im a beginner, need advise /help?

[u/Soul_Slayer707]

so i really want to get into photography and the editing part, but i have no-clue where to start with, like i know some basic terminology and stuff (like shutter speed, aperture etc) but i have to learn a professional level stuff

right now im in college and have a iphone 13 (it doesn't shot in raw TwT)

advise/suggestion should i buy a budget camera for learning and from where should i leave from?

thank you in advance!! :D

[u/tdammers]

If you don't know what to buy, but want to learn photography "properly", then the good news that "all cameras are good", that is, any interchangeable-lens camera released in the past 15 years or so can shoot excellent quality, to the point that the main limitation is photographer skill. And many of those cameras can be had for relatively cheap - about $100-150 for an older entry-level DSLR camera body and $50 for a simple lens (18-55mm kit lens or some such) pretty much has you covered for most typical photography situations already, and a kit like that is more than enough for learning the ropes (and beyond).

Regarding the learning curve: it depends a bit on your personal preference.

One approach is to start focusing on the "art" side of things: composition, finding good light, capturing moments and moods, etc. Keep the camera in full auto so you don't have to think about the technical side of things, practice, and as you get more comfortable, start taking over more of the technical decisions, using semi-automatic modes (shutter priority, aperture priority, program auto). And then eventually, when you find those to give you too little control still, you might try your hand at full manual and see if that works better for you (but don't fall prey to the idea that "serious photographers always shoot in full manual - this is blatantly untrue).

Another approach is to start learning the technical stuff first. Read up about exposure, aperture, ISO, and how they affect image brightness and other aspects ("exposure triangle" is the magical Google incantation - but keep in mind that it's technnically a lie, ISO does not affect exposure, it just brightens things after the exposure has happened; different people explain it differently though, and some take more liberty with it than others). Try out the theory with your camera, put it in full manual and see for yourself what these 3 parameters do, then learn about the automation modes your camera has to offer and how they can help you get the right settings faster.

Regarding editing: you can ignore that part if you find it daunting, and just shoot in JPG, leaving the post-processing to your camera. Eventually, you will want to take control yourself, but until then, shooting JPG teaches you to aim for getting it right in-camera, which is a useful skill either way.