The artistry comes from the photographer not the camera

I receive a lot of questions on how to get started in photography on a minimal budget. It's easy. The artistry comes from the photographer, not the camera. You can begin with a camera phone, iPhone, an inexpensive Point and Shoot or an entry level DSLR. Purchase whatever your budget allows. Any of these is a place to start.


An iPhone captures great photos - 

Captured with an iPhone. Photo credit- Tim Todd

Captured with an iPhone. Photo credit- Tim Todd

Captured with an iPhone. Photo credit- Tim Todd

Before I could afford a DSLR my photos were taken with an inexpensive Point and Shoot. Very few people can tell the difference between my Point and Shoot photos and my DSLR photos. Here are two samples from my Point and Shoot -

Captured with my Point and Shoot

Captured with my Point and Shoot

Move up to more expensive gear when your budget allows. Once you are headed in a specific direction you can determine if you need more expensive gear like special lenses, a tripod, special flash attachments, etc. 

One of the first photos I took with my Nikon D90 DSLR

Captured with my Nikon D90 DSLR

Very few people can afford to start with professional gear that may cost thousands of dollars. Better to use that camera phone and get your feet wet than to never start clicking at all.


Start shooting with whatever you have or can comfortably afford, study photographic composition which is more important for beginners than fancy gear and read, read, read, practice, practice, practice.


I enjoy looking back at my early images and seeing how far I've come. Keep track of your progress. It's encouraging and amazing. 


It's fun if you have a friend or group of friends interested in photography who you can shoot with. Join a photo club. No matter what your age, I guarantee a day of photography whether shooting with a camera phone, a Point and Shoot or a DSLR is a great fun!  


Please be sure and check out Tim Todd's website Darje' Images. Many of his photos are of Western Washington where I live. I'd love to share my area of the world with you through his stunning images. 


Tim, thank you for letting me share your iPhone photos on my blog, I very much appreciate it. I'd love to have you write a guest blog post and share your considerable knowledge with us!






Next post - composing backgrounds in your photos.