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The SECRETto shooting like a pro!Unlock the incredible potential of your camera
by James Staddon with Lenspiration
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been taking pictures. What matters is that you
Pros never know at what point they become pro; they just never stop shooting for excellence.
Copyright ©2017 by Lenspiration. All rights reserved.
Special thanks to photographer David Pinkerton for photos on pages 24 and 25, www.99designs.com
What Kind Of Photographer Are You?Did you know that every time you go to take a photo, you’re using both sides of your brain?
For example, lets say you want to take a picture of a flower…
The beauty you see in a scene and how you decide to frame a shot to capture that beauty originates in the right side of your brain. The right hemisphere is cre-ative and intuitive, helping us comprehend visual imagery and make sense of what we see, hear or feel.
Taking photos, however, is not only an artistic process. There are always questions like, “What camera settings should I use?” or “The wind is blowing, how do I keep the flower from appearing blurry in the photo?” These problem-solving decisions are made in the left side of your brain. The left hemisphere is logical and objective, handling the number-crunching aspects of life.
So, why is this important?
Understanding that photography uses both sides of the brain is import-ant because it helps us do something we wouldn’t normally have the
motivation to do…intentionally develop both sides of the brain! Since all of us tend to use one side of the brain more naturally
than the other, it means we must intentionally learn to develop the other side too if we want to excel in photography!
Now, most beginner photographers tend to be right-brained. They have a knack for seeing beauty around them and find the camera as a tool for capturing that beauty. However, without an understanding of the technical aspects of pho-tography, they may loose heart and move on to other artis-tic pursuits. They just couldn’t figure out how to use a cam-era to capture the beauty around them.
On the other hand, left-brained beginner photographers tend to have a knack for being able to “capture it”, but they tend to lack the creative eye that gives their photos
that needed artistic flair. Without intentionally developing an artistic perspective, they may never really be able to stand
out from the crowd, and thus gradually fade out of the pho-tography arena altogether.
So, which of the two kinds of photographers are you?
Why This Ebook Is So ImportantRight-brained photographers: do you struggle with being able to capture what you see?
Left-brained photographers: do you struggle with be-ing able to capture things artistically?
Well, I’ve got some great news for you…
Right brained? Learn the secret of this ebook to unlock your camera and finally begin capturing those moments you’ve always wanted to (but have never been able to) capture before!
Left-brained? Awesome! Learn the secret of this ebook to gather the skills for intentionally de-veloping that artistic side of your brain!
It doesn’t matter which kind of photog-rapher you are. It doesn’t matter how you learn. Anybody can become an excellent photographer. Together, let’s unlock the secret to shooting like a pro!
What You Will LearnHere is one of my favorite landscape shots! There’s something just so in-credibly beautiful about the way that smooth, silky water looks. It plays an important role in portraying the beauty I remember experiencing at that amazing location.
Would you be able to effectively capture this effect?
Professionals can. Why should you not be able to as well?
What about this effect?
Notice how beautifully blurred the background is. Background blur has a way of beautifully setting a subject apart from the background in a very pro-fessional, artistic way.
Are you able to intention-ally capture this effect?
Professionals can. Why should you not be able to as well?
Starburst effect - Cityscape?
Notice how the street lights appear to be “shining”. Interesting effect, isn’t it?
It adds a very artistic flair. Believe it or not, this starburst effect is fairly simple to achieve.
Pros do it all the time. Why should you not be able to as well?
Where Most Folks StartI think you’d be sur-prised at how easy each of these three effects are to do your-self. They’re possible with just about any camera out there!
It’s often just a matter of unlocking your camera’s potential to be able to actually start doing them.
The problem is, most beginner photog-raphers don’t know where to start…
Where did you start? Can you remember the day when you took your very first picture?
Since you probably didn’t know much about photography, you probably started where just about everyone else starts: Automatic Mode.
And really, Auto is a fine place to start. Why not utilize the incredible technology built into cameras these days? It often does a very good job too. In fact, it will do a better job than you if you don’t know of a better way to do it. Cameras are pretty smart. And they’re getting smarter and smarter all the time.
However, while the Automatic Modes are great, think of it this way: “Auto is like an automobile; it can only go so far.”
Roads are great. You can pretty much drive anywhere you want to on roads these days. Paved roads, gravel roads, dirt roads, and even off-road “roads” allow you to get to some pretty awesome destinations.
But eventually the roads will end. Eventually, you’re going to have to get out and rely on your own two feet to get you where you really want to go. If you want to go beyond normal, you’re going to have to go beyond your comfort zone.
Same thing in photography. Auto will take some pretty awe-some pictures for you, but it can only go so far. What if you want to explore, be creative, shoot for specific effects, or over-ride the settings that your camera is automatically choos-ing? What if I want to intentionally capture the effects I just showed you, of flowing water, background blur and starburts?
Eventually, you’re going to have to move beyond Auto. Eventually, you’re going to have to learn how to “unlock” your camera.
And this ebook will show you how to do it!
The Problem With ManualWe understand the problem with shooting in Auto now. But you know what that actually means? It means there’s no choice but to start shooting manually.
“But wait? Manual? Are you crazy?! How do you expect a beginner to start shooting manually when he picks up a camera for the first time?”
You’re right. There are tremendous problems with jumping into Full Manual on day one. It’s sorta like expecting some-one who has never studied aviation before (or worse yet, never even taken a ride in an airplane before) to fly a com-mercial airliner. Take a look at that cockpit! There are so many controls it’s mind-boggling.
Perhaps you feel like your camera is the cockpit of an air-plane. So many options! “Boy, it sure does seem easier to use autopilot!”
But did you know that it’s impossible for airplanes to take off in autopilot?
That’s right! And it’s the same way in photogarphy. I would rather be numbered with the photographers who “take off” in their photography, than with the many photographers who are content to stay on the tarmac, relying always on Auto.
So let’s fly in manual! And you know what? Flying manually is not nearly as complicated as you think. Let me explain…
It’s Sorta Like Learning How To WalkLearning to shoot with the manual modes on your camera is a lot like learning how to walk.
Is it hard to walk? No.
Do you remember learning how to walk? Probably not.
At first, it probably felt quite complicated. But what was the key to learning? You took it one step at a time.
We’re not going to dive into shooting manually head first. We are going to take it one step at a time.
You will be surprised at how simple it is. And once you get a hang of it, you’ll probably forget how hard you thought it was! Just like walking.
So let’s learn how to walk with our camera! One step at a time.
The Mode DialTo get started, let’s make sure we are on the same page with the most basic control on your camera: the Mode Dial.
This is the place where you switch your camera between the automatic modes, the manual modes, and sometimes the video mode depending on what camera you are using.
The Mode Dial is different on every camera, but it’s always the main setting everyone instinctively starts with. On simple point and shoot cameras, there may be any number of au-tomatic modes. There may or may not be any man-ual modes; on mobile devices, look for a “pro” mode. Whatever cam-era you have, the dif-ferent shooting modes should be fairly intuitive.
This diagram shows common shooting modes on DSLR cameras.
Not Millions Of OptionsNow, let’s take a look at how Auto works.
In Auto, the camera is automatically taking care of what seems like millions of options in your camera’s “cockpit”.
But the reality is, there are not millions of options. There are actually only about 10 you have to deal with for starters.
The Problem With AutoIn the autom modes, you don’t have to worry about changing any of these settings because the camera is in complete control.
The problem is, in the automatic modes, the settings are locked in. You can’t take control of them, even if you wanted to! It’s as if each setting is a “switch” with the Mode Dial acting as a “master switch”, keeping everything permanently in Auto.
As a result of the “master switch” being on Auto, all of the other settings are locked into Auto as well. You can’t even at-tempt to explore, or be creative, or shoot for specific effects. What the camera says is what you get. There’s nothing you can do about it. You’re at the end of the road.
Is Full Manual The Only Alternative?So most folks think that the only way to unlock their camera is to jump into Full Manual. This is where beginners run into problems. They don’t know enough about photography to take control of all 10 major camera controls, all at the same time, especially all on day one!
As shown in the diagram below, beginners think that to switch the “master switch” into manual is to switch all settings into manual. They think that to shoot manually is to take control of everything, all at once. To jump in head-long and blunder around until one day it eventually clicks. And this always makes for a very rough start. But we don’t want a rought start! And thankfully, there is a better way!
Only Shoot Manually When You Want ToTake a look at the diagram now. What if you could get your camera set up to work like that?
What if the camera was still in control of all the settings, yet you had the option to take control of any one of the set-tings any time you wanted? What if you could essentially shoot in Auto, yet could switch any individual setting into man-ual on a whim, when you wanted to? What if you should shoot “automatically” in manual?
Is not this, in essence, the first step to “unlocking” your camera?
Learn One Setting At A TimeJust imagine what this would be like!
You’re comfortable with shooting in Auto, right? Then why not shoot “automatically” in the manual modes while you take your time learning all the details of the 10 main camera controls? With your camera set up in this way, you
could start learning each setting one at a time. You could manually take control of one setting, experiment with it, and then switch it back into “Auto” when you’re finished. As you experiment with one setting, you could rest as-sured that all the other settings are being controlled “automatically”. You can focus on one setting at a time.
You are taking on Full Manual one step at a time!
Now You Can Do Anything!For example, when your camera is unlocked like this, there’s no problem capturing the silky water effect.
While the camera is taking control of all the other settings, I have the option to choose whatever shut-ter speed I want. Since the silky water water effect is achieved by using a slow shutter speed, all I have to do is take control of shutter speed.
I can do this because my camera is unlocked. If I was shooting in any of the Automatic Modes, my camera would be locked, and I couldn’t choose the necessary shutter speed. But since I’m shooting “automatically” in the manual modes, I can do whatever I want. I can begin learning to shoot like the pros!
I have literally unlocked the potential of my camera.
Same thing with the other two effects I showed you earlier. Both of them are controlled by the aperture setting. To capture either of these effects, all I have to do is temporarily take manual control of Aperture.
Again, I couldn’t do this in the Automatic Modes. The aperture setting would be locked, and I wouldn’t be able to take control of it. But now, since I’m shooting “automatically” in the manual modes, I can do whatever I want! I can begin learning to shoot like the pros.
I have literally unlocked the potential of my camera!
Now You Know The Secret!And that’s the secret to shooting like a pro!
The pros shoot manually. It’s hard to shoot man-ually. It’s easy to shoot in Auto. So why not start shooting “automatically” in the manual modes, taking one step at a time until you can actually, confidently shoot manually in Full Manual?!
It’s not that difficult is it?!
So, let’s take the first step to shooting in manual! It’s the only way to excel in photography, regardless of whether you are “right-brained” or “left-brained”. It’s the only way you’ll be able to reach the epic desti-nations beyond the limitations of “automobile road-ways”. It’s the only way you will be able to “take off” in your photography. Once you’ve learned to “walk” in manual, the sky is the limit!
It’s time to unlock the potential of your camera! It’s time to set up your camera to shoot “automatically” in manual! So, how do we do it?
The Next Step
Option 1:You can take each of the 10 main camera controls I have mentioned in this ebook, research how they work on your own, and figure out for yourself exactly how to use each setting “automatically” in the manual modes on your camera. Or...
Option 2:
Watch a training video I’ve put together to specifically help you walk through the next steps! It will explain:
• Everything you need to know to get started with the 10 main camera controls
• How to find those controls on many types of cameras• How to start using those 10 camera controls
“automatically” in the manual modes
In less than an hour, you can be shooting like the pros!
Watch The Video…For Free!The specific material presented in this information-packed train-ing video is so vital to taking the next step in photography that I normally sell it on the Lenspiration Store for $19.
However, the fact that you have made it to the end of this ebook shows me that you are serious about learning photography. And price tags should never stop someone from growing! As my gift to you, here’s a special coupon code for a special discount…how does 100% off sound?!
Go to www.lenspiration.com/unlockcamera
Use this special coupon code at checkout Fr33.V1deo.4U
Check your email to access the link to the video. Let’s keep learning photography, one step at a time!
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James Staddon is a creation photographer and graphic de-
signer based in Salem, West Virginia. James has been running Lenspiration since 2009 and has been trav-
eling with his camera across the United States and abroad since 2006. At a young age, the
beauty of his Uncle’s photography in-spired him with the realization that he,
too, could capture beauty as he ob-served it in creation around him. This inspiration has carried him on into a career of professional photogra-phy training and education. He loves to watch other photographers learn, grow, and share skills in photography in a wholesome environment through the online Lenspiration Community and hands-on photography workshops
across North America.
[email protected] • 304-370-4846
We’ve only just begun! Like what you’ve read so far? Watch the next step, How To Unlock Your Camera, for free!
How To Unlock Your CameraWhat you’ve learned so far: The pros shoot manually. It’s hard to shoot manually. It’s easy to shoot in Auto. So why not start shooting “automat-ically” in the manual modes, taking one step at a time until you can ac-tually, confidently shoot manually in Full Manual?! Now it’s time to un-lock your camera so you can start shooting like a pro! You can learn:
• Everything you need to know to start using the 10 main controls• How to find those controls on many different types of cameras• How to start using those 10 controls “automatically” in the manual
modes, allowing you to utilize your camera’s incredible potential.
1 2 3Use this code at checkout Fr33.V1deo.4U
Check your email to access the video link!
Go to lenspiration.com/unlockcamera
