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Tools for Beginner Photographers

The best tools for beginner photographers: exposure triangle, depth of field, camera settings, photo thesaurus, crop factor and keyboard shortcuts guide.

See exactly how aperture, shutter speed and ISO interact, interactive and free
Calculate how much is in focus from sensor size, focal length and aperture
Describe your shooting situation, get recommended camera settings back
Compare field of view across sensors and focal lengths to pick the right lens
See what 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and other focal lengths do to your composition
Find the equivalent focal length on any sensor: full frame, APS-C, MFT and more
75+ photography terms explained the way you actually use them
Estimate light intensity via your screen, useful as a quick reference on location
Read camera, lens, settings, histogram and colour palette directly from your photo
25 proven poses for portrait, standing, seated, lying and couples
Softbox, octabox, beauty dish, strip: which light modifier to use and when
All keyboard shortcuts for Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One and more in one place
Calculate your exact shutter speed with any ND filter, from ND2 to ND1000
A new street photography challenge for every day of the year, free and shareable

Want a calmer, more thorough walk-through? Read Photography for Beginners — six core tools with twice the explanation per concept and direct links to the photo thesaurus.

Start here: the exposure triangle

The exposure triangle visualiser shows interactively what happens when you change shutter speed, aperture or ISO. Understanding these three is the foundation of photography.

Depth of field and focal length

The depth of field calculator shows how much is sharp at any combination of focal length, aperture and focus distance. The focal length comparison tool and focal length simulator help you understand what each focal length does in practice. The crop factor calculator explains how your sensor affects your effective focal length.

Camera settings, concepts and practice

The camera settings advisor gives concrete starting values for portraits, landscapes, sports and low-light situations. The photo thesaurus explains 75+ photography terms in practical language. The EXIF viewer shows you exactly what settings produced your best shots. The keyboard shortcuts guide saves hours in Lightroom and Photoshop. The daily street photography assignments give you a new creative challenge every day.

Related specialisations
Photography for Beginners Street Photography Portrait Photography
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