# The Tutorial Thread!



## Antithesis

Post any threads that you think are one of those questions that gets asked a billion times, or anything that will be useful to noobs. If you see any important sections missing too, just make a post and I'll start a new one.

Also, post tutorials or just general good information threads. I will compile them into a list for easy access for beginners.

*Very important: If a camera is being sold somewhere for significantly cheaper than should be normal, check the vendor here: www.resellerratings.com* (if it's too good to be true, it's usually a scam).

*A good place to start... Books:*

Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson
BEST BOOKS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

*General FAQs:*

So you just a new DSLR (courtesy of radiorickm)
My beginner questions: (courtesy of Rachelsne)
Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO (courtesy of Tiberius47)
The Exposure Trinity (courtesy of Philly101)
Basic Exposure Settings (courtesy of Tiberius47)
Using P (Program), A (Av), S (Tv) and M (Manual) Modes (courtesy of Tiberius47)
White Balance (courtesy of Tiberius47)
Bracketing (courtesy of Tiberius47)
Article on buying a Compact VS dSLR
Ken Rockwell's technique guide
Pros and Cons of "Program mode" (interesting thread)
Good learning tool (thanks to JerryPH)
Photography by definition
Tutorial on making pano's
Depth of Field calculator: useful for finding the right aperture for a situation, and pre-setting hyper-focus


*Lens FAQs:*

What is Bokeh?
DSLRs & Lenses 101
Kit lens... Why???
Prime lenses vs. Zoom lenses
Must-have filters (people's opinions)
Are filters needed? (digital)
Are Protection (UV) filters needed?
Nikon 50mm: F1.4 vs F1.8 thread

*Camera FAQs:*

General DSLR Guide
*BEFORE you ask "What Camera?"*
D40 / D40x / D60 Advisory
What is crop factor?
Canon vs Nikon (The big inconclusion)
Sensor cleaning? Read this... (courtesy of William and/or Mitica 100)
Regarding Olympus and 4/3rds systems...

*Lighting FAQs:*

 Strobist, a good place to learn about off camera lighting.
Canon EOS Flash part 1
Canon EOS Flash part 2
Manual Flash (courtesy of Tiberius47)

*PP or Post Processing FAQs:*

About RAW
To process or not to process... that is the question.
Why you should be shooting RAW
Excellent monitor comparison/knowledge thread
Sharpening tutorial
Another sharpening tutorial
Noise Reduction tutorial
Retouching by way of cloning (tutorial)
Processing and saving for the web

*Equipment review sites, etc. (before you ask "is X any good?"):*

DPReview, good for in-depth camera body reviews
Photozone.de, an excellent place to read reviews on lenses
Fredmiranda.com, good for lenses, bodies, and some other stuff.
Thom Hogan's site, mainly Nikon and general technique stuff.
Luminous Landscape, general reviews, etc.
www.the-digital-picture.com, a good place for Canon and some Sigma reviews.

Note: I rarely have time to update this thread anymore, so feel free to post your useful links in responses to the thread. Maybe I'll get around to an update at some point, but no promises


----------



## Mav

well here's a dump of my sig

*Great Beginners Threads* 
Understanding Exposure | D40/D40x/D60 Advisory |  DSLRs & Lenses 101
What is Bokeh? | What is Crop Factor? | Pixel-Peeper | KR Tech Guide
*BEFORE you ask "What Camera?"* | General DSLR Guide | About RAW

Also a personal favorite: Kit lens... Why???


----------



## caspertodd

Good Photography books:

http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123047&highlight=books


----------



## Antithesis

Hey, can a mod edit the title so there is a space between FAQ and Tutorials, like this: FAQ / Tutorial.

It's come to my attention that it's not searchable for that reason.


----------



## Miaow

Well I thought this article would be handy for a lot of people when I posted it.

Article On Buying a Compact Camera Vs SLR


----------



## kellylindseyphotography

I think "before you ask what camera" should be big and bold and on the first line.


----------



## Antithesis

kellylindseyphotography said:


> I think "before you ask what camera" should be big and bold and on the first line.



I'll put the *really* common ones in bold. Thanks for noticing that.


----------



## kellylindseyphotography

Oh hey thanks for composing that.  That looks like it took quite a bit of work.  Great job.


----------



## Valethar

There are some nice tutorial links in Tiberius47's signature that may be of use for your list


----------



## Rachelsne

My beginner questions:


----------



## Antithesis

Updated, keep em coming people.


----------



## jwkwd

" I need a cheap, but sturdy tripod "


----------



## davebmck

Great idea, Antithesis.  I would add a section for people asking about whether certain web dealers are reputable.  Here is one link I would include:  Resellerratings.com


----------



## manaheim

Awesome idea, antithesis... I was just talking to my buddy about this in the car on the way back from dinner, and how one of these would be useful.  Too cool.

Would it make sense to ask for a sticky on this one?


----------



## SanctuS

I'm not sure that I see any articles on filters.  Might just be me.  I'll keep looking.


----------



## Antithesis

Thanks for the kind words, I just liked these threads on some of my old car forums. Helpful for beginners who don't want to sort through 1000 threads when using the search tool. 

I'll find a filters thread when I get home tonight, I gotta go to class.


----------



## Buszaj

Excellent site for detailed reviews on Canon gear and some Sigma lenses:

www.the-digital-picture.com


----------



## bahandi

can we sticky this? thank you for the idea, antithesis


----------



## davebmck

I have been reading this write up on EOS flash and it is quite comprehensive: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/  And part two is at: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index2.html#ev

You can get to the first article from the http://tiberius47.deviantart.com/art/How-to-use-Manual-Flash-83756240 link on the first page, but this is good enough to have its own link.

I agree this thread should be a sticky.


----------



## caspertodd

Antithesis, you've done a great job with this!  Thanks for taking the time to put it together.  Very helpful.


----------



## Tiberius47

Valethar said:


> There are some nice tutorial links in Tiberius47's signature that may be of use for your list



Thanks!  it's nice to know that people read my tutorials and think they are good enough to be included in threads like this.


----------



## Battou

Some Post processing (Sharpening) links I was given

http://www.photoxels.com/tutorial_sharpen_display.html

Brillinant site with loads of info and other articles and gets into some real depth without confusing
http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/sharpen1/sharpen1.htm

series of articles, good for getting some basic starting points with settings for things off. Also the second link has some good blurring info at the bottom. The third deals with preparing images for the web as well.

http://www.juzaphoto.com/eng/articles/noise_reduction.htm
http://www.juzaphoto.com/eng/articles/photoshop-cloning_retouching.htm
http://www.juzaphoto.com/eng/articles/jpeg_save_for_web.htm


----------



## asfixiate

By the way everyone.  This is great idea but its not being used.  Maybe call the thread look here before posting.


----------



## caspertodd

One thing I have found extremely helpful is wikipedia's explanation of concepts and principles for photography.  The "See also" section at the bottom is VERY good information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography


----------



## asfixiate

can someone add something about IR photography?  I'm interested in the occassional application and am doing my own research just wanted to know what and how others are doing it.


----------



## BoblyBill

Would this qualify?

tutorial for making panos


----------



## asfixiate

That's a really cool thread.  That's not one of the newb questions though is it?  I think the idea of this is what camera should I buy vs what's better, etc.  I asked about the IR cause I was asking about hardware specific.


----------



## davebmck

asfixiate said:


> By the way everyone.  This is great idea but its not being used.  Maybe call the thread look here before posting.


I've already started pointing people to this thread that ask beginner questions.  It would be easier to do that and for people to see on their own if if was a sticky.   Of course, that has been suggested.

BTW there are some great links here for those who are not necessarily beginners.


----------



## asfixiate

OK.  Now for 1 bringing this thread to top again and 2 for  help.  How can I calibrate my laptop monitors?  I keep seeing spyder but figure there has to be a way to do it within the monitor.


----------



## Atreus

i too, vote for this to be stickied.....


----------



## asfixiate

I 3rd (is this a democracy?)  Where's BigMike?

oh mike!!


----------



## Antithesis

asfixiate said:


> OK.  Now for 1 bringing this thread to top again and 2 for  help.  How can I calibrate my laptop monitors?  I keep seeing spyder but figure there has to be a way to do it within the monitor.



There is a whole monitor thread in the list. You'll find that most laptop monitors are garbage and will have issues even with proper calibration.


----------



## Antithesis

This thread got buried....


----------



## asfixiate

Bringing back up to top.

And I slapped myself for not seeing the IR mentioned.


----------



## bahandi

let's all flood the suggestions thread to get this stickied

how about the explanation of the major difference with Olympus systems?


----------



## asfixiate

Does anyone here primarily do IR photography?  I'm just interested in looking at some of fellow members work.


----------



## BoblyBill

BUMP


----------



## asfixiate

They should sticky the Nikon vs canon, raw vs jpg, etc, and PC vs Mac.  That'd be interesting


----------



## terri

Hello all - I have modified the thread title so the "FAQ" cannot be confused with TPF FAQ's.

Also, you are free to keep this thread as active as you wish, but without checking the facts from each and every post or article that's linked here, it should remain un-stuck. TPF will endorse articles that make their way to the Articles Forum; every other post or thread in TPF must be read at viewer's discretion for accuracy. We appreciate your understanding.


----------



## asfixiate

I will agree with anyone who also owns a pug as long as they realize mine is better.


----------



## terri

asfixiate said:


> I will agree with anyone who also owns a pug as long as they realize mine is better.


He probably is. Odin is a naughty little pug. But I bet his tongue is longer.


----------



## Antithesis

terri said:


> Hello all - I have modified the thread title so the "FAQ" cannot be confused with TPF FAQ's.
> 
> Also, you are free to keep this thread as active as you wish, but without checking the facts from each and every post or article that's linked here, it should remain un-stuck. TPF will endorse articles that make their way to the Articles Forum; every other post or thread in TPF must be read at viewer's discretion for accuracy. We appreciate your understanding.



The articles forum is almost completely dead. There are plenty of tutorials that make their way through the forums, and learning how to do a contrast mask or something doesn't need any fact checking. I simply intended to put together a list of commonly asked questions (FAQs, F A Q s, or w/e you want) that get answered nearly everyday and leave them all in a place where people can easily locate them and avoid clutter in the beginners forums. 

The factuality of forums are meant to be taken with a grain of salt just like anything found on the internet. I never created this thread with the intention of making an encyclopedia, I was just trying to make it easier for the noobs. 

Maybe one of the mods should create a useful FAQ in the aforementioned articles section and put it somewhere visible?


----------



## Antithesis

Power to the people! Just thought I'd throw that in there for good fun.


----------



## icassell

Check out photosig.com

It can sort images by specific lens (filter, camera, etc.) used and is a great way to see what people can do with the lens you are interested in. It is also an excellent critique site.


----------



## terri

Antithesis said:


> The articles forum is almost completely dead. There are plenty of tutorials that make their way through the forums, and learning how to do a contrast mask or something doesn't need any fact checking. I simply intended to put together a list of commonly asked questions (FAQs, F A Q s, or w/e you want) that get answered nearly everyday and leave them all in a place where people can easily locate them and avoid clutter in the beginners forums.
> 
> The factuality of forums are meant to be taken with a grain of salt just like anything found on the internet. *I never created this thread with the intention of making an encyclopedia, I was just trying to make it easier for the noobs. *
> 
> Maybe one of the mods should create a useful FAQ in the aforementioned articles section and put it somewhere visible?


I appreciate that, and I am merely trying to direct you to go through the correct channels. I don't disagree that there hasn't been a submission for the Articles Forum for awhile, but if you'll check the welcome thread to that forum, you'll see that anyone is welcome to submit anything they deem useful. 

While we encourage the forum to be member-driven, this applies less when posting "articles" at random, and we do prefer to fact-check when possible. When a word like "tutorial" is heading up a sticky, the implication is that there was moderator involvement, which in turn implies endorsement of said tutorial. My point is that, when an article/tutorial/link list - whatever, is submitted to me for inclusion in the Articles Section, the moderating team will review it prior to submission. Does that make it bulletproof? Perhaps not, but we will have at least reviewed it and are confident enough of its content to include it in an educational section. We keep the Articles at the top of the main page to make it easier for newbies here. 



> The factuality of forums are meant to be taken with a grain of salt just like anything found on the internet.


Again, this is an implied assumption. Your thread here can be kept as busy as any of you wish to make it. You seem to be taking issue with the fact that we would rather not sticky something whose content we haven't checked. 



> Maybe one of the mods should create a useful FAQ in the aforementioned articles section and put it somewhere visible?


That's not our function as moderators, unless one of us chose to do so. That's an equal opportunity function open to any member - yourself included. Should you wish some of the information here to be included in the Articles Forum, just shoot me a PM and we'll take it from there.

Thanks!


----------



## King Mango

How is this not stickied???


----------



## kundalini

King Mango said:


> How is this not stickied???


Please read posts #39 & #45.


----------



## audiobomber

Geez, I have so much to learn.


----------



## kellylindseyphotography

If the argument is semantics, I suggest this:

On another forum I am on, there is a thread titled "The best threads on [insert forum name here]"

And if you have "faq" somewhere within the post, it will pop up when someone searches faq.

At least, this will not give an aura of "all these threads are factual" but rather, these are some of the best reads here at TPF.


----------



## asfixiate

bump


----------



## Antithesis

This thread has been neglected, I'm going to go through and update again tonight. Keep up the good posts. Bump!


----------



## davebmck

I'm going to bump this back to the top.


----------



## Fox Paw

This should be tacked to the top.  I've learned a lot from it.  Thanks to those who posted here.


----------



## dslrchat

Well this may serve as a Bump here and thought I'd post this ...............

After a few hours of searching, finally figured out what
NSFW meant ....... (dooh)

NSFW = Not Suitable For Work


----------



## BoblyBill

bump


----------



## manaheim

Let's add some more to this.

I suggest the 50mm (1.4 or 1.8... which one?) discussion:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128685

In that one I post links to two other discussions on the same topic.


----------



## g0bl0k

1st post here...been lurking for a while and finally joined TPF.
this thread is awesome and really useful for me as a beginner...
thanks everybody !!! :thumbup:


----------



## BoblyBill

bump


----------



## TAG

I thought I would bring this back up to the top. Just found this thread and it's going to be a great resource for me. So happy reading to everyone who didn't search and find this thread already.

-TAG


----------



## Raze

kellylindseyphotography said:


> If the argument is semantics, I suggest this:
> 
> On another forum I am on, there is a thread titled *"The best threads on [insert forum name here]"*
> 
> And if you have "faq" somewhere within the post, it will pop up when someone searches faq.
> 
> At least, this will not give an aura of "all these threads are factual" but rather, these are *some of the best reads here at TPF*.


Sounds like a great idea.


----------



## Dao

I think it is good to bump this thread again for the new comers.


----------



## Tyler Durden

Why isnt this a sticky???


----------



## Chris of Arabia

OK, it's done.


----------



## Dao

Good .., so I do not need to bump this thread from now on.


----------



## joesalinger

Thanks soo much everyone. I'm very new to photography.


----------



## UUilliam

I am requesting that this gets added

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/digital-discussion-q/171995-sensor-cleaning-read-article.html


----------



## Antithesis

Chris of Arabia said:


> OK, it's done.



Wow, that took forever! I might actually start maintaining this thread again. Glad to hear a lot of newbies are finding this a good resource... that was the purpose. Keep posting articles/threads and I'll keep compiling them.


----------



## edvo1um

im gonna purchase a lens that is  Tamron AF 70-300MM F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 for Nikon Built-in-Motor (BIM)
type: telephoto zoom
focal length: 70mm - 300mm
aperture range: f/4.0-5.6 - f/32 
i am extra new at this . most of my shooting is gonna be in the day light mostly landscaps ocean and ships in harbours.  so can someone tell me why not to buy this lens. i now vr is a big plus but i just dont have the money to purchase a lens of this zoom 300 can someone rather lots of peoplel give me some input as i am very new. i can be reached at ed.vo1um@gmail.com


----------



## Provo

I have created a step by step newbie guide to setting up a Nikon D5000 for HDR picture I used some content from the manual to make the guide.

here is the Link to it if anyone needs it

Nikon D5000 HDR setup


----------



## taskoni

Thank you all for the good thread. Lots of info and very helpful indeed!
Very handy for newbie like myself.
Regards,
b.


----------



## ejensen

I found the following tutorial/online photo school very helpful:
Tybjerg Tekst & Foto - Photography

It is run by the Danish Nikon ambassador, but I don't think their books are available in English..


----------



## victorrony

How can i take black and white photo from my digital camera?:meh:


----------



## ejensen

For Nikon enthusiasts there is some good stuff on equipment and an online photo school on this page:
Tybjerg Tekst & Foto


----------



## LearnMyShot

Hey, take a look at this site. It's free and has a lot of good info for beginners and the slightly more advanced shooter.
LearnMyShot - learn how to photograph anything


----------



## living10

Thanks for sharing this tutorial...


----------



## Natural_Disaster

I just read through this one....
Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO (courtesy of  Tiberius47)
....and took 3 pages of notes! This is probably the best and easiest to understand tutorial for these settings and what they are used for. I was beginning to understand it a bit better, but after reading this tutorial it really made it a lot more clear!
Thank you Antithesis and Tiberius47!!


----------



## FinerWorks

Here is a really informative one about softproofing done by Noelle Hines - YouTube - FinerWorks's Channel is the video version, but I have the transcript for ya right here. Hope someone can find this helpful! 

*How to Soft Proof your Images With Photoshop*
Today I will show you how to soft proof your images using Adobe Photoshop. Why is soft proofing important? Simply put, soft proofing your images before having them printed is a great way to simulate how they will appear based on the specific printer and paper combination. In the long run it will save you both time and money.
This tutorial is designed to give you a crash course in the process of soft proofing, but remember, soft proofing is done using a computer monitor which has a much wider color gamut than do printers. Soft proofing can never guarantee your print will be exactly like the image your looking at on screen, but it can help you come as close to it as possible.


*But before getting started, it is important that you do two things:*
The first is to make sure your monitor is calibrated. Once you initially calibrate, be prepared to re--calibrate at least once a month. My experience with The Spyder Series by Datacolor has been excellent, but there are plenty of others to choose from. Just remember, in order to achieve proper calibration, an application like adobe gamma is not good enough. You need a tool that will allow you to measure things like ambient light in addition to monitor color settings.
The second thing you need is to obtain the correct ICC profile. Every device that captures or displays color has its own profile. And the different papers, pigments, and inks which are used by many printers make it difficult, to determine how exactly your print will look unless you have a preset that allows you to simulate these things. Finding the correct profile is as easy as contacting your print maker. You should be able to download the profile you need directly from their website.


*OK now that your monitor is calibrated, and you have the profile you are intending on using, you can finally start soft proofing.*
At first glance, my image looks great. The colors are vibrant, nothing looks off. Because I am so happy with the image as it is, I am going to skip adjusting at this point and just duplicate it. But first I am going to bring its size in the preview up to 100%. I will explain why this is important a little later. Now that I have duplicated the image I have one for both the soft proof and one to to refer to in case I need to adjust my soft proofed image once I have added my icc profile. You will see exactly what I mean in a few minutes.


*Duplicate your image.*
Give it a name so that it's easy to decipher from the original. This duplicate image is the one we will be working on. But I want to show you something before we apply our ICC profile. Remember when I told you that our monitors are able to use a wider gamut to display colors than printers do? From _View_, go to _Gamut Warning_, and notice how much of our image is lost.
Now before you go through all your images turning on the gamut warning, it's important for you to understand that a gamut warning serves as an extremely lenient warning. In English, that basically means to take the gamut warning with a grain of salt. That's not to say the gamut warning is a useless tool. It actually serves it's purpose quite well. What it's telling us is that the missing colors may be difficult for a printer to simulate exactly. You can expect these areas will appear similar in color once printed, but an exact match won't be guaranteed. So the deep reds we see here, and the midnight blue background are likely going to be a bit off.
Just remember, once we've soft proofed our image, we wont be able to turn this warning back on since it will be profiled specifically to the printer's color gamut.


_*Apply the profile.*_
Hopefully the above illustration gave you a better understanding of how important soft proofing really is. So let's go back up to _View_ and then to _Proof Setup_. This is where we apply the ICC profile.
Because I obtained one this from the print maker it is considered a custom set up. Select _Custom_ at the top and a new window will open up. From this window I will select the ICC profile. But this window serves two purposes. This is also where I will be simulating how my print will look based on the profile I have chosen.
_Devise to Simulate_ is how Photoshop asks for your preferred ICC profile. I am going to click the drop arrow, and select my preferred profile from the list, and then I am going to leave _Preserve RGB Numbers_ unchecked and move right down to _Rendering Intent_. Perceptual is what I recommend using, but if you prefer relative colorimetric, feel free to use that instead.
I also recommend checking _Black Point Compensation_. If you have not got a full understanding of black points, think of it as this: The black in your image may have a brown tone to it, whereas the printer gives black a bluish tone. Black point compensation will find a happy medium for both your image and the printer it is being printed with.
There is one last thing we need to do before clicking _OK_. We need to choose our _On Screen Display Options_. Let me warn you ahead of time, this is a hard step to get through. This is also the reason I suggested bringing the image up to 100%. When we click this box, our image will instantly be transformed. Colors will appear washed out and dingy. Believe it or not, 75% of that is optical illusion. Our eyes have grown accustomed to seeing white a certain way for so long that seeing it any other way just seems wrong.
This is interesting also. As I check _Simulate Paper Color_, _Simulate Black Ink_ selects itself by default. These two go hand in hand when simulating paper color. Keep in mind that this step does nothing to change my image, it simply simulates how it will appear on paper. And depending on the ICC profile assigned to different paper types, simulating paper color may not always have the same effect. The best advice I can give about On screen display options is the same advice I gave you about gamut warnings. Take it with a grain of salt. Now, I'm going to click _OK_ so that I can compare my two images, and see if I need to make any adjustments. Some people actually prefer to leave this off, and if you are one who tends to overcompensate when applying adjustments to images, you may want to leave it unchecked as well.


*Make your final adjustments*
Comparing these two images, I definitely want to make some adjustments. Of course I can not instruct you on this last step, since every image is different. But if you really liked the look of the original, just try to bring your soft proofed image as close to your original image as necessary to achieve the look you want.

_Notelease keep in mind that soft proofed images should NEVER be saved with the ICC profile embedded. Make sure to save soft proofed images in sRGB mode._


----------



## radioschizo

I just bookmarked the **** outta this thread.  :study:


----------



## bcopeland

Awesome thread. Thanks for posting


----------



## Harpy

Very good tutorial links here! read my blog for more tuturials


----------



## echoyjeff222

Is photoshopping / other editing softwares pretty easy to use or do they take time to work ...? is it like paint where it's tough to learn or is it like one click thing where it changes the background etc.?


----------



## pbelarge

echoyjeff222 said:


> Is photoshopping / other editing softwares pretty easy to use or do they take time to work ...? is it like paint where it's tough to learn or is it like one click thing where it changes the background etc.?


 

If you are talking about photoshop, here is a hint:

There are thousands of websites and millions of pages and thousands of books dedicated to photoshop. It is sort of like Chess, in a day or two you can be taught to start, then over a lifetime you  will learn it.


----------



## MrBarney

This was very useful to me in explaining why I might want extension tubes - starting post#12.
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...rum-photo-gallery/208227-canon-confusion.html


----------



## skywalker

Thank you so much! I found sth really good here! Nice posting!!:thumbup:


----------



## eurostar

Awesome thread. Thanks for posting!!!
Guess it will take me days to finish this thread


----------



## laimonas123

Great tutorials and usefull information,  thanks a lot.

___________
buying Xanax
zolpidem online


----------



## bmlobo

hi all, Could you take a sec and look at my pics on my site. please feel free to comment.

www.pictureclic.blogspot.com

thanks


----------



## Redcloud

Photography courses & workshops for beginners to advanced photographers. These might help some people with any photography troubles they are having: www.redclouddays.co.uk


----------



## astro1234

I am a beginner in photogpraphy and I need all the information or ideas that an advanced photographer can give. Can I ask, what are the tips in taking "good" portrait.  One which is not usual or common.  I am using a simple Nikon d60 camera.


----------



## Maurice

It is great effort to spread the knowledge about the photography skills and tips and i appreciate this work.


----------



## Denjel

Did you tried another browser?


----------



## jason324

Killer Free Photography Tutorials Here: 

JHP Video Tutorials - Free Photography Tutorials

I just upgraded the entire site as well.

Best,
Jay


----------



## Flamesrule

These tutorials helped me a lot!


----------



## AdrianS

I will be short, if you are a newbie you must know how to arrange your portfolio like an expert because your portfolio will bring you all the pride. Down here I put also some ideas of how to make from a hobby, a job.So good luck on your way of becoming an photographer. :salute:
http://f4878wejq7xgnu3ju6e8-orv4y.hop.clickbank.net/
http://0173a7mkmxydh-9hyl8nmb0p1m.hop.clickbank.net/
http://660df4kft71dh40xp8z5w57t7k.hop.clickbank.net/
http://fe63e9fil5ypd7d35ah20o1v1v.hop.clickbank.net/


----------



## SHbaker11

Hi! Sarah here..A newbie in photography that's why I join in so I could get some tips especially for a beginner like me. And when i saw this thread..There's just one think came into my mind..I've found the right place  thanks for sharing these guide..Big Help for a newbie like me!


----------



## addicteez

I have posted a couple of articles to help beginners in DSLR photography or for those who are deciding to buy their first DSLR.

Addicteez - Adi's Photography school - Learn Photography


----------



## jason324

Here's a few good Tutorials for beginners  

*Photgraphy Tutorials
HDR Photography Tutorials
Lightroom Tutorials
Photoshop Tutorials
Photomatix Tutorials

*
Best,
Jay


----------



## TurtlePuppet

Yay for this thread. I can't wait to try some of this stuff. Thank you all for posting in here.


----------



## DicksPix

Hello, I just joined this forum so please tell me if I am posting in the wrong place. My first question is about posting low resolution photos on facebook and other places on the internet. What size or resolution should I use so the photos are useless to anyone that wants to print them out?


----------



## vickig.photography

Thank you! Very useful...


----------



## jason324

Hey all,

 I just finished a New 30+ minute Lightroom 3 Video tutorial on developing raw images. Geared more towards the newbie-intermediate Lightroom 3 user:

http://jhpvideotutorials.com/2011/05/04/lightroom-3-developing-raw-images/http://jhpvideotutorials.com/?p=4685

Best,
Jay


----------



## Bright Mind

I am Beginner In Photography Field, So Please Share Beginners Tutorials for Us to learn basics. BTW, I really Thanks full  to all of you (My seniors) to share These Kinds informations


----------



## Rosy

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS - THIS IS WONDERFUL


----------



## jason324

I just put this video tutorial together for those interested in focus stacking  

http://jhpvideotutorials.com/?p=5449

1st image in the stack:






Last Image in the stack:





Completed Stack:





Best,
Jay


----------



## tomhawkins

yeah,this really helps to all who wants to start photography. Awesome!


----------



## madbalsam

I'm a budding photographer and I do not have a lot of equipment with me. In fact, I do not have much lights with me. I would like to know: what type of home lighting options would work the best for a standard SLR or Digicam?


----------



## CCericola

Here is a good beginning resource. Videos on basic lighting. So if someone learns best from seeing it rather than reading.
pro photo life professional photography blog - digital photography tips for amateur and aspiring professional photographers


----------



## Antithesis

Hey guys, I think it's pretty amazing how far this thread has come! Anyways, I am working full time and rarely have time to visit the forums these days. I'm not sure if it's possible, but maybe one of the Mods can start managing the thread? I've gotten several PMs about updating the list over the last year, and have never gotten around to making adjustments.


----------



## jason324

Here's another Lightroom 3 Video Tutorial I just finished on Developing Photos: 

Lightroom 3: Developing Photos - Episode #2 | JHPVideoTutorials.com

Best,
Jay


----------



## KCHRIZTIAM




----------



## jasonphoto

Wow this is a really good forum thanks for sharing guys! by the way I just want to share this I came upon this very nice self study application and Ive come to learn that they are giving out for free in a contest... maybe someone here is interested heres a link  BEST PHOTO CHALLENGE! | Facebook hope you enjoy this one...happy shooting!!!


----------



## geraldsoh

these are the top 5 photography e-books you MUST HAVE if you want to be a successful photographer...no joke!

*Learn Digital Photography Now*
This e-book REVEALS all the Professional, "Insider" Tips And Tricks For Taking Awesome Digital Photos With Your Digital Camera. The BEST part is......you can benefit from this e-book even if you're a complete newbie to photography! It gives you "Shoot Digital Pics Like the Pros" Free Report which enables you to learn about new "Guide To Digital Photography".

*Trick Photography Book*
Dear photographers, have you ever seen an amazing photo but could never figure out how it was taken? Don't you think it will be great to have the ability to create photos just like the one you saw? We're talking about photos that attract people's attention as soon as they see them. Photos so beautiful and unique that the people viewing them will be caught mesmerized! If you are the creative photographer, this e-book is definitely a MUST for you!!! It comes with 190 pages of instruction and contains over 300 creative photographs created by some of the most talented photographic artists worldwide for extreme inspiration and education. Each part or "module" in the e-book has chapters and sub-chapters, so it is laid out in an easy-to-read format.

*Photography Posing Secrets*
With this e-book, you can quickly and easily produce the professional standard portraits you've always wanted by mastering the secrets of camera-friendly poses. This book is for you if you photograph people and is invaluable whether you use digital or film photography. No matter what angle you wish to photograph your model from you can apply these techniques to head shots, ¾ shots and full length shots. Whether you want models still or apparently in motion, seated or standing, this resource will suggest every pose any photographer would need.

*My Camera Biz*
This is an AWESOME e-book that can teach you how to make money off of the thousands of pictures stored on your computer. You can turn your photography hobby into a BUSINESS!!! You will also get the author's private consulting telephone number so you can call her anytime with questions. You will get my private members only email address where you can email me anytime with questions. You get her ebook with everything you need to start making money immediately with photographs. You will get access to one of the most powerful pieces of online software which will automate virtually your entire business.

and the BEST part.....make money from HOME!!!

*Make Money With Your Digital Camera - Home-Based Photography Business!*
The title says it all....easy money making method at home =] If you are tired of all the "get-rich-quick" scams and schemes out there, and would like to earn an honest, full or part-time income doing simple digital photography jobs in your local area, this opportunity may be for you!


----------



## Dikkie

I wrote some photography essentials (basics) right here:

.: bulevardi :.


----------



## jasonphoto

wow! thanks for this tutorial! it's a great help!


----------



## charles29

Tutorial too many, I need to choose reading.


----------



## pearlphotos

Thanks for posting that.  That looks like it took quite a bit of work


----------



## dcphoto

WOW, thanks for the guides, I've learnt so much in the first couple of FAQ's


----------



## flybylite

These are great FAQs! I will find it hard to find a question that is not covered!


----------



## marcy

Great info! keep them coming...


----------



## vivolium

the trinity exposure link is dead. is there another one i could find?
i am need to learn about exposure a lot. somebody help me..


----------



## MTVision

But/borrow the book Understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson. 

Www.cambridgeincolour.com


----------



## dazind

MTVision said:


> But/borrow the book Understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson.
> 
> Www.cambridgeincolour.com



I can really recommend that book too!


----------



## SrSLR

It's one of the first books I picked up, before moving away from point and shoot to SLR, great advice! :thumbup:


----------



## acantonyclark1

caspertodd said:


> Good Photography books:
> 
> BEST BOOKS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS



Thanks for the photography book!


----------



## Reactiveye

Hi  everybody! 

I am a passionate of photography and I regularly post some aids for photography beginners here: Photophile-toi - Page profil YouScribe

(oh, and sorry for my english, I'm french.. Is it bad doctor?)


----------



## hannabell

Do you have anything about working with a bridge camera? Or is there a section on that I can't find a link to?


----------



## pgriz

Would like to recommend the following:  Amazon.com: Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting (9780240812250): Fil Hunter, Paul Fuqua, Steven Biver: Books, following Keith's suggestion to me.  I got it and it is very effective in teaching lighting theory and practice.


----------



## davidewing

An excellent collection of questions.  A great place to start!

Cheers David

Photography Studies Learn Digital Photography


----------



## King Mango

THE DukeScrotum? Formerly the Earl of Fomunda?


----------



## The_Duke

a lot of great info, thanks.


----------



## Thanasis_gs

Thanks for this thread!! It is going to help me a lot


----------



## vinuwilfred

A picture says better than thousand words. Photography is a great art which can manipulate the real world. It is a spiritual experience. Every human being must have a camera and have lots of cool clicks. This forum will help everyone to have good photographic skills and learn about latest techniques in photography. We can also share our photos and let the world see it...
:heart::heart::heart:
Check this URL also:-
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




Progetto 100 fotografi | Fotografare in Digitale
Anchor text:
100 Photographer Project


----------



## CanonJim

This is something I put together about a year ago for another forum, and it seemed to help many out.  Very basic stuff here, but very important to grasp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A (very) Basic Lens ~ Aperture ~ Shutter Speed ~ ISO Primer

Updates and corrections may be direct to me via PM - Thank you

*Introduction:*
We all (well, almost all) know how a camera works - you press a button, which opens the opens the  shutter in the camera for a brief moment, which lets light in through the lens, which strikes a sensor in the back of the camera (or film, if you prefer) and makes the pretty picture of your grandchild, favorite pet, flower, bug, Aunt Matilda, or Yosemite valley, if you're into that kind of thing.

However, and behind the scenes, there is a fairly complex relationship between the parts of the above equation that goes a long way towards what that final picture actually looks like. Modern DSLRs on "Auto" take care of everything for you, more or less, but conditions often fool the camera into a setting that is not actually the best for your scene. And, of course, for learning, "Auto" is not the best choice.

Let's take a look how the three basic parts of the process work together, and how you can adjust them to learn how things work, and to take better pictures than your camera alone would. After all, you ARE smarter than your camera, aren't you?

*1. The LENS and APERTURE*

_Note : there is no trailing "E" in the word LENS, singular. Many people think it is a British variation, but every British photographer I spoke to disclaimed any knowledge of that. The British add a "u" to words (e.g., colour, harbour, et cetera), not an extra "e".   Read any book by Scott Kelby, Ansel Adams, Tom Ang, or Bryan Peterson, and tally up all the times you see "lense".   Answer: 0_

A lens is simply a device that focuses and gathers light rays and concentrates them to strike a smaller area in the camera. It does this through a combination of glass elements and something called an APERTURE. The aperture is similar to the pupil in your eye, in that it opens or closes depending on the amount of light coming through. Your eye does it automatically, your lens does not.

Here are the salient points:

_When the aperture is very wide open, a lot of light gets through to strike film or the sensor._

_When the aperture is closed down, a much smaller amount of light gets through._

WIDE OPEN and CLOSED DOWN are actual terms used by photog's to describe these instances.

A lens that can open very wide, compared to other lenses, is called a 'fast' lens.  "Fast" can also be used to describe how quickly that kind of lens sucks money from your wallet.

The amount that the lens is open, compared to something called the focal length (which we'll get to) is noted by the 'f-stop', and usually written or typed "f/xx", where "XX" is the ratio of those two distances to each other. You don't really need to be too concerned with the actual numbers, per se - "f/1.2" doesn't really mean anything, after all, it's only the RESULT of the "f/1.2" or "f/4.5" or "f/8" that we're concerned about.

*2. Focal Length, Prime and Zoom lenses*

The focal length of a lens determines what kind of a view it presents to the sensor. Different lenses have different focal lengths for different purposes. A lens with a focal length of 15 millimeters, or "15mm" gives your camera a very wide view of the surroundings. A lens with a focal length of 400mm gives a telephoto view, and is used to photograph far-off objects. A lens around 35-50mm approximates the field of view of our own eyes, and is often used as a baseline when comparing lenses.

A lens with just one field of view setting, e.g. "35mm" or "100mm" is known as a PRIME lens.

A lens with an adjustable field of view, e.g. "18-135mm" or "24-70mm" is a ZOOM lens. Simple.

Prime lenses usually supply better image quality than zoom lenses because the glass elements can be manufactured to focus light at just one setting, and can therefore be more precise and accurate.  A few decades back, the technology to make zoom lenses was far less precise than that for prime lenses, so most photographers used a set of primes covering various focal lengths - 28mm for wide angles, 35mm for medium wide, 50mm for "normal" shots, 100mm (and above) for telephoto, etc.

However, Time (and Newsweek) Marches On, and manufacturing technology has improved to the point that many zoom lenses are of very high quality now. Given any particular price point and focal length, a prime lens will USUALLY provide better optical performance, but a shot from a good quality zoom is almost indistinguishable from one taken by a prime lens.  Generally, the wider the zoom range, the more compromise has been made in manufacturing. A 24mm-70mm zoom is probably not so bad, a 10mm-500mm zoom just can not deliver the same optical quality. (Owners of 10-500 lenses, please don't message me with "my lens is perfect" - I understand your statement and I'm not picking on owners of wide range zooms. Just stating an optical truth.


*3. How the LENS and the APERTURE work together*

Simply put, the wider the aperture is open, the more light gets through in a given amount of time. What this means to YOU is that in any given scene, the wider the aperture you're able to use, the faster your shutter speed can be. This means that you can stop action, for example, in a sports environment, or a hummingbird flying by, or your dog chasing a Frisbee.  It also means that you can take a picture in less light - say, candlelight around your kid's birthday cake. 

So _wide aperture ----> allows fast shutter ----> freezes action_,
as well as
_wide aperture ----> more light ----> indoor pictures possible without flash_

As noted above, an aperture number like "f/1.2" is considered pretty wide open. An aperture of "f/8" is not, relatively.

If you want to shoot action indoors, such as gymnasium activity like basketball or volleyball, you will need a 'fast' lens - these areas typically do not have very good bright light, nor do they allow flash photography.

There is one other characteristic that comes into play with the lens and aperture settings - DEPTH OF FIELD, or DEPTH OF FOCUS, often abbreviated "DOF".

Depth of field is the idea that, for any given aperture opening, a certain part of the scene in front of you will be in focus, front-to-back-wise.  Picture a picket fence, receding into the distance.  At a wide aperture opening, just a very small part of that fence will be in focus. At a narrow opening, a much longer stretch will be in focus. Don't worry about the physics of the optics and all that involved in this, just remember that the WIDER your aperture, the NARROWER your depth of field.  

Most good landscape photos are best with a narrow, or closed down aperture - it's not uncommon to see a sweeping vista across miles and miles to taken with an aperture of f/16 or f/22 - not much more than pinholes in your lens' aperture.  You need to be careful though, as in most lenses, once you climb above f/18 or so, light diffraction within the lens itself can cause image degradation, and there's no way around it.

Portraits, on the other hand, are often taken with fairly wide open aperture, because you don't need a lot of depth to take a picture of a person's face. But still, you need to be careful, because at wide open apertures, it doesn't take much to get out of focus - you can take a picture of Aunt Matilda where her nose is perfectly in focus and her ears are out of focus. Generally, if you focus on the EYES of a person, you'll get most of their head in as well.

Also, with portraits, a out-of-focus background helps to concentrate the viewer's vision on the person in the picture, and not a background element. There's a reason studio portrait photographers use bland backdrops.

So our next set of relationships is

_Wide Aperture ----> Narrow depth of field ----> nice, blurry background (called "bokeh", a Japanese word meaning 'blurry background') _
_and_
_Narrow Aperture -----> Wide Depth of field -----> Close and far all in focus, used in nature and landscape photos._

*4. Shutter speed - quick, blink!*

The shutter speed is pretty simple - it's how fast the camera blinks. The faster the blink, the better you're able to stop action, if that's what you want. The slower the blink, the more light hits the sensor or film. Shutter speeds are measured in tenths or hundredths or even thousandths of a second, e.g. "1/10th sec" or "1/500" or something to that effect. Most cameras also allow you to set a longer shutters speed by hand, from 1 second to "'as long as you hold the shutter down".

The main thing to remember about shutter speeds is that FAST freezes action, and s.......l.......o.......w may cause blurriness due to camera shake if you don't use a tripod.

Modern cameras or lenses with "Vibration Reduction" or "Image Stabilization" can help reduce camera shake by overcoming your natural shakiness. It's important to note that these things reduce the effect of CAMERA movement, not SUBJECT MOVEMENT. If you've got a fidgity 2-year old child in front of you, VR or IS will not keep him from being blurry or fuzzy.

The old rule was that your shutter speed had to be at least as fast as the focal length number, e.g. if you were zoomed to 200mm, your shutter speed should be at least 1/200th of a second to eliminate camera shake, or if you were at 50mm, you could shoot at 1/50th of a second. VR and IS have changed this a little bit, but it's still a good rule to follow when you can.  Also, if you follow this rule, remember that this rule was devised for 35mm sized film and sensor - a crop sensor camera would need to multiply by the crop ratio as well. For example, the shutter speed for a 100mm shot on a Canon Rebel or similar would need to be 1/160th of a second, not 1/100th.

You need a fast shutter speed to stop action - sports in particular.  For landscapes, bug close ups, portraits, or most everyday kind of shots with static subjects, you don't need a real fast shutter speed - getting things in FOCUS and eliminating camera shake are much more important in those situations.

*5. ISO Sensitivity *

One last little part that enters in to the equation :  your camera's ISO setting. The ISO rating determines how sensitive your sensor is to light in the first place. In the days of film, it was called the ASA rating. (ISO = "International Standards Organization", ASA = "American Standards Association". Big deal.) In the old days, an entire roll of film was one ASA rating - but thanks to the glory of digital, we can change our ISO setting from picture to picture with hardly a thought. Ratings range from a standard, daylight or sunny environment of 100 or 200, to the _'you can take a picture of a raisin in a dark room in the middle of the night' _ number like 12000

The higher the ISO rating, the more sensitive your sensor is to a given amount of light. However, the down side is that the higher the ISO, the more 'grain' or 'noise' you will see in your picture, especially in dark areas.

Setting your ISO number higher is one way to take a picture in low light without having to use a flash, and you can also use a faster shutter speed as well.

ISO only affects how sensitive your camera is to light. It does not have any effect on, nor is it affected by, aperture, focal length, or focusing.

Generally, you should try to use the lowest ISO possible, given the conditions. Unless you're trying for a particular effect, such as digital noise, the lower the number, the better the image quality.

*6. Putting it all together*

Ok, so now we know how the aperture setting relates to both shutter speed and depth of field (focus), and how ISO affects light sensitivity, and how shutter speed affects motion, movement, and potentially, focus.

As I said at the beginning, when your camera is on AUTO, it does all of that for you, based on what you're pointing the camera at. However, it can't read your mind.  It doesn't know that you're trying to capture really speedy football action by your grandson, all it knows is that it's kinda dim outside, there's not much light, so it sets the aperture about mid way open and uses a long shutter speed, and maybe even bumps up the ISO.  Oooops. Instant blurry kid, because of the narrow depth of field, long shutter, and high ISO.
This is why "Auto" may not always be the best choice.  Many people recommend that, for most cases, you use your camera's APERTURE PRIORITY, or sometimes, SHUTTER PRIORITY modes. Cameras vary, so check your manual for how to set each mode.

In Aperture Priority (Canon's "AV" mode), you set the desired aperture, keeping in mind the depth of focus you need, and the available light, and the camera will set an appropriate shutter speed, and if you have ISO set to AUTO, an appropriate ISO setting.

In Shutter Priority (Canon's "TV", time value mode), you pick a shutter speed that you want (perhaps to freeze action at a sporting event or similar), and the camera will select the appropriate aperture and ISO setting.

So, at your kid's fall afternoon football game, or that rather dimly lit gymnastics meet, you think to yourself, 'Ok, low light here, but I need to freeze the action. I need a fast shutter speed. So you set your camera to shutter priority mode, set it to 1/250 or faster, and take a sample shot. Depending on lens, light, and some other factors, you might have nailed it. If not, adjust the speed up or down as necessary.

In other cases, getting good focus is most important - most flowers, for example, don't need a fast shutter speed. They're not going anywhere. And, usually the light's pretty good. Few people shoot flowers in the dark. In this case, you think to yourself, "I want a good crisp focus, and a blurry background to draw attention to my flower. Shutter speed isn't important, and there's plenty of light."  So you set your camera to Aperture Priority, dial in the aperture to a nice wide setting, stick  the ISO at 100, and let the camera pick the shutter speed. 

So take your camera out of "AUTO" and put some of your knowledge to work. Have Fun!


----------



## 480sparky

CanonJim said:


> ........_Note : there is no "E" in the word L*E*NS, singular. ..........._



I see one!


----------



## CanonJim

480sparky said:


> CanonJim said:
> 
> 
> 
> ........
> 
> _Note : there is no "E" in the word L*E*NS, singular. ..........._
> 
> 
> 
> I see one!
Click to expand...


AAACK!  Physician, heal thyself!  Somehow I dropped the word TRAILING.  Fixed. Color me chastened!


----------



## amolitor

Some people seem to have trouble seeing features of photographs, like color balance, exposure, stuff like that. They go 'aha!' when someone edits the thing for them, but they can't see the problem in the original. I am pretty good at seeing this stuff, probably because I've looked at a lot of sets of pictures like the one attached, I suppose.

There are many more dimensions to an image than the four indicated here. In fact, there are many more dimensions to each of the features depicted here -- color balance go go wildly off in infinitely many directions, so don't get fooled into thinking it's just a "redder/bluer" thing, for instance. The column of images down the middle are "straight" (and not really all that good, but whatever) and the columns to either side represent alterations in the indicated parameter, of roughly equal amounts in roughly opposite directions.

When you can see how every image differs from every other one and why, you'll know something. Look at the colors and the brightnesses, in the lighter areas, the darker areas, and the middle areas, and see how they related to each other, image to image. Are the colors the same but differ in intensity? Are the colors different? Are the dark areas darker but the light areas pretty much the same? And so on.

This is BY NO MEANS a complete education in looking at photographs.




This image is public domain, for whatever that's worth. I made it, I declare it so.


----------

