE AND SHOOT! You will never figure out what you want to learn until you start trying different things. Mistakes and failures are wonderful teachers, if you make up your mind to learn from them.
Learn about composition. Composition is not something that is purely photography-related…it’s about art: color, leading lines, rule of thirds, framing, cropping, focus, depth, patterns, background, contrast, and depending on who you read, probably a few more. Learn about the elements of composition, and then play with them. This will move you from simply taking photos to making them.
Learn to shoot in manual mode. Yes, your camera probably does a pretty good job in Auto mode, but if you want more control over your art, you have to learn aperture, shutter speed, and ISO so you can master the exposure triangle. What in the world is that, you ask? Stay tuned for a future blog post about that, coming January 15, 2021! I remember my uncle trying to explain aperture to me in high school, and it was like he was speaking a different language! My camera manual was very little help—those are not written for people just learning how to use a camera! I even bought a book that I thought would help, but I’m a very hands-on person when it comes to photography, so I couldn’t figure this stuff out until I took a class with an instructor who could physically show me how to adjust the settings on my camera.
One of the best pieces of advice my wedding photographer gave me was to learn to see the light. Photography is literally defined as “writing with light,” so if you can’t see the light, it’s pretty hard to control it. Find the source of light, look at how it falls on your subjects at different angles and at different times of day, study the angle of the light itself, how it is diffused by different things (clouds, shadows, trees, modifiers), where it is reflected, and how it bounces. And then learn how to control it using exposure, posing, modifiers, and flash (if necessary).
Speaking of light, learn white balance. White balance is how your camera adjusts for the temperature of the light. And yes, light has temperature, measured in Kelvin (not Fahrenheit or Celsius). It’s why photos may turn out out looking yellow, orange, or blue when you don’t have the appropriate white balance. You can start with the automatic settings or presets usually identified in your camera as little symbols: a sun (for bright, sunny scenes), a lightbulb (for tungsten/incandescent lighting—those lightbulbs that create a yellowish glow), a florescent light (for florescent lighting), a cloud (for cloudy lighting), a house half darkened (for shady lighting), etc. If you want to take your learning to another level and really control your white balance, you can learn all about the Kelvin temperature of different light situations and adjust your white balance using the temperature numbers.
When shooting digital, don’t think about how you can “fix” something later with editing—get it right IN THE CAMERA.
Learn how to edit. Do this is AFTER you learn how to master your camera—remember that getting your photos right in the camera will keep you from having to edit a lot (and editing can be quite time-consuming). Learn to view editing as a way to enhance your photos, not fix them. Invest in the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for $9.99/month and play around with LightRoom (first) and PhotoShop (second).
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Reach out to photographers you follow and ask for advice! If you want to know how they created an image, flatter them and then ask how they did it! Thankfully, times seem to have changed in the last ten years and most photographers are willing to share, and some even offer coaching/mentoring sessions.
YouTube. Yes, seriously. You can find tutorials on almost ANY photography or editing skill on YouTube. But watching someone else do it is not the same as doing it yourself, so once you watch a video, GET OUT THERE AND SHOOT!
Once you begin to hone in on the skills you want to learn, seek out mentors that specialize in teaching them. This might take a bit of research, but the internet is amazing! Stay tuned for another blog post later this month of some of my favorite photographers to follow and learn from, coming January 25, 2021! The world wide web is becoming saturated with photography education resources. Many accomplished photographers are finding a lot of success in becoming coaches or creating online courses, so finding the ones that suit your needs shouldn’t be all that difficult! You might even be able to find free classes or webinars you can watch or participate in.
My best advice is to NEVER STOP LEARNING. Never become content in what you know and can do—always seek out ways to improve, and always try new things!
I am not just a photographer…I am also a middle school teacher! One of my favorite things to teach about is photography, so I started the #OMSPhotoClub. Each year I get to share just a bit of what I have learned with my students, and it is inspiring to see what some of them have been able to create and continue to do with their photography!
Kimberly Cauble is a middle school teacher and wedding & portrait photographer who loves when her worlds collide. She started the after-school #OMSPhotoClub to teach photography to students in her middle school.
