Mastering your DSLR

I get a lot of inquiries about teaching moms how to better use their cameras. So I have been working on putting together some information to maybe offer a course on getting to know you camera. While I was looking for resources that are already available, I ran across this fabulous informational site created by Canon.

I think it’s a great starting point for moms who have just purchased a DSLR (Canon or not), and want be able to use it more than just in automatic mode. Part 2: Using Camera Features for Better Photos is very informative, and even through the camera dial information is more specific to Canon cameras, can easily be applied to other brand cameras, since most have similar features under slightly difference names. Like the Mode dial for both Canon and Nikon use “P” from Program mode (automatically exposure, but you set the white balance, ISO, etc). But Canon uses “Av” for aperture priority and Nikon uses “A”, Canon uses “Tv” for shutter priority and Nikon uses “S”. The basics of photography like depth of field, shutter speed, apertures (F-stop), white balance, ISO, and matering will apply regardless of the type of camera you are using. The more you learn how to use the features of your camera, the better the results you will get. It’s not the camera that makes the picture, it’s the photographer.

Part 3: Choosing Lenses for Different Types of Photos is a good section for those who understand their DSLR, and are frustrated at the limitations of the lens the camera came with. When moving from a nice point and shoot digital camera to a DSLR, you give up the convenience of a wide zoom range in a lightweight package. To get a closeup of that bird at the zoo you’ll need to invest in a telelphoto lens. And to get a picture of the whole group of kids at the birthday party in your tiny dining room, you need a wide angle lens. To more you come to understand, the more you realize that you could spend thousands of dollars outfitting your $600 camera!

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