James Clark - Photography: The Beginners Crash Course in DSLR Photography

All DSLR cameras have similar functions and settings. It really does n t matter if you have a Canon or a Pentax, learning to use the manual settings will be the same. You may have to check out your camera to find the right buttons, switches, and settings, but they are there, trust me.

Manual settings allow you to decide how you want your picture to look. You will not be great at using these setting right out of the box, it takes a bit of practice to gain the skills.

It is worth taking the time to learn manual settings, these settings make the difference between taking a picture with your camera phone, and taking an awesome photograph with a technical skill and artistic flair.

Here is a list of some of the common settings on a DSLR camera:

• P (Program Mode)
• A or AV (Aperture Priority)
• S or Tv (Shutter Priority or Time Value)
• M (Manual Mode)
• ISO speed

Program Mode - On the dial of the DSLR camera you will find the letter P, this P stands for program mode. Program mode allows the camera to calculate aperture and shutter speed when an ISO is already set or selected. When the camera is in program mode the exposure is automatic but the other camera settings are manually set. In Full automatic mode, all of the settings are automatic.

A or AV A stands for aperture priority, and AV stands for Aperture Value. This mode allows the aperture to be set manually while the shutter speed is set automatically for the best exposure with a set ISO sensitivity.

S or Tv S stands for Shutter Priority and Tv stands for Time Value. With this setting the shutter speed is set manually and the aperture is set automatically by the camera for the best exposure with a set ISO sensitivity.

M M stands for Manual Mode. In full manual mode, the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO are set manually by the photographer according their preferences.

ISO spee d ISO is used to set the light sensitivity of the image sensor. This setting determines how sensitive to light the camera will be.

All of the manual settings give you the ability to fine tune the exposure of the pictures you take. Unlike auto settings, the manual settings will allow you to control the exposure quality and artistic feel of your images. Tweaking the manual settings will provide you with the ability to take perfect photos in a number of lighting conditions.

In some situations, automatic settings will not give you the best exposure. When lighting is too bright, or too dark, or when there are too many shadows, or any other extreme in the ambient lighting, manual settings will give you a much better picture quality if you know how to use them. If you are interested photographing moving subjects, objects, or even moving water, the manual settings on your camera will give the best results.

Nature photography is another situation where manual settings will provide a better picture. Nature is never predictable; animals, the weather, and dynamic landscapes are always in motion or change from one state to another.

Using automatic settings will not give you the versatility you need to produce the best picture your camera is capable of taking in every natural setting.

Actually, almost every situation can benefit from using manual settings as long as the photographer knows what to do. Using the manual settings requires knowledge of lighting and how it affects the subject, movement and how that can affect the image quality.

For example, taking a photo of a sporting event and capture the action can be done with automatic settings but that does n t mean you have taken the best picture possible. With manual settings, the right lens and tripod if needed, you can capture the finest detail of an athlete as they perform a winning move.

It is the ability to combine shutter speed, aperture, and ISO that will give you the capability of taking the best possible picture, these three settings are known as the three pillars of photography.