look at this I feel like I grew this I’ve been taking care of this at the office I’ve been giving it water you know like plants need and Sun and it’s just growing and it’s so happy makes me so happy and like every day that I come in it’s like longer it’s called a pot those like that and it just like it just hangs so happily what a great day what’s up everybody Peter make it in here and welcome back to another video today we’re talking photography if you like taking pictures if you own a camera you wander about snapping pics this video is for you specifically targeted more towards beginners or people that aren’t necessarily professional but I wanted to go through a few things that beginners make mistakes on quite frequently when they’re starting out in this craft I’ve looked inside myself and I found some things that I wish I had done better when I was starting photography out a few little things that if I just paid more attention to I would have been taking better photos faster which means potentially more business if that’s something that you’re looking to take photography
towards or just your being a better artist being a better photographer with some of these things if you keep them in mind tip number one one of the things I wish I paid more attention to is the histogram that’s this little funky chart right here that looks like like a heart rate monitor but the far left of that chart represents the blacks and the shadows far right of that graph chart represents the highlights whites anything that’s overexposed in the middle is your mid-tones so you never want to see that graph if you will the histogram spiked in one direction if it’s way up here that means it’s blown out your image is damaged and there’s just no detail there’s too much white there’s too much brightness it’s too much light whereas on the opposite spectrum of that if it’s spiking on this side there’s no detail because you’ve crushed those blacks too much it’s just too dark there’s too much shadow it’s not evenly balanced so when you look at a histogram it tells you right away without even having to look at the photo because don’t trust your eyes and don’t trust the back of an LCD screen too many times I would just look at the photo on my camera be like that looks dope then I would get back to start editing it you see it on a huge monitor it looks totally different I would see the histogram within Lightroom or Photoshop wherever I was editing and then realize oh wow that’s actually wildly overexposed had I just taken five seconds to look at the histogram I would have known that scientifically and then I could have just taken another photo and fixed that is what you’re looking for is an even plane you want that histogram to have a nice even flow no crazy spikes like when you’re tracking your sleep with a sleep tracker app and you wake up and it looks like Everest look like wow that was a rough night but then you wake up one morning and you see it’s a calm waters you’re just chilling in the Maldives it’s just like it’s just smooth your coast and and you’re like wow I feel great that’s the same guy thing you want when you’re looking at a histogram
I have weird analogies but I think you guys dig them because they help me tip number one to help you being a better photographer look at that histogram don’t trust your eyes in the back of the LCD point number two is settling for a photo when you could have made it so much better by either moving yourself to a better vantage point or moving something in that frame out of the way right so as an example you’re taking a photo shoot someone standing there you snap a photo you could have just moved that chair like two inches to the left it would no longer be in frame and it make that photo way better because the focus is now on the subject or maybe it’s just moving your subject a little bit to the left so that garbage can isn’t in frame anymore you’ll have to worry about photoshopping it or maybe it’s walking up the hill or down the hill to get a better vantage point or trying a few extra locations instead of just being okay with the one that you have so sometimes it’s these little tweaks by just moving something out of the way or moving yourself that’s gonna make a massive difference with how good your photos look and you’d be surprised go take some shots don’t think anything of it then look at them look inside the frame and think yourself what could I have moved out of the way to make this picture more clear more concise or focused or polished more professional I guarantee you’ll almost always find something maybe it’s even just your sunglasses that you left on the couch and you’re taking a picture of this nice clean room but you forgot when you walked in you dropped your keys in the counter it will look better if those keys were gone so it’s those little things that you need to look for you can easily remove they’re gonna make your photos look better or move yourself to get a better vantage point that’s number two oh I’m feeling this I’m gonna come I’m gonna come close for this one I mean I’m even gonna drop down my voice so that you even feel like Oh something’s about to happen he’s about to drop some knowledg
e I hate hate tripods uh actually the worst tripods no thanks even buying a tripod is like just the worst thing to have to buy you walk in not even excited you’re like I guess I guess I should go get one monopods I like them a little bit more because they have a better function for video for me but tripods I just I can’t get on board but I wish I wish that I got on board with tripods earlier because the amount of shots that I could have got with a tripod just bringing it with me for long exposures or to just have more clear InFocus images would have made all the difference because sometimes even if you think your shutter speeds fast enough you will get a better quality photo if you lock it off on a tripod not to mention all the advantages that you get being able to shoot a wide range of different types of photos because you have a tripod long exposures making those waterfalls look better at that milky smooth water all of those things the star trails in the skies cars driving by that stuff all looks better and works when you have a tripod with you so invest in a tripod early use it often bring it everywhere you go because it always comes down to the tripod it always comes on and that’s why I hate it that’s why I’m like oh you got me again tripod why don’t I just bring you with me everywhere I’ve been doing this for 15 plus years now and I’m still trying to learn that one so my tip to you bring a tripod with you use it off and get to know it get to love it tripods I feel like we just had a therapy session I just feel lighter now that’s great okay the last tip the last mistake that a lot of beginners make and that I made all the time being thorough so many times I would just rip through grab my camera shoot what I thought I needed and be done I didn’t take the time to check all my settings enough because I just thought I knew it it was arrogant I just thought I know this like I obviously I nailed it I got it in camera I was on the like I do the same thing I do all the time I’m good but I’ve made this mistake so many times maybe you shot JPEG instead of rock it be shots small JPEG instead of raw and a little fun fact I’m gonna come clean about something last year I went to the ice caves took these amazing star trail photos something happened to midday I actually shot all of those photos on small JPEG not even raw I was still able to blow them up for my gallery but inside knowing that like the highest res I have of those photos is like 1200 pixels wide that hurts especially being that like there’s some of my favorite photographs that I’ve ever taken because I was rushing through it I just assumed I’m not gonna make those mistakes but I’m still making them so being thorough to check your settings to make sure the smallest thing isn’t gonna ruin something incredible is very important maybe it’s making sure your ISO is not too high your shutter speeds right on checking that evey meter to make sure it’s not all the way to the left you’re not overexposed or underexposed it’s in the middle so being thorough and checking all those things makes all the difference beginner or pro we still make those mistakes but getting it early on is going to help you out that’s my advice you want to take better photos I think those things will help you I don’t think those things are the sole ingredient to like you watch this video you’re a better photographer instantly it’s all the time right it all takes time over time building up different things but I do think this will help you think about some things differently that might save one or two small little instances as you’re shooting that’s generally gonna make you better at this art form so that’s all I have for you today hit that like button if you like this video smash it got a little carried away
I’ve been taking care of this at the office. I’ve been given it water, that you know, plants need and sun, and it’s just growing. It’s so happy, makes me so happy. Everyday that I come in it’s longer, it’s called a pothos.
You like that? And it just hangs so happily. Ah, what a great day. (laughs) (upbeat music) What’s up everybody, Peter McKinnon here and welcome back to another video, today we’re talkin’ photography.
If you like taking pictures, if you own a camera, you wander about, snappin’ picks, this video’s for you. Specifically targeted more towards beginners or people that aren’t necessarily professional.
I wanted to go through a few things that beginners make mistakes on quite frequently when they’re starting out in this craft. I’ve looked inside myself and I’ve found some things that I wish I had done better when I was starting photography out.
A few little things, if I had just paid more attention to, I would of been taking better photos faster, which means potentially more business if that’s something you’re looking to take photography towards or just you’re being a better artist, you’re being a better photographer with some of these things, if you keep them in mind.
Tip number one, one of the things I wish I’d paid more attention to is the histogram. That’s this little funky chart right here that looks like a heart rate monitor. The far left of that chart represents the blacks and the shadows, far right of that graph chart represents the highlights, the whites, anything that’s overexposed.
In the middle is your midtones. You never wanna see that graph, if you will, the histogram, spiked in one direction. If it’s way up here that means it’s blown out, you’re image is damaged, there’s just no detail, there’s too much white, there’s too much brightness, there’s too much light.