Want to learn photography but don’t know where to begin? Learn the basics from The 78 Photography Rules For Complete Idiots, a mostly-factual, partly-inane and completely funny illustrated piece that details some of the key ideas you’ll need to learn before you start snapping stills.
Created by Latvian photographer Ivars Gravlejs, the pieces of advice range from the obvious (“Before photographing, take the lens cap off”) to the useful (“If you take a picture of a self-portrait, try to hold the camera in both hands”) to the downright comedic (“It is better to photograph clouds when there are clouds”). Despite the overall light-hearted tone, some of the recommendations are actually pretty good for novices, along with folks like me who don’t really use a camera all that often.
Oddly enough, some of the “wrong” photographs look damn good, which means even the biggest dummy can manage to capture a good image every now and then. Hell, I have collected about a dozen or so photographs I’ve taken over the years that people deem “brilliant” and I’m about as knowledgeable with cameras as your grandmother probably is about using an iPhone.
Do bear in mind that the piece is as much about getting a laugh as it is about teaching photography, so take some of the advice with a grain of salt.
[Gawno]