Well this has been a fantastic first year for The Photo Method, thank you to all of you who are following along, reading, and communicating with me. This is a photography blog for beginners and for newer photo business owners and it has been a pleasure to have a dedicated space to share some of my knowledge in the classroom and beyond. It is tricky to do all the things—I am still teaching photography in person, still photographing weddings, still photographing families and seniors, still running this blog. Aaaannnd of course I’m working on more. Always busy over here (I’m sure most of you can relate).
For this final blog post of 2022 (whew!) I decided to give a little bit of a roundup for you of the readers’ favorite blog posts of 2022, the ones that are really getting the most attention and are fan favorites online. If your a beginner photographer and you’ve just jumped in on reading this blog, this is a great place to start! Want to know why people are looking to these blog posts…check them out!
Top 5 Blog posts via google
This is true information via my google analytics (oooooh I love me a little data). These posts are the most searched and most visited blog posts all year. Some of them I was not surprised by, but it looks as though you really like the nitty gritty posts that give you actual direct information. Check these out if you haven’t had a chance yet!
- The Best Entry Level DSLR’s: I’m not really surprised that this is #1. Being a blog primarily dedicated to beginners in photography, entry level DSLRs are tricky. There are many entry level cameras and these ones have truly stood the test of time. The one I recommend I have had in the classroom fro over a decade and they STILL WORK! Not only do they still work with much abuse but they still produce beautiful photos. Beyond impressed.
- Free Course—Learn Your Camera: If you haven’t yet signed up for my free email course on how to get off auto mode on your camera then sign up now! It’s totally free! I give a few great tips if you have never tried to venture off of the green square on your camera and can’t figure out why your iPhone photos look better than your real camera photos (spoiler alert: your camera photos should definitely look better).
- The Only 3 Lenses a Photographer Really Needs: Oh I am so glad this one made the list. I recently changed my business structure to only offer intimate wedding & elopement coverage (that’s a blog post for another day but I am just in love with tiny weddings) and guess what 3 lenses I pack? Yup, the 35mm, the 50mm, and the 85mm. I can still do all the things with these 3 lenses.
- How to Control Lighting in a Scenic Photo: This post was specifically written to answer a blog readers question (seriously, you can always email me and I will write a post for you) and I just loved the result. I guess you did too! This is a great way to find the best light for your vacation photos. It’s actually pretty easy too!
- The 7 Must Ask Questions for Your Client’s Wedding Checklist: Wanting to be a wedding photographer? Trying to figure out how to get all the photos that are needed on a wedding day? Well, here are the 7 main questions that you need to ask your couple before the big day. Ask them in an online form and you will have all the information you need to know to get all the photos your couple wants…and all of this can be done without the dreaded shot list!
Top 5 Pinterest Posts
Okay, here is the Pinterest roundup. Pinterest is a great spot to find blog posts and photography resources for beginners. Are you not following me on Pinterest yet? I post there almost daily and you can always follow and save some favorite pins to come back to later (Pinterest is probably my favorite). Without further ado…the top favorite pins of this past year.
The Top 5 Free Photo Editing Apps: This one is pretty self explanatory, but if you are looking for a way to edit your photos without investing in editing software (which I do recommend doing once you are photographing for clients) then this list has the best ones. I asked my students their favorites and these were their recommendations (plus the ones I’ve actually used in the classroom when needed).
What Is Golden Hour: If you haven’t really explored Golden Hour—what it is and why photographers are in love with it—then this blog post gives a quick explanation and includes a little bit of why golden hour is just so yummy. Did you know it actually happens twice a day?
Why I No Longer Use Zoom Lenses: This post explains my direct decision to stop using zoom lenses in my business. When I made that decision nearly a decade ago, it was likely the biggest change in the way I approach my photography and entirely changed my shooting style.
Photographer’s Gift Guide: Although I put this out for the holiday season, most of these will work all year round. So if you have a photographer or photo enthusiast that you need to buy a little something for (think graduation present, birthday present, or even just because) this list will cover it. I even have a few gifts on here coming in at under $20…for a little something.
The Exposure Triangle for Portrait Photographers: If the term “exposure triangle” has always freaked you out I break this down in the easiest, quickest way I can. I have taught the exposure triangle a few times a year for the last nearly 2 decades…so it is as concise and it can possibly be. If you’re freaked out by metering with the exposure triangle this is a very good starting point.
Well that gives you the year-end roundup of the favorite blog posts for photography beginners here at The Photo Method. Again, I am having so much fun writing this blog and love that you are all getting some real use out of it. So feel free to leave a comment, send me an email, ask me anything. You just might find your question as a full length blog post.
