So you got your first dSLR...what now?

This is probably not like any camera you have had before. There are way more controls, the camera is larger, it may seem daunting at first. The way most point and shoot cameras work is rather simple, from the user perspective. You just point, and shoot, hence the name. While this is very user friendly, you lose a lot of creative control. The camera decides everything for you, except what you're pointing it at. It calculates exposure time, aperture, ISO, decides what's "best" and then takes the picture for you. This may work for most people. But it leaves many of us craving more, unsatisfied, and with the feeling that you aren't capturing the moment the way you pictured(pun intended!) it in your head.

Enter the dSLR cameras. They are the "go to" camera for professionals and amateurs looking for more control and higher image quality. dSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. As the name suggests, they don't have to be digital, and in fact film SLRs existed long before the digital age. Now, it is far more common to see digital SLRs, but that doesn't mean that the concepts we will cover are any different on a film camera. The main difference is the medium in which the images are stored(film vs a memory card).

The first dSLR we got, in April 2011. A Canon EOS KissX4 / 550D / Rebel t2i. Sadly, it took a tumble into a creek, and we replaced it with a Canon EOS 7D.

It is important to note that having a dSLR does not automatically make your pictures better, or help you take better photos. You can get a $5000 camera, and leave it on AUTO. But your results will not be very different from what you were getting before. Not $5000 worth anyway. And probably not worth carrying that big thing around either. 

You will be surprised at how big a difference learning a few key concepts will make in your photography, and allow you to take more control over how your images will look.

f/11, 300mm, 1/400, ISO 400

This is not meant to put you off a dSLR, or discourage you in any way. It really isn't that hard, and it is the goal of this blog to get you past some of these hurdles and on your way to better photography. But that is not to say that it will happen without a conscious effort on your part to grasp these concepts and then go out and practice them! And I hate to be a buzz kill, but you will want to read that manual. And probably more than once. Yes, it is long. Yes, it is dry. But you will find out so many things about your camera and its controls that it will totally be worth it. At the very least, make sure you know where it is!