{"id":70122,"date":"2017-11-20T04:13:49","date_gmt":"2017-11-20T12:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?page_id=70122"},"modified":"2017-12-10T04:24:11","modified_gmt":"2017-12-10T12:24:11","slug":"the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-mastering-photography","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-mastering-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

This will be your personal guide on how you can master photography– for yourself, regardless of your skill level. Regardless if you’re a total beginner\/newbie, or a more intermediate\/advanced photographer– this course will give you the skills and tools to take your photography to the next level, and become your own master photographer.<\/p>\n

\n

I. Why make photos?<\/h1>\n

As with every journey or quest– you must ask yourself why<\/em> photography appeals to you.<\/p>\n

1. Why do you want to make photos?<\/h2>\n
\"Cindy
Cindy with hand on chin, and lamp. Berlin, 2017 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why do you want to make photos? For whom do you shoot? What are your personal goals in photography?<\/p>\n

Are you a passionate amateur who just wants to make better pictures to share with friends and family? Or are you an intermediate\/advanced photographer who is looking to advance their skills to perhaps monetize, become a photography entrepreneur<\/a>, and make either a part-side side hustle from photography, or make a full-time living?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For me, I make pictures in life to make more meaning out of my life. For me, photography is the elixir of life. Photography keeps me nimble, curious, and more adventurous in my real life.<\/p>\n

Why do you make photos?<\/p>\n

Do you make photos to document your personal life experiences? Do you make photos as an artistic outlet?<\/p>\n

Do you make photos as ‘proof’ that you traveled somewhere? Do you make photos to impress others, or yourself?<\/p>\n

Start off by asking yourself these questions.<\/p>\n

2. Start off with what is personal to you<\/h2>\n
\"Cindy
Cindy hand touching mirror in wedding dress, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For me, the ultimate project I want to be remembered for is the ‘Cindy Project<\/a>‘ — because I have discovered that photography is ultimately personal. You must photograph what is personal to you — your personal loved ones, your personal perspective of the world<\/a>, and what you find beautiful and meaningful in the world.<\/p>\n

So write down a list of what is personal to you.<\/p>\n

Who are your loved ones that you want to document? Don’t forget– you are the most personal person to yourself, so ‘honor thy selfie<\/a>‘ (and do self-portraits of yourself as well).<\/p>\n

Photograph your own home. Photograph your own neighborhood. Photograph your own city. Don’t become ‘suckered by the exotic’ (as my teacher Constantine Manos<\/a> taught me) and think that you can only make interesting pictures by traveling to faraway and exotic places.<\/p>\n

The best pictures you can make are close to home. Your loved ones (friends, family, kids, partner), your own local community, or your everyday activities.<\/p>\n

So rather than thinking to yourself:<\/p>\n

\n How can I make better pictures?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Think to yourself:<\/p>\n

\n How can I live a more personally meaningful life, and how can I photograph what I already<\/em> find meaningful and purposeful in my life?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For example, let’s say you’re really active in your local religious circle or group. Be the photographer, and document that.<\/p>\n

\"Kyoto
Kyoto street photograph of woman at temple, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Or let’s say you really like people-watching and analyzing strangers — become a street photographer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Silhouette
Silhouette suit man. Street photograph in Tokyo, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. What is a photographer?<\/h2>\n
\"Selfie
Selfie in the mirror with RICOH GR II<\/a>. Saigon, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another thing we must touch upon — what exactly is a ‘photographer’?<\/p>\n

\n A photographer is an individual who makes photographs.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Therefore, anyone who takes pictures is a photographer. Your mom\/dad with their iPhone is a photographer. You don’t need a fancy high-end digital camera to be a photographer. You don’t need to make a full-time living or have photography be your profession.<\/p>\n

What is most important as a photographer: enthusiasm, courage, and curiosity to explore the visual world.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So start off by knowing in your heart and soul:<\/p>\n

\n I am a photographer.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Never let anyone talk down on you. Even if you ‘only’ have an iPhone — yes, you are a photographer.<\/p>\n

\n

II. How to make better photographs<\/h2>\n
\"Man
Man in silhouette. Street photograph at Hoan Kiem lake in Hanoi, 2017 \/ ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is a photograph vs picture vs image? How can I learn to make more interesting, dynamic, and compelling photographs?”<\/em><\/p>\n

1. Photograph vs picture vs image<\/h2>\n
\"Leading
A picture of a photograph.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A photograph<\/strong> is made by a camera.<\/p>\n

A picture<\/strong> can be made with a camera, a paintbrush, a crayon, pen, or any other illustrative tool (digital or analogue).<\/p>\n

An image<\/strong> is a mental picture you get in your mind.<\/p>\n

\"Above:
Above: Photograph \/ Below: Picture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You must first of all know how to differentiate between all these things.<\/p>\n

As a photographer, you don’t only make photographs — you do more than that. You also make pictures (all photographs are pictures), and you also make images (your photographs will create your viewer to create an image in their head).<\/p>\n

Ultimately as a photographer, you are an image-maker<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

2. What makes a compelling image?<\/h2>\n
\"Red:
Red: A bold color for photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A compelling image strikes you in the heart. A compelling image has a dynamic composition<\/a> — leading lines<\/a>, curves<\/a>, bold colors (study color theory<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Furthermore, your photograph needs emotion<\/a>. It needs soul<\/a>. Your photos need to show your personal perspective of the world.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself the question:<\/p>\n

\n Why am I the only person in the world who can make this image?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For myself– good images are opinionated<\/strong>. Which means, your photos must show your opinion of the world.<\/p>\n

Do you see the world as a beautiful, uplifting, and positive place? Or do you see the world in a more gloomy, and pessimistic way?<\/p>\n

\"Effects
Effects to provoke in your photographs: Joy, Beauty, Calm, Vibrancy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Personally, I think a great photographer is a life-affirmer. A life-affirmer is someone who says:<\/p>\n

\n The world is beautiful, and my camera proves it.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Use your images to inspire, motivate, and uplift the hearts and souls of your viewer.<\/p>\n

3. Composition<\/h2>\n
\"Deconstructed
Minimalist composition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to make stronger compositions in your photography<\/em>.<\/p>\n

a. Negative space<\/h3>\n
\"Negative
Negative space. Marseille, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Create negative space for your subject– give your subject in your photograph some negative space to ‘breathe.’<\/p>\n

\"Cindy
Cindy walking at beach. Fort Bragg, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By making your subject intentionally small and giving them negative space to move, you allow your viewer to engage their eyes. Any picture that encourages your viewer to look more is a good thing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Man
Man walking on track. Sapa, Vietnam 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

b. Figure-to-ground<\/h3>\n
\"Silhouette
Silhouette of woman behind door. Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A basic compositional technique is ‘figure to ground<\/a>‘ — to create separation between your subject and the background. You want a dark subject against a bright background, or a bright subject against a dark background.<\/p>\n

\"Gaussian
Gaussian blur effect. The woman in the black silhouette pops out from the background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For example, if we apply the ‘Gaussian Blur’ filter in Photoshop, you can still see the silhouette of the woman pop out of the frame.<\/p>\n

\"Composition
Composition of the silhouette of the woman outlined in red.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If we make an abstract image, this is what we see in terms of the composition:<\/p>\n

\"Abstract
Abstract of the ‘figure to ground’ relationship of the picture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pro-Tip<\/strong>: When you’re starting off in photography — to improve your composition, only shoot high-contrast black and white JPEG. This will allow you to visualize the world in terms of relationships between shadows and light. This will force you to simplify your scenes.<\/p>\n

c. Diagonal lines<\/h3>\n
\"eric
Silhouette of man against diagonal background. Tokyo, 2011 \/\/ ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the modern world, we have many diagonal lines from architecture and buildings.<\/p>\n

\"Abstract
Abstract image, outlining the man (yellow), the background (blue) and the leading line (red)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To make stronger compositions, integrate diagonals into your pictures.<\/p>\n

\"Woman
Woman with umbrella. Seoul, 2011 \/\/ ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pro-tip: Find an interesting background or scene with lots of leading lines and diagonals, and then wait for your subject to enter your frame (the fishing technique<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"Woman
Woman in yellow, background in blue.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Woman
Woman in yellow, background in blue, and leading lines outlined in red.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Color theory<\/h2>\n
\"Color
Color wheel theory: Dynamic tension between opposing colors. Image from CREATIVE EVERY DAY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To make stronger photographs, integrate color-theory into your photos.<\/p>\n

\"Opponent
Opponent based color theory. Opposing colors become more intense when placed next to one another.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The best way to study color is to study abstract painters, like Piet Mondrian<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
PIET MONDRIAN x ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Piet
PIET MONDRIAN x ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Eric
Walking lady Bauhaus by ANNETTE KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"PIET
PIET MONDRIAN x ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"PIET
PIET MONDRIAN x ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
A red \u00e2\u20ac\u0153cloud\u00e2\u20ac\u009d against a mostly \u00e2\u20ac\u0153cool\u00e2\u20ac\u009d colored background. Piet Mondrian.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Piet Mondrian red lighthouse by ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The benefit of studying color painting– painters have more control over their pictures (when compared to us photographers).<\/p>\n

As a practical tip, when you’re shooting photos in color — LOOK FOR VIBRANT COLORS<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Blue. Man at beach. Marseille, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Forks
Forks with red napkin, on red table. Berlin, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Green
Green wall with white stripe. Berlin, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"GOODYEAR
GOODYEAR logo in blue against Yellow Background. Berlin, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Purple
Purple colors with silhouette of Cindy. Berlin, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The mistake we make as photographers is that we go out and take a bunch of pictures, and don’t even think about color.<\/p>\n

The more you think about color while you’re out shooting pictures, you will build your ‘visual acuity’ and start to SEE colors more vividly.<\/p>\n

\"Cindy
Cindy with hat against pink background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Also as a tip — use Photoshop, or the iPad + ProCreate app to analyze your pictures after<\/em> you shoot them, to see the colors better:<\/p>\n

\"Cindy
Cindy in pink, abstracted. Made with iPad and Procreate app.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some examples of color photographs of mine that I abstracted, to better understand the colors I was shooting:<\/p>\n

\"Cindy
Cindy in blue Yukata. Uji, Kyoto 2017. Low Perspective.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sketch
Sketch of Cindy in Yukata.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Cindy<\/p>\n

\"CUBIST<\/p>\n

\"High
High Perspective picture. Tokyo, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"Urban
Urban landscape. Bangkok, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Abstract<\/p>\n

\"Tokyo
Low angle suit. Kyoto, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Tokyo<\/p>\n

\"Umbrella<\/p>\n

\"Eric<\/p>\n

5. How do I know what my best pictures are?<\/h2>\n
\"LAUGHING
LAUGHING LADY by Eric Kim Contact Sheets from book: LEARN FROM THE MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The art of choosing your best pictures (image-selection) is the most difficult thing in photography.<\/p>\n

\"Laughing
Laughing lady. NYC, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Practical suggestions to know how to choose your best picture:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Wait at least a week before choosing your pictures<\/strong>: This will help you forget the memory of shooting the picture– therefore it will allow you to be more ‘objective’ when judging your pictures.<\/li>\n
  2. Look at your photos as small thumbnails<\/strong>: By judging your pictures as small thumbnails, you can better determine whether your pictures ‘pop out’ at you– and you can also judge your compositions better as small thumbnails. Therefore, don’t look at all your pictures full-resolution or full-screen. By judging your pictures as small thumbnails, you will save time, and better see what your best pictures are. As a tip, If your pictures work as small thumbnails, they are good pictures<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  3. Follow your gut<\/strong>: Do your pictures punch you in the gut, or do they give you a luke-warm “meh” response? Only choose your pictures that really excite you, and pictures you are really enthusiastic about.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Here are some of my ‘contact sheets<\/a>‘, for you to better understand how I choose my favorite pictures.<\/p>\n

    You can also see the benefit of shooting many pictures– the more pictures you shoot, the more likely you are to get a good one<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    As a practical tip:<\/p>\n

    \n When in doubt, shoot 25% more pictures than you think you should.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    By pushing yourself to shoot more, you are more likely to evoke an interesting reaction in your subject, or help your subject relax. Also, in photography, we often give up too easily. Push yourself past your comfort zone, to make truly great pictures:<\/p>\n

    \"Contact
    Contact sheet. Tokyo eye, 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"Contact<\/p>\n

    \"Contact
    Contact sheet. Cindy mask. Nyc, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"Contact
    Contact sheet of Cindy in mirror in our hotel room. Saigon, 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Contact
    Contact sheet. Istanbul, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Contact
    Contact sheet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"Girl
    Contact sheet: Pinocchio nose \/ Downtown La, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    \"eric<\/p>\n

    \"marseille-contact-sheet
    Marseille contact sheet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"downtown
    I kept clicking until he looked at me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"tucson-contact-jpeg
    People think this picture is a candid photo. It is not.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Conclusion: ‘Good’ pictures is a matter of taste<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Whatever pictures you deem as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ will be a matter of your personal taste.<\/p>\n

    There is no objectively ‘good’ or ‘bad’ pictures out there. What matters is whether you<\/em> think the picture is good or not.<\/p>\n

    \"Up.
    Up. Melbourne, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    If the picture hits you in the gut, and reverberates in your heart, and embeds itself into your mind’s eye– it is a good photograph.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n

    III. Exposure and Technical Settings<\/h1>\n
    \"eric
    Shot in a doorway with natural light, -1 exposure compensation in P mode<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    What is the best camera to shoot with? What are the best settings to use? When should I use a flash vs natural light? How to adjust exposure?<\/em><\/p>\n

    Set it and forget it<\/h2>\n
    \"DARK
    DARK SKIES OVER TOKYO, 2016. Shot on RICOH GR II and Program mode.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Personally, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve mastered shooting fully manual, and to be frank, it is overrated.<\/p>\n

    Most of my shooting now is just in P (program) mode<\/a>, where your camera automatically chooses your aperture and shutter speed. All you do is manually select the ISO.<\/p>\n

    Why program mode?<\/p>\n

    \"Portrait
    Portrait of Cindy on Ricoh GR II, Program Mode,-1 exposure compensation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    It allows you to think less about the technical settings of photography, and more focus on making compositionally dynamic<\/a> pictures, with good exposure, emotion<\/a>, and soul<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Exposure<\/h2>\n
    \"Photograph
    Photograph of Cindy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face In the bright sun, shot with -1 exposure compensation, to accentuate the circle around her face.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Exposure is how bright or dark your photos are.<\/p>\n

    My suggestion is to use \u00e2\u20ac\u0153exposure compensation\u00e2\u20ac\u009d on your camera and use the LCD screen to judge your exposure. Just make the exposure to look however you want the pictures to look like. Avoid nerdy stuff like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153histograms\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or other technical ways to judge exposure in your pictures.<\/p>\n

    Plus + Exposure compensation<\/h3>\n
    \"Overexposed
    Overexposed background shot with a flash on RICOH GR II in P (program) mode. Creates a strong figure to ground because Cindy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face is well lit, the background is very bright. This picture is strong, because it creates a DYNAMIC CONTRAST between Cindy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face and the backdrop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Try to experiment taking pictures at +1 to +3 exposure compensation, and analyze how that affects your pictures. I generally recommend using plus exposure compensation when photographing bright lights behind your subject, or when photographing your subject in the shade.<\/p>\n

    Minus – exposure compensation<\/h3>\n
    \"Street
    Street portrait with -1 2\/3 exposure compensation. To make his face more dramatic and pop from the background. By using minus exposure compensation, the background turns totally black.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Try to experiment photographing your subjects in bright sunlight, but by using -1 to -3 exposure compensation.<\/p>\n

    This will cause the dark parts of the frame, or the shadows to turn black. This will create a more dramatic contrast on the face of your subject, without \u00e2\u20ac\u0153blowing them out\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (not ruining the skin tones of your subject).<\/p>\n

    \"contact
    Note how I worked the scene, to get the man to have the dramatic light on his face.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Also experiment using minus exposure compensation when shooting sunsets, for more dramatic colors:<\/p>\n

    \"Amsterdam
    Amsterdam sunset, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Pink
    Pink sunset in Bangkok, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Sunset.
    Sunset. Fort Lee, New Jersey 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Exposure settings<\/h2>\n

    I recommend you to use \u00e2\u20ac\u0153evaluative\u00e2\u20ac\u009d metering mode.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Exposure triangle: Aperture, shutter speed, ISO<\/h2>\n
    \"\"
    Exposure triangle: a relationship between Aperture, ISO, shutter speed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Exposure is dictated by a balance between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.<\/p>\n

    Aperture<\/h3>\n
    \"Imagine
    Imagine aperture as an eye: the more you open your aperture or eye, the more light comes in. The more you close your eye or aperture, the less light enters the camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The confusing thing about aperture is that two terms are used to refer to aperture:<\/p>\n