Photography Explained Podcast

Send us Fan Mail
🎯 Your kit lens has something printed on the barrel. 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. Confident. Specific. And absolutely meaningless — unless you know what any of it means. This episode fixes that.
In episode 239 of the Photography Explained Podcast, I explain every number and letter on your kit lens barrel. In plain English. Without the irrelevant detail. Including why the aperture numbering system is completely backwards — and why whoever invented it clearly did not consult anyone who was actually learning photography at the time.
In this episode:
●       📏 Tip 1: 18-55mm — the focal length range. What wide angle means. What the longer end does. Why the zoom ring is your best friend.
●       📷 Tip 2: f/3.5-5.6 — the aperture range. What aperture actually is. Why the numbers seem backwards (and they are). What maximum aperture means.
●       🔄 Tip 3: Why the aperture changes as you zoom — variable aperture explained, what a stop of light is, and why your kit lens is actually being very sensible.
●       🌟 Tip 4: What aperture does to your photos — depth of sharpness in practice, a birthday party in low light, and the two things you need to know about f/3.5 and f/5.6.
●       🔤 Tip 5: USM, STM, IS, and Roman numerals — what all those letters mean and why none of it is random.
📖 Full episode notes and blog post: rickmcevoyphotography.com/blog/kit-lens-18-55mm-f35-56-explained
Related episodes 🎧
Episode 60 — What Is A Kit Lens?
If you want to understand more about what a kit lens actually is, what it is good for, and whether you need anything else right now, this is the one to listen to next.
Episode 155 — What Is Aperture In Photography?
We covered the basics of aperture today. This episode goes much deeper on aperture and depth of field (depth of sharpness).
Episode 203 — Understanding Focal Length and Its Effect On Composition
Focal length does more than zoom in and out. This episode explains exactly what else it does to your photos.
Next episode 📅
Episode 240 is out on Friday 28 August 2026. The title? Crop Factor. Sorry — I Know It's Boring But It's Really Important. Here is the question that will keep you thinking: when is an 18mm lens not an 18mm lens? Find out in two weeks.
🎬 Find me on YouTube by searching Rick McEvoy
🌐 Website: rickmcevoyphotography.com
📚 Courses: rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses
🛠️ Resources: rickmcevoyphotography.com/resources
 My brand new course Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico, will teach you exactly how to get out at sunrise and come back with photos you love  all told in plain English. it includes real footage of me photographing an actual sunrise in Mexico with an entry level camera. Find out more at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.
 If you want to start taking stunning sunrise photos, and why wouldn't you,  check out my Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico course at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

Support the show
Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about: answering your photography questions. Just head over to my shiny new website to find out more about me, my podcast and my photography.

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Send us Fan Mail
There is a LOT of camera gear out there. Bodies, lenses, bags, tripods, filters, memory cards, drones, studio lights — and it can feel like you need to spend thousands of pounds before you've earned the right to call yourself a photographer. You don't. Not even close. In this episode I cut through all of it and tell you exactly what a beginner photographer actually needs, what can wait, and what you can safely ignore entirely. 📷
In this episode we cover:
●        📷 Tip 1 — The camera body: why it matters less than you think
●        🔭 Tip 2 — The lens: this is where your money should actually go
●        📐 Tip 3 — The tripod: do you actually need one, and when?
●        💾 Tip 4 — Memory cards: the unsung essential nobody talks about
●        🔋 Tip 5 — Batteries: no battery, no photos — it really is that simple
●        🔵 Tip 6 — Filters: mostly not for beginners (with one exception)
●        🔆 Tip 7 — Lens hoods: the most underrated bit of kit you own
●        🔵 Tip 8 — Lens caps: free, essential, and easily overlooked
●        🎒 Tip 9 — The camera bag: carry what you actually use, nothing else
●        🚫 Tip 10 — The gear you don't need yet: drones, studio lights, second bodies, super-zooms
 
📖 Full episode blog post and transcript:
Argh. Why Is There So Much Camera Gear? Please Help Me!
🎙️ Related episodes worth listening to:
Episode 236 — Why It Is 3 Times Harder to Choose a Camera Bag Than a Sandwich Bag — the full story behind what you heard today, and how to choose a bag that actually works.
Episode 237 — What — I Have to Clean My Camera Gear? Really? — because once you know what gear to own, you need to know how to look after it. [link to be added]
Episode 235 — Do I Really Need a Tripod? Really? Why Rick, Why? — the full tripod answer, in full.
Episode 152 — How My One Photo Rule Will Help You Take Better Photos — not gear related, but directly relevant to taking better photos.
 
🎧 Next episode — and this one will make you look at your kit lens in a completely different way 💝
Your kit lens has a little label on it that says something like 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. If you've ever looked at that and thought: what on earth does any of that mean — Episode 239 is your answer. Publishing Friday 14th August 2026 at 11am UK. Subscribe and you won't miss it.
 
📺 Find me on YouTube by searching Rick McEvoy — full episodes and Shorts every fortnight.
 
🌐 Everything else — courses, resources, weekly email and lots of other good stuff: rickmcevoyphotography.com
📚 My courses: rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses
🛠️ My resources page: rickmcevoyphotography.com/resources
 
And you can text me directly from the podcast feed — how utterly splendid. 💝
 My brand new course Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico, will teach you exactly how to get out at sunrise and come back with photos you love  all told in plain English. it includes real footage of me photographing an actual sunrise in Mexico with an entry level camera. Find out more at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.
 If you want to start taking stunning sunrise photos, and why wouldn't you,  check out my Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico course at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

Support the show
Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about: answering your photography questions. Just head over to my shiny new website to find out more about me, my podcast and my photography.

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Send us Fan Mail
🧹 Your camera gear is dirty. And dirty gear is quietly affecting your photos in ways you might not even notice — a smudge on the lens that softens everything, a speck of dust on the sensor that shows up in the same spot on every single sky you shoot. In this episode I cover exactly what to clean, how to clean it safely, and — probably most importantly — what not to do. Because the damage usually comes from cleaning too aggressively, not from leaving things alone.
In this episode:
•       📷 Tip 1 — How to clean your camera sensor, including what to do when the built-in cleaning function isn't enough
•       🔍 Tip 2 — How to clean your front lens element without causing scratches — and why the blower always goes first
•       📦 Tip 3 — The camera body: a five-minute job that's worth doing every time
•       🔋 Tip 4 — Contacts, straps and filters — the bits it's easy to skip
•       👜 Tip 5 — Why your camera bag needs cleaning too, and how grit transfers straight onto your gear
•       🧹 Tip 6 — The only camera cleaning kit you actually need
📖 Full show notes and blog post: How to Clean Your Camera Gear (And What to Leave Alone)
Related episodes:
Episode 167 — How To Care For Your Photography Gear - This Is What I Do
Episode 191 — How Do I Take Care Of My Camera Lenses?
Episode 193 — How Do You Take Care Of A Camera Sensor?
💝 Next episode — the bag is sorted, the gear is clean, and somehow there's still more camera stuff than you know what to do with. That's the question coming up next: Argh. Why Is There So Much Camera Gear? Please Help Me! Publishing Friday 31 July 2026.
📺 Find me on YouTube by searching Rick McEvoy
🌐 rickmcevoyphotography.com
📚 Courses
🔧 Resources
 My brand new course Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico, will teach you exactly how to get out at sunrise and come back with photos you love  all told in plain English. it includes real footage of me photographing an actual sunrise in Mexico with an entry level camera. Find out more at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.
 If you want to start taking stunning sunrise photos, and why wouldn't you,  check out my Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico course at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

Support the show
Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about: answering your photography questions. Just head over to my shiny new website to find out more about me, my podcast and my photography.

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Send us Fan Mail
🎒 Did you know there are 31 types of camera bag? One of them is a sandwich bag. Yes, really.
I used to carry a massive bag full of gear to my local park. Waterproof zips and everything. For boats I never went on. Seven lenses. Four batteries. Two speedlites. Snacks for a week. I was 10 minutes from home.
The penny dropped in Delph Woods in Poole on 30th December 2016 at 15:37. I used one lens. I always used one lens. The rest came along for the ride and stayed in the bag.
Choosing a camera bag is three times harder than choosing a sandwich bag. Here's how to get it right.
🎙️ What's in this episode
🚫 Tip 1 — There is no perfect bag — and you might need more than one
✍️ Tip 2 — Be honest about what you actually need — write the list before you buy
🏔️ Tip 3 — Match the bag to the shoot — mountain vs 100 yards from the car
🗂️ Tip 4 — 31 types of camera bag — all listed in the blog post. One is a sandwich bag.
📏 Tip 5 — Size matters — but bigger is absolutely not better
🤝 Tip 6 — The right bag just feels right — almost like a friend
🥪 Tip 7 — The cheese and pickle sandwich rule — the only test you need
📖 Full blog post + all 31 camera bag types
Read the full episode guide — rickmcevoyphotography.com
🔗 Related episodes
Episode 230 — Shiny New Camera? Calm Down and Do This First
Episode 235 — Do I Really Need a Tripod? Really? Why Rick, Why?
💝 Next episode
You've got a camera. You've got a bag to carry it in. Now I'm going to tell you that you have to clean it. Yes, really. 😱
Episode 237 — What — I Have to Clean My Camera Gear? Really? — Friday 17th July at 11am. Don't miss it.
📺 Find me on YouTube
Search Rick McEvoy on YouTube for the full video version of every episode. Utterly splendid.
🎓 Courses and resources
All courses — rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses
Gear, software and tools I actually use — rickmcevoyphotography.com/resources
💬 Text me from the podcast feed
Found your perfect bag? Got a question? Text me directly from the podcast feed. I'd love to hear from you. How utterly splendid. 😊
 My brand new course Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico, will teach you exactly how to get out at sunrise and come back with photos you love  all told in plain English. it includes real footage of me photographing an actual sunrise in Mexico with an entry level camera. Find out more at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.
 If you want to start taking stunning sunrise photos, and why wouldn't you,  check out my Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico course at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

Support the show
Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about: answering your photography questions. Just head over to my shiny new website to find out more about me, my podcast and my photography.

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick

Send us Fan Mail
🎙️ Do you actually need a tripod? Not the answer every photography guide gives you — the honest one. Sometimes yes. And sometimes, genuinely, no. In this episode, I'll tell you exactly when each is true, what to look for if you decide to buy one, and the single most common tripod mistake — and it has nothing to do with the tripod itself. Whether you're thinking about buying your first tripod or wondering why the one in the cupboard never gets used, this episode will give you a straight answer in plain English.
📋 In this episode:
1️⃣ Your photo is blurry and you don't know why — here's what a tripod actually fixes
Start here. Understand exactly what a tripod does — and how to tell whether it would have fixed your blurry photo.
2️⃣ Two situations where a tripod stops being optional
Low light and long exposures. If either of these is on your photography list, a tripod belongs in your kit.
3️⃣ Good light and fast subjects? You probably don't need one
The honest other side of the conversation. In good daylight with image stabilisation, you often don't need a tripod at all.
4️⃣ Right, you've decided you need one — here's what to actually look for
Stability, load capacity, ball head vs pan-tilt, leg locks, height. Everything that actually matters when you're choosing.
5️⃣ The alternatives worth knowing about
Monopod, beanbag, natural supports. These are more effective than most photographers realise — and often more practical than a full tripod.
6️⃣ The cheap tripod problem
A wobbly tripod is worse than no tripod. Here's why cheap is false economy, and how to spend wisely.
7️⃣ The most common tripod mistake — not taking it with you
The best tripod is the one that's actually there when you need it. Buy for your real photography life, not your imaginary one.
📖 Full guide and show notes:
rickmcevoyphotography.com — Episode 235 show notes
🎙️ Related episodes:
Episode 96 — Do You Want To Know How To Take Photos On A Tripod?
Episode 234 — Oh No. Another Blurry Photo. Here's How to Stop It Right Now.
💝 Next episode:
What gear do you actually need as a beginner? Not what the photography industry wants you to buy — what you actually need, and what to completely ignore. Episode 236 publishes Friday 3rd July 2026. Subscribe now so you don't miss it.
▶️ Find me on YouTube by searching Rick McEvoy.
🌐 Website: rickmcevoyphotography.com
📚 Courses: rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses
🔧 Resources: rickmcevoyphotography.com/resources
 My brand new course Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico, will teach you exactly how to get out at sunrise and come back with photos you love  all told in plain English. it includes real footage of me photographing an actual sunrise in Mexico with an entry level camera. Find out more at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.
 If you want to start taking stunning sunrise photos, and why wouldn't you,  check out my Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico course at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

Support the show
Get your question answered
This is what my podcast is all about: answering your photography questions. Just head over to my shiny new website to find out more about me, my podcast and my photography.

Thanks very much for listening

Cheers from me Rick