Learn Photography with Free Lessons & Tips

I remember I was in my primary school when I first attempted to cook food. The food didn't turn out well that day, but it ignited the urge of taking up cooking in due course of time. Slowly, I mastered the art, and now, I have a shortlist of my specialities which are acclaimed mouthwatering preparation amongst my family and close friend circle. Before few years, I was going through a photography magazine, a quite globally acclaimed one. When I turned a page over, to reach the centre spread, it was a full-scale food photo, A fantastic decorative platter of juicy fruits, with ice creams and melted chocolates sliding over them. It was so tempting, that I was awestruck, and I realized, my mouth actually responded to the image by watering. That was the day, when I realized, apart from cooking, there is one more art to make your mouth water. I have been practising the new architecture and found there are some tips to follow, which makes the outcome pretty impressive. Let's hit the secret recipe of mouthwatering food photography.
The first thing, the prime most important is the passion deep within. This is why I started the write up from the first attempt to cook. It's the passion that drives the will power. If you consider a food photographer as a chef, the desire is like the flame of the gas oven needed to cook.
The device to be used for photography is a very tricky affair, I must say. With the advent of Mobile Technology and its increasing capabilities of the camera, we find most of the food bloggers solely relying on a mobile device. It's compact, easy to carry, convenient, and easy o share across social media. Now you have Snapseed, and mobile Adobe PS versions to even edit them instantly. But its performance takes a back step when there is low light. The grains increase and image quality are compromised—the fixed lens of mobile works mostly auto with limited manual controls. If you consider the DSLR users, the approach is different. The investment on the device, which is exclusively only for photography, adds a level of seriousness. The photographer then gets the power of interchangeable lenses, manual control, and even the option of mirrorless. The RAW format capture allows further post-processing for a better quality of the final image. But, you have to see both sides of the coin. With this preference, you will always have to carry a piece of extra baggage. The maintenance of a DSLR is high and expensive. So, the pros and cons are in both the formats of the device. The choice is yours. Because people will eat the food and judge the chef, they are least bothered with the utensils in use.
Let's start by picking up a subject to click. You open up the fridge to start with some vegetables. You find some cauliflower, beans, carrots, etc. No way, the frozen products have already lost their texture. Plan it and fetch something fresh. Irrespective of what subject, make sure, you have the food as much freshly as possible. Sprinkle some water with a sprayer too. It looks good. Aforementioned is a technique I see all the vegetable vendors use across the market.
No matter which genre of photography you do, lighting is the key to success. In food photography, it's essential to make the food look edible. So controlling the shadows is very necessary. As you set the light, select the perspective to click, so that the light falls at 45 degrees across the food. Avoid placing the light direction. The best arrangement is to set up the food beside an east window on a sunny day with diffused glass panes.
Before you click, make sure you have a clear strategy of all the content of your frame. If your key subject is cooked food, make sure it's not fully cooked. That keeps the ingredients easily noticeable. Also, make sure you choose the cutlery wisely. All the utensils must be clean and without any fingerprints or stains. Add some raw spices as a prop. Do not add too much; keep it simple; do not clutter the composition. The composition must be so well planned that the viewer must see the leading food in focus first, and then explore the frame in search of its support. You may even add some human element to it if you want. We usually find a tea company making its product shoots with a person's hand pouring the tea. That adds a story that the viewer can relate to. But still, the composition is so well planned that your eyes first get hooked to the tea and the teabag box.
We always ask a successful person who is his or her idol. It's like a supporting force that stays backstage to give momentum to success. In food photography, that support is the background. It's essential to have a contrast yet complementing background. In this aspect, we still refer to the colour wheel concept invented by Sir Issac Newton. Take some raw wooden plan, a used cutting board, a banana leaf, etc.
Now, your subject is set, light is right, composed, the background is also looking fine, all set. You got your device and clicked the shutter. Curious you immediately transferred the image on a big screen and noticed some blur in it—nothing to get disappointed with. The device has no problem; it just needs some more instruction. Try to retake the shoot, but this time, add some more precautions to your attempt. Try to change the settings with some more shutter speed. Hold your camera steady, if required, use a tripod or a Pixi. If the option is there, then go for a remote click or set timer to the camera. It helps as it even reduces the slightest shake of the camera.
You transferred the file again and found the image is no more blur, but the green tone of the raw capsicum is not the same green. Go back again and check the camera settings. Shift the file type from JPEG to RAW. Nowadays, even a few mobile phones allow clicking in RAW format. The RAW form captures all information, and hence the file size is also much large. Since the RAW format has all the information, it gives you the preference to work on all aspects of the image in post-processing. Work on the white balance. Some even consider it in Kelvin format or the temperature, whichever way you call the processing mode.
Now, the green in precisely the way the real capsicum looks. But, you are still not that happy. You want the food to pop out from the photo as if it's one step closer to the mouth of the viewer. Try to change the lens to a macro lens. Nowadays, portable lenses for mobile phones are also available. Work on the aperture setting, and bring it low. With this, the depth of field will increase.
Once again, the image is up on the big screen laptop. You find the portion of the food-focused which you don't intend to. The best solution to this is tethering. Connect the camera to your laptop r desktop, and use tethering mode to focus precisely where you want and click. Make sure the camera has a single point focus. A tethering mode gives you room to compose better, since you can see the final product on the big screen directly, before clicking the image.
Finally, it's ready to be served. First make the image your desktop wallpaper so that every time you open your laptop, you get hungry.

Framing & Composition
1. Decide on your subject.
2. Check the background and foreground of the subject.
3. Move the background if required.
4. Move the item if needed.
5. Remember, you can move as well.
6. Check the colour contrasts.
7. Follow the rule of thirds. Use your grid lines available for subject placement.
8. Find light before you think about increasing your ISO. Open windows switch on the light. Open shutters, curtains, window blinds. Using your phone's flashlight is also a creative option.
9. See the frame from different viewpoints.
10. Check the peripheral areas of the scene for any distracting objects, like footwear, wires, plugs, brooms anything that does not make a definite inclusion to the subject/photograph.
11. Keep it simple.
When shooting images which have symmetrical features, straight lines (e.g. horizon) ensure to keep the camera straight and balanced. Skewing is the most common error associated with an unbalanced image. Change in the diagonal axis also affects perspective in your image.

Composition is almost everything in Photography. Photography is all about how you presenting the scene you want to capture. Attention to it can often reward you with some striking images.
Composition in mainly how you are representing your content in the frame. It is a perfect balance of how well the subject and objects in your frame has been utilized.

Using the rule of thirds in photography helps a photographer to capture engaging and eye-catching photos. A well composed and clean image always attracts the person watching the image. It also tells a bit about the photographer who captured the photo. And to improve your compositions the rule of thirds technique is an essential thing to learn.

The idea is very simple and easy. All you have to do is to imagine a grid of six boxes in your camera’s viewfinder (like the one below). These grids consist of two horizontal lines intersecting two vertical lines. These lines should be equidistant from each other.

Identify the points where these four lines meet. This is the intersection points. All you have to do is to place the main subject that you want to highlight in the image close to one of the intersection points. This way you will be able to capture a well composed image using the rule of thirds.

Here is the grid lines which you will need to imagine on the viewfinder of your camera. In latest cameras there is an inbuilt grid to support you in capturing a well composed image using this rule.

Hope this lesson will be of great help to you.

Today's technology provides a great space for the media industry, especially photography. From the mobile phone, iPad, tabs, point-shoot, DSLR and mirrorless cameras. So these technical developments are creating several budding photographers all over the world. Billions and Billions of images are being uploaded on social media space every day, which means billions of phones and cameras capturing images every second. Due to this development, most of the people calling themselves a photographer but they need to understand the basic principles of photography. 

Photography is not just capturing images, its more than that. Graphy represents art. Any art contains certain tools and practices. The speciality of any art is about its unique creative expressions. Here, cameras are tools that help us to capture the images, but creative skills and uniqueness are not tools, it's in your experience. 

Casual Photographer Vs Professional Photographers 

Both are photographers in common, but casual photographers intend to click several random pictures and upload them. They don't have any constructive ideas on the art of photography. They are more relay on automated tools in the camera, and their pics don't express any uniqueness. But when it comes to professional photographers, they provide more time on learning other supportive arts like fashion, modelling, kids' behaviour, body language, client services, the psychology of images, Wildlife behaviours and more. They develop their photography skills based on the field which they select like events, fashion. Journalism and their pictures are more purposeful and represent the relative arts. 

Few examples for your understanding

• Wildlife photography must learn the animals and jungle structures and behaviours without this basic knowledge they cant be a wildlife photographer. Based on these requirements, the professional wildlife photographer chooses the camera and lenses. (Wildlife photography includes some macro species also).
• For Fashion photography, they must understand the designer's ideas and express those ideas through pictures. 
• Any event photographers must understand the client's needs and requirements. The photographer must follow the event protocols. 

The advance cameras help you to capture the image but to choose the perfect tools you need to the field correctly. 

Hi Shweta!

Well, it depends on which course you are taking and the duration it takes to complete depends on you too. Each teacher has their way and time for teaching. You can look at the teacher's profile and connect with them and see which one suits you best.

We’re in a cut-throat competitive era, where every job seekers need to upskill themselves to meet the requirements. When it comes to finding a job, there are certain skills employers are looking in every employee. Here are some skills that make you a better employee.
 
Communication skills: It is key to leading a successful career. The ability to communicate effectively helps in building a good working relationship between you and your co-workers. It brings balance and reduces misunderstanding as there is no room for miscommunication in the workplace. When it comes to communication skills, it’s not only about verbal communication and writing skills but also about active listening and interpersonal communication skills.
 
Flexibility & adaptability plays a crucial role in the corporate world to survive.
 
Time management skill: This skill helps in arranging and sorting out things to achieve your target goals. It enables you to stay away from undesirable consequences.
 
Teamwork ability: Being a reliable and responsible team player is crucial. Employees who support and respect others are considered valuable to any organization.
 
Some of the other essential skills to be a good asset to any company include analytical and problem-solving skills, leadership qualities, technical literacy, organizational skills and honesty because it pays in the long run.

1) Parts of digital camera:

1. Lens: The lens is one of the most vital parts of a camera. The light enters through the lens, and this is where the photo process begins. Lenses can be either fixed permanently to the body or interchangeable. They can also vary in focal length, aperture, and other details.

2. Viewfinder: The viewfinder can be found on all DSLRs and some models of digital compacts. On DSLRs, it will be the main visual source for image-taking, but many of today’s digital compacts have replaced the typical viewfinder with an LCD screen.

3. Body: The body is the main portion of the camera, and bodies can be a number of different shapes and sizes. DSLRs tend to be larger bodied and a bit heavier, while there are other consumer cameras that are a conveniently smaller size and even able to fit into a pocket.

4. Shutter Release: The shutter release button is the mechanism that “releases” the shutter and therefore enables the ability to capture the image. The length of time the shutter is left open or “exposed” is determined by the shutter speed.

5. Aperture: The aperture affects the image’s exposure by changing the diameter of the lens opening, which controls the amount of light reaching the image sensor. Some digital compacts will have a fixed aperture lens, but most of today’s compact cameras have at least a small aperture range. This range will be expressed in f/stops. For DSLRs, the lens will vary on f/stop limits, but it is usually easily defined by reading the side of the lens. There
will be a set of numbers stating the f/stop or f/stop range, ex: f/2.8 or f/3.5-5.6. This will be your lowest settings available with that lens.

6. Image Sensor: The image sensor converts the optical image to an electronic signal, which is then sent to your memory card. There are two main types of image sensors that are used in most digital cameras: CMOS and CCD. Both forms of the sensor accomplish the same task, but each has a different method of performance.

7. Memory Card: The memory card stores all of the image information, and they range in size and speed capacity. The main types of memory cards available are CF and SD cards, and cameras vary on which type that they require.

8. LCD Screen: The LCD screen is found on the back of the body and can vary in size. On digital compact cameras, the LCD has typically begun to replace the viewfinder completely. On DSLRs, the LCD is mainly for viewing photos after shooting, but some cameras do have a “live mode” as well.

9. Flash: The on-board flash will be available on all cameras except some professional grade DSLRs. It can sometimes be useful to provide a bit of extra light during dim, low light situations.

10. User Controls: The controls on each camera will vary depending on the model and type. Your basic digital compacts may only have auto settings that can be used for different environments, while a DSLR will have numerous controls for auto and manual shooting along with custom settings.

2) Parts of manual camera:

1. The Camera Body: All the internal mechanical, optical, and chemical parts of a camera are held together by the Camera body. This serves to protect these very sensitive parts. The Camera body also serves as a framework against which the other parts of the Camera articulate to function properly.

2. The Lens: The Lens is undoubtedly the most important component of the Camera (considering the main purpose of a Camera). The lens takes the beams of light bouncing off an object and focuses this light on the image plane so that a real image is formed that can be photographed. The greater majority of the modifications and refinements that have occurred in the camera since its invention have centered on or around the Lens, and that underscores the importance of this part of the camera.

3. The Film: This is a thin roll of light -sensitive plastic which is placed at the image plane of the Lens. When the Camera is ready to take pictures, several devices combine to ensure that the film is exposed to the image formed by the lens. When the film is exposed to the image coming from the lens it records the image, and we have pictures! Before and after use, the film is stored in a light-tight film holder. Unknown to most persons, there are no black and white or color cameras. We only have black and white and color films. It is the film that determines whether a picture will come out as black and white or colored.

4 .Viewfinder: This is a part of the Camera that helps us decide which object we want to photograph. It helps us point the camera in the correct direction and indicates what will or will not appear in the final photograph. Viewfinders are of two types: (1) Those that work independent of the lens, known as aim-and -shoot cameras; (2) Those that show exactly what the lens is seeing, found in SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras.

5. Shutter: The shutter determines how long the film is exposed to light or to the image coming from the lens. Shutters are of two types: the one located just behind the lens, called the leaf shutter; the second type is located in front of the film plane, it's called the focal plane shutter. The shutter consists of two metal sheets or "curtains" which remain shut or closed when the camera is not in use. But when the shutter release button is depressed, one of these curtains slide open to allow the image from the lens to hit the film. After a brief moment, the second metal sheet of curtain will slide in to close the opening. The interval between theopening and closing depends on the speed we selected using the shutter speed knob.

6. Aperture: This is an opening, or hole, at the center of the lens. The function is to cause images to be brightened or dimmed uniformly. This is achieved by increasing or reducing the size of the hole, using a knob called the Aperture Ring. When the opening is enlarged, more light passes through the lens, causing the picture to brighten. Conversely when the opening reduces, less light is let in, thus dimming the image or picture.

7. Flash Shoe (or Accessory Jack): This is the hook to which one may attach a flash, if one chooses to use a flash and the camera supports it. This accessory is located just above the Viewfinder.

8 . Focusing Ring: When we are looking through the Viewfinder, it is the Focusing Ring that is used to bring the object into focus. It is more like an adjuster.

9. Film Cavity: This is the location where the roll of film is placed in the camera. This cavity is secured from light. It is a sort of dark chamber whose job is to ensure that the only light reaching the film is the one coming through the lens, and even then only when the shutter is open. This is important since the film cannot differentiate between the light coming from the lens and the one coming from other sources. Without this cavity lights from the surrounding area would easily hit the film and distort the picture quality.

10. Film Rewind Knob: This knob is used to return all the exposed roll of film back into their casing. This must first be done before removing the exposed film from the camera; otherwise the negative will be ruined! Some modern cameras perform this function automatically once we've taken the last exposure.

Yes it possible. Your question leads to two possibilities of learning.

a) Through Youtube and other online Content

b) Through Online training by professional

You can learn in both ways, however the first method will take longer duration to learn and your learning is not channelised.