So, I decided to learn photography.
I know you never asked, but here’s my progress (in chronological order):
- Taking pictures of wifey while she’s posing for Instagram.
- Becoming comfortable with taking pictures in public.
- Taking iPhone pictures like I’m Picasso of digital photography or something.
- Starting to follow real photographers on Instagram.
- Realising that I’m a shit photographer.
- Asking wifey to teach me how to take better photos, but her explanations confuse me.
- Borrowing my wife’s Canon 70D.
- Failing to understand “Manual Mode.”
- Watching YouTube tutorials on shutter speed and aperture only to become more confused.
- Returning to iPhone photography by getting a newer model with “an excellent camera.”
- The iPhone camera has a mind of its own, and I realise I’m somehow destroying my pictures when editing them.
- Watching YouTube videos on editing.
- Realising that I’m shit at editing, too.
- Trying many apps only to realise that most are marginally better than Instagram’s native tools.
- Becoming frustrated and almost giving up.
- Deciding to become a good photographer — whatever it takes.
- Trying Adobe Lightroom CC, and my mind is blown.
- Spending 100+ hours watching Lightroom CC tutorials on YouTube.
- Realising that I need to be taking high-quality RAW photos.
- Going back to my wife’s Canon 70D.
- Remembering that I’m shit at taking photos.
- Putting in 150+ hours in the field just taking lots of photos.
- After 4,000+ pictures, I start getting the hang of “Manual Mode.”
- And look at me dodging and burning in Photoshop!
- Getting more likes on Instagram.
- Looking at real photographers’ work on Instagram and realising that I’m still shit.
- Focusing (no pun intended) on composition.
- Realising that I know jack shit about subjects, leading lines, balance, rule of thirds, negative space, separation, etc.
- Finding even better photographers on Instagram. Thinking of giving up.
- Taking a good picture by chance, woohoo!
- Getting my first full-format DSLR (Canon 5D MKII).
- Talking about the importance of “painting with light.”
- Feeling a mad passion taking over my life.
And here we are. Work in progress, mind you.
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