photography explained

Photography Composition Tips and Techniques. This is the fourth in the series of episodes about how to take better photos. And this is the bit that I forgot from the last episode.

Camera settings – why are there so many? And gear. Photography gear. Why is there so much of it?

Well, I am not saying that you need more gear, but the different camera settings and different camera gear allow you to create better compositions, which means better photos.

And we all want this.

In this episode, I tell you.

• How different camera settings can improve your compositions.
• How different camera gear can improve your compositions.
• How camera sensor size affects the composition.
• Why the field of view is so important.
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Photography Explained Podcast Episode 173 - What Are You Trying To Do With Your Photography?

What Are You Trying To Do With Your Photography? What are your hopes and dreams? Are you happy as you are taking photos with your phone? Or do you want to be a professional photographer and earn a full-time living from your photography?

This is the starting point in learning how to take better photos, which is what this series of episodes is about. Yes, taking better photos starts with you and what you want to get out of your photography. Then, you need to decide what you want to take photos of and what you will do with the photos you have created.

You need a plan, and I will help you with this.

Once you have a plan and know what you are trying to do with your photography you can begin that wonderful voyage of photographic discovery. 

In this episode, I tell you.

• How you can work out what you want to do with your photography.
• To think about what you want to take photos of.
• To think about what you are going to do with your photos.
• What people don’t know or don’t care about when they look at your photo.
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Photography Explained Podcast Episode 172 - How To Take Better Photos - Part 1 - 11 Things For You To Do

This episode starts a series of episodes where I teach you how to take better photos. Nice and simple. And very important.

No matter where you are on your photographic journey, there are things that you and I can do that will help us to take better photos. Every time I take a photo, I try to take a better photo than last time. I will tell you how I do this in this series of episodes.

In this episode, I tell you.

·         What is the most important thing in photography?

·         11 things that you can do to help you take better photos.

·         What people care about when they look at your photo?

·         What people don’t know or don’t care about when they look at your photo?

·         What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?

·         What if I use a film camera?

·         And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

I have been talking about stupid photography terms that don’t make sense. But what are we going to do with them? How can we make photography accessible to all in 2024 and beyond?

In this episode, I tell you

• How I replace ISO.
• How I change the aperture scale.
• Why exposure time makes sense (and not shutter speed).
• Why how we see the world as 1x replaces focal length, crop factor and all that nonsense.
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

This is the last episode in my series of stupid photography terms that don’t make sense. In this episode, I give you my take on these terms.

1. Crop factor
2. Speedlite/ flashgun
3. Camera shake
4. Stop
5. F-stop
6. Fast lens
7. JPEG
8. RAW

And why I think that they are stupid. Most of them. I also tell you

• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Yes, 11 more photography terms that confuse explained and shamed. This is part 2 of my three-part series explaining photography terms that are out of date, confusing at best or just plain old wrong.

And if you are a phone user wanting to get into more photography but finding all this stuff putting you off, don’t worry; I’ve got you.

I know how you feel. And I can help you. And that is what I do in this episode.

In this episode, I tell you.

• What depth of field Is, and what should it be called?
• When is a hot shoe not a hot shoe?
• Why streets are not the only public places!
• How a fish sees (fish variable).
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Camera equipment is very important, expensive and very breakable if you do not look after it.

Do you know how to look after your gear properly?

In this episode, I tell you how to look after my gear. I have not had a problem with any of my gear as I look after it so carefully. So, listen to this episode to find out how you can look after your gear like I do mine.

In this episode, I tell you.

1. The gear that I use and how I look after it.
2. How and where I store my gear.
3. How I clean my gear, and what with.
4. What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
5. What if I use a film camera?
6. And finally, what I do. Again….

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Why would I want to use this complicated stuff to take photos? Do I need to? Shouldn’t this be easy? 

It depends on you and where you want to go with your photography.

These are perfectly valid questions but do not worry. In this episode, I will tell you how I use this complicated stuff, which, with time and practice, is not complicated at all. It just sounds like it is. That is the bit I want to get over to you.

In this episode, I tell you.

• What complicated photography stuff do I use to take my photos?
• Why do I use all this stuff?
• And why, with practice, it is not complicated at all.
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do. Again….

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

It’s 2023. Most of us have phones. And they take amazing photos. So why do we need cameras? Come on, phones are all we need, right?

Well, it just depends. I need a camera in 2023. I still prefer taking photos with my camera rather than my phone. You cannot beat the experience of taking photos with a camera. And I cannot take the photos I need with my phone.

So, I need a camera in 2023.

Do you need a camera in 2023? Let me know.

In this episode, I tell you.

• Why I love taking photos with my camera.
• Why I need control of what is going on.
• Complicated photography stuff that I love and use!
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Histogram. Doesn’t sound like a photography thing. Sounds complicated. What is it, Rick? Do I need to know about this?

Yes, you do need to know about this. A histogram can help you get the best exposure you can and tell if you have not got the best exposure.

In this episode, I tell you.

• What a histogram is.
• How you can use a histogram to get the best exposure.
• How you can use a histogram to tell you if you got the exposure correct.
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Sharpness. What does this mean in photography? Is this important? Do I need to know about this?

Yes, you do need to know about this. You should aim to get the sharpest photo you can every time you create an image. But you need to know how to do this, right?

In this episode, I tell you.

• What sharpness means in photography.
• How you can take and process sharp photos.
• What does tack sharp mean?
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Depth of field. What is this, and do I need to know about it?

Yes, you do. Depth of field is essential to understand and can help you take your photos to another level. And helps you to get the bits of a photo you want sharp, sharp, and the bits you do not want sharp, not sharp! 

In this episode, I tell you.

• What depth of field is.
• Why you need to understand this.
• How you can use depth of field
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera
• What if I use a film camera
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Crop factor. Is this photography term important? Do I need to know this? Yes, if you use a micro four thirds camera or cropped sensor camera, you must know this.

Crop factors relate to the different sizes of digital camera sensors. This is about the sensor's physical size and how this affects the focal length selected and the effective focal length you get.

In this episode, I tell you.

• What crop factor is.
• Why does it affect the focal length you get with your lens?
• What different crop factors are there?      
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

What Is Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB)?

Auto exposure bracketing. What is this? Do I need to know about this? It sounds rather tricky.

This is the answery bit.

Auto exposure bracketing is the process of taking multiple photos at the same time to capture a wider dynamic range, a wider range of lights and darks. More of what we can see with our eyes.

When using auto exposure bracketing the camera automatically takes three photos, one the correct exposure, one underexposed photo, and one overexposed photo. The amount of under and over-exposure is set by the photographer.

The camera changes the aperture or shutter speed for the under and overexposed photos, which is determined by the picture mode that is being used.

Auto exposure bracketing is also known as AEB and is defined as an advanced operation by Canon.

But don’t worry, it is not as bad as it sounds. And I will tell you what you need to know and no more, all in plain English.

In this episode, I tell you.

·         What auto exposure bracketing is.

·         Why you might need it.

·         Why your camera is not as good as you are.

·         How to use AEB.

·         When to not use AEB.

·         And finally, what I do.

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Camera metering - what is this all about then?

Well, this is a quick fly through camera metering and what is going on inside your camera, just the stuff you need to know (of course)

Photography is drawing with light, so it makes sense to understand how your camera captures the light, right?

In this episode, I tell you

• How a camera measures the light
• Different metering modes
• Thoughts on taking a photo
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

The exposure triangle. Sounds complicated. Is it? Do I really need to know this?

Yes, you do need to know what the exposure triangle is and how to use it if you want to progress with your photography.  But don’t worry, I can help you. In this podcast episode, I tell you everything that you need to know about the exposure triangle. And just the stuff to help you with your photography.

This is the answery bit.

The exposure triangle is the combination of three camera settings, aperture, shutter speed and ISO, used to get a correct exposure when taking a photo. The exposure triangle allows photographers to use a specific aperture or shutter speed for a photo and still get the correct exposure. The exposure triangle helps photographers get the correct exposure in challenging lighting conditions.

In this episode, I tell you

·         What the exposure triangle is

·         Remind you what the three parts of the exposure triangle are

·         Why this is important

·         How you can use the exposure triangle to help you to take better photos

·         What you need to know if you take photos with your phone

·         What you need to know if you take film photos

·         And finally, what I do.

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

ISO in photography. What is it? What does it mean? Do I need to know about this strange term?

Yes, you do is my answer to you. In this podcast episode, I tell you all you need to know about ISO, just the stuff that will help you with your photography.

In this episode, I tell you

• What ISO stands for.
• Why are there different ISO values?
• What do these numbers mean?
• If changing the ISO changes the camera sensor sensitivity.
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Have you heard of the shutter in a camera but are not sure what it is? And then there is shutter speed. What is this? Is this important, too? Would you like to know these things?

Yes, this stuff is essential – you need to understand the fundamentals of photography correctly. I can help you with these. I will tell you all you need to know about the camera shutter and shutter speed.

In this episode, I tell you

• What the shutter is?
• What shutter speed means, and why it is so important.
• What different shutter speeds are there?
• What shutter speeds you should use?
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love? 

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Aperture in photography – what does this mean? And is it important?

Yes, it sure is, so you need to understand aperture to take the best photos you can.

 Understanding aperture will help you take the highest quality, sharpest and correctly exposed photos with the desired depth of field.

In this episode, I tell you

• What aperture is
• What do those strange numbers mean
• Maximum and minimum aperture
• How aperture affects exposure
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

All explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!
 
 What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Are you having trouble taking photos that look great? Are your photos too light or too dark? Do you want to learn how to fix this and get the exposure right every time you take a photo?

I can help you with this. I can tell you what you need to do to get the best exposure whenever you take a photo.

In this episode, I tell you

• Camera settings and how they affect the exposure.
• How do you know if you got the exposure right?
• And how you can get the best exposure every time.
• What if I use a phone to take photos and not a camera?
• What if I use a film camera?
• And finally, what I do.

And this is all explained in plain English, without the irrelevant detail, in less than 27 (ish) minutes!

What is not to love?

Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about, answering your photography questions - just click here. Not only will I answer your question, but I will also give you a lovely, big shout out, which is nice.

Find out more about the podcast on the Photography Explained Podcast website

And find out all about me on my photography website

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick