Photography 101: Tips for Beginners

by Mandi on March 4, 2011

If you’re an experienced photographer, this post is not for you. But if you’re a hobby photographer who’s just learning how to take artistic photos or use a DSLR, here are some of my favorite tips from some of my favorite sites.

For myself, I still haven’t mastered the art of taking pictures in full manual mode, but it’s on my bucket list for this spring & summer, which means I’m going to be spending more time reading about aperture and shutter speed until they finally make sense in my head!

Here they are, in no particular order:

beginner photography tips
1. Read Your Camera Manual | Life with My 3 Boybarians

beginner photography tips

2. Take Your Camera Off Auto ISO | Willette Designs

beginner photography tips

3. Understand the Role of Shutter Speed | White on Rice Couple

beginner photography tips

4. It’s Not All About Faces | I Heart Faces

beginner photography tips

5. Avoid Flash Blowout | Digital Photography School

beginner photography tips

6. Use a Tripod | Digital Photography School

beginner photography tips

7. Apply the Elements of Design to Your Photography | Life with My 3 Boybarians

beginner photography tips

8. Understanding Aperture & Bokeh | KevinandAmanda.com

beginner photography tips

9. Understand the Rule of Thirds | Simply Cindi

What’s your favorite photography tip?

Tagged as: galleries

http://www.barillafab4.blogspot.com nichole

thank you for this! I am in the market for my 1st DSLR and this is super helpful! nichole – http://www.barillafab4.blogspot.com
http://towninwifehouse.blogspot.com Laura

This is the BEST post. Thanks for putting all these helpful sites in one place for easy reference. =)
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  You’re welcome, Laura — glad it was helpful!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1275861925 KateandBill Blevins

I have a great Nikon Camera but always leave it on manual. Maybe a few of us should get together one Friday after CC is all done. I think I could learn a lot. Kate
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Yes! Let’s do it. I know just enough to be dangerous, but I’d love to learn
  more from other people.
Kara Fleck

I’ve recently discovered this blog and I really enjoy the laid back, yet informative, style of writing – it reads very “one mom to another” but I’ve learned many new things and gotten lots of inspiration and ideas from her. A good mix of informative and friendly, I think

The blog is: http://www.imorganic.com/the_very_next_thing.php

I’m looking forward to reading what blogs others are reading in this category, too.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Ah, that’s exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks, Kara!
http://www.tonistreehouse.com Toni

I cover green/eco-friendly/holistic/natural living at my blog Toni’s Treehouse (http://www.TonisTreehouse.com). I’m also working on launching a new blog for people living in the South Carolina Midlands — GoFamouslyGreen.com.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Thanks, Toni!
Christie

Have you tried http://treehuggingmom.com
Heather

One blog I found through a friend is Eco-Novice — all about going green gradually. Here’s the link: http://www.eco-novice.com/

And I feel kind of weird touting my own blog, but I’m going to! My blog, The Parsimonious Princess, is all about frugal living and I’ve found that a green, eco-friendly lifestyle is a natural byproduct of living frugally. Anyway, here’s the link to mine… http://theparsimoniousprincess.blogspot.com/

I can’t wait to see what other people post!
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Thanks, Heather — I love the idea of going green gradually, and I’ve subscribed to Parsimonious Princess as well. Looking forward to reading both!
http://berkman.ca Janet Berkman

I really enjoy Love and Trash (http://loveandtrash.com/). Fun, green, inspirational.
Krissa

Crunchy Betty has lots of green recipes for beauty products. Question for you–how do you categorize blogs in your Reader?
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Here you go, Krissa: http://tech.yourway.net/creating-category-folders-in-google-reader/
http://faithfamilyandfun.com quinnschilling

My blog is not specifically about being green, but is a family, homeschool, review blog that has been successfully going organic this year! Little by little my blog is turning green:) Faith, Family and Fun, http://faithfamilyandfun.com/?page_id=3796 I love many of the blogs already mentioned, and as a mom of 5, I find myself interested in following green savings sites, too, like Organic Deals and Coupons http://www.organicdeals.com/, Saving Naturally http://savingnaturally.com/ and I love Healthy Child, Healthy World! http://healthychild.org/main/
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Thanks, Quinn!
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Thanks, Quinn!
http://www.se7en.org.za Se7en

Green livings sites – great question: My fave great outdoors for kids sites are: Imagine Childhood (http://blog.imaginechildhood.com/ ) and The Magnifying Glass (http://themagnifyingglass.typepad.com/weblog/ ).
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Ooh, green kids sites — perfect!
http://twitter.com/HappyLHomemaker Happy Lil Homemaker

I like Sorta Crunchy (http://www.sortacrunchy.net) and Heavenly Homemakers (http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/)
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Thank you!
http://twitter.com/RandomRecycling Emily Roach

I’m also a big fan of SortaCrunchy.net, I’ll add Keeper of the Home to the list as well.
I find writing for my own blog, Random Recycling helps me learn new green tricks as well. (http://randomrecycling.blogspot.com)
Michelle

I just discovered your blog today and will definitely be back for more! I love that you even have a section with help for other bloggers My blog (www.openeyehealth.com) is about natural health and living, and that includes plenty of posts on going green, living, and even cleaning in eco-friendly ways.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Thanks, Michelle — I subscribed!
http://twitter.com/LivingGreenOR Lane’ Richards

I’m brand new to your site and I so appreciate you asking. I’ll start by providing MY blog: http://TheLivingGreenSolution.com

I’m a Master Recycler, eco-educator and all around passionate about green living. I blog about stories, recycling, waste/toxic reduction, green tips, resources, recipes (such as green cleaners AND DIY beauty) and much more.

Other blogs that I enjoy reading can actually be found on my site, too (there’s too many to list!): http://thelivinggreensolution.com/i-like-to-read/

Hopefully this helps!
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Thanks, Lane’ — looking forward to reading more on your site!!
Tara

Have you seen http://www.prairieecothrifter.com, http://www. sustainablepersonalfinance.com, or http://www.sustainablelifeblog.com. All three of these blogs have awesome tips on living green. I think it would be great if you should link to them once or twice so others can hear about their tips too.
http://www.facebook.com/micaela.preston Micaela Preston

I read a ton of green blogs – but that’s because I write one of my own!! Here are a few of my favs that you might not have heard of before:

http://www.greenphonebooth.com
http://www.non-toxickids.net
http://www.green-talk.com
http://www.enviromom.com
http://groovygreenlivin.com
http://www.greenyourdecor.com

Or read my blog-roll at http://www.mindfulmomma.com
Dominique

http://www.leaveitbetter.com! We blog about what people all over are doing to take care of the Earth. Please visit us!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Ooh, this looks like a fun blog — thanks!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Oh, wow, thanks!!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Thanks, Micaela!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Oh, yep — I love Megan, although I have her categorized under Motherhood in my reader!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Love the name Random Recycling — subscribed!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

I haven’t — thanks!
http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

Thanks, Dominique — what a great name! Looking forward to reading your
stuff!
http://www.proverbs31living.blogspot.com Abbi

I like Keeper of the Home and passionate homemaking. They both write on broader topics than just green living but they do have good thoughts on natural living. I was very inspired by CrunchyChicken for a while a couple years ago but then it seemed that she started to use quite a bit of profanity as well as not having a biblical prospective on the issue so I decided not to go there anymore.
I have a blog called Proverbs 31 Living where I talk about all things homemaking (and some homeschooling and home business stuff as well) but with a green living slant. I am passionate about conserving what we have so that I can be a wise steward of what God has given us. I like to do a lot of what I call “do it yourself recycling”, grow my own organic veggies, make my own natural cleaners and so forth. I would love to have you come visit!
http://www.proverbs31living.blogspot.com
http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com Joyce and Norm

Well, at the current moment, it’s this headache! I think for me it’s figuring where to start and also the guilt of not spending time with my loved ones. Even before all of that, maybe it’s figuring out what my dreams really are. And just a hint of laziness. I was one of those overcommitted people once a upon a time, and I gave a lot of myself without getting really anything in return, so even with that looming dream, I just need to take a break from my weariness. Did any of that even make any sense? Must be the headache… =
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  I think it made total sense. And there are times I dream of just resting and
  enjoying my family…so maybe you are living your dream!
hart_larissa

I think for me, its a combination of a number of things. The laziness is definitely a factor, but also: the fear of it not ending up like I’d dreamed it would look; knowing the destruction of past dreams and not wanting to face that pain and sense of utter loss of direction again; and the fear that – well, what if it DOES end up looking and feeling just as I dreamed?!!! Then what?!!
Lol, I know my thinking is crazy, but that’s only the tip of the iceburg of my self-defeating thoughts. I am trying to change this, but having experienced the heartbreak of loss of dreams, I think I’m most afraid that this will happen again…and I don’t know if I’m ready to have to start all over again, once again. Confused? I am
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  I can definitely see what you’re saying, and I think fear — of success or
  failure — is probably the thing holding most people back!
  - http://twitter.com/kalynbr00ke Kalyn Comings
    
    Especially if you have “failed” in the past with defunct business ideas. lol. Really enjoyed your book, Mandi!
    - http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
      
      Thanks, Kalyn!
      
      I love this quote from Thomas Jefferson about failure: “I am not
      discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”
Snookums

I don’t think I really have a dream. I never get a second to think about anything. Either I am the most disorganized person on earth, or I really and truly have no time to myself. I just got the kids off to bed. My daughter had a rough evening. She’s only 4 and it was a very late night for her, but it’s 10pm. Now I need to load the dishwasher, run it, make the coffee, put on a load of laundry and grade papers. By the time I am done with all that, I’ll be ready for bed. (Of course, I could be dreaming now, instead of writing this, but I am just taking a few minutes to put my old feet up).

I guess I am content though. I am content to live in this small 3 bedroom house. I find it to be environmentally more responsible to live in a house that suits your needs, rather than a big flashy one. We have 2 kids, one bedroom for each kid, and one for my husband and I. We have 2 older cars..and they get us from point A to point B. We have 2 beautiful children that wear me out..but they’re perfect. We don’t make a lot of money, we have debt, but we’re working on trying to get out of it. I wish we had more money in our savings account, but …ah well….one day…when the kids are big.

I think it’s ok to be content too.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  Thanks so much for chiming in….your comment really got me thinking!
  
  So do having dreams and being discontent go hand-in-hand for you? I would
  say I’m a pretty content person (and we live in a small house, have one
  older car, etc. ourselves, none of which we have any plans to change…),
  but I also tend to dream big as far as doing and accomplishing. I get what
  you’re saying, but they feel like two different things to me. I don’t know,
  still thinking…
http://www.thenonconformistfamily.com Joshua Gordon

Sarah and I have spent a lot of time talking about our dreams as a couple/family. We’ve ‘reverse engineered’ ‘em, actually. We imagined what regrets we would have at the end of our life, and worked backwards from there.

It’s not an easy process, by any stretch of the imagination, but BOY is it worth it. We are loving our life!

The things that are standing in our way? I think it’s mostly ourselves, our pre-conditioned fears, worries, etc. Perhaps our own sense of insecurity…
Bighairorbust

I just read this and thought to myself, “What ARE my dreams?”…It seems when we become mothers and wives we tend to lose ourselves and forget who we are. At least that’s where I am. I have 3 children (11, 15 and 16) and a husband and I work full time in a completely unfulfilling office job. I’m not old (36) but I’m not young either. I make very good money doing what I do. With that being said, I have been “dreaming” of simplifying our lives and moving into a smaller home with a little piece of land. However because of the housing market we cannot sell our home which means I need to stay at a job I hate because of the money. And because I work outside the home full time I really have no time to pursue what may interest me because my children are involved in activities as well. Oh, I dream of opening up a sweet shop, or raising chickens, or whatever, but truly things like that just seem a pipe dream.
Bighairorbust

I just read this and thought to myself, “What ARE my dreams?”…It seems when we become mothers and wives we tend to lose ourselves and forget who we are. At least that’s where I am. I have 3 children (11, 15 and 16) and a husband and I work full time in a completely unfulfilling office job. I’m not old (36) but I’m not young either. I make very good money doing what I do. With that being said, I have been “dreaming” of simplifying our lives and moving into a smaller home with a little piece of land. However because of the housing market we cannot sell our home which means I need to stay at a job I hate because of the money. And because I work outside the home full time I really have no time to pursue what may interest me because my children are involved in activities as well. Oh, I dream of opening up a sweet shop, or raising chickens, or whatever, but truly things like that just seem a pipe dream.
Shannon L

What’s holding me back is debt and lack of funds to get it paid off. Plus depression squelches my ambition.
Capable_de_tout

What’s holding me back from pursuing my dreams is an unsupportive spouse. We have been married for close to 10 years. We have an 8-year old daughter. I had been going to school for a teaching degree, but had to quit because we didn’t have the $ for me to keep going, and the student loans were racking up. My husband is active in Scouts, and runs the family business, which I had to become a part of. Dreams? I don’t get to have my own dreams. Unless they’re in line with his.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  I’m so sorry to hear this. Have you considered counseling, either as a
  couple or even just by yourself? That definitely doesn’t sound healthy, and
  a counselor may be able to help you reach a healthier place in your
  marriage.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  I’m so sorry to hear this. Have you considered counseling, either as a
  couple or even just by yourself? That definitely doesn’t sound healthy, and
  a counselor may be able to help you reach a healthier place in your
  marriage.
Marcela

I am just finishing your book. I’m very inspired by it but now more than ever I am also very confused about my dreams. Writing and inspiring others are two dreams I have. What holds me back is fear for sure. Fear that I don’t know where to start, that I don’t know what I’m doing, that this career won’t be taken seriously, fear that there’s so many blogs out there that it’s really luck of the draw to grow a readership let alone make an extra income from blogging. Fear of failure.
- http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way
  
  I don’t think you’re alone in your fear, Marcela! But I hope my story
  inspires you that failure is OKAY! You just have to keep moving forward.
  Most bloggers go through a couple different blogs before they find their
  niche. Most writers get rejected before they get accepted. All of it takes
  you one step closer to the goal!
http://twitter.com/HappyLHomemaker Happy Lil Homemaker

I can’t believe I forgot Keeper of the Home! http://keeperofthehome.org/
GreenMama

There are so many, besides those listed in the ‘Why Go Green’ post…

http://www.almostallthetruth.com
http://www.thecrunchychicken.com/
http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com/
http://www.enviromom.com/
http://greenbabyguide.com/
http://www.non-toxickids.net/
http://organicmania.com/
http://www.greenphonebooth.com/

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Krystal is a stay-at-home mom of four children, ages 4-9, whom she homeschools. She's acutely aware of how fast her children are changing and is passionate about keeping family memories alive through photos. Now and then she gets to help other families’ bottle up their own memories at Krystal Griffin Photography.

Lauren Rothlisberger blogs at Get Me Geeky. As a military wife, mom of three girls and one new baby boy, she loves focusing on technology and productivity and finding new ways to simplify her life. She recently started putting together MacMinis, which are easy to follow videos for Mac users, and also wrote an ebook, Evernote for Moms.

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