My first roll of film and amateur photos (maybe too much so).

So... I don't even know where to begin...
I went out to take the first photos of my life, and I think it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm not talking about the ease of simply aiming and shooting, I'm talking about composition, exposure, colors, and everything else related to the field of analog photography... I made my first roll of film today, and to be honest, I think it turned out pathetic, hahaha (in a good way). The thing is, I was looking at a beautiful scene, perfect to be chemically immortalized on my film, but when I looked through the viewfinder of my camera, it seemed like there was no more charm. I don't know exactly what happens, hahaha, but when I look through the viewfinder, it seems like nothing matches anymore; it's strange. I even had to rush to take these photos of a jaguar. When they're ready, I'll scan everything and send them here.

But just from this little bit that I had the chance to do, I wrote down everything I need to take good photos, and it's literally EVERYTHING, especially composition. I have to become the master wizard of photographic composition, hahaha.

Besides that, I had the opportunity to take my family's motorcycle and go for a ride around the whole district, and it was great fun. I met all kinds of people and saw places I didn't even know existed nearby!!

I took this photo with my cell phone, but it's just an example.

It's not just about pointing and shooting; it's truly artistic, a real art form.

Congratulations! Photography really is a very fun visual art!! The more you photograph, the more natural it becomes and many of the “difficult“ aspects become second-nature.

When you look through the viewfinder you lose depth perception. A scene that looks good in 3-D may lose its appeal when viewed in 2-D. When evaluating a scene try closing one eye and see if the scene turns from interesting to blah.

I often look at a scene, then close one eye and bob and weave around to find the optimum point for taking the picture. I see this behavior in other photographers - only after they have gone through this exercise do they go back to the car and haul out the tripod and camera case(s).

Pedroga said:

I have to become the master wizard of photographic composition, hahaha.

Click to expand...

That, in my book, is a noble albeit also very challenging endeavor. Nonetheless, I think it's great you recognize this particular aspect as a key area to develop in.

Here's a discussion from not too long ago about the question of books on composition: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/best-book-on-photo-composition.200219/ Perhaps there's something useful in there for you, too.

Other than reading books and looking at art in general (composition of course isn't limited to photography), I've found it helps to critically look at my own photos and ask myself whether something works (or, rather: doesn't quite work well). Doing so with a friend who has a keen eye for composition and is capable and willing to talk about it (insofar as it can be put into words) is also very valuable - but depends on finding someone who qualifies.

You may be demanding too much from your beginning steps.
It's usually better to start with smaller, accomplishable goals, and then refine things as you go along.
Try first for photos that please you - emphasizing the joy you experience in finding those. From there, you can evaluate and experiment to see what makes them even better.
It is a joyful journey, not just a destination.