Posts Tagged ‘shutter’

Tips for beginners on Digital SLR Cameras and photography.

Here are 12 useful tips for those photographers graduating from a point and click cameras to digital SLR cameras.

1. Your camera manual is your best friend. Read it as often as possible, especially in the first couple of months after getting your DSLR camera. Store it somewhere in your camera bag or somewhere where it is always at hand.

2. Buy a UV filter
for each lens you own. It's cheaper to replace a scratched lens filter than it is to replace your actual lens.

3. Learn and understand all your SLR camera settings. Even those you don't think you'd ever use. Practice changing settings like shutter speed and ISO settings so you know them like the back of your hand. A moving animal won't sit and pose until you get your settings figured out.

4. In addition to UV filters, other important pieces of equipment should include a good tripod and a remote trigger. They are both necessary in shots that require long shutter speeds. For example night photography or slow motion water.

5. Subscribe to photography magazines and buy books to learn from. The best ones will explain what camera settings were used, along with each photograph displayed, and deal out alot of tips on perfecting your pictures.

6. Don't touch or blow on the mirror inside your camera body when you have the lens off. If you damage the sensor, you may as well buy another camera body, because that's how much it will cost to fix it. If you notice spots appearing in your photos, buy a cleaning kit or dust blower from your local camera store. Many now have an in house cleaning service which is always a good alternative.

7. Don't swap your lens outside bad or windy weather. Put your main lens on your camera before you leave the house. If you need to change the lens outside, face the camera downwards. Dust won´t fall upward into the camera.

8. If you find your getting a lot of blurred pictures use a faster shutter speed. The faster the frame is taken, the less chance there is of it being effected by camera shake. to stop or at least reduce camera shake rest it on something nearby or steady your self against a tree, holding your camera close to your body is also a good way to reduce shake.

9. When you buy a camera bag, think about the future. On average photographers own at least 3 lenses. Better yet get 2 camera bags. One for a camera with a single lens. The second for your camera and all your lenses. This is useful for traveling purposes.

10. Learn what RAW file format is. Set your digital camera to shoot in RAW format. If you have your camera's white balance or picture style set wrong when you take a photograph, you can change this later on with a RAW editor on your computer. There will be times when you only get one chance to take a picture. For example, a bird won't fly past time and time again until you have the cameras white balance set correctly for the shot.

11. Experiment with your SLR camera to learn what it can do. If your taking a photograph of running water, try both fast and slow shutter speeds to see the difference. Or if your photographing a beautiful landscape, try different settings. You'll be surprised at how many photo's you can get from shooting the same scenery with different settings.

12. Always press the shutter button half way down to prefocus before going all the way and taking the photograph. This will usually result in clearer photo's every time. It is also especially useful when you can anticipate where a subject is going to be positioned before it gets there. You can prefocus on that spot by pressing and holding the shutter button half way, then as it comes into view, press the rest of the way down.