The Manual

One of the biggest issues with cellphone cameras is they work so well on automatic that there isn’t a manual to read. They are the most advanced point-and-shoot cameras on the planet and they do remarkably well. Even pros have used them to shoot weddings! People get used to thinking they don’t need a manual to understand their camera but that’s not true.

But as I have said before just owning a modern day technologically complex camera doesn’t automatically make you a photographer. Same for shooting in Auto mode and hoping for the best. Yes you’ll get some pretty nice images on occasion but you’ll never realize the total value of your camera if you don’t read the manual and understand the mechanics of your tools.

Reading the manual is painful.

I’ve told this to all of my thousands of students over the years. But the good news is if done right, it only really has to be done once (even when switching camera brands to a greater degree).

So how do you do it right?

Find your manual or down load it online and as you read every page with camera in hand use Google and YouTube to explain stuff you don’t understand. This is going to take a couple of days.

Pay special attention to the shooting modes, the focusing modes and the exposure triangle. If possible take a basic photograph course at a night school or a lesson or two offered by a local club or teaching professional.

If you do these things you’ll avoid years – even a lifetime – of frustration when it comes to getting the kind of images you see professional photographers and enthusiasts posting on a daily basis.