You might not be surprised to hear this, but your camera is smarter than you.
That’s right. Modern cameras are more powerful than the original Cray Super Computer, and they’re have more buttons, dials and menu items than just about everything, except maybe your TV Remote. And a Boeing 747.
It’s no wonder that today’s new-fangled cameras confuse the heck out of most mortals. Despite the fact that they’re packed with tons of features, I meet so many photographers who pretty much keep their cameras on auto all the time, scared to delve into that utterly frightening territory outside of the Little Green Box mode.
Believe me, I totally get it. As someone who teaches photography, I think that many of today’s cameras are WAY more complicated than they need to be, at least when it comes to design and ergonomics.
Camera manufactures are to blame for this, and they don’t help with their horrendously worded, poorly translated manuals. Seriously, who enjoys reading these things?
However, it’s time for you to take control of your camera.
I lied when I said that thing above. Your camera is not smarter than you, it just has more buttons. Don’t think of it as complicated, instead look at it as a device that offers tremendous creative control.
That little black box has all the tools you need to create fantastic photographs of whatever subject you like to shoot. How awesome is that?
Sure, more expensive cameras have more cool features, but you aren’t using most of them anyway, so what does it matter?
Begin the new year/month/week by learning something new about your camera. Pick a single feature that you’ve never used before and learn what it does.
If you don’t want to read the manual, Google it. If you’re a Fuji X Series user, you’ll want to check out my free Fujifilm Tips and Tricks Guide. If you’re a total beginner, I recommend checking out Digital Photography School’s Photo Nuts and Bolts Guidebook. Or take my online video course.
Then, go out and practice. Experiment and see how to use that feature in real world applications. Figure out how it can help you capture a certain type of subject more effectively and expand the scope of your imagery,
The more you know about your camera, the better (less frustrated) photographer you will become. Isn’t that worth a few minutes of your day each month?
So learn one new thing today. Then learn another new thing next week. And so on. Think how much you’ll advance by the time summer comes.
Good luck and have fun.