So yesterday I talked about how watching Riley literally learn EVERYTHING from the ground up (and be excited about it) has recently inspired me to see the joy in and cultivate a beginner’s mindset. Previously I avoided a lot of new hobbies and things because I HATE being a beginner — the awkwardness, the fumbling, the feeling of being hideously BAD at something.
I shared with you all in yesterday’s post that I was going to pick 3 things I wanted to work on this year and embrace being a beginner on 3 things I’ve been stalling on forever because of how much I loathe being a beginner to things that don’t come naturally to me.
Before I get to my FIRST THING, I really wanted to talk about 2 things that I realized about myself that I think are REALLY important in how I’m approaching these 3 things.
Two things I’ve Realized About Myself When It Comes To Goals/Learning New Things
- In order to really work on something/follow through I have to INVEST in myself or the thing. For example, if I pay for a gym membership or a fitness program I am the type of person who HAS to do it because I hate wasting money. If I don’t have some sort of stake in it it’s easier for me to push it to the side.
- I really thrive on accountability of sorts: Not just accountability of someone knowing that I’m trying to do a thing (which is great especially when they ask how I’m doing with said thing) but even better for me is if someone is RELYING on me to do the thing. I’m through and through an Obliger (you should check out Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies to see what you are) and I’m cool with breaking promises/goals to myself but I very much dislike letting other people down.
So when looking at my things I wanted to learn I either had 1 or 2 of these things in mind when I made my action plan for how I was going to tackle and actually follow through with these 3 things.
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So now it’s time to reveal #1 on my list!!!
Actually learn how to use my DSLR camera + learn how to take gorgeous photos with it
Two years ago Will and I bought our Canon Rebel T6 (which we looooove and was honestly the right choice for us) before our trip to London and Madrid. We have taken some great pictures with it but I KNOW they could be better once we actually learn how to use all it has to offer and once we actually learn a bit about photography.
(these dudes were all wearing mustaches for a picture while we were waiting our turn and they asked me to take their pic and then VERY GENEROUSLY let me take my own mustache pic lol)
I always feel so frustrated in my quest for better pictures for my blog and my Instagram and feel like everyone in the world takes better photos than me. I kind of just stopped whipping my camera out and just shoot on my Iphone because it’s easier and I know how to do it and my pictures are still sub-par no matter what..so might as well take the easier route, right? UGH. I dislike this about myself.
The photography bug has always been there in general (so many people I was close with in college were talented with a camera way back when and that planted a seed). But especially in the past few years of blogging I’ve felt this desire to be able to take better pictures and tell a better story with them for my blog/Instagram. And since having Riley?? I get so envious of gorgeous pictures of other peoples babies. I want to have the ability to take beautiful pictures of my baby!
AND I WANT TO STOP HAVING MAJOR INSTAGRAM/BLOGGER ENVY when it comes to photography.
The most fun thing about this goal is that it is something that Will and I want to do together (he’s taken a lot more initiative than I have in learning our camera already) and there is accountability there which, like I said above, is super helpful for me! Plus it’s always to be a beginner when you have a partner in crime who sucks just as badly as you do, right?
I’ve already taken 2 action steps on this goal that are in the form of investments
(which I talked about above how sometimes I NEED to invest in something for me to really do it):
1) I purchased a Photography Bundle that I’m already freaking excited about: So when Will and I sat down and talked about this goal of ours we decided that we needed to do some learning but 1) we don’t have the time or money for a proper class that happens weekly plus that’s inconvenient for us to go to/expensive because we’d have to find a babysitter for Riley every week in addition to the cost of the class. So that was out.
We could cobble together resources from the internet and buy books/get books from the library but there’s SO MUCH OUT THERE it’s overwhelming to know where to start. I know I will get discouraged and bogged down with the research aspect of it and never get anywhere so we decided that was out for us, too.
So when I got an email that Ultimate Bundles was doing a Photography Bundle, a curated ready-made education full of courses and resources from professional photographers, I was ecstatic because I bought a Healthy Eating bundle full of recipes and stuff from them earlier this year and it’s been fantastic and really great quality. I literally just bought the bundle TODAY (for the extra bonuses that were available if you were an early bird) so I haven’t been able to get in depth with it but I love that it focuses on exactly what I need:
- Mastering my camera: WAHH it’s just so much easier to point and shoot because my camera is confusing and has so many things. But I want to learn the ins and outs because WHY DID I BUY A NICE CAMERA TO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE IT?!?
- Actually TAKING better photos: I want to learn all the tricks and how to compose better photos. There are some super specific guides in the bundle that I’m not sure I’ll use because I won’t be shooting those things necessarily (concert photography is one) but I feel like 1) never say never and 2) I’m sure I can glean some tips from them.
- Editing my photos: I really struggle with that and I always just mess around with them until *I* think they look nice! I never know how to clean them up when I think they are too dark or too light or whatever…or just to make them pop more in general.
There’s also a whole section devoted to making money from your photography, which I’m not putting the cart before the horse here, but it’s a nice possibility there in the back of my mind should I be good at it. In total it is 26 eBooks, 21 eCourses, 1 membership site, and 10 tools (like presets and templates which I’m excited about because Will and I are likely buying Lightroom this week after he talks to a co-worker who uses it regularly).
If your goal for this year is to up your photography game I highly recommend checking it out! I’ve realized I needed to invest in myself when it comes to learning this skill for my blog AND for photos of Riley/travel/in general so this was such a good fit for me and maybe it will be for you too! And if you need accountability in this goal, chat me up! It would be so fun to encourage each other and support our journey.
You can click below to see the details on what exactly is offered!
2. I bought some photography backdrops: I was feeling like a lot of the surfaces I had in my small (now cluttered with baby stuff) one bedroom apartment were just not all that great for photos (and I got sick of using a white sheet all the time for any sort of flat lay photo) and I really wanted better looking backgrounds for photos of Riley. PLUS our apartment gets NOT SO GREAT natural lighting so I felt like I could easily take this backdrop out back and use it somewhere with better light outside.
The lighting wasn’t great for this but this was the first backdrop I got and was playing around with it:
This is the one I got and I like it a lot but it’s sort of flimsy (I mean, it’s cheap because hey hi hello I’m on a budget) BUT Will is going to get some adhesive glue stuff and some sort of board and get it on there real nice and then it is going to be PERFECT. Problem solved. Worth the money because REAL ones are very spendy.
I literally JUST got this one in the mail from Ink & Elm so I don’t have MY OWN pictures of it and haven’t used it yet (if you follow me on Instagram you might have seen Riley and I had a blast play with the tubing it came in haha). BUT it’s vinyl and definitely much sturdier than the other one and I definitely plan on eventually getting more. (Con: it’s WAY more expensive for less product).
A thing I need to solve/possibly invest in still:
MY LIGHTING PROBLEM
I see all these beautiful and airy and bright spaces in photos and our apartment has THE worst natural lighting ever and so any time I shoot inside I’m mostly disappointed. So I’m cool with faking it and was looking into something like these lights?
Does anyone have any experience with this (faking natural lighting indoors) or a product you love that helps? Link me!!
ANYWAYS I’m super excited about this and think I’ve set myself up with some great tools to dive into learning photography/mastering my camera. I’ve got accountability and I can’t wait for all the time Will and I will spend together learning it.
I WOULD LOVE LOVE LOVE, if you are a photography person, for you to share your best tips and resources and really ANYTHING you think that might help me. If you are also thinking “hey I want to learn photography”, let’s encourage each other! Drop me an email or tweet or comment or whatever! Maybe we can come up with a fun challenge if there’s enough people OR just encourage each other on Instagram as we up our photography game!
P.S. Determined to make this year the best? It’s not too late (who says January is the only time to decide to slay and create powerful goals): check out my plan on how to do that!
Rachel O'Laughlin says
I am a photography person, of sorts! Have had my Rebel t3 for four years — I used it for the first year just to snap pictures, but I knew it could do more, so I finally decided to knuckle down and learn how to use it so I could capture family moments better. (I had challenges in difficult light, and hated using my flash, etc.) But my budget was tight, so all I invested in was National Geographic photographer Joel Santori’s Fundamentals of Photography DVDs from The Great Courses. Two years ago I truly invested in my camera by buying a few more lenses, but I wouldn’t have known what to buy if I hadn’t spent the initial $20 on that course and taken the plunge! He covers SO MUCH and assigns enough field work to keep me busy for years. One bit of advice I’d share that I stole from Joel’s course: you won’t really know what you’re doing until you’ve shot about 10,000 pictures while paying attention to their composition. I still remember the day I looked through what I’d shot for a day and, instead of wanting to trash 95% of them, I was astonished at how pretty and artful my own work was becoming. I looked at my shutter count and sure enough, I’d just rolled over 10,382 shutter counts. Stick with it, and you’ll amaze yourself. <3
Jamie says
Ooh thank you so much for this encouragement!!! I know my library system has some of the Great Courses so I will have to check if that one is there! Maybe I can use it in conjunction with the photography bundle I just bought! It would be nice to have two great resources to help us!!
I LOVE that advice and appreciate you sharing it with me because I know I will take like 500 pictures and be like WELL SCREW THIS I AM NOT EVEN GETTING BETTER THESE ARE CRAP!! I’m going to keep this in mind and stick with it for the long haul!
Angela says
I love taking pictures and I was lucky enough to get a DSLR camera for free when my dad upgraded his camera. I’ve had it for a couple years now, but I mostly shoot in auto with no flash. I really should learn more about the camera itself and photography so I can take even better pictures (especially when the lighting isn’t good). It’s a running joke that I’m the “family photographer” at parties and events, but I love getting those candid shots of everyone and sharing them.
Nickimags says
Photography is such an exciting hobby to master. I’ve been a member of a fab online photographic community @ Blipfoto.com for over 3 years and it’s a great place to document your photography journey. I also joined a free online course called A Year With My Camera @ ayearwithmycamera.com which also has a closed facebook group to share and learn from each other. Hope this helps. By the way I’m a Rebel according Gretchen’s quiz, and although I love being a rebel, it does cause problems wanting to start anything new 😉
Lori Huffman says
I’m a photo envy person myself. Looks to me like you’re doing a good job!
Lauren @ Bookmark Lit says
Yes, lighting is my biggest issue! My instagram is more casual with pics of books when I’m reading them (more like an in-action/”currently reading here on the beach” kind of thing) so I don’t worry about it toooo much but I’d love for my book haul or challenge pics to come out better with light and backdrops. I’m so lazy hahhaa
John Mulindi says
Great insights from this post. This is very inspiring to everyone. Thanks for sharing.
Jessica says
I love Lightroom! Such a great program for editing photos but the key is to shoot in RAW. I’ve had the same DSLR for the past 6-7 years but I always manage to learn something new. WishWishWish has a really great and simple tutorial on DSLRs and I always look to Flickr/IG etc for compositional/lighting inspiration. I think the best way to get better at editing/taking photos is just to take photos, as cliche as that is, since then I’d know what works and what doesn’t. I’ve gotten into a habit of taking photos at gatherings/trips and editing them. I’ve found that it really helps as a way to get better and people seem to enjoy candid photos.
Christina Snyder says
Photography is one of my guilty pleasures! I actually wrote my first blog series on elements of composition for photography and to this day, it is one of my favorite posts.
DSLR are a lot of fun, once you get the hang of it. With a little bit of practice, the settings and composition effects will become natural to you.
I’ve never experimented with fake lighting so I’ll look forward to a follow up post on your experience with it.
Thanks for sharing your passion and goals with us.
sarriewebdesigns.com/blog
Annie Cho says
Hi,
Photography is a great goal to have! I’m sure you guys will take amazing pics in no time! Some of my tips are to use as much natural, morning light as possible, and use studio lights as fillers, and not as your main source of light. I also love getting backdrops, pretty fabrics, and props to help make an awesome photo. And honestly, taking pics is just half the work. Good editing can really transform a picture! This is my IG account for reference if you’re interested! https://www.instagram.com/annchovieblog/
Can’t wait to see your new pics!
xoxo
Annie
La La in the Library says
This kind of aligns with something on my plate. I took photography in college and had a photography business with my ex for a few years, BUT… that was film photography and my digital camera has so many settings and confusing side screens that I need to sit myself down and figure it out. It wasn’t super expensive, about $200, but geeze louise my blogging buddy’s iPod takes sharper photos. Ha! I have to hunker down and figure out why. 📷
I have a problem here in Upstate NY with a lot of overcast days, so I am going to be buying a soft box light, soon. My ex took all the photography equipment when he left, and so many times I wish I still had the lights and the camera rigs/mini sets we used for taking catalog photos. They would have been perfect for book photography. Anyway, he forgot our light bounce and I suggest getting one of those because you can reflect more light from a window onto your subject, and you can use it to counteract unwanted shadows, even when using artificial lighting. I use it a lot. 🌞
I have been using rolls of solid color wrapping paper from the dollar store to make mini seamless backdrops (like they use for modeling shoots, ha ha), and I like solid dark backgrounds so I usually use a piece of black foamcore for flat lies, but I am going to go to the fabric store and get some solid color, textured materials and cover pieces of foamcore with them and see how that works for flat lies. I am so happy the Bookstagram set-ups with all the millions of flowers and tiny objects is going out of fashion, with minimalist props being favored, because honestly, I don’t have time for those types of backgrounds. Heh heh. ⌚
I am behind you, rooting you on! I managed to remain a stay at home mom for thirteen years of my son’s life doing several “in-home” things like the catalog photography, babysitting, and editing and typing papers for college students. It was well worth it. I think the internet makes things much eaisier to establish “in-home” businesses now. 💜
Kim @ kimberlyfaye reads says
Good luck! I taught myself digital photography a few years ago after I bought a Nikon D40. I’ve upgraded since then, but I still wind up using my iPhone more often than not these days. I learned a lot by following photographers I admired on Flickr at the time. I also kept an eye out for local photographer meetups or get togethers and learned a lot that way. Truthfully, I probably learned more from that than anything I read or watched. I also would just go out and walk around for hours on the weekends, practicing shooting pretty much everything until I found what really worked for me.
I’ve been trying to step up my book photography this year and I, too, suffer from crappy apartment lighting most of the hours of the day. I bought a tabletop white box/lighting like what you showed above. I’m still learning. But I did find a good backdrop option, at least for smaller items — scrapbook papers. Super cheap at Michael’s or the like and they work well for books and whatnot.
Good luck and have fun with it!
Jennifer | https://maunelegacy.com says
I just posted on my blog the other day a post about the photography tools I use (including equipment and editing programs!) & Your mustache picture is so cute!
Jamie says
Oh link me, please! Would love to check it out!
Amber @ xoxo, Am says
I need to look at that bundle! I’m currently trying to learn how to use my sisters Nikon. I’m wanting to get my own DSLR by the end of the year so it would be nice to have a better understanding lol
Jamie says
Like I said I have only briefly looked through it because I just bought it and I’ve had work and not a free moment (thanks Riley!!) but Will and I are pretty excited about having lots of different courses/tips in one place. It seems less daunting because we can pick one thing to start with and make a plan to do that. And yes! It’s so easy just to slip into automatic mode when you don’t know how to use it and then stay there (at least it has been for me!) So that would be nice to practice on your sisters and get a feel for it!!
Heather says
I’ve been contemplating buying a new digital camera so appreciate the timing of your goal. 🙂 Good things to consider/think about.
Angie says
I love my DSLR and I took an Intro to Photography class at my community college. It made a world of difference!
Toni says
I feel the same way. I use to take really amazing pics with my camera and since I’ve had my two youngest kiddos, it has been really hard to get the camera out. I tend to use my phone so much, but it makes me sad and i def have picture envy on Instagram!
Erin A. says
I, too, own a beautiful DSLR and don’t know how to use it! I desperately want to and keep telling myself “one day, one day”…..that day needs to be now!!! I will follow you on your journey and would love to participate in challenges……I sooooooooo want to take gorgeous photos!!!
Jennifer Ellision says
You just inspired me to drag my DSLR out! I still have no idea how to use it really but I should at least start playing around with the damn thing 😂
Tizzy Brown says
I need to improve my photography skills too. I have a decent digital camera but it has so many features that I have really no idea how to use. I am semi good at editing though so I can enhance my pics in Photoshop. It would just be better if they were good shots to begin with. I mostly just take pictures of books for my blog, so I just bought some fancy wrapping paper with patterns on and glued it to some cardboard to make inexpensive backgrounds. I also use things like silk scarves sometimes. I’ve just bought a collection of artificial flowers and some other props too so I can make my layouts more interesting. But I definitely need to invest in better lighting-I was thinking of getting some mini studio lights that I saw on Amazon, they seemed quite affordable.
Kelly | Mongan Moments says
This was my goal last year and the Ultimate Photography Bundle is incredible! Even from just a few of the resources, I feel so much more comfortable with my camera. I know I still have a long way to go, but it’s so incredible to look at photos over the past year and see how much I’ve improved!