How to Take Great Pictures With a DSLR Camera - 5 Tips

How to Take Great Pictures With a DSLR Camera - 5 Tips

Do you have a DSLR and want to make the most out of your photos? These tips will help you do just that. With DSLR cameras becoming more affordable, many people are upgrading their cameras in order to take advantage of the increased flexibility and performance that these cameras offer. The 5 tips below will help you make the most of your DSLR camera.

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1. Use the lens hood when taking pictures

DSLR cameras have interchangeable lenses. Most of these lenses have a matching lens hood that fits on the front of the lens. The hood blocks light from coming in at an angle and causing a reflection on the front lens element. Shooting through this reflection will reduce your sharpness and contrast. Consistently using your lens hood will make your photos look crisper. It will also help protect the front of the lens from damage.

2. Take the camera out of automatic mode when necessary

Camera meters are calibrated to give good results when you take a picture of an average scene. When the scene is not average, you will need to adjust the exposure to compensate. If the scene is very bright (like snow), you have to set the camera to expose a little more to get things brighter. If the scene is very dark, you have to reduce the exposure to make it darker. If the subject is backlit, you need to increase the exposure so that the subject is not underexposed. You can adjust the exposure by using the exposure compensation controls or by switching to manual exposure mode.

3. Use continuous autofocus mode when the subject is moving

DSLR cameras typically have a continuous autofocus mode, which will track a moving subject and continuously adjust the focus until you press the shutter to take the picture. Make sure to use this mode when shooting things that move. This mode would be perfect for taking pictures of kids or pets running around.

4. Use an external flash so you can bounce the light off a ceiling or wall

Most DSLR cameras have a built-in flash. Unfortunately, the integral flash does not provide very good results. The pop-up flash lacks power and can't be bounced. To get natural looking photos with a flash, you really have to bounce the light off a ceiling or wall to make the light more diffuse. Direct flash might be fine for snapshots, but for more critical work, you need to use an external flash with bounce capability.

5. Adjust the ISO speed based on the shooting conditions

The ISO speed determines how sensitive the image sensor is to light. A higher ISO setting reduces the required exposure, but increases the noise in the photo. For best results when taking photos, you should use the lowest ISO setting that you can. When taking action or low light photos, you may have to raise the ISO setting accordingly.

If you keep these 5 tips in mind, you will be well on your way to making the most out of your DSLR.

Interchangeable Lens Camera