SLR Photography: Unleashing the Full Potential of Your Camera

If you are beginning 35mm SLR photography or just general photography then no doubt your camera is your new best friend. Here you will find some tips to get to know your friend better!

First of all, your new camera’s factory manual should be your new bible. Always carry it with your camera and keep it handy for referencing. SLR photography isn’t very difficult; it just takes lots of practice and patience. You will need to learn to use all the functions of your SLR camera even the ones you don’t like. You must know what all the knobs, functions and dials mean. So your daily manual reading is a must, at least for the first few weeks.

If your love affair with photography is turning into something serious then be warned that it will consume you! Invest in a good tripod stand because cameras get really heavy with a good lens attached. To reduce “shake” and bring stability to your photography this is a necessary piece of equipment. Other important things are UV filters for all your lenses, to keep them safe and remote release.

SLR photography gets easier if you can practice keeping both eyes open when taking pictures. This way you won’t miss any action. Closing an eye limits your field of vision to whatever you can see through the camera. This can be very limiting especially in instances of nature photography.

SLR photography can be very expensive because of the next tip! Keep up with your subject till it is out of sight or there aren’t any other photo opportunities left. This means you will use up a lot of film. But you will also end up with a lot more worthwhile shots. With practice you will be able to get in tune with your surroundings so much that getting a great shot won’t be difficult.

The best way to learn photography is by experimentation. Try changing the shutter speed, try different aperture settings and you will be surprised how the quality of a picture can totally change just by turning a little knob.

Remember that no one can really be an expert because of the changing technologies in SLR photography. Many people want to become professional photographers and start earning money from the thing they love most. And anything can happen with a lot of practice and a little patience!

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