Are you ready to take your photography to the next level? Whether you’re a beginner just starting out or an experienced photographer looking to improve your skills, this photography cheatsheet has everything you need to know to become a great photographer.
First, let’s talk about the basics. To become a great photographer, you need a good camera, a tripod, and a few essential accessories, such as a lens cleaning kit and extra batteries. You should also have a basic understanding of how your camera works, including how to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings.
Once you have the necessary equipment and knowledge, it’s time to start practicing. Take your camera with you everywhere you go and start taking photos of anything and everything that catches your eye. Experiment with different compositions, lighting, and angles, and don’t be afraid to try new things. The more you practice, the better you’ll become.
Another important aspect of photography is composition. This refers to the way the elements in a photograph are arranged, and it plays a big role in how successful a photo is. To improve your composition skills, try using the rule of thirds, which involves dividing the frame into three equal parts both horizontally and vertically, and placing the subject of the photo along one of the lines or at the intersection of two lines.
Lighting is also crucial in photography. The right lighting can make a photo look stunning, while the wrong lighting can ruin it. To get the best lighting, try to shoot during the golden hours (the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset), when the light is warm and soft. You can also use reflectors, diffusers, and artificial lights to control the lighting in your photos.
Finally, don’t forget about editing. Even the best photos can benefit from a little editing, whether it’s cropping, adjusting the exposure, or applying a filter. There are many different editing software programs available, ranging from free and simple options like GIMP to more advanced programs like Adobe Photoshop. Experiment with different editing techniques and find the ones that work best for you.
To wrap up, becoming a great photographer takes practice, patience, and a willingness to experiment and try new things. By following these tips and continuing to learn and grow, you’ll be on your way to becoming a master of the art of photography.
ISO refers to the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor to light. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to light and the finer the grain in the resulting image. Higher ISO numbers increase the sensitivity of the sensor and result in a coarser grain.
Aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens through which light passes. A larger aperture (smaller f-number) allows more light to enter the camera and results in a brighter image. A smaller aperture (larger f-number) allows less light to enter the camera and results in a darker image.
Shutter speed refers to the amount of time that the camera’s shutter is open, allowing light to reach the sensor. A faster shutter speed allows less light to enter the camera and freezes motion, while a slower shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera and creates a blurred effect for moving objects.
In general, it’s best to start with a low ISO to minimize grain in your images. If you need to take a picture in low light, you can increase the ISO to compensate, but be aware that this will increase the grain in your image.
Aperture also affects the depth of field in your image, which is the area that appears sharp. A larger aperture (smaller f-number) will result in a shallow depth of field, where only a small portion of the image is in focus. This can be useful for creating a blurred background effect. A smaller aperture (larger f-number) will result in a larger depth of field, where more of the image is in focus. This is useful for landscape photography or other situations where you want as much of the image as possible to be in focus.
Shutter speed is important for capturing motion. A fast shutter speed can freeze motion, while a slow shutter speed can create a blurred effect for moving objects. It’s important to experiment with different shutter speeds to see which works best for your situation.
In general, it’s best to use a tripod when shooting with slow shutter speeds to avoid camera shake. This will help keep your images sharp and blur-free.
When shooting in automatic mode, your camera will choose the appropriate settings for the scene. However, you can also manually adjust the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to achieve the desired effect in your images.
In manual mode, you can choose the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed yourself. This gives you more control over the final image, but it also requires more knowledge and experience to get the desired results.
One way to remember the relationship between ISO, aperture, and shutter speed is the “exposure triangle.” Increasing one of these settings will require you to decrease one of the others to maintain the same overall exposure. For example, if you increase the ISO to brighten the image, you’ll need to decrease the aperture or shutter speed to avoid overexposing the image.
It’s important to experiment with different combinations of ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to see which settings work best for different situations. This will help you develop your photography skills and improve the quality of your images.
To wrap up, ISO, aperture, and shutter speed are the three fundamental settings that control the exposure of your images. By understanding how these settings work and experimenting with different combinations, you can create stunning photos and develop your photography skills.
Here is a great collection of photography cheatsheets from Pinterest.
Photographer’s Cheatsheet For Using Filters:
Cheetsheet by zippi
Many of these photography cheatsheets came from here and here.
Action Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Composition, Landscape, Sky, and Water Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Indoor and Outdoor Lighting Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Wedding Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Portrait Lighting Cheatsheet: (source)
Photography Histogram Cheatsheet: (source)
Photography Shutter Speed Cheatsheet: (source)
Camera Shooting Modes Cheatsheet: (source)
Photogrpahy Fstop Cheatsheet: (source)
Photography Color Temperature and White Balance Cheatsheet: (source)
Photography Exposure Cheatsheet: (source)
General Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Photography Focal Length Cheatsheet: (source)
Depth Of Field Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Manual Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Rules of Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Nikon Metering Modes Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Nikon Viewfinder Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Macro Photography Cheatsheet: (source)
Many of these cheatsheets came from here and here.
Adobe Creative Cloud photographer’s cheatsheet by Make A Website Hub
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