Photography Tutorials

Here are the digital photography tutorials, the techniques that will show you how to become a better photographer and learn to take better photos.

The table below lists all the tutorials on the site and attempts to grade them as to who they were intended for.

Don't take too much notice of the grading, you will be able to understand most of it even as a beginner and even advanced photographers will find there are some gaps in their knowledge.

I know I still have plenty to learn.

The 'three camera' tutorials however, are for the more adventurous seekers of knowledge and definitely should be left until last by newcomers.

As with any subject, the topics overlap and interlink, so there are a lot of links in the texts that will skip you from topic to topic.

If you are in the middle of an article and have skipped to another page, you may need to use the back button in your browser to get back to where you were.

Enjoy your reading - Geoff.

Tutorial	Description	Level
Equipment
Cameras	A short introduction to the types of cameras available and a discussion on what you need to look out for when buying a camera.
Tripods	More of a 'why you need a tripod' than a buyers guide, but it does include some tips on buying and using a tripod.
Basic Photography
Selection	A short piece of advice on showing your pictures to others.
Holding The Camera	How to hold the camera properly and why. Also illustrations of how not to hold the camera
Camera Shake	What is it? What does it look like? What causes it? How to avoid it.
Composition
Composition	An introduction to composition, explaining the 'rule of thirds' and the use of diagonals.
Rule of Thirds	The most important rule of composition.
Cropping	How to fill your frame with your subject.
Viewpoint	Another important aspect of composition.
Exposure
Exposure	Getting away from the auto settings.
Shutter Speed & Apertures	An explanation of the mechanics of exposure and the side effects of choosing different aperture/shutter speed combinations.
Exposure Compensation	Overriding the automatic metering system.
Histograms	What they are trying to tell you.
Bracketing Exposures	Setting up your camera to take a series of pictures at different exposures.
ISO Speed	Another piece of the exposure puzzle.
Reciprocity Failure	An explanation, strictly for the jargon heads.
Lighting
Lighting	Introduction page
Available Light	Getting the best out of the sun.
Flash	Break away from the in-camera flash.
Studio Lighting	An introduction to indoor lighting.
Inverse Square Law	A bit of Physics for those who feel the need.
Color
Color	Introduction page
Color Temperature	An introduction to the color temperature scale.
White Balance	How to set up your camera's manual white balance.
Gray Card	Using a gray card for color balance and exposure measurement.
Working with different subjects
Close-Ups	What you need and what to watch out for.
Extended Depth of Field	For perfectionists.
Animals	A few tips for the budding wildlife photographer.
Buildings	Lighting and perspective.
Fireworks	All the settings you need.
Portraits	Techniques to help you capture those golden moments.
Working with Models	Bribing people to sit for you.
Sports & Action	Tips on how to capture fast action.
Photo Editing
Photo Editing	Introduction page
Size	Scaling your files.
Contrast	Balancing those pixels.
Levels	A short video showing how to use the lvels adjustment to control contrast.
Curves	A short video showing how to use the curves adjustment to control contrast.
Color	Dealing with color casts.
Processing RAW Files	An introduction to Adobe Camera RAW.
Processing RAW Files using HSL	Advanced use of Adobe Camera RAW.
Sharpening	Using the unsharp mask.
Using the Quick Mask	Masking parts of your picture to edit certain areas.
Adjustment Layer Masks	How to build accurate layer masks.
Straightening Horizons	A must for landscape and building photographers.
Replacing Boring Skies	Using layers in Photoshop.
Videos on Compositing	Video tutorials on using layers.
Using the Channel Mixer	How to make a better job of changing images from color to black & white.
Using Curves on Adjustment Layers	laying with contrast and tones to give a more dramatic effect.
High Dynamic Range	How to shoot and process HDR pictures with Photomatix Pro software.
What to do with your Photos
Printing	Printing your own and sending them out.
What Now?	What to do with your masterpieces.
Selling your Photographs	The world of microstock
Your Own Website	Have Your Own Photography Website
Backups & Storage	Do it now before you lose all your photos.
Recover Deleted Photos	For when you have lost all your photos.

In an effort to cater for different readers I have divided the knowledge into three distinct levels.

Tips - appear in red italic text and are designed as the 'quick fix' department if you want to improve your photography quickly, with the minimum of reading and are prepared to take my word for the details, you could do worse than just follow all the tips. With such readers in mind I have produced the 'top ten photography tips' page.
The main body of the text contains more detailed explanations and examples. This is the level at which you will get much more of the whys and wherefores to help the knowledge stick in your mind. I, personally, find it very difficult to retain a new concept if I do not understand why.
Anything labeled 'Technical Stuff' is for the ultra curious and those with a certain scientific bent. They are there for completeness. Don't worry at all if you get lost in these bits or don't fully understand. Skipping these bits will not make you any less successful as a photographer.

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