You’ve got your DSLR – what to do now?

Below are tips that was given to me and I have given to a DSLR beginner, so these should get you started:
 

1. Shoot in Auto Mode – Get out of it, only if you want to

Everyone who is having an DSLR would say to you, ‘get out of auto mode’, and they’re right! To use the full potential of a DSLR then you do need to use Manual (M), Aperture Priority (AV) and Shutter Priority (TV) modes.

But… only when you’re ready, you don’t have to do it straight away.
 

If you’re moving from a Point and Shoot, and you want to use the auto modes because they’re familiar, or you just don’t want to feel useless, then go ahead and shoot in auto, program, landscape, portrait, sport or macro modes etc… You can always try out the manual modes alongside the auto ones if you like?
 

Instead, look at and use the rules of composition when shooting, change your perspective of the shot and look at what’s the focal point of your image – first, then moving out of auto mode will come more naturally.
 

2. Shoot, Shoot until you drop… like shop until you drop

The more you shoot the more comfortable you get with your camera and all its buttons.
 

You learn what you like to shoot and find more ways of shooting it, which means you’re learning composition.
You learn what inspires you, and what type of photography you want to shoot more of.
 

And with digital cards the sky’s the limit because it’s so cheap to shoot, so there’s plenty of room to explore and try new things.
 

If it goes wrong it really doesn’t matter…
 

3. Have fun!

Enjoy your camera, enjoy your photography.
 

Photography is an expensive hobby. And you’ve spent a lot of money on buying a DSLR – so enjoy it!
 

Get use out of it, shoot when you want to and take images of what inspires you or catches your eye. Look at what you’ve taken, and take more of what you like.
 

Or challenge yourself and try something new. Or you could practice what you don’t like to take and see what happens?
 

Then you’ll know more about what you want to learn and get better at next…
 

4. You’re not going to be Ansel Adams over night?
 

Sorry to burst the bubble but a DSLR is not a magic wand that can spit out absolutely amazing photographs every time.
 

The camera is just your tool (whichever camera it may be) to take and record images, you’re the one in control, you create the image, you’re the photographer.
 

And it’s ok if not every shot is a masterpiece because photography is a journey.
 

You won’t get there straight away and there are no shortcuts to photography brilliance.
 

You’ll take a lot of shots you don’t like (I know I have).
 

It’s a journey that you should enjoy, it’s not a race. And you’ll learn a lot along the way (about more things than photography). It’s an amazing medium and you’ll get a lot out of it if you’re anything like me.
You see things in a unique way and that makes you and your photography special.
 

5. Learn how your camera works

Don’t panic, a little knowledge goes a long way…
 

I know my eyes glaze over when people start talking physics and prisms etc… and reading a camera manual can be tedious.
 

But if you have a little understanding of how your camera works, and what functions are available to you, like how it deals with light e.g. shutter, aperture and ISO. Then a lot more shooting opportunities become available to you, and you are able to shoot in low light, night and sport photography situations with confidence.

Not to mention easing the tension when your camera doesn’t understand exactly what it is you want it to do! Then you can take a photo of a window that you’re happy with, instead of putting your camera through the window!!!

Knowing how the camera sees light and how it records light will make you a better photographer.
 

6. Shoot in RAW

RAW is a type of camera file format like a jpeg. But it’s not compressed and holds a lot more information about the light that your camera has captured. This does make the file size a lot larger than a jpeg so watch the image count on your memory card.
 

You can change your settings to shoot in RAW in the quality menu in your camera.
 

You can then adjust the way that light is handled yourself (the camera does this automatically with jpegs) using your RAW processing software. You generally get some free with your camera which is a good place to start, or you can use a software package like Photoshop , Aperture or Lightroom to do it.

You have a lot more editing options when you shoot in RAW like being able to adjust white balance, contrast, exposure etc… which gives you more creativity as a photographer. And if you save the original RAW file then you can go back in the future and still play around with it.
 

You’re limited with what you can do with a jpeg in post processing. And I wish I had started shooting in RAW earlier, so I could try out some new techniques with some of my older images. So learn from my mistakes!

7. Post Processing!
 

Some photographers hate it and some love it.
 

For me personally, I think post processing is an extension of and compliments what we do with a camera, and is part of the creative process of a photographer.

Remember a human eye is a lot more complex than a camera no matter how good they are, they haven’t caught up yet… so you never get exactly what you see in real life.
 

And at the end of the day the digital darkroom (post processing software) is a modern extension of the original darkroom, and even has some of the darkroom techniques (or digital versions of) like dodge and burn and unsharp mask included.
 

It’s just photography tools evolving – just like cameras do.
 

So getting a good grasp of what you can do with your images, and how you can do it with post processing software will put another string on your photography bow!
 

8. Share your photos

Don’t let your images sit on your hard drive and gather digital dust.
 

Get your photographs out there and share them with your family, friends or the world!
 

9. Check your gear before you go out…

Always check your gear before you go out. Have you got the spare lens that you want to use and the memory cards, battery, filters, oh and don’t forget the tripod?
 

It may be handy to write a checklist!
 

10. Look for inspiration…

Look for inspiration all around you. You’ll notice that this becomes easier the more you shoot. Or look on Flickr, Digital Photography School forum, Pinterest or a favourite magazine perhaps?

Follow the pros and see what they do, try to emulate what they’ve taken to see how the image works. I’ve done this myself and it’s a great way to learn new things. How do the camera settings affect how the image looks?
 

Try re-taking an image or idea that you’ve seen and learn from it. But then use what you’ve just learnt in your own images and ideas. Put your stamp, twist, personality and passion into an image, and then say hey look what I did!
 

More Tips

Follow this blog for more on the Exposure triangle, different modes on the camera, like Shutter priority, Aperture Priority , Manual. We will explore it on the following weeks.