Digital SLR cameras are getting better and cheaper every year. Their popularity is evident at any tourist destination where hundreds of tourists roam around with DSLRs slung over their shoulders. But many of these photographers have hardly gotten to know the functions and features their camera has to offer. This guide will cover some photography basics.
Fully Automatic to Manual
Many photographers are happy to stay in fully automatic mode and they should be, because modern DSLRs can take great pictures this way. But for those interested in what the other features do or those who want a little more flexibility, trying out some new camera modes is the next step. At the top of most modern DSLR cameras is a dial that indicates something like: automatic (green square), program (P), shutter priority (Tv), aperture priority (Av) and manual (M). There are other indications, but these are the ones we will deal with. Many people don't venture from automatic or “P.” It might seem too complicated to learn how to use the other settings, but really it's not. Understanding a few basics about photography will make the transition much easier.
Shutter Speed
One of the advantages of an SLR is that the user has the ability to adjust shutter speed and aperture. Shutter speed is how long the picture is exposed to light. A longer exposure is necessary when it is dark and a shorter exposure when it is light. Shutter speed is measured in seconds or fractions of a second, like 1/200 of a second.
Modern automatic cameras are very smart and help the user get great shots, but they can't read the photographer's mind. If the desired shot is an action shot, the camera needs to be set to a fast shutter speed or else the subject will be blurry. Or maybe the photographer wants a blurry shot for an artistic effect – to achieve this the shutter speed needs to be set slower. Turning the top dial to “Tv” will allow the photographer to change the shutter speed while the camera takes care of matching an aperture to get a correct exposure. Be creative and try different shots with faster and slower shutter speeds to see the effects.
Aperture
Aperture is similar to the pupil in the human eye, in that the diameter increases and decreases. If the aperture diameter of the lens increases, more light will be let in and vice versa. Aperture is measured in numbers called f-stops, but this is confusing because the numbers are actually ratios. Therefore a larger number like f11 indicates a smaller aperture diameter which lets in less light and a smaller number like f2 indicates a larger aperture diameter which lets in more light.
Selecting “Av” on the top dial allows the user to adjust the aperture from large to small and have the camera figure out the corresponding shutter speed. Lenses usually indicate the largest aperture diameter they are capable of - typically the larger the possible aperture diameter the more expensive the lens. Lenses with low f-stop numbers like f2.8 are often referred to as “fast” lenses because they allow more light which allows a faster shutter speed.
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