Starting your photography journey can be intimidating, and you might find yourself asking questions such as; ‘what camera and lenses should I get?’ or; ‘where should I begin with photo editing?’.

Whilst all that is important to consider, thinking too much about it all can be overwhelming, and you might hit a wall before you’ve even started.

Photography is a great hobby to grow over time, and there is no need to rush. You don’t need anything extraordinary to get started; all you need is a healthy amount of passion and a drop of creativity.

This blog will give you a beginners guide to everything you need to make a start with photography, which leads us to your first essential item: a camera.

Camera

Now, unless you have a very specific superpower where you blink and a polaroid pops out your backside, you're going to need a camera.

Given that you’re trying to be a photographer, getting a camera is absolutely essential – but it doesn’t need to be anything flashy. My first camera was a cheap Samsung that my parents bought me when I was younger. Trust me when I say it was about as basic as you could get. But I learnt everything I could about it and my passion for photography improved the skills that I had, even with that basic tool.

You don’t even necessarily need an actual “camera” to get you started. Most phones these days boast powerful cameras that are capable of extremely high quality photographs. If you wanted to, you could absolutely survive in the world of photography with just a phone and nothing else. From time to time I’ll use my phone when I’m out and about and I haven’t got my camera on me, and I’m always impressed at its quality.

Having said that, it’s never a bad idea to invest in a camera if you can afford one. Delving into the settings and functions of a camera and getting to know some of the more complex features is all part of the fun. A hobbyist DSLR or mirrorless camera shouldn’t set you back too much, and it will allow you to get to grips with camera basics like shutter speed, aperture and ISO.

Lens

So okay, if you’ve taken my advice about using a phone then just ignore this part. Same goes for if you’ve got a “point-and-shoot” camera with a built in lens (like my first camera all those years ago). However, if you have thrown yourself in at the deep end and bought a camera that allows you to swap out lenses, then you have a big choice to make.

Picking the right lens is like trying to pick your next meal when you’re already full from the last one. There’s so much to choose from and you’re that full that you can’t decide what you’re craving for the next meal.

There’s a few things to consider when buying a lens. What is your budget? Will you be shooting portraits, or landscapes? Are you wanting to shoot wildlife photography? It’s fine if you don’t know the answer to these just yet, it just means you’re yet to explore your new hobby and find out what you're interested in.

To start you off I would highly recommend purchasing a zoom lens, which is as versatile as it gets. At its widest focal length you can shoot sweeping landscapes, and towards the more zoomed focal length you can capture perfect portraits or wildlife photography.

Now, I’m not going to suggest any specific lens you should buy. There’s far too much out there and it all depends what camera you have. My biggest piece of advice when buying a lens is to do your research. Use YouTube and photography forums, or ask other people you know that are into photography. Find out as much detail as you can before you make a purchase, and make sure it works on your camera!

Editing photos on your phone has never been easier.

Editing software

You’ve got your camera, you’ve taken some pictures and now it’s time to make them look the best they possibly can. Sure, you can leave the picture as it is, which is fine – sometimes the picture speaks for itself and there's no need to edit it – but for me, I always shoot for the edit.

The way I edit my photos, giving them my personal touch, is what sets my pictures apart from others. My editing style is what defines my photography and makes my images unique.

There are a number of free photo editing software programs you can download to your computer, tablet or phone and many paid programmes that give you more features. These days though, most phones have decent photo editing software built in when you purchase them.

In my opinion, editing is crucial in bringing your photos to life. Take some time to learn what setting in the software does to your photo, play with it and create something you are proud of. Remember, art is subjective and the art you create is personal to you, so make it a personal experience.

Three essential items you need to get in to photography