Move up to SLR
If you have more than a passing interest in photography, the chances are you have invested in an SLR camera, in the knowledge that it will improve your skills and take your photographs to the next level. Most of us will have started photography with an automatic 35mm camera of some kind, and to get the most out of your new camera, you should understand some of the features of SLR which make it a much more flexible way to take photographs, and to produce prints of a much higher quality, than a point-and-shoot camera. Most online photography courses today teach how to get the most out of a digital SLR, and this short article will deal with how to get to know your digital SLR.
What’s so different about a SLR camera?
First of all, what is the difference between SLR and its predecessors? Single Lens Reflex means that what you see through the viewfinder is exactly what you will see in your prints, unlike TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) or rangefinder cameras, where the image you saw when shooting could be very different from the photograph you then take for processing. With most SLR cameras the image is projected through a mirror and prism, allowing the light to fall on the film, or (if you have also gone to digital SLR) onto the imaging sensor. This is the main difference between SLR and TLR cameras.
Also, your DSLR will be able to take shots at much lower shutter speeds (lower shutter speeds will give you nice creative effects like picking out one object from a busy background, but also can result in a blurring effect which isn’t always what you intended!) and will give you greater control over other aspects of the shot than a non-SLR camera, such as how wide the aperture can open, or how your camera focuses.
So, what are the main functions on my new SLR?
Most DSLR cameras have a series of automatic presets, allowing you take consistent photographs given consistent shooting conditions. Some of these include a portrait setting, landscape setting and moving subject setting. Portrait settings favour aperture over shutter speed, meaning they allow more light to fall on the sensor, allowing you to pick out the human subject more brightly and sharply. The landscape mode is usually used for shooting scenery, night or evening scenes, or to have everything in focus from objects in the foreground to the farthest part of your filed of vision. The moving subject setting is self-explanatory, but it achieves its effects by maintaining a very high shutter speed. By keeping your shutter speed to as little as 1/500th of a second, you can capture movement quite easily. With a digital SLR the settings and guesswork are taken out of the shot to a great extent.
Is there any difference in how I have to use my camera, compared to non DSLR?
Yes is the simple answer. With such fine settings, you might be disappointed with your shots at first, if you don’t learn how to hold your camera properly. A DSLR is considerably heavier than its predecessors, so there is more chance of your hands moving while taking photographs, so the first thing to know is to steady the camera as much as possible. This can be done by holding your elbow tightly into your torso while taking your shot, allowing for greater camera steadiness, and reducing blur. Another thing to remember when using a DSLR for the first time is just how many shots you can take, when freed from the restraints of a 36 exposure film.
Experienced photographers take a huge number of shots, as the digital format allows you to discard many of your images, and find just what you want from the range of images stored in your camera’s memory. So, perhaps the most important thing to remember when using DSLR is to be courageous in capturing as much as possible when shooting, safe in the knowledge that you will find just the one shot that you want, later, at the computer. Today, more than ever before, there may be an argument for taking some professional instruction in how to use your camera, and how to take great photographs. Think about enrolling in a short course, such as those on offer at www.institute-of-photography.com, where you don’t even need to leave home to learn basic photography.
Overall, the advent of the DSLR has put professional-quality photography in reach of everyone. If you are prepared to experiment, to learn some new skills, and to get the most out of your equipment, it won’t be long before you are shooting frame-worthy pictures, and enjoying a whole new world of digital imaging.
