Amateur Photographers
Amateur Photographers can be beginner photographers who are just getting started in the photography business or who already have a photography gallery or photo portfolio but want to get into mainstream photography as a professional photographer.
Much is confusing when you start in photography, not least because of the many technical terms some people like to use. Most people can do everything they want to in photography without a great deal of technical study, and certainly without unnecessary jargon.
Photography really stopped being a necessarily highly technical medium with the introduction of the commercial dry plate in 1878, and certainly with the introduction of the Kodak and George Eastman's famous slogan "You press the button, we do the rest." in 1888. Of course technical skills are still vital in some areas of photography, but those that most photographers actually make use of in their work can be picked up easily in a few weeks or months.
Easier Than Ever
Several things make things even easier for photographers now. Firstly, technology, particularly with digital cameras, will do the job for you, at least almost as well as a trained photographer, nearly all the time. You can 'Point and shoot', with 'programmed exposure' to select the shutter and aperture settings along with auto focus and get great results nearly all of the time. Many pros work that way, only switching to manual when they want an extra tad of performance or to impose a particular vision rather than the more average electronic solution.
Digital also makes things easier because you can see the results straight away, rather than having to wait for your films to return from processing. Whatever level you are at in photography, if you don't make mistakes, you just are not trying hard enough.
How to Learn
You learn about photography by taking pictures, learning from your successes, but even more from your mistakes. Setting yourself projects to do with the camera (or taking courses in which others set tasks.) Evaluating the results is of course vital if you want to improve, as is looking at other people's pictures. Here on "Amateur Photography" you will find plenty of features on good photographers with links to their work online, which form a great learning resource.
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