I propose to you that getting photographs right in your camera is a game of imagination. My plan is to introduce you to that game and identify many of the possibilities available to you. In this article you will find:
An approach for capturing the photographs you want, the way you want them, in your camera
A checklist for remembering the important points
A roadmap for creating more memorable photographs
Some creative concepts for you to explore at your leisure
When I took up photography I didn’t know what I didn’t know and the technical jargon went over my head. I remember that experience and the well-meant advice to get it right in the camera. I recently had occasion to think through what this advice meant to me now, and thought others could benefit from my research and observations; so this is for you if:
You want to get the best quality image so you can be more productive in post-processing and make a good photograph even better.
You want to spend less time in post-processing trying to make up for what you did not remember to do with the camera’s exposure settings and composition when you took the shot.
You are an enthusiast. You may have experience with film or DSLR photography, are invested in high end equipment and rely on the camera’s auto or programmed settings to capture JPEG images and the question is—now what?
You are a novice looking for a roadmap.
Whatever your knowledge, skill or experience it is important to start out with an appreciation that learning about photography should be fun, so treat it like a game. Consider the kind of photographs you want to take, what else you need to learn for your kind of photography, and where and how you want to start this learning process.
We all have gaps in our knowledge and Figure 1 below provides a framework for you to determine in which areas you want to work to fill the gaps in yours. Initially it will take you a few minutes to read this article, however, as with everything the more you practice thinking this through, the more intuitive it becomes.