A path to better pictures
This post was originally posted on April 26, 2014 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
John Nack (Google, formerly Adobe) linked to this great article by Stu Maschwitz, “How to Take Good Photos for Under $1,000.” My favorite line:
The oldest advice about photography is still the best. A “fast 50” is the cheapest, best lens. On your inexpensive DSLR, 50mm is a portrait lens, which means it’s good for taking pictures of people—which are the only pictures anyone cares about.
It’s a good collection of sensible advice and you should absolutely read it… especially if you are a designer that ends up having to take a lot of pictures.
A couple of comments:
- His recommendation to buy a fast 50mm lens is a great one. Yes, zooms are convenient, but shooting with a faster lens is wonderful, especially if you can use natural light and not use a flash. Plus, the 50mm lens is affordable.
- I wouldn’t throw away the kit zoom. But lens quality does matter.
- Yes, shooting in RAW is worth the extra file size. If you want great results, shoot in RAW.
- He mentions that Lightroom will cost you about $100. But if you have Creative Cloud, it’s one of the apps that Adobe included in the subscription.
When I first started shooting, a 50mm lens was always included when you bought a camera. Now, it’s all about zooms. I’m planning on upgrading my camera system soon and I’ll definitely take some of Stu’s advice.