Photography on a Budget: Best Gear and Tips for Beginners
Discover budget-friendly photography gear and essential tips for beginners. Learn how to use minimal equipment and smart techniques to capture stunning images.
Photography is an art that needs the right kind of tools and apt knowledge, to produce great results. Usually, when you start your photography journey, you tend to buy a lot of equipment so that you are equipped to take the best possible stills.
However, when it comes to photography, it is not just about the right gear. You will need to understand your camera, its features, the lighting techniques, the photography angles, etc. You can become a great photographer even with the basic minimal gear if you have the right photography tricks up your sleeves.
In this article, we will learn about the best photography gear and tricks that can help you become a pro from a newbie.
Best Gears for Beginner Photographers
Lens
It is assumed that a lens is very expensive. This is an important gear to get the photography right. So, what can we do? Well, you just need to do your research right. There are some lenses available in the market, (that too from known brands like Canon & Nikon) which will not create a hole in your pocket.
For example, you can check out the 50mm 1.8 lens; it has a wide aperture that can let more than 400% light in so that you get great stills. The lens also ensures that you get a shallow depth of field so that you can take beautiful blurred background images.
Memory Card
Imagine the horror when the photograph that you clicked gets corrupted because of a default memory card! You do not want this. It is important to not compromise on the memory card. This is your one-time investment, so you must get a branded memory card for your camera.
You can do your research and get the apt card for yourself. There are some brands like Sandisk that you can place your trust in. Also, do ensure that you get an optimum space memory card so that you are not in a rush to transfer your stills to your laptops or hard drives.
Camera Bag
Get a professional camera bag that is waterproof and has enough space to hold all your camera gear. You are allowed to browse through 100s of options and pick the one that suits your needs and budget. Look for a bag that has smaller and separate compartments to hold your batteries and memory card separately. You can look for amazing options online. Find promo code and discount coupon to grab discount on purchase of camera gear and accessories.
Manual Flash
You have got to have a manual flash so that you can click amazing pictures even in dim lighting. Initially, using a manual flash might feel like an overwhelming task, but as you start using it, you will get used to it. You can get a non-branded manual flash that works just right and will fall right within your budget.
Tricks for Beginners
Get Out of Auto Mode
Get out of auto mode and start working with other camera modes. This is an essential photography tip for a beginner. You need to know the right camera mode to use, in a particular lighting situation. Do not depend more on auto mode, as it will restrict your learning ability.
Do Not Go Over the Board with Highlights
Let us say that you wish to take a photograph of the sky in the evening time. You will want to capture the immensity of the sky and every shade that is splattered around. You will not be able to do this if you overexpose the highlight. Overexposing the highlights will kill the texture of the surrounding area and we do not want that.
Learn the Art of Balancing the Light
The quality of your image will depend immensely on the balance of your light intensity between the focus object and the background. Dim light will give you a dark and silhouetted foreground. Too much light will ensure an image with a shadow falling over your subject. To balance the light, you can change the subject angle or deflect the light using the right gear. You should also learn ways to avoid camera lens flare.
Double Check Camera Setting
You need a different kind of setting to take an image of a night sky and a completely different setting for a picture of a bright sky. You need to take your time to get your settings right, before clicking the image. Take a few stills to check out settings and then take the actual photo. These beginner photography tricks come in very handy to get the right click.
Keep Moving
You will not get an impressive image by standing upright in one spot. You will inculcate the habit of moving and changing your angle to get that right click. Climb on the top, move forward and backward, or lie flat on the ground if you must. Just do not be restrictive with your movement.
Take Care of the Edges of Your Image
Edges of your photo have an immense impact on the feel of your photograph. Get this factor right! A very basic trick is to provide enough room to your focus object, on all sides. Also, do not cut an important background element from the center.
Know How to Use Flash
The flashlight is important not only for dim light conditions but also as a fill flashlight. Let us say shadow is crossing over the subject in outdoor bright light. You can use a gentle flash to remove the effect of the shadow.
Learn the Trick of Post-processing
There is no harm in post-processing your image a bit if it is turning good photography into exceptional photography. Just be subtle with the process. Your images should not feel over-baked because of post-processing.
To Conclude
It is impossible to become a great photographer in just one shot. Photography is more like a journey and you need to enjoy this journey. Remember, there is always room to click a better picture. The right gears and right skill sets will help you become a great artist. Hope this article helped!
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