Step into the world of 35mm photography with the Photography Discussion Roundtable, heard every Monday evening at 7:00 PM ET on BrandMeister DMR Talkgroup 31266 — the MichiganOne Nets channel. This engaging net is your chance to explore the art and science of photography, ask questions, and sharpen your skills in a welcoming, knowledge-rich environment.
Hosted by James N8TMP, Bob KB8DQQ, and Rick AD8KN, each brings a wealth of experience to the mic. Bob and James are seasoned wedding photographers, while Rick adds deep technical insight and practical know-how. Together, they guide discussions on camera features, techniques, terminology, and everything from aperture to artistic vision.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your craft, tune in and join the conversation. Your next great shot starts here.
Good photography technique is best learned in three places: structured courses, community (clubs and critique), and self‑directed practice using focused topics like exposure, focus, and composition
Core skills to focus on
For your Roundtable, anchor the “what to learn” around a short list of foundations that apply to any camera.
- Exposure triangle: shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and how they trade off motion blur, depth of field, and noise.
- Focus and sharpness: single‑point AF, back‑button focus, and techniques to avoid camera shake (tripod use, timers, remote releases).
- Composition: rule of thirds, leading lines, simplifying backgrounds, working the scene instead of taking just one frame.
- Light and timing: shooting in good light (golden/blue hour), using direction of light, and watching contrast on faces and skies.
- Post‑processing basics: gentle global adjustments (exposure, contrast, white balance) and minimal local dodging/burning in Lightroom/Photoshop/Luminar.
These become the “chapters” for people to study each area in more depth.
Where to learn: online
Here are a few destinations to learn more:
- Free tutorial sites:
- Digital Photography School and Tuts+ offer organized beginner‑to‑intermediate tutorials on exposure, composition, and editing, plus structured “start here” sections.
- Photography Life has in‑depth, practical articles like “tips for intermediate photographers” that build on the basics.
- Free or low‑cost video courses:
- Mike Browne’s “Beginner to Intermediate Photography Course” (YouTube) walks through camera control, composition, and light in plain language with exercises.
- Udemy and similar platforms often have free intro courses covering exposure, ISO, and composition in a few hours.
- Structured learning paths:
- Sites like The School of Photography or broader course libraries and academies provide stepwise paths (beginner → advanced) with worksheets, critiques, and assignments.
Where to learn: community
Community is where people get feedback, accountability, and motivation to push beyond “nice snapshots.”
- Local camera clubs and meetups:
- Many cities have camera clubs, photo walks, or meetups that host workshops, themed outings, and critique nights.
- These are ideal for seeing how others approach the same subject and for getting gentle critique on prints or projected images.
- Online communities:
- Organized communities like Great Big Photography World offer projects, contests, and group critiques with both peers and more advanced photographers.
- Topic‑specific Facebook groups, Reddit communities (including the long‑running “PhotoClass”), and forums provide weekly assignments and feedback threads.
For the Photography Discussion Roundtable, we’re a learning hub: themed months, show‑and‑tell sessions, and critique circles built around a specific technique each time.
How to study: a simple practice plan
Use a repeatable practice loop so people can plug any topic into (exposure, long exposure, sky enhancement, portraits, etc.).
- Pick one technique for 2–4 weeks
- Example topics: “master shutter speed,” “simpler compositions,” or “better skies.”
- Learn from one primary resource
- Read 2–3 focused articles or watch a short course section on that single topic.
- Plan two practice sessions
- Set clear constraints: e.g., “shoot only at ISO 100 and vary shutter speed,” or “shoot 20 frames of the same scene from different compositions.”
- Review and get feedback
- Pick 5–10 images, compare them side by side, and ask: “What changed when I changed settings or my position?”
- Share them on the Photography Discussion Roundtable, in a club, or in an online critique thread for specific feedback (sharpness, exposure, story, composition).
- Adjust and repeat
- Use the feedback to decide the next micro‑skill (e.g., “next I’ll work on using better light, not just composition”).
The important aspect is to start taking photos. Make it a daily or weekly goal to learn what works or doesn’t work, so you can make adjustments to improve your shots. That way you can focus on the process, not the theory.
Cody’s Photo Insider:
When photographers ask me about finding their style, they almost always want editing tips. And there’s the first big mistake.
Style isn’t created by forcing edits onto your photos.
It’s found by changing what you shoot in the first place.
So how do we do that?
Look for work that inspires you. Then try to copy it.
Not to pass it off as your own, but to learn from it.
Here’s the thing: you won’t be able to copy it perfectly anyway. You’ll make mistakes.
That’s where the magic lives.
When you point yourself toward what inspires you and creatively problem-solve to cover your mistakes, that’s where you’ll discover it.
What unifies your work isn’t how you edited it.
It’s that you made it.
— Cody Mitchell
https://codymitchell.com
https://www.youtube.com/@Codacolor
P.S. Your next step: screenshot 5 photos you love and try to copy some aspect of each one. You might not have the same locations or conditions, and that’s okay. Be resourceful with what you do have.
You’re not trying to get it right, you’re trying to learn.
Next week we’ll discuss:
DSLR vs mirrorless cameras
Previous and upcoming Photography Discussion Roundtable topics:
| Date | Topic |
| 8/4/2025 | Welcome to the world of 35mm photography |
| 8/11/2025 | What is Aperture in photography |
| 8/18/2025 | What is the Golden Triangle? |
| 8/25/2025 | Top photo editing software available in 2025 |
| 9/1/2025 | What is Depth of Field? |
| 9/8/2025 | What is Bokeh in photography? |
| 9/15/2025 | Understanding Lens Focal Length |
| 9/22/2025 | What are leading lines? |
| 9/29/2025 | What is Back-Button Focus? |
| 10/6/2025 | 5 important photography facts that I didn’t know when I started |
| 10/13/2025 | How to shoot in manual mode |
| 10/20/2025 | The different types of lenses |
| 10/27/2025 | All about camera filters |
| 11/3/2025 | On-camera flash vs off-camera flash |
| 11/10/2025 | How to use tripods and stabilizers |
| 11/17/2025 | What is ISO? |
| 11/24/2025 | Film vs digital? |
| 12/1/2025 | How to find and organize your photos in a logical manner |
| 12/8/2025 | Understanding long-exposure photography |
| 12/15/2025 | Enhancing the sky in your photos |
| 12/22/2025 | Where and how to learn more about photography techniques |
| 12/29/2025 | DSLR vs mirrorless cameras |
| 1/5/2026 | The exposure triangle |
| 1/12/2026 | How to develop your own personal photography style |
| 1/19/2026 | Color theory (histograms) in photography |
| 1/26/2026 | Photography ethics in the digital age |
| 2/2/2026 | The future of film and where the analog industry is going |
| 2/9/2026 | How to build a portfolio |
| 2/16/2026 | Photography hints and tips |
| 2/23/2026 | How to take action/motion photos |
| 3/2/2026 | Explaining photography terms |
| 3/9/2026 | Macro photography hints and tips |
| 3/16/2026 | Landscape photography hints and tips |
| 3/23/2026 | Portrait photography hints and tips |
| 3/30/2026 | Night photography hints and tips |
| 4/6/2026 | F-stops and how to use them |
| 4/13/2026 | What are the AE-L, AF-L, and *-buttons? What do they do? |
| 4/20/2026 | White balance explained |
| 4/27/2026 |
https://thediabeticham.com/previous-and-upcoming-photography-discussion-roundtable-topics/
