Photography for beginners: master the basics - Adobe
Photography for beginners.
If you’re shooting on your phone or trying out a DSLR, we’ll help you to develop your style with confidence.
Make the basics of photography a breeze.
Discover the world of beginner photography with helpful tips, tricks and articles on everything from the basics of camera equipment and settings to info on the most current terminology, creating photo art, portraiture, bokeh, blur and other techniques, pro editing pointers and so much more. Read on to get all the details.
Learn photography basics.
Whether you’re a total beginner or a passionate hobbyist, get the lowdown on photography basics. Discover how to use a camera, learn about different types of photography and explore some of the most effective techniques.
Adopt the language.
Take a peek at this cheat sheet and you’ll be able to discuss photography with everyone from hobbyists to professionals.
Stay up to date with important photo terms
Know the rules of composition.
Take a peek at this cheat sheet and you’ll be able to discuss photography with everyone from hobbyists to professionals.
Delve into the details of photo composition
Get tips for taking better photos.
Perfectly capture your creative vision by learning how to frame your subject or scene.
Explore ways to improve your photos
Understand the exposure triangle.
Three camera settings form the exposure triangle: shutter speed, aperture and ISO. You’ll be on track to take a top-quality photo when you get them working together.
Shutter speed
Adjust shutter speed to get crisp images of fast-moving objects or capture stunning blur effects.
Aperture
Use your camera’s aperture settings to give images a realistic sense of depth.
F-stop Settings: Master this foundational skill
ISO
Control the light your camera lets in to brighten or darken an image.
Learn how ISO affects exposure and more
Photography basics: Equipment and settings.
Getting to know the basics of photography is the best way to get started. The first step is to learn about your camera, its main settings and key photography terms.
Get the right camera.
Most modern smartphones have high-quality cameras, but if you’re focusing on photography for beginners, a DSLR camera might be the perfect place to start. You can adapt it with detachable lenses to create different effects, plus DSLRs boast bigger sensors that let you create more detailed images.
Discover the basics of the DSLR camera
Pick the right lens.
Whether shooting expansive landscapes or zooming in on the details, the right lens can help to get unique effects.
Read more about choosing the right lens
Experiment with focal length.
Having more lenses that offer various focal lengths means you’ll have more options and chances to experiment creatively. Once you master the use of different lenses and focal lengths, you’ll be able to make the most of both landscapes, portrait shots and close-ups. You’ll also better understand how to capture the details of a scene to really make it pop.
Learn more about focal length and lenses
Perfect your photo art.
Now you’ve got the foundations of photography down, let’s get you practising and perfecting the craft. Check out these beginner-friendly guides and get going. Better yet, you can achieve all these looks on your smartphone.
Rule of thirds
Use the rule of thirds to get the right proportions and angles in your images.
Get more details on the rule of thirds
Geometry
Embrace the shapes in your environment and make them shine in your shots.
Uncover the world of geometric shapes
Leading lines
Lead the eye through your image by perfectly positioning lines within the frame.
Learn how leading lines can draw attention
Learn photography techniques.
Learn from professional photographers schooled in various techniques and styles. Read on to explore top tips and advice so you nail every shot.
Shallow depth of field.
Master the art of focus with our tips on one of the best-known photography techniques.
Explore how depth of field adds dimension
Bokeh effect.
Blur backgrounds beautifully with this simple but mesmerising photography effect.
Discover what playing with bokeh can do
Golden hour.
Master the exposure triangle by focusing on the golden hour’s soft light.
See why photo pros love the golden hour
Edit like a pro.
Capturing all the details you saw in the moment can be super tricky. Luckily, you can achieve a lot with some tactical edits. Follow these step-by-step tutorials and discover the art of quick-win editing.
Brighten images
When you’re not 100% happy with your photo’s lighting, simply adjust it to match your vision.
Bring out the bright details with a photo editor
Enhance your photos
If you feel you’ve lost some texture in your image, use powerful editing tools to bring it back.
Get familiar with Adobe Express photo tools
Blur an image
Experiment with different points of focus by introducing impactful blur effects.
Blur static images for movement and more
Apply a double exposure effect
Experiment with double exposure using digital software to make your work stand out.
Learn how double exposure blends two into one
Create multiple focal points
Stack several photos together so more than one element sits in perfect focus.
Practice focal length stacking to make your point
Remove chromatic aberration
It can be a nuisance, but there are ways to use chromatic aberration creatively.
Make chromatic aberration work for you
Photography for beginners: Get inspired.
Portrait
Get the lighting right and perfect exposure techniques to create flattering images of subjects.
Take your portraits to new heights
Still life
Whether you compose your scenes or simply snap what you see, you can achieve many moods with still life photography.
Perfect the basics of still life photography
Nature
Immerse yourself in the wild and wait for the beauty to unfold. Take it all in with your camera.
Tell compelling stories with these nature photography tips
Landscape
Focus on static scenes such as landscapes and experiment with framing, lighting and perspective.
Explore the art of landscape photography
Food
Combine two loves in one - express your passion for food with photos that’ll bring everyone to the table.
Dig into delicious food photography
Macro
Go in for a close-up and find a fresh way to capture the glorious details of the smaller things in life.
Go larger than life with macro photography
Headshots
Produce perfectly styled, professional headshots and you could commercialise your photography talents.
Products
Get product photography right by learning how to style products, set up lighting and combine different exposures.
Explore the world of commercial product photography
Weddings
Learn how wedding photography experts capture all those loving and joyful moments on the big day.
Approach wedding day photography like a pro
The best tools for standout photos.
Elevate photography for beginners to higher levels with the right tools. Compare Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to see which works best for you.
Compare Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom