Photography Explained Podcast

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Are you holding your camera like a cheese and pickle sandwich? 🥪 One hand, casual, not really thinking about it? 
In this episode, Rick covers six practical techniques that will make your photos sharper — starting the moment you pick up your camera. No kit required. No settings to change. Just how to hold, how to stand, and how to breathe. All of it free. All of it doable today. 📸 
In this episode 🎙️ 
How to grip your camera with your right hand (and why most beginners get this wrong) 
Why your left hand is your best camera stabiliser — and how to use it properly 
How using your viewfinder creates a third point of contact — and makes you a human tripod 
Why tucking your elbows in reduces camera shake more than you'd think 
How foot position and stance affect your camera stability 
The breathing technique that gives you sharper photos instantly 
Full episode and show notes 📖 
Are You Holding Your Camera Like a Cheese and Pickle Sandwich? 
Related episodes 🎧 
Episode 93 — How Do You Hold a Camera Properly? This Is Very Important! 
Episode 89 — Camera Shake — What Is It and How Do I Stop It Happening? 
Next episode 💝 
You've sorted your grip. You're holding the camera properly. You press the shutter. And then — oh no. Another blurry photo. 
Episode 234 — 'Oh No. Another Blurry Photo. Here's How to Stop It Right Now.' — out Friday 5th June 2026. 
Find me online 🌍 
RickMcEvoyPhotography.com 
Courses — rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses 
Resources — rickmcevoyphotography.com/resources 
YouTube — find me by searching Rick McEvoy 🎬 
Text me from the podcast feed if you have questions or want to share how you get on. How utterly splendid. 🤝 
I've been Rick McEvoy. Thanks for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast. Take care. Stay safe. Cheers! 👋 
 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

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📸 About This Episode 
You’ve come home from a shoot with hundreds of photos on your camera — and no system for what to do next. This episode is that system. Seven practical steps you can follow in about thirty minutes after every shoot. By the end, your photos are safe, organised, selected, and improved. And you’ve learned something for next time. 
📋 The Seven Steps 
1.    Get the photos off your camera the same day — not tomorrow 
2.    Create a simple Category > Year > Location folder structure and use it every time 
3.    Do a ten-minute first cull — delete the obvious disasters 
4.    Pick your one best photo from the whole session 
5.    Back up before you go to bed — every single time 
6.    Edit your best photo properly — not everything 
7.    Write down one thing you would do differently next time 
📖 Read the Full Guide 
Everything is on the blog: rickmcevoyphotography.com/blog/post-shoot-photography-workflow 
🔗 Related Episodes 
Episode 46 — Step by Step Guide to How I Get the Photos Off My Camera Safely and Securely 
Episode 152 — How My One Photo Rule Will Help You Take Better Photos 
Episode 198 — How to Organise Digital Photos on Your Computer 
🎬 Next Episode 
Episode 233 — Are You Holding Your Camera Like a Cheese and Pickle Sandwich? — Friday 22 May 2026 
🌐 More From Rick 
Website, courses, resources and weekly email: rickmcevoyphotography.com 
YouTube: search Rick McEvoy 
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
📸 You’ve got the camera. You’ve found something worth photographing. Now what? In this episode, Rick walks through the seven steps that happen between picking up your camera and pressing the shutter — the process that determines whether your photo is sharp, well composed, and actually what you intended. Practical, in order, and immediately usable. 
🎟️ In this episode: 
1.    Hold the camera with both hands — every single time — Right hand on the grip, left hand under the lens. Both hands reduce camera movement and reduce blur. 
2.    Look through the viewfinder — When you look through the viewfinder you have three points of contact with the camera. Far more stable than holding it out to look at the screen. Use the viewfinder. 
3.    Compose the frame before you focus on anything — Composition is a creative decision. Make it first. Focus is a technical one — make it second. 
4.    Half-press the shutter button to focus — never stab it — Two stages: half-press to focus, check it’s on the right thing, then gently press fully. 
5.    Stand still. Breathe out slowly and shoot — Breathing is movement. Movement is blur. Stand still, breathe out slowly, and shoot. 
6.    Check the shot you just took — every single time — Playback immediately. See what you got. Adjust if needed. Delete rejects at your computer, not in camera. 
7.    Take one great photo and move on — Usually the first photo is the best one. Take your time, get it right, and move on. This is the one photo rule. 
📝 Full show notes: rickmcevoyphotography.com/blog/how-to-actually-take-a-photo 
🎙️ Related episodes: 
Episode 93 — How Do You Hold a Camera Properly? This Is Very Important! 
Episode 152 — How My One Photo Rule Will Help You Take Better Photos 
⏭️ Next episode: Episode 232 — I’ve Got Hundreds of Photos on My Camera — Now What? — Friday 8 May 2026. 
🌐 Website, courses and resources: rickmcevoyphotography.com 
📺 YouTube: Rick McEvoy on YouTube 
 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
 📸 About This Episode 
You’ve just got a new camera. The excitement is real — but most cameras come out of the box in a state that will cause you problems at exactly the moment you most want to take photos. In this episode, Rick walks you through seven quick setup steps — about twenty minutes in total — that get your camera properly ready before you take a single shot. Perfect for anyone who’s just unboxed their first camera, or who wants to start things off the right way. 
✅ The 7 Setup Steps 
1.    Charge the battery fully before your first shoot — and order a spare battery today. One battery is never enough. 
2.    Format the memory card inside the camera using the camera’s own menu — not your computer, not by deleting files. It sets the card up in exactly the right way for your specific camera. 
3.    Set the date and time correctly in the camera settings. Every photo is stamped with the date and time it was taken — that stamp is how you find photos later. 
4.    Set image format to RAW and JPEG. Start working with JPEG files straight away, and have those RAW files ready for when you’re ready to edit them. 
5.    Set image quality to the highest setting your camera offers — Fine, Large, or equivalent. Storage is cheap. Quality matters. 
6.    Spend ten minutes with the first chapter of the manual. Just ten minutes. Know where the controls are before you go out. 
7.    Put it in Auto mode and go and take some photos. Build confidence. Build enthusiasm. That takes you further. 
📝 Full Show Notes and Blog Post 
Read the full episode notes and transcript: Episode 230 — Shiny New Camera? Calm Down and Do This First 
🔗 Related Episodes 
Episode 225 — I Just Got My First Camera — What Do I Do in the First Week? 
Episode 228 — How to Know If You’re Ready to Move from Phone to Camera 
Episode 229 — What Can an Entry Level Camera Really Do? 
🗃️ Next Episode 
Episode 231 — Camera. Check. Something to Photograph. Check. Now How Do You Actually Take the Photo? — publishes Friday 24 April 2026. 
🎦 Support the Podcast 
Get the video version of every episode on Patreon: patreon.com/c/rickphoto 
🌐 Find Rick 
Website: r
 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
📸 Think you need an expensive camera to take great photos? You really don't. In episode 229 of the Photography Explained Podcast, I take my entry level Canon R100 to Mexico for two weeks — kit lens only — and come back with portfolio-worthy images. Under £500 of gear. Real conditions. No tricks. 
In this episode I reveal 7 things an entry level camera can genuinely do brilliantly — and the results might surprise you. 
💡 THE 7 THINGS COVERED: 
1️⃣  It produces genuinely excellent photos — right out of the box 
2️⃣  The kit lens is a much better starting point than you think 
3️⃣  Programme mode is a perfectly valid way to shoot 
4️⃣  It handles low light significantly better than your phone 
5️⃣  A tripod unlocks a whole new level of what's possible 
6️⃣  Auto Exposure Bracketing helps you handle tricky light 
7️⃣  It will make you a better photographer 
 🔗 USEFUL LINKS: 
 📝  Blog Post (Full Episode Text) 
🌄  Mexico Portfolio — Shot on the Canon R100 
🎓  Photography for Beginners Hub Page 
 📖 RELATED EPISODES: 
 •  Episode 228 — How to Know If You're Ready to Move from Phone to Camera 
•  Episode 225 — I Just Got My First Camera, What Do I Do in the First Week? 
•  Episode 106 — Programme Mode: What Is It? Is It OK For Me to Use It? 
•  Episode 160 — What Is Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB)? 
•  Episode 60 — What Is a Kit Lens? 
🌐 My Website: https://rickmcevoyphotography.com 
📺 YouTube Channel: Rick McEvoy Photography 
🎓  My courses page 
📚  Resources Page 
💬 GET IN TOUCH: 
 📧  Subscribe to my weekly email at rickmcevoyphotography.com 
💬  Text me directly from the podcast feed 
🔔  Subscribe so you don't miss future episodes 
 🎧 NEXT EPISODE: 
 Episode 230 — Your New Camera: What to Do Before You Take a Single Photo 📷 
You've got your first camera. What now? Before you press the shutter once, there are some things worth doing first. See you in a fortnight! 👋 
Thanks for listening to the Photography Explained Podcast! 🙏 
I'm Rick McEvoy — a professionally qualified photographer (ABIPP) based in England 🏴 with a lifetime of photographic experience, which I share with you in my splendid podcast. 📸 💝 
Stay safe. 🛡️ Cheers from me, Rick! 🍻 
 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