TIP
SHEET
Using a DSLR Camera
TERMS
BASIC CAMERA CONTROLS
Pixel—a picture dot or element
Resolution—a measure of detail in a digital
Adjusts the camera to the existing lighting conditions.
Usually works best on auto.
image
Exposure—amount of light collected by
camera’s image sensor
Aperture—the hole in the lens that controls
how much light gets in
Shutter Speed—controls how much light hits
the image
ISO—how sensitive the image sensor is to light
SHOOTING MODES
Automatic modes
Lets the camera do all the work
Automatically adjusts settings to what you’re shooting
Best to stay in this mode if you aren’t an expert
Scene modes
White Balance
Release Modes
Single shot: what you get when you take a regular picture
Continuous: takes a bunch of pictures at the same time
Self timer: Lets you take pictures in front of the camera
ISO
Stick with a lower ISO setting
Higher ISO for areas with low light
Playback
Basic Camera
BasicControls
photo editing
Cropping,
Red eye reduction
Basic filters
Flash Modes
Auto flash
Red eye reduction flash
Forced or fill flash
Rear shutter flash
External flash, like the one used in studio photography
Portrait: Use with soft, natural-looking skin tones. The focus
will be on the subject while the background will be blurred.
Landscape: Use for vivid landscape shots in daylight.
Kids: Clothing and background details are vividly rendered,
Background
while skin tones remain soft and natural.
Try
to
find
a
natural
form of framing,
Sports: Fast shutter speed freezes motion for shots in which
especially
for
landscape
or architecture
the main subject stands out clearly.
Simplify
the
background
so
it
doesn’t
distract
from
the subject
Close-up: For shots of flowers, insects and other small objects.
Rule of Thirds
Night portrait: Creates a natural balance between the main
subject and the background in portraits taken under low light. Divide the scene into thirds (like a tic-tac-toe board) and place
the important part of the image along the 1/3 lines
Place horizon at one of the 1/3 lines
COMPOSITION
LIGHTING
Natural lighting
Make sure the sun is facing the object, not behind the object.
This eliminates shadows that would hide the subject
Studio lighting
Uses light fixtures and often backdrops
Makes it easy to control where the light is coming from.
The best way to eliminate shadows is to play around
with the lighting. The object you are shooting determines the height and angle of the lights.
PestManagement
P R O F E S S I O N A L
Point of Interest
Figure out what your subject or point of interest is
What are you trying to capture in the photo?
You want to naturally draw the eye toward your subject
Framing
Fill the frame so that there isn’t extra background space
It will be easier to focus on the subject and see detail
Alternate Point of View
Make your photos more dramatic or unusual by taking
them from a different perspective
Look up, down or inside something to capture a point
of view you wouldn’t normally see