Brielle Canares- Photography

The Beginner's Photography Guide by Chris Gatcum

Chapter: Equipment

Photography has always been in my life. I wouldn't call my dad a professional photographer, but he constantly took photos during my childhood. I believe his obsessive photo taking of my childhood really sparked this interest of photography within me. It wasn't until my older years [also known as the age of 8 years old] that I picked up my dad's DSLR and actually started taking photos. From then on, photography remained one of my favorite hobbies and I am not ashamed to say that out of school, I still bring my camera everywhere I go. 

The first chapter of the book starts off by going into detail about the anatomy of a camera, the way to hold a camera and even just the basic equipment that is strongly recommended. 

The first thing they teach us is the different parts of the camera and what they're called. Since this book is open to many different types of cameras, the page gives us a general idea of where the parts are. Taking this into consideration, I decided to map out the different parts of my own camera in which I used the book to help me. 

What I found interesting was that the top metal part where external flash goes is called a "hot shoe". Although I found reading about the buttons on a camera was pretty boring, it felt reassuring to refresh my mind of the names of the parts of the camera. 

Another interesting thing about this chapter was the fact that it teaches the reader to hold a camera correctly. The author states, "To keep your camera as steady as possible (without using a tripod), hold it in your right hand, with your index finger close to the shutter release button and your fingers around the camera's grip." (Gatcum 28). I found this very interesting since I didn't know that you were supposed to hold a camera a certain way. Gatcum also states to, "Keep your elbows tucked into your sides for added stability." (Gatcum 28). I believe these simple tips will really help my photography in the future and help be a huge step towards preventing blurriness in my photos.  

Overall, reading the first chapter was pretty redundant for me, but it did help me recall the smaller details like the names of the buttons of the camera and just the posture for holding a camera. I believe that getting to know each of the button's functions will really help me in the future, when I actually start to take photos. Now that I'm finished with the boring part of the book, I'm actually ready to learn how to alter the settings and produce quality photos, which means that I get go out and photograph the world. 

Is there any specific place that you think I should go to take photos? Let me know in the comments below!