Yes I have my own photography podcast, well why not? I was looking for a podcast that explained photography stuff just how I want it explaining, but I couldn’t find it. So I created my own. As you do….

In the Photography Explained Podcast I explain one photographic thing per episode in plain English in less than 10 minutes (ish) – ok less than 30 minutes (ish), without the irrelevant details. I explain things in just enough detail to help you and I with our photography and no more.

In episodes 1-50 I have explained the following.

1. What Is Photography To Me?
2. How Does A Camera Work?
3. How To Take A Photo?
4. What Is The Exposure Triangle?
5. Do I Really Need A Camera In 2020?
6. What Are The Different Types Of Camera?
7. What Camera Should I Buy?
8. Why Is Camera Sensor Size Important?
9. How Can I Learn To Use My New Camera?
10. Recap – What Have We Learned So Far?
11. 10 Photography Things Explained Quickly
12. Why Is Composition So Important?
13. What Are The Rules Of Composition?
14. What rules of composition do I use?
15. Foreground, Middleground, Background
16. Take More Interesting Photos
17. What Time Of Day Is Best To Take Photos?
18. What Are The Qualities Of A Good Photo?
19. The Number 1 Way To Improve Your Photography
20. Lets Get Technical
21. What Does Exposure Mean In Photography?
22. Merry Christmas
23. What Is Aperture In Photography?
24. What Does Shutter Mean In Photography?
25. Happy New Year

Blimey – quite a lot then! Here is the summary for each of the episodes.

Yep, this is the introductory episode of my small but perfectly formed podcast.

Why Photography Explained? Well I listen to podcasts all the time but have never found a podcast that explains photography stuff to the level that I want things explaining, which is one thing at a time, in plain English, and without the irrelevant detail.

So I decided to start my own podcast, and here it is!

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-is-photography-to-me

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

In episode 1 of my podcast I start at the very beginning asking the question, what is photography? I’m going to go a step further to be honest and talk about this – What is photography to me?

Firstly, what exactly is the word photography?

Photography is made from two Greek words, photos, which means light and graphic, which means drawing. Some people say writing, but it’s the same principle.

So photography is drawing with light.

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-is-photography-to-me

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

Photography Explained Podcast Episode 2 – How Does A Camera Work

A camera works by exposing the camera sensor to light when the shutter opens. The amount of time the shutter is open, the size of the opening in the camera lens and the sensitivity of the camera sensor to light are all adjustable and set by either the camera or the photographer to create the exposure.

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/how-does-a-camera-work

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

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In this episode I give you some things to think about when you are taking a photo which will hopefully focus your and my mind and help us all to take better photos. The 9 things I talk about are

1.  What are you taking a photo of?
2.  Think about the composition
3.  Choose the right lens
4.  Get the exposure correct
5.  Aperture
6.  Shutter
7.  ISO
8.  Focussing
9.  Different angles

And that’s it

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/how-to-take-a-photo

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

The exposure triangle is the combination of three camera settings

• Aperture
• Shutter
• ISO

The combination of these three settings determines if the image taken is correctly exposed or not. Change any of these three settings and you change the exposure of an image. The exposure triangle is used to take creative photos using specific apertures and shutter speeds with the desired exposure.

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-is-the-exposure-triangle

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

Well, this was not the question that I was answering on this episode, I have to be honest with you. I was planning on continuing with my explanation of the exposure triangle and all that detailed stuff within there. But um, yeah, the question has been put to me by a Mrs Nicola McEvoy, from well, from where I live – she is my wife!

Yep, Mrs. M has asked a question. And this is having listened to episodes 1-4. And she has made a very good point. Yeah, all this detail is great, but do I need a camera? Very good question.

And that is what I answer in this episode of my podcast.

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/do-I-really-need-a-camera-in-2020

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

What are the different types of camera then? Well, in the last episode, I answered the question posed by Mrs. M – do I really need a camera in 2020? The answer was it depends. And I explained my thoughts and reasonings behind that.

Okay, so what are the different types of cameras?

The different types of camera are

• DSLR – Digital Single Lens Reflex
• SLR – Single Lens Reflex
• Mirrorless – Full Frame/ APS-C/ Micro Four Thirds
• Go Pro/ action cameras
• Compact
• Medium format
• Large Format
• 3D
• 360
• Phone
• Specialist

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-camera

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

What’s the question?

Now, you might wondering what the question is here. Buying a camera is quite a big thing. So, I wanted to just go through quite a few of the considerations because this is a bit of a fundamental reality of photography.

There is no right answer

No, I’m not going to get to the end and say you must buy an X or Y camera. If only life were that simple. No, I’m afraid not. It’s just a matter of considerations and your personal preferences and options. So, all I’m going to give you here are some things to think about, which will help you make the decision about which camera you should buy.

What camera do I use?

The two types of camera that I use are a DSLR, a Canon 6D, and a micro four third mirrorless camera, an Olympus EM5 Mk 2. Now I have specific needs for these cameras.

So, what things should you consider when you’re thinking about buying a camera?

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-camera-should-i-buy

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

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This is the answer that wrote some time after recording this episode
The size of the camera sensor size defines the type of camera, the most popular ones being full frame, APS-C or micro four third cameras. The size of the camera sensor is a significant factor in the quality of images captured, with larger camera sensors generally recording more data and providing higher quality images. The size of the camera sensor is related to the cost of the camera – generally the larger the sensor the more expensive the camera.

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/why-is-camera-sensor-size-important

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

This is the answer that I wrote for the blog post.

The best way to learn to use your camera is to go through the camera manual from start to finish with your camera and try out all the things that you can do with your camera. Buy one book about your camera and learn the things that you want to learn. Go out with your camera and practise the things that you have learned. You should aim to be able to use your camera with your eyes closed – that is when you have learned to use your camera!

Learn from my mistakes

I want to share my advice with you on how you can learn to use your new camera, or indeed, the camera that you already own if you haven’t already learned how to use it properly.

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/how-can-i-learn-to-use-my-new-camera

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

Episode 10 – double figures!

I’d never thought I’d get there. And I’m delighted. Hopefully my recording voice and how I speak is improving. Go back to episode one or the introductory episode – I sound quite horrendous!

What have we learned, briefly, and without any irrelevant detail – I must not forget that point!

• What photography is
• How a camera works
• How to take a photo
• What the exposure triangle is
• Do we need cameras in 2020?
• The fundamentals of cameras
• And how to learn how to use a camera

And I have learned

• To relax and enjoy recording episodes
• To not take this too seriously
• To try to explain things in a logical order- exposure triangle was far too early in the series
• To try and introduce more me to each episode, more ad libs, jokes, that sort of thing

Listen for more, or check out the transcript and even the blog post – so many ways to find out more!

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/recap-what-have-we-learned-so-far

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

10 Photography Things Explained Quickly

Now you would have thought now I’m on episode 11 that I could say the word photography, but we’ll see how it goes. So with my Yorkshire Tea, let’s get into this.

They are

1. Exposure
2. Metering
3. File format
4. JPEG
5. RAW
6. AF
7. Depth of field
8. Focal length
9. Focus
10. White Balance

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/10-photography-things-explained-quickly

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

So why is composition so important?

For me this is a fundamental question and more important than all the other stuff that goes on. Let’s start by looking at what composition is in photography. Hopefully I’ll be able to say that word by the end of the episode.

The composition of a photograph is important as it determines the success or otherwise of a photograph. Composition is the arranging of the elements in an image to provide the viewer with an aesthetically pleasing viewing experience.

Yes, I wrote that down. But that’s my own words. It’s not a Google definition (it might be now!). That’s just what I think composition is. And please bear in mind, I’ve been doing this for over 30 years. So hopefully I’ve got that one about right.

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/why-is-composition-so-important

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

The rules of composition are for me not really rules but are proven, helpful techniques that can help us all improve our compositions. The rules are based on sound artistic and aesthetic principles, and can help us all create more pleasing and aesthetic photos. Composition is the most important thing when taking a photo, and an excellent composition will make a photo, whilst a poor composition will break a photo. Learn to use the rules, apply the ones that work for you, and break them when you are ready to.

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-are-the-rules-of-composition

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

I use the following rules of composition for my architectural and construction photography work to help me get the best compositions I can.

• Rule of thirds
• Depth of field
• Diagonals and triangles
• Foreground interest and depth
• High or low viewpoints
• Leading Lines
• Reducing clutter
• Scale and hierarchy
• Simplicity and minimalism

More on the podcast website at the episode page – https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-rules-of-composition-do-i-use

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

The foreground element should be the first thing that the viewer sees, with the middleground being next. These two elements when combined correctly, take the viewers eye naturally to the background which provides a sense of depth and further interest to the viewer. When you carefully combine the foreground, middleground and background in a composition you will be creating a better photo. Get these elements right and you create an interesting photo, giving a 2D image a sense of depth.

What are foreground, middle ground and background then?
Well, unusually in photography, that’s what they are. The foreground is the bit in the front, the middle ground is a bit in the middle. And the background is a bit at the back.

Right, that’s that episode over. Bye for now.
Just kidding. And this is important. It might sound dull. And I’ll be honest with you, no, it’s not the most exciting subject, but it is important. For a very, very good reason.

I spent the last couple of episodes talking about composition, which for me, is the most important thing in photography. Obviously, you have to get the technical stuff, right. But when you’re a professional photographer, that’s a given.

It’s all about the composition, and nobody else sees things the way that you do.

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/foreground-middleground-background

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

To take more interesting photos, you need to think about the subject that you are photographing, how you can come up with the most interesting composition, and execute the image capture correctly. The most important thing is what you are photographing, and how you compose the image.

Now, in the last three episodes of my podcast, I have gone into composition in a not huge amount of detail because as, I hope you’ve worked out by now, detail isn’t my middle name.

Think about your subject matter
It helps if you photograph things that you like. Now, I like photographing buildings and construction sites, it’s probably not a bad thing that I make my living as an architectural and construction photographer.

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/take-more-interesting-photos

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

This is I think episode five in a series of podcasts about composition and taking photos. I didn’t want to dive into aperture, F stop, gear, blah, blah, blah. Not yet. Because I think that the process of taking photos and composition is more important than the gear.

As I’ve said before, and I will say again, you can take a great photo with average gear, and you can take a rubbish photo with great gear. It’s not the gear – it’s what you point your camera at, what you include and do not include in your composition, and how you take the photo.

And that leads me seamlessly, completely by chance, back to the subject of what time of day is the best to take photos??

Here is my answer

The best time of day to take photos depends on the following

• The subject
• The orientation of the subject
• The weather
• Indoors
• Outdoors
• Commercial pressures
• Artificial light (or not). 

Photography is not just about taking photos in great light, it is also about making the best of rubbish light because you have to.

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-time-of-day-is-best-to-take-photos

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

A good photo has some or all of the following qualities.

• Is interesting
• Captures a moment
• Makes the viewer want to know more
• Tells a story
• Is well composed
• Has depth and balance
• Has no distractions
• Has good light
• Is technically correct
• Has accurate colours
• Has correct focus
• Has correct depth of field
• Is subtly processed
• And finally, and most importantly, looks natural.

 Okay, if you do a Google search for this query, what are the qualities of a good photo, you’ll get a huge variety of answers. This is my answer. This is my list.

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-are-the-qualities-of-a-good-photo

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

The number one way to improve your photography is simply to get out and take photos. It really is that simple. Nothing else will improve your photography more than getting out and taking photos. When you go out and take photos, you are applying everything that you’ve learned to the process of creating new images.

The magic of photography
The magic of photography for me is creating new images. It’s hardly a difficult sentence to perfect, is it? The magic of photography? That was quite rubbish. But this is take two – take one I got about 30 seconds in and just completely lost my words.

So let’s crack on.

Yeah, the magic of photography
I’ve been practising photography for, I don’t know, a long time. Can I say? Well over 30 years. That makes me sound old enough, doesn’t it? I don’t want to. I don’t want to admit how old I actually am. That I don’t want to admit how old I am to myself because it’s quite depressing. (No its no really!).

The magic of photography is creating new images. For me, everything to do with photography starts with creating new images. If you don’t go out and create new images what have you got? Stuff that you’ve already taken?

Sure I got loads of photos that I haven’t ever processed, that I‘ve never got round to. But um, yeah, creating new images sparks everything for me, the entire process, the interest, the enjoyment.

Let’s go through a few things. Let me convince you that I am right. What I have written here is quite strong words for me, isn’t it? 

Number one in my list of 10 things. I guess I should have said 10 ways to improve your photography in 2020. That might have been a bit catchier.

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/the-number-1-way-to-improve-your-photography

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

Photography is an artistic and technical discipline. To be successful in photography, you have to get the technical aspects correct. Composition is vital, but this needs to be complemented by technical excellence of image capture, you need to get exposure focus tack sharp images every time.

That didn’t really make sense did it?

You need to get correctly exposed, correctly focused, tack sharp images every time. As a professional photographer these are absolutes. Nobody expects you to get these things wrong.

In previous episodes, I’ve spoken a lot about composition. So now it’s time to turn to the technical side of things, one thing at a time, of course, and without the irrelevant detail.

What am I going to be talking about in upcoming episodes?

Here’s a list. I like my lists

1. Exposure
2. Aperture
3.  Shutter speed
4.  ISO
5.  The exposure triangle (revisited)
6.  Focus
7.  Depth of field
8.  Focal length

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/lets-get-technical

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

In photography, exposure is the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor. The amount of light that reaches the sensor is controlled by how long the sensor is exposed to light by the shutter and the amount of light let through the opening in the lens, which is the aperture. These two factors, combined with the sensitivity of the sensor, which is the ISO, create an exposure.

Okay, so that is exposure. Exposure is a combination of three fundamental settings in the camera, aperture (now starting again with my failing to pronounce a very basic word in English, which is a bit of a concern)

• Aperture
• Shutter
• ISO

These three things combine to give you an exposure whenever you take a photo. I’m going to, as I said in the last episode, I’m going to talk about aperture, shutter, and ISO in their own rights in future episodes.

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-does-exposure-mean-in-photography

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

Yes, just me wishing you all Season’s Greetings.

What is aperture in photography? This as Jeremy Clarkson would say, is my answer.

In photography, when we talk about the aperture, we’re referring to the opening in the camera lens through which light passes when you take a photo. The aperture combined with the camera shutter controls the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor when you take a photo.

Okay, I know I’m talking about exposure in general here, but I really should have mentioned that ISO is the other part of the exposure triangle, apologies for that omission (not emission!). ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor to light.

Okay, so about camera aperture.
Let’s have a look at this in a little bit more detail. Not too much, but enough. So you understand. And as it turns out, so I understand because I got a few things wrong on this, which was a little bit, well, let’s just say that I thought I knew more than I did.

So I had to do some actual work and research on this one. Which is good, because that was always going to be part of the process of the podcast. I can just sit there for 10 minutes and tell you all about this, that and the other. But when I start writing my notes, yes, believe it or not, I do prep these episodes, I find gaps in my knowledge.

So I’ve enjoyed finding those gaps and filling them and hopefully giving you a complete and correct answer, but just enough.

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

The shutter in a camera controls the amount of time the camera sensor is exposed to light. When you press the shutter release button, the shutter raises and lets light into the sensor. You set the shutter speed which is the amount of time the shutter is open as the sensor is exposed to light. The longer the shutter speed the more light that reaches the sensor. The shorter the shutter speed the less light that reaches the sensor.

Shutter is one of the three elements of the exposure triangle, along with aperture and ISO.

So that’s it.

In normal times the shutter is closed. It’s opened when you press the shutter release button. Okay. That’s probably all we need to know about this one. So thanks for listening. See you on the next one.

No one just kidding.

Last episode, I talked about aperture. And one of my starters was this – what is the lens aperture made of? And the answer from Canon Sony and Nikon was – we’re not telling you.

More on the podcast website at the episode page https://photographyexplainedpodcast.com/what-does-shutter-mean-in-photography

My podcast is available to listen to on most podcast provider services.

Cheers from me Rick

#photography #podcast #photographypodcast #photographyexplained #photographyexplainedpodcast #rickmcevoyphotography

Just me being nice and wishing my listeners a happy new year.

OK – I am done here

I just wanted to quickly tell you what you can find in my podcast – this was episodes 1-25. More to come up on my blog in the future. But that is all about my podcast for this post.

Related reading

My podcast has it’s own website – Photography Explained Podcast – just had over there for everything about my splendid podcast.

Related viewing

I have recorded a video that accompanies this blog post where I meander through the highlights for me of episodes 1-25. You can watch it here on my You Tube channel.

Get a weekly email from me to you

Yep, if you want to receive an email from me every week then fill in the form on this page – there will be one somewhere. And in return I will send you a splendid free new thing that will inform and entertain. And once a week, on a Friday afternoon, you will get my thoughts on something straight to your inbox. Which is nice.

OK – how can I find out more about this stuff?

Simple.

Get in touch with me – email me – sales@rickmcevoyphotography.co.uk

Check out my website Rick McEvoy Photography

Check out my splendid Photography Explained Podcast

Get in touch, ask me a question that I can answer on my blog or podcast, or just say hi – it would be great to hear from you. And I always get back to anyone who takes the time to get in touch.

Thanks for visiting my small but perfectly formed website (it says here), and I look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers from me Rick