Digital SLR Camera

I have been using a digital SLR camera for quite a while, and have learned many things along the way. I am going to share some of the basics, which I feel are important. These are my opinions, and I am sure there are others who will disagree. Nonetheless, that is the beauty of photography. Everyone has their own definition of mastering photography.

1) ISO. One of the most important features on SLR cameras, many beginners have no idea about it. It stands for International Organization for Standardization, and it used to have to be based upon film speed. In general terms, ISO will allow you to improve your photos in poor conditions. For example, in a dark room, you can improve the quality of your photo greatly by increasing the ISO setting. SLR cameras generally allow you to increase the ISO setting to 1600.

Many of us have experienced those photos taking at night, which you can barely see a thing, or if you can, it is very blurry. This is because the camera lens is opened on an automatic setting, which takes too long avoid movement of the user's hand. This produces a blur. When you increase the ISO setting, the amount of time the lens is open is reduced, therefore reducing the blur. Every time you move slightly, your photo will be blurred. ISO helps overcome this problem. Experiment a bit and find the right ISO setting for different scenarios.

2) Mount the camera. Well, I don't exactly mean mount, but place it on somewhere. If you find yourself in a situation where the photos are blurry even after increasing the ISO setting, put the camera on something. You can put it on a table, chair, etc... This will improve the stability of the camera, thus creating a much less blurry picture.

3) Buy a good tripod. Never try to save money when buying a tripod. Cheap ones will break fast, and you will be out buying a new one in no time. Furthermore, cheap ones will not function properly. By this I mean that they will not put your camera at the correct angle, will move due to wind, and so on. Pay good money for a tripod, and you will see that you will get your moneys worth. Manfrotto is known for making some of the finest tripods, so definitely have a look at those. A good tripod should have a ball head, should be quite light, and would be best if it is easy to store (possibly in your backpack).