Tag Archives: Learn facts

An easy way to gain photographic confidence

What do you know?

The way to find out what you know is do it! Some feel clueless when they’re not.

How do you assess your own knowledge?

Many beginners know more than they can recite. Physically doing photography helps. That way you get in a habit of doing photographic procedures to help you remember. Here are some other ideas to help you gain confidence with your knowledge.

Twenty photographic facts you Know

It’s simple really. Take one page of lined paper, or use one word processor page. Put down twenty photographic facts you know. You might say you don’t know twenty facts. That’s not true. If you have read this page you will have some facts to get you started. Also, if you have read any of my other pages you will have plenty of facts. So, aim to write twenty facts. Simple.

There are some rules…

  • Do not use more than one line for a fact, even if it is about how water can damage a camera.
  • Make sure there is only one fact, not several facts, per line.
  • Your photographic facts must be simple. (eg. “A tripod has a ‘head’ to mount the camera”).
  • Any fact that is too complicated to write in one line is more than one fact.
  • The next fact will be the simplest one you know (eg. black and white is technically ‘monochrome’).
  • Each fact must be one you already know… like, “A shadow is dimmer light than the surrounding light“.
  • Do the twenty facts in one session.

There, see how easy it is? Drat, and double drat! I have already given you five facts. (Actually I have! See if you can find the fifth one somewhere above. Answer at the end of this article).

Yes, you guessed it

If you can write twenty facts you can probably write more. So do as many as you can. Then, keep the paper/page on hand. Every time you get a new fact write it down. Remember the rules. Aim for one hundred facts.

Sharing

Photography is a great way to make friends. Like any hobby sharing is caring and fun. Get yourself a buddy, even if they are online. Then share your facts with them. Better still, get them to read this and do the same exercise as you. That way you will learn each other’s facts.

More important, sharing facts with people is fun and you both learn. Get into the habit of doing this and soon you will be a mine of information. Your buddy will help and they too will overflow with photographic facts.

Here are three sorts of things to get you started learning more
  1. Find your camera manual. Do these: (a) learn the names of two parts of your camera; (b) Follow/learn two instructions from the manual; (c) Name one accessory for your camera.
  2. Look up: Composition resources on Photokonnexion. Learn one rule of composition.
  3. Look up the Photographic Glossary which provides definitions, articles and resources. Read one article.
Feedback for everyone!

Paste your twenty facts into a comment box. We can all learn from them.

And the fifth fact?

At the beginning I gave you five facts. Four were obvious. If you want to know the fifth fact click here.