Thursday, December 31, 2020

12 Days of DSLR Day 6: Best Accessories for Your DSLR, part 2 - splurges

Welcome to the 12 Days of DSLR! We’re revisiting and updating 12 of our most popular posts to give you the jumpstart on making the most of your DSLR camera. This series is aimed at first-time DSLR owners as well as those who want a little more guidance for how the make the most out of shooting with a DSLR.

Day 6: Best Accessories for your DSLR, part 2 - splurges


Yesterday's 12 Days of DSLR highlighted some of Boost Your Photography's favorite inexpensive DSLR accessories. But if you are looking for an even bigger upgrade, may we suggest ...

Bigger Splurges

Lightroom and Photoshop. Post-processing extends the power of your photographs and is a must-have if you are interested in working as any kind of event photographer. Buying Lightroom and Photoshop together gives you the batch processing power of Lightroom with the photo editing and manipulating powers of Photoshop, all in one convenient package. Links: Lightroom and Photoshop packages.

A Light Tent. A light tent is an incredibly powerful tool, especially if you are interested in product photography or showcasing smaller subject. Light tents are wonderful for photographing crafts, jewelry, or other items for selling online. They lend beautiful, even lighting and will really make your subject pop. Links: light tents or read more, product review.

A 10-Stop Neutral Density Filter. As mentioned earlier, a neutral density filter limits some of the light coming in to your camera lens, allowing you to use longer shutter speeds when shooting. The Lee Big Stopper 10-stop neutral density filter is the granddaddy of them all, reducing the incoming light by 10 full stops. These are the filters being used when you see the incredibly smooth flowing water shots or the impossibly silky waterfalls. This is one for my own wish list. Links: 10-stop neutral density filters.

Biggest Splurges

And now we get into the truly aspirational purchases.

Tamron 18-400mm. The previous iteration, the Tamron 18-270mm , is my go-to lens and the one that is on my camera 90% of the time. I love this lens so much that I even wrote a post all about it over at Digital Photography School. This all-in-one zoom lens is perfect for traveling, parents, and anyone who prefers having a single lens with a lot of functionality. The 18-270mm version has since been upgraded with the release of the 16-300mm, which also means that the 18-270mm can be had for even less. If you have a full frame camera, you should investigate the 28-300mm version for full frames. Links: Tamron 18-400mm18-270mm18-270mm, and the 28-300mm or read more.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 or Nikon 105mm f/2.8. This dedicated macro lens is one coveted by many photographers, and it has a wide applicability beyond macro and is a popular portrait lens as well. Now do not get me wrong, I love the fact that I can get macro effects with my close-up lenses and extension tubes, but if someone were to offer me this lens, it is one that I would never, ever turn down. If you love macro photography, this would be a great investment to make. Links: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 or Nikon 105mm f/2.8.

The Canon 7D Mark II. If I ever get up the guts (and the cash) to update my beloved camera body, this is where I will be looking. Amazing high-ISO performance, a 20+ megapixel sensor, and 10-frames per second, there are a lot of great things going on with the 7D Mark II. Links: Canon 7D Mark II.



Stay tuned for the rest of the 12 Days of DSLR! 







Want to learn more? Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

12 Days of DSLR Day 5: Best Accessories for Your DSLR, part 1 - bargains

Welcome to the 12 Days of DSLR! We’re revisiting and updating 12 of our most popular posts to give you the jumpstart on making the most of your DSLR camera. This series is aimed at first-time DSLR owners as well as those who want a little more guidance for how the make the most out of shooting with a DSLR.
 

Day 5: Best Accessories for your DSLR, part 1 - bargains

  
The holiday season may have officially ended, but Day 5 of the 12 Days of DSLR brings you some easy (and inexpensive) upgrades to your basic camera kit. You said you can't buy yourself gifts?



Cheap Must Haves

Extra Batteries and Extra Memory Cards. Any photographer would be delighted to receive a spare battery or quality memory card as a gift. And if you are caught asking yourself the question, "How many is too many?" I believe the answer remains, "At least one more..." Links: camera batteriesmemory cards, or read more.

Informational and Inspirational Photography Books. I am an inveterate book reader, and I love photography books for their powers to inform and inspire. Some of my favorites include Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, The Digital Photography How To series by Scott Kelby, The Photographer's Eye (and really everything) by Michael Freeman, and anything by Freeman Patterson.

A Set of Close-Up Lenses. These little babies screw on to the front of your lens, turning it into a powerful macro or close-up lens. Close-up lenses are a great way to experiment with macro photography and explore the details of the world around you. Links: close-up lenses or read more.

A Travel Tripod. The GorillaPod brand of travel tripods are small, inexpensive, and powerful. GorillaPods bring you the power of a tripod with a minimum investment, and their flexible nature allows you to use them in a wide variety of settings and situations. Links: GorillaPods or read more.

A Remote Shutter Release. A remote is an incredibly useful photography tool and one with endless applications. A simple, corded remote will set you back only a few bucks, and inexpensive wireless models can be found starting for just under $20. If you really want to step-it-up in the remote game, check out the Trigger Trap mobile, described below. Links: remote shutter releases or read more.

A Lens Pen. These handy lens cleaners are a must have for any photographer. The LensPen fits easily in your purse or camera bag and contains two cleaning ends - a brush for bigger debris and a rounded pad with a self-contained cleaning solution. Super useful. Links: Lens Pen.

Great Next Steps

A Quality Set of Filters. There are many kinds of filters for photography. I use UV filters daily for protection and to diminish unwanted flare in my photographs. Circular polarizers have amazing properties for emphasizing the blue in skies, changing reflections in water, and really making colors pop. A neutral density filter allows you to slow down your shutter speed to capture amazing long exposure shots, like slow, silky waterfalls or smeared, cloudy skies. Links: UV filterscircular polarizersneutral density filters, or read more.

A 50 mm Lens. Every DSLR owner should have a 50 mm lens. The 50 mm f/1.8 starts at around $100 and is an incredible upgrade from your kit lens. The wide aperture possibilities of f/1.8 are amazing and will revolutionize your photography, especially if you shoot indoors or fast-moving children or want that blurred, bokeh effect. Links: 50 mm lenses or read more.

A Durable Tripod. A serious photographer needs a series tripod. While a quality, durable tripod is an investment, think of it as a lifetime purchase. Tripods are meant to last, and most come with long-standing guarantees. When one of my tripod legs got bashed in and stuck on my Alta tripod, I only had to pay $10 in shipping to send it off to the company and received it back, good as new, in less than two weeks. Totally worth it. Link: full-size tripods or read more.



Stay tuned for the rest of the 12 Days of DSLR! 






Want to learn more? Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

12 Days of DSLR Day 4: All about your camera lenses

Welcome to the 12 Days of DSLR! We’re revisiting and updating 12 of our most popular posts to give you the jumpstart on making the most of your DSLR camera. This series is aimed at first-time DSLR owners as well as those who want a little more guidance for how the make the most out of shooting with a DSLR.
 

Day 4: About Your Camera's Lens(es)

  
Let's talk about lenses for a moment. They are an essential part of your camera kit, and this article walks you through the basic features of a DSLR camera lens and provide an overview of each of the important labels, switches, and features.


Introduction to a Camera Lens

There are many important pieces of information that you will find written onto the body of your camera lens. The first is the name of the lens itself, such as Canon EF-S 18-55 mm 18-55mm f/4-5.6 is STM (older version above on the left) or Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR AF-P DX. Read Camera Lenses: What’s in a Name? for a more detailed treatment of camera lens names.

A second piece of information written onto the lens is the focal length. This is often in the name of the camera as well as written on the barrel of the lens, often near where the lens attaches to your camera body. A prime lens will have just one focal length (such as 50 mm), while a zoom lens will list a range of focal lengths (such as 18-55 mm).

If you have a zoom lens, the largest adjustable cylinder on the lens' body will allow you to adjust the focal length. You will see a range of focal lengths listed, often from widest to narrowest, on the cylinder itself. Rotating the cylinder all the way in one direction will give you your widest focal length (such as 18 mm), while rotating the cylinder all the way in the other direction will give you your narrowest focal length (such as 55 mm). Whether this rotation is clockwise or counterclockwise depends on the manufacturer of your lens. If you look down at your camera lens while rotating, you will see some sort of mark (white line on Canon lenses) that points to which focal length you have currently selected.

When using a modern lens, this information about focal length will be recorded by your camera and stored as part of the image. If you right-click on an image file in Windows and select 'Properties,' you can choose the 'Details' tab and see all of the EXIF information stored with your file, including the focal length that the lens was set to at the time. To find the same information on a Mac, you need to control-click on the image and select 'Get Info.'

If you purchase a longer zoom lens (with a fairly wide range), then it may come equipped with a 'lock' switch. This switch allows you to lock the lens in its most compact position (often the widest aperture). This is particularly useful when carrying around your camera, as it prevents the entire lens from randomly zooming out to its longest length. A lock is unnecessary on a prime lens and is not always a feature on starter lenses.

Learn Your Camera Lens: part 2 the lens | Boost Your Photography

The smaller adjustable cylinder on your camera lens is the focal ring. If your camera is set to autofocus, then the camera will direct the lens to adjust this ring until it achieves focus. If your camera is set to manual focus, then you will rotate this ring in order to achieve focus. Older lenses or those intended for manual focus, may have written indicators on the focal ring that tell you the approximate distance (usually in feet for a US manufactured lens) to the object in focus. On the Tamron lens above, you can see that the lens is currently focused to infinity but can go down to 0.49 meters or 1.6 feet.

Speaking of manual focus and autofocus, there is an important switch that controls those, which is located on the camera lens. It is often a little push switch with two labels: AF (autofocus) and MF (manual focus). You should always leave this switch pushed over to AF unless you have a reason for using manual focus. There is usually an indicator on your camera's rear display that will let you know if you have switched your lens into manual focus mode.

The second switch on many cameras is for image stabilization (also called vibration control or vibration reduction) and can be switched either on or off. In most circumstances, you will want to leave this turned on. The only time you might want to turn off the stabilization function is if you are using a tripod. Because a stabilized camera 'expects' some form of motion, it can actually add motion to your shot if you are using a tripod to hold the camera perfectly steady. If you do turn stabilization off when using a tripod, I recommend turning it back on again right when you are finished.

There is another important indicator related to focus that is written on your camera lens. This is known as the minimum focusing distance, and it is the number (in feet and meters) that follows the little tulip flower symbol. The minimum focusing distance tells you the closest you can be to your subject while still being able to focus. If you move closer to your subject, your camera will be unable to find focus and the autofocus will hunt around (and occasionally make strange sounds. Read more in Why Won’t My Lens Focus?). This is another one of those extremely useful pieces of information that often do not get explained when you buy your first camera and lenses and knowing it can save you a lot of frustration and confusion down the line.

A final useful indicator on your camera lens is the diameter (in millimeters) of the lens. This measurement is indicated with the Ø symbol. You will need to know the diameter of your lens in order to purchase the correct filters. (More on filters in this article on accessories.)

Summary: about camera lenses

You can learn a lot from your lens, and there are several important features and adjustments available. Your lens can often do more than simply focus or zoom in and out. Now that you know about features like the 'lock' mechanism or the auto/manual focus switch, you may find you are using them more often.

Stay tuned for the rest of the 12 Days of DSLR! 







Want to learn more? Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Monday, December 28, 2020

12 Days of DSLR Day 3: Depth of Field and Aperture


Welcome to Day 3 of the 12 Days of DSLR! We’re revisiting and updating 12 of our most popular posts to give you the jumpstart on making the most of your DSLR camera. This series is aimed at first-time DSLR owners as well as those who want a little more guidance for how the make the most out of shooting with a DSLR. Today's post lays out everything you need to know to understand aperture and depth of field.
 

Day 3: Depth of Field and Aperture

  
Aperture and depth of field are topics that often confuses photographers. The two important things to know with aperture are what each range of apertures can do for you (which relates to the depth of field) and when is the appropriate time to use them. 

Aperture is a value, expressed in a unit called f/stops, that refers to the relative size of the opening of your lens when you take a photograph. The bigger the opening, the more light that your camera lets in and the smaller the depth of field (the area of the subject in focus). The smaller the opening, the less light that you camera lets in, but the greater the depth of field (the more of your image that will be in focus). 
In the images above, the left-hand image of the crab apple blossoms was shot with a wide aperture (f/1.8), which resulted in a very narrow slice of the photograph being in focus. As the further back flowers rapidly fall out of focus, the light on the very background flowers becomes merely giant circles or bokeh as they are known in photography. The right-hand image of the rose was shot with a narrow aperture (f/22), which resulted in the depth of field (the area in focus) extending through the entire image.

Here's what kept me confused about aperture for the longest time when I started getting serious about my photography and particularly when I started reading a lot of books and articles about photography: the terminology for aperture seemed hopelessly muddled. This is where the fractions come into play. (Now, don't get me wrong. My mother is a math teacher, and I have no problems with fractions, per se, but they definitely interfered with my reading of photography books in this instance.)


Aperture Scale | Boost Your Photography

The f/stop number is actually a fraction, so you can think of the ones used in the example above as 1/1.8 and 1/22 instead.  Translate those into decimals, and you have 0.5 (repeating forever) and 0.045 (repeating 45 forever). This means that f/1.8 is actually a 'larger' number than f/22, even though intuitively you would look at them and assume that 22 is a 'larger' number than 1.8. So, when I was reading about larger or smaller apertures, I kept confusing that with what I was reading about wider or narrower apertures. Here it is restated as bullet points just to make it obvious.
  • F/1.8 A larger aperture value (larger fraction) = a wider opening = more light coming in = shallower depth of field (much less in focus) and a faster relative shutter speed
  • F/22 A small aperture value (smaller fraction) = a narrower opening = less light coming in = a wider depth of field (much more in focus) and a slower relative shutter speed
These two shots were taken consecutively at f/1.8 (left) and then f/18 (right). This close to a subject at f/1.8, the depth of field is limited to the front rim of the spoon and the row of stars directly underneath.
Patriotic Spoon Reflection by Archaeofrog on Flickr

What eventually helped me was just to focus on remembering what each aperture could do for me, photographically, and keep it at that.  All the larger/wider/smaller/narrower was just too much. If you understand what each end of the aperture spectrum can do for you, you will be well on your way for using aperture to achieve the look you want in your photographs.

What the Aperture of Your Lens Actually Looks Like Inside


One of the best ways to understand aperture is to spend some time looking in through the lens on your camera. Many DSLRs have a small button known as the "depth of field preview" button, often located near or around the lens. (You may have to get out your manual to find yours.) When you press and hold this button, the aperture blades inside your lens close down to the aperture you would be shooting at, and you can actually see the size and shape of the opening.

So, with your camera in Aperture Priority mode, set an aperture of f/22. Now, turn the camera around so that you can see inside the lens. Press and hold the depth of field preview button and watch what happens inside. Now try a middle range aperture value like f/11. Notice the difference? If not, this handy chart by Life in Edit lays it out for you.

Created by Life in Edit

Now that you know the physical part of aperture, the other key is knowing what each aperture can do. Below is a link to a series of four articles about aperture that have previously appeared on Boost Your Photography. Depth of Field: it's more than just aperture shares other factors that influence the appearance of depth of field in your images. Each of the three other articles provides an overview of a specific segment of the aperture spectrum, from the wide aperture end (towards f/1.8), to the narrow aperture end (towards f/22), and to the middle range apertures in between (f/8-f/11).


Depth of Field
More than Aperture

What an Aperture of 
F/1.8 Can Do for You

What an Aperture of 
F/22 Can Do for You

Middle Apertures: 
F/8-11

Once you understand how each section of the aperture spectrum works, it is easy to see how to use each aperture to control the depth of field that you are seeking. Looking for a narrow depth of field and lots of blur and bokeh in the background? Choose a wide aperture. Looking for a wide depth of field with everything in your photograph in focus? Choose a narrow aperture (and probably a tripod).

Summary: Aperture

Understanding aperture will help you better control depth of field and how much of your photograph is in focus. Aperture is also often used for artistic effects and blur. Spend some time shooting with your camera in Aperture Priority mode to familiarize yourself with what different aperture values can do for a given scene or subject. See what a difference aperture can make!



Stay tuned for the rest of the 12 Days of DSLR! 







Want to learn more? Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Sunday, December 27, 2020

12 Days of DSLR Day 2: Shutter Speed Overview


Day 2 of the 12 Days of DSLR brings you one of our most popular topics of all-time: shutter speed. Find out how shutter speed impacts movement within your final image and see our handy visual guide for remembering which shutter speeds to use in which situations! 

Welcome to the 12 Days of DSLR! We’re revisiting and updating 12 of our most popular posts to give you the jumpstart on making the most of your DSLR camera. This series is aimed at first-time DSLR owners as well as those who want a little more guidance for how the make the most out of shooting with a DSLR.
 

Day 2: Shutter Speed Overview

Shutter speed is one of the three in-camera variables when taking a photograph, the other two being aperture and ISO. You need to understand how shutter speed works and how to use shutter speed to get the kinds of photographs that you want. 

Compare Shutter Speed | Boost Your Photography

What is Shutter Speed?

Shutter speed is a measurement of the length of time that your camera's shutter is open for the sensor to capture and record the light that is hitting it. The longer your shutter speed, the more light is captured and recorded. The shorter your shutter speed, the less light is captured and recorded.

You can also think about it from the opposite perspective: the more light you have already in the scene, the quicker of a shutter speed you can use. The less light you have in the scene, the longer you will need to have your shutter open in order to record a balanced photograph. So, if you are shooting on a bright sunny day, you can often use shutter speeds measured in fractions of a second. If you are shooting at night without much light, you will often need to use shutter speeds measured in full seconds.

If you shoot with a long shutter speed, you need to make sure that you camera stays rock-steady. The best way to do this is to use a tripod or rest your camera on a stable surface. (Read more about How to Maximize Your Tripod.) The general rule of thumb is that you can safely handhold your camera down to a shutter speed fraction of 1 over the focal length of the lens, as in 1/50th of a second for a 50 mm lens or 1/200th of a second for a 200 mm zoom lens, etc. If your shutter speed will be longer than that value, use a tripod.

Shutter Speed: an illustrated overview

The following infographic is an illustrated representation of shutter speed and its application to different situations. Shutter speed is measured in a unit called stops, and each stop represents a halving or a doubling of light from the previous speed. Each interval on the chart represents one full stop of light.

1/4000th of a second is a common limit for the fastest shutter speed offered on DSLR cameras, although some top-models can shoot faster. You want to use this very quick speed if you are shooting a quickly moving subject (like a bird in flight) and want to stop its motion completely.

1/2000th and 1/1000th of a second are still very fast shutter speeds, and ones that you will mainly be able to use if you are shooting outdoors or in very bright light. The backlit heron was shot at 1/1000th of a second against the backdrop of a bright rising sun.

1/500th of a second is a great shutter speed to use when trying to freeze the motion of your subject. In general, you should be able to get a moving subject to look like it is still if you are shooting at 1/500th of a second.

1/250th is an important shutter speed to remember. This is the general limit for freezing the motion of a subject. Any slower, and you will start to see motion blur, such as with the jumping squirrel at 1/30th.

1/250th is also the flash sync speed for many cameras. Your camera will be unable to take a successful picture using the flash at a speed faster than 1/250th. (If you try, you will see a black bar across the top or bottom of your picture - this is the camera's shutter itself being recorded while in the process of opening up to take the picture.)

1/60th of a second will show a subject like flowing water as individual droplets (as shown) and is reaching the limit at which you can reliably handhold your camera.

By 1/15th of a second, you should consider using a tripod or expect that some form of motion blur from your shaking hands may become a visible in the photograph. Practice pushing the shutter button smoothly and bracing your elbows against yourself for added stability.

Around 1/4th of a second, you can create a panning effect by moving the camera at the same speed as your subject while shooting. This creates blur in the background by renders the subject frozen. Read more about Panning Photography.

1" or one second is another good shutter speed to remember. At this speed or longer, water starts becoming less individual drops and instead appears like flowing, silky strands. The three waterfalls in the graphic were shot at shutter speeds of 1/4th, 2 seconds, and 6 seconds, respectively. Read more about Shooting Waterfalls.

Shutter speeds of multiple seconds allow for unique and creative nighttime photographs. The hearts and spirals were drawn with sparklers over the course of 10 seconds, while the massive amount of traffic trails by the Christmas trees took 30 seconds.See more examples and how tos in Long Exposure Photography at the Fair(e)Light Painting: how to spin an orb, and Spinning Fire with Steel Wool Photography.

The final shutter speed is often labelled as "B" for Bulb. In bulb mode, the camera's shutter will stay open as long as it is held down (or, more commonly, as long as the remote shutter release is held or locked down). Bulb mode is useful for situations when you want a shutter speed of longer than 30 seconds. Your camera will generally provide a count-up timer while you are shooting, so you know how long the shutter has been open.

Shutter Speed: in review

It is important to understand shutter speed and to choose appropriate shutter speeds for your photography situation. If you are shooting in Time Value (Tv) or Shutter Priority (S) mode, you choose the ISO and shutter speed, and your camera will select the aperture. In Manual (M) mode, you choose the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Even if you are shooting in Auto or Program (P), you should always keep an eye on your shutter. Make sure that it is quick enough for your to handhold (or get out that tripod) and is quick enough or slow enough to capture the effect you are looking for.

Want more posts geared toward beginners? Click 'For Beginners' up in the header at the top of the page. 

Stay tuned for the rest of the 12 Days of DSLR! 







Want to learn more? Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

12 Days of DSLR: Day 1 Know Your Settings


Welcome to the 12 Days of DSLR! We’re revisiting and updating 12 of our most popular posts to give you the jumpstart on making the most of your DSLR camera. This series is aimed at first-time DSLR owners as well as those who want a little more guidance for how the make the most out of shooting with a DSLR.
 

First up: Know Your Settings and Camera Zero

   
This light painting shot was taken with a 30-second exposure, a tripod, and a remote shutter release.
Read here How to Spin an Orb with Light

The best-known reason for missing a shot is not having your camera with you at the time (or turning on your phone fast enough). The only slightly less well-known reason for missing a shot is having forgotten to reset your camera. This is why you need to remember to reset to your “camera zero.”

Let me illustrate with an example. Earlier in the week, I was called into the back room since two large mourning doves had just alighted on the porch balcony and were acting affectionate. I grabbed my camera en route, pulled off the lens cap, and turned it on. As soon as I walked in, I zoomed in the lens, composed the image, and clicked the shutter. (Insert long click sound here.) 

It was only after taking the shot that I realized that the camera was still set on manual with a 30-second shutter. After an agonizing thirty seconds spent waiting for the shot to finish, I quickly adjusting the settings and tried again … just as both doves got spooked a flew off. I was left with nothing but this overexposed memento of their visit. Nice, right?
This picture was supposed to be of mourning doves but was taken with a 30-second exposure on a bright day.
(Taken the day after the photo above.)

That kind of missed opportunity happens to everyone, but you can prevent it by remembering to return to “camera zero” each time you finish shooting. 

What's Your Camera Zero?


“____ zero” has become a catchy way of talking about getting an accomplishment back to the beginning, whether that be “inbox zero” (no new mail) or “dirty-dishes zero” (a time of celebration in our household, which, with a toddler, literally never happens). So, camera zero is the selected settings that you expect your camera to have each time you turn it on to start shooting.

Mode: My default shooting mode is ‘P’ for Program. In program mode, the camera chooses the aperture and shutter speed, but you set the ISO value. I keep my ISO at 100 (the native speed for my DSLR). P is a great choice for your camera zero setting, because it gives the camera the option to choose both the aperture and the shutter for the given situation.

Get the Shot: Remember Camera Zero | Boost Your Photography

Quality: I shoot RAW+L which creates a RAW file plus a high quality jpeg. This gives me the flexibility of using the jpeg with the critical data and flexibility provided by the RAW file. Unless memory and file size are a huge issue, you should always be shooting at the largest quality jpeg (without compression) that you can. Whether you shoot RAW or not is up to you.

AF Mode: The majority of the time I shoot in “one shot,” rather than AI Focus or AI Servo, which means that I need to set the focus of the shot every time.

Drive Mode: Continuous. Although I do not often use the burst function to take multiple pictures at a time (possible in continuous but not in single), I find it is a useful feature to have. This is most often the setting that I forget to come back to if I have been using the 10-sec or 2-sec timer options.

Metering Mode: Evaluative, though I occasionally use spot metering for shooting birds.

White Balance: Auto. Shooting in RAW gives me the flexibility to adjust the white balance in post-processing and prevents me from over-thinking this setting. Some landscape shooters swear by shooting always in ‘cloudy’ to get the warmer sun feeling, but I think auto is a much safer and more consistent choice.

Exposure Compensation: Zero. My most common mistake here is forgetting to take it off a bracketed setting (shooting three different exposures) and restore it to the one-shot zero setting.

Lens: vibration compensation: on and auto-focus: on. (See my article on How to Maximize Your Tripod to understand when to turn off vibration compensation.)

Knowing is half the battle when it comes to camera zero. The other half of the battle is taking those precious seconds when you’ve finished shooting to do a quick run through of your settings and return them to camera zero. Get in the habit of looking back over your display and at your lens each time you turn the camera off.

That way, the next time a split-second opportunity presents itself, you’ll be ready! 

Stay tuned for the rest of the 12 Days of DSLR! 







Want to learn more? Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

A Year Ago on BYP: December

A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography is a twice-monthly post rounding up all the great content available on BYP that has been published during this same time of year, across the years. It's a quick way to catch up on content you may have missed, including seasonal and time-sensitive photography tips and ideas.



    • Favorite Photography Books and Authors: part 1. This first post on my favorite photography books and authors focuses on authors who explore the bigger picture of photography and will inspire you will ideas for composition, design, and more.

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