Moms guide to basic photography

Getting started in photography is all about the first step. Motherhood is no doubt a 24-hour job but if you do find time to take up photography, you will realize your first subject of interest will be your kids and your family.

Dig out that neglected camera bag and start clicking! If you don’t have one, then buy a camera according to your needs and budget. Point-and-shoot cameras are quite affordable these days, but if your aim is to learn photography in the long run, then go for a DLSR camera of a good company like Canon and Nikon.

Hope these pointers will help you get a grip of what you need to do, and what are the challenges that lie ahead.

1. Read the camera manual: Most companies give free study material along with the camera at the time of buying it. DSLRs will have a manual and a CD which will give you a fair idea of the basics of photography. Use them, they are your first teachers.

2. Learn the rules...and break them: Information about photography available online is vast and flabbergasting. But worry not, do a little research about certain rules of photography. Click pictures by applying them. Now click photos by breaking those rules. This practical knowledge will not only help you, but you will also remember it for a long time. Who knows, in the process you might discover a useful tip.

3. Experiment with your camera settings: Play around a bit with all the knobs and buttons. See what difference it makes to your photographs. And do not hesitate because there usually is a restore-all option in the menu which allows you to go back to factory settings.

4. Buy a tripod: Even if you have super-steady hands, consider buying a tripod. You will see that it will help you with night-time photography, action photography, as well as taking your own pictures with the help of a timer.

5. Learn editing techniques: You can blow life into some pretty lifeless pictures just with the help of editing software like Photoshop. Cropping, giving certain effects and adjusting brightness are all tricks which will give your pictures a polished look.