Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Mastering Photography: Eric Kim

The purpose of this course: How to best use the camera you already own. You don’t need to buy any new equipment or lenses for this course. The camera you already own is the best camera, whether it be your phone, mirrorless, or DSLR camera.

For this course we will use Adobe Lightroom Classic CC on your desktop/laptop, and if you don't have it already, you can download a free trial. We will also learn how to use VSCO on your mobile device.

Let’s get started!

Eric

What is the best camera for you?

In this lecture I overview the different cameras for photography: Phone cameras, APS-C cameras, Full-frame, Digital Medium-Format, and Film Photography (35mm and medium-format 120 film).

In this lecture I cover different types of lenses, focal lengths, and full frame and crop-sensors. Part 1/2

In this lecture I cover different types of lenses, focal lengths, and full frame and crop-sensors. Part 2/2

This lecture is an analysis of the pros and cons of RAW vs JPEG and a basic overview of Lightroom.

Download and installation instructions for Adobe Lightroom Lightroom Classic CC:

1. Go to Adobe website for a trial version of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC (search Google, or use the external resources link here on Udemy)
2. On Adobe website, click "Free Trial"
3. Signup with your First Name, Last Name, Email
4. Note: Password must have at least one number or symbol, and both lower-case and upper-case.
5. Download Adobe Lightroom Lightroom Classic CC, and install on your computer.

How to signup for ERIC KIM FORUM:

1. Go to http://forum.erickimphotography.com
2. Click "Login or Join" in top-right corner
3. On right side, create username, add your email address, password, and click 'I agree to the Terms' and click "Join"
4. Go to your email, and confirm your account by clicking the confirmation link.
5. If you don't see email verification message, check your 'Spam' folder.

Activities will include link to share your photos and give/receive feedback on ERIC KIM FORUM.

If you have any issues with signing up for the forum, try a different browser (Firefox and Chrome work best), leave a message in the Q&A forum or message us directly.

Excited to have you in the forum,

Eric

This section is my favorite-- how to make better photos. We will learn how to compose better scenes, how to use the viewfinder/LCD screen of your camera to frame better. 

We will talk about simple composition tips like diagonals, curves, figure-to-ground, and talk about the difference between taking and making a photo.

We are all visual artists, and the purpose of making great photos is a CREATIVE ACT! "Taking" a photo is stealing a scene, but "Making" a photo is more creative and comes from your soul.

We will teach you how to take the best possible photo with your phone, or the camera you already own.

Let's jump on in!

Eric

How do you choose your subject-matter and what to photograph?

First of all, ask yourself: "What do I want to photograph?"

I suggest taking 'everyday life photos' -- photographing the world around you.

This lecture covers the essential parts of composition: subject, framing, and depth. 

To make better compositions, look for leading lines, and have good balance/proportion in your scene.

Composition is important: it adds meaning, depth, movement, excitement, and meaning in your photos.

Composition is: "The arrangement of visual elements inside your frame."

However you decide to frame your subjects dictates your composition.

This lecture covers essential composition techniques and composition grids such as negative space, rule of thirds, golden rectangle, and fibonacci spiral.

In this fun activity we will sketch one of our compositions. Here are the steps:

1. Photograph a scene.
2. Select 1 photograph and draw its composition on a separate piece of paper.
3. Optional: Use sketching app like 'Procreate' if you prefer.

This lecture demonstrates five different techniques of composition: diagonals, low-angle perspective, high-angle perspective, curves, clean background, exposure compensation, and clean edges.

In this fun live demo, I show you how I frame and compose my images using diagonals, perspectives, curves, clean background, and clean edges.

This lecture is a primer to color photography and color theory.

Look for color-combinations when you're out shooting photos. By putting different colors together, you enhance both the colors in your frame.

In this lecture we will talk about how to make better black and white photos using the techniques of figure-to ground and contrast.

Welcome to this section on how you can master exposure and lighting in your photography! 

• Photography means: "Painting with light." You cannot make photos without light. In this section we will cover:
• Exposure Triangle: Aperture, shutter-speed, and ISO, and how each of these variables affect the others.
• Adjusting your exposure-compensation to make more dramatic photos.
• When should you listen to your meter, and when should you shoot manually?
• How can we adjust our exposures with our phones, with iPhone and Android?

You excited? Let's get started!

Eric

This lecture is an introduction to the 'Exposure Triangle'.

Exposure: How bright or how dark your photos are.

The Exposure Triangle is a balance of:

1. Aperture
2. Shutter-Speed
3. ISO

When should you shoot in automatic mode (Program mode) versus fully-manual?

In this fun demonstration, I show how exposure-compensation changes the brightness/darkness of your photo.

In this fun activity you will have the chance to practice exposure-compensation by taking 3 photos of the same scene, with 3 different exposure compensations. Photograph something outside or inside your home. This activity shouldn't take you more than 1 minute.

In this live demo, we will show you how changing the aperture will affect the depth-of-field and focus in your photos. We will cover how to make backgrounds with bokeh or "blurred backgrounds."

This lecture discusses when you should use natural light or a flash?

For this activity, let's experiment using your flash. This activity is optional. Use the flash that is integrated on your camera, or use the flash on your phone camera. 

This live demo is an introduction to focusing (automatic and manual).

Focus: directs the viewer's eye, and tells them what to look at, and what is important in the scene.

This live demo will show you how to focus and adjust exposure on your iPhone, Samsung, or Android device.

"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day." - Vincent Van Gogh

If you're busy with your day-job, and have a hard time shooting during the day-- realize you can shoot great photos at night! This lecture covers night photography tips such as ISO, flash, silhouettes, and blur.

In this section we will talk about how you can capture "the decisive moment" in photography -- moments which are personally meaningful to you.

We will cover:

• Interesting interesting scenes, and follow your intuition in photography 
• Shoot better selfies of yourself
• Capture more dynamic perspectives
• Make better photos of everyday life, and street photography

What is a "decisive moment" in photography, and why is it important? After watching this lecture you will learn the best camera settings to use to capture personally-meaningful moments to you.

In this lecture we will cover practical tips and guidelines on how to shoot better portrait photos. You will learn how to interact and guide your subject, and reveal their soul with you lens.

How do you interact and guide your subject in portrait photography? In this fun live demo, you will see how I make a portrait of my mother, and capture a beautiful portrait of her in the best light. I will give you practical tips in terms of how to look for the light, and how to capture the soul of your subject.

In this fun activity you will practice directing your subject when shooting a portrait. You will find a subject to photograph and shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes. You will look for a simple background, find a simple background, and have them look in different directions (up, down, left, right). 

"Honor thy selfie."

Why is it important to shoot selfies? By shooting a selfie, you can track your own progress in your own life, and you are always the best subject to photograph. You can record your own life via your selfies, and also the more comfortable you are photographing yourself, the more comfortable you will be in photographing others.

Street photography is great because you can photograph the beauty of everyday life. This lecture covers street photography settings, subject matter, and techniques.

Why is street photography so scary? Sometimes we feel like we are upsetting our subjects, or bothering them. But realize-- street photography is a beautiful act of capturing the joy of everyday life.

Street photography doesn't need to be shot candidly-- you can interact with your subjects and ask for permission.

## How to Channel Your Fear

Street photography is about channeling your fear in a positive way. By photographing what you're afraid of-- you are more likely to make good street photos.

The best way to defuse a negative confrontation: Smile and say "Thank you"

***

## 1. Pretend like you're shooting something (behind) your subject

Your subject will assume you're photographing something else.

Take lots of photos of the scene, and try to get eye contact with your subject. Also when you pretend like you're photographing something behind your subject, crouch down. This will make you look smaller and less threatening.

If you're caught photographing someone, just say: "Isn't this place so interesting?" and point out the background.

Pro tip: Take a photo, take a step closer, take a photo, take a step closer (and don't make eye contact with your subject).

Assignment #1: Don't make eye contact in street photography for an entire day

***

## 2. Ask for permission

When you feel afraid, compliment your subject, and ask them: "Do you mind if I make a portrait of you?"

With compliments: be specific. Figure out which specific details you will compliment your subject.

Engage with your subject, and you can get your subject to laugh, and make a more interesting street photograph.

A lot of street photographs look like they were shot without permission, but they were actually shot with permission.

Assignment #2: "10 No Challenge" -- approach a bunch of strangers and ask for permission to make their portrait. You must keep asking for permission until you get 10 people to reject you. This will help build your confidence.

***

## 3. Lingering technique

When you're shooting street photography, keep your camera glued to your eye, keep clicking, and move on.

By lingering, you will feel more calm, and your subject will actually be less suspicious of you.

When you see an interesting scene: don't think too much. Keep lingering, and keep clicking.

Assignment #3: Take at least 10 photos of every scene. Keep your eye glued to your viewfinder or LCD screen. Don't take 1-2 photos and run away. Linger, hang around, and keep shooting to build your confidence in your street photography. 

In this fun activity you will try out the 'fishing technique' in street photography.

1. Walk around and pick a background or scene.
2. Wait for 1 subject to enter the frame and shoot multiple photos of the scene.

Optional: choose 1 best photo and share to Eric Kim Forum.

Optional 2: Share on social media with hashtag #erickimcourse

When shooting this assignment, look for interesting billboards, and colorful backgrounds. 

Have fun!

Eric

In this advanced street photography live demo, I show how to compose a photo, shoot from a perspective, and work the scene. Excuse the noise, we are live in the streets of Japan to show you the exciting action!

This lecture introduces everyday photography and helps you find 'beauty in the mundane'-- beauty in the everyday, and ordinary.

If you have a passion for geometry, shapes, forms, and cities-- architecture photography is for you. In this lecture you will learn how to make more dynamic and epic compositions of architecture.

What is the difference between editing and post-processing? 

• Editing: Choosing your best photos
• Post-Processing: Adding filters, adjusting colors, and exposures afterwards.

Having the discipline to choosing your best photos is one of the most challenging things in photography.

We will cover:

• Using Lightroom to quickly flag, organize, and export your photos. 
• File management, cloud storage (Dropbox), and workflow.
• Building your visual eye to quickly choose your best photos.

You excited to get started? Okay, let's go!

Eric

This lecture covers the important task of Editing (choosing your best photos). Don't mistake this with "post-processing" (adding filters, presets, and turning your photos to black and white).

In this lecture I will share personal tips on how I choose my best photos, based on principles of composition and emotional content. 

In this lecture you will learn a basic overview of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, and master the fundamentals to quickly choose, flag, and export your photos.

In this lecture we will cover the 'small thumbnail test' to quickly look through, flag, and export your photos.

In this fun activity, you will practice the thumbnail test to choose your best photos.

How do you organize all your great photos, and safely backed up?

In this lecture we will discuss how I keep everything synced on Dropbox and how to mange your files.

What is the difference between post-processing and editing? How can you make images that 'pop'? Are filters/presets "cheating?"

In this section we will cover:

• The fundamentals of post-processing: the art of adding your own aesthetic taste to your photos
• How to create your own unique 'look' and style
• The art of black and white photography
• How to create your own presets and filters to speed up your workflow
• How to think and see like an artist, and make photos that bring you joy.

You excited? Let's go!

Eric

What is post-processing and why is it important? How can we post-process our photos?

Post-processing: The art of processing your photos after you've shot them.

How do you post-process your photos in Lightroom? I will show you the simplest workflow to make photos that pop.

We will cover how to import Lightroom presets, how to apply them, and how to create our own custom presets.

Presets are like camera film. It allows you to think less about your post-processing, and helps speed up your own workflow, to have a consistent look.

In this lecture we will cover how we can best post-process our RAW photos to beautiful black and white images.

In this lecture I will give you a live demo how to add filters to your iPhone, iOS, Android, and Samsung photos, and adjust the brightness, exposure, and contrast of your photos, to beautify your photos.

In this fun activity we will use Adobe Lightroom to quickly process your photos into stunning black and whites. 

I will show you a live demonstration how to install VSCO app on your device, and how you can post-process your photos with the best VSCO preset/filters.

VSCO is free to use, and there is also a paid option.

"A6" preset is my favorite in VSCO, and best simulates the look of color film. This is a paid option.

Have you ever wanted to monetize your photography, or build a following?

• This section you will learn:
• Photography monetization strategies
• Photography branding
• Marketing techniques
• Social media overview (Facebook, Instagram) how to gain more followers/likes
• How to promote yourself as a photographer
• We will build our own photography website/blog
• How you can differentiate yourself from other photographers

Ready to get started? All right, let's go!

Eric

What is social media, what is it, and how can we best use it as photographers?

Why should we make a photography website/blog when we already have free social media options like Facebook and Instagram?

In this demonstration I will show you how to make your own wordpress.com website/blog, and how to customize it to look best for photography.

What is branding and why is it important for modern photographers?

What is social media, and how can we best leverage social media?

We will discuss photography monetization strategies: do I need to make money from my photos, and how do I creatively monetize my photography?

What are practical tips and strategies on building your own photography business, and how can you monetize? This lecture covers Google SEO, pricing, and selling products and experiences.

In this section we will talk about creative confidence-- how to have confidence in yourself, how to choose your own photos, and how to publish your favorite photos.

We will also discuss how you can stay inspired in photography, and to always retain your child-like enthusiasm in photography.

You will learn:

• Inspiration from other visual arts
• How to cross-pollinate your interests
• How to continue to flourish as a photographer, regardless of your situation in life.

You're almost there-- let's go!

Eric

What is creative confidence, why is it important, and how can you be creatively confident?

Why?: The more confident you are, the more productive and motivated you will be in your photography.

How to innovate in your photography: cross-pollinate your various interests.

The final lecture-- excited to have you here. Here are additional resources to help you continue to grow, evolve, and stay inspired in your photography.

• Remember: photography is about fun, joy, giving you the inspiration to travel, and go on adventures. 
• Think of yourself like a photography teacher-- share your wisdom with others. Volunteer at local schools to teach them photography.
• Photography is the ultimate form of self-empowerment. 

When you're shooting, always shoot with a grateful heart, and always smile :)

Eric