Over ten years ago, I got my first SLR camera. Back then they didn’t have digital and they were simply called SLR cameras. Today we have digitalized everything including DSLR cameras. This allows us to practice, practice, practice at no additional cost.
I did not have that freedom to practice 10 years ago, because film was so expensive and you just took a photo and hoped it turned out.
I was shocked when my first roll of film was all blurry and out of focus. The lighting was all off and these were quite frankly the worst pictures I had ever taken. I had heard so much about how wonderful these cameras were! What was I doing wrong? I became so overwhelmed that I put the camera on the shelf and didn’t touch it again.
Ten years has passed and I decided to take another whirl with the DSLR cameras. So I dove into learning how to use these amazing cameras. You know once I started to learn a little here and a little there, they didn’t seem so hard to use after all.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I am going to share some tips to help you better understand and use your DSLR camera.
Understanding The Exposure Triangle
To help you understand your camera better we must first tackle what the exposure triangle is. The exposure triangle is the relationship between 3 elements: ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture. Once you understand these 3 elements, you will have a much clearer understanding of how your camera works!
Refer to this diagram as we discuss the three elements in The Exposure Triangle
image courtesy of my-photo-school.com
1. ISO
ISO is a measure of how sensitive the sensor is to light. Look at the table above. The lower the ISO number the more light you have. So if you were shooting outside on a sunny day then you would shoot with your camera on a low ISO setting, most likely 100. This will create a clear, crisp picture. If you are working indoors in lower light you would have to adjust your ISO to allow more light to the sensor. A lot of my food pictures that I shoot at night I shoot at an 800 ISO to compensate for the lack of light in the room.
Keep in mind that every camera is different and you must practice with your camera to see where your cameras sweet spot is in regards to ISO. An ISO of 800 is fine for my DSLR, but anything larger starts to become grainy.
When adjusting the ISO, always remember that a higher ISO comes at a cost. The higher the ISO, the grainer the picture will become. I try to shoot all of my pictures on the lowest ISO possible.
The picture on the left was shot with my iPhone. Take a look at how grainy the picture is. It was shot with an ISO of 640 (I know it isn’t on the diagram, but it is somewhere between the 400 and 800) and clearly this was to high of an ISO for the device I was using. Now the picture to the right of that was shot with an ISO 200. Look how crisp the picture is. Can you see the difference?
image on left has ISO of 640, image on right ISO 200
2. Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter is open. Shutter speed is how fast or slow the camera records the picture. The slower the shutter speed the more light that gets to the sensor. The faster the shutter speed, the less light that gets to the sensor.
Shutter speed allows you to freeze any motion in a picture (action shot) or to blur any motion in a picture (waterfall). When I take pictures of my daughter at her soccer game, I want to freeze the action of the soccer ball mid air. This is done by using a fast shutter speed. If I am shooting a waterfall and I want it to have a blurred motion, I need more light to get to the sensor so I am going to slow my shutter speed down to create the blurred effect.
Keep in mind, you can hold your camera for anything that falls above 1/50. If you reduce your shutter speed below 1/50 then you will need to use a tripod for that picture so it won’t be blurry. This can vary greatly from camera to camera, so play around with your camera to see when you need to use a tripod.
3. Aperture
How ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture Work Together
Lets look at this diagram to learn a little more about how all 3 of these elements work together to create a picture.
image courtesy of my-photo-school.com
As we look at this diagram you can see that 3 of these elements depend on one another. You can not isolate one, they all need to work together.
An example would be if you are creating a more shallow depth of field then you are allowing more light to come into your picture. You will have to either adjust the shutter speed or ISO to compensate for the change in light.
Don’t worry, this will be a later lesson. We will get to manual mode after we have done a little bit of homework and some exercises to help you better understand how it all comes together.
Here is a great video that explains it all so well!
Now It’s Your Turn to Practice!
Ok, so now you know a little bit about ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Now it is time to practice. If you are just starting out with your DSLR, I highly recommend that you start practicing by using your Aperture Priority mode (AV for Canon and A for Nikons) and Shutter Priority mode (TV for Canon and S for Nikon). You can change this through the mode dial at the top of your camera.
Shooting in Aperture Priority
If you are shooting on aperture priority mode you will be setting the aperture and the camera will automatically set the ISO and shutter speed.
Note if you want the ISO to set automatically make sure you have it on auto in your settings. Just press the ISO button, hold it down and use the black main dial on top of your camera to move it to auto (this button is usually closest to your shutter button that you push to take a picture, see picture below). Check your manual for further instructions if needed.
image courtesy of photo.net
To change the aperture, use the same black main dial on top of your camera to adjust the aperture. Look at the picture below to see where the aperture is located on your cameras LCD screen.
Shooting in Shutter Priority
If you are shooting in Shutter Priority mode, then you set the shutter speed and the camera will automatically set the ISO and aperture for you (again, be sure that you have the auto select for your ISO).
To change the shutter speed, use the same black main dial on top of your camera to adjust the shutter speed (see picture above). Look at the picture below to see where the shutter speed is located on your LCD screen.
Pay close attention to the three areas we discussed above and notice how they work together and how they change in different situations. This allows you to get some practice with selecting aperture and shutter speeds and will help you become more familiarized with your camera.
That’s It! That’s Not So Hard Right?
So that is it! Now this week start practicing shooting in these two modes and again play close attention to the aperture, ISO and the shutter speed and how they work together.
You’re one step closer to shooting in manual mode, just a few more steps and you are there! When you shoot in manual mode, you have the freedom to create the pictures that you are envisioning.
Next week we will dive into learning how to shoot on manual mode! Until then…
More Great Photography Post ~ Photography, Equipment, Props & More
Click here to view our Entire Series of Food Photography, Equipment, Props & More!
Oh and one more thing, check out this awesome tasty food photography book. It is hands down my favorite photography book!!
Want To Learn Even More About Food Photography
Here is one of my favorite e-books that really dives into a lot of great stuff. Lindsey over at Pinch of Yum has the most gorgeous photos! In this e-book, she has tackles technical tips, composition tips, lighting tips, prop and set up tips, editing tips and general workflow tips. There are instructional videos to easily walk you through learning the whole process! Wether you are brand new to photography or have experience…this book is for everyone! Learn more here!
glutenfreejudee says
November 29, 2012 at 4:01 pmNot only was this post helpful, it was better than a 3 hour intro class that I took last month. Thank you so much. I returned the camera because I was so overwhelmed. I’ll keep reading your posts and maybe try again. Thanks.
hallecottis says
November 29, 2012 at 4:38 pm@glutenfreejudee I am so glad you found it helpful! I totally understand being overwhelmed….I put my first dslr away for 10 years before I regained the courage to try again. Once I dove into it, I realized that I could easily help others understand how these cameras work. They really are quite easy to use once you get some practice. Thanks for you feedback 🙂
Kzaya says
July 23, 2018 at 5:15 amHey Thanks alot.
It was really very useful.
Bonnie Garrison says
January 24, 2017 at 3:16 amI have been looking for this tutorial for 2 years. Have taken 2 courses on my camera and gained nothing…I can’t thank you enough for putting it into a stream line of sense I can understand. Thank you again for all your help. I have a canonEOS60D
Bonnie
Halle Cottis says
January 24, 2017 at 7:50 amHey Bonnie!
Yay! So happy you find this information useful. Nice choice on the camera too! Happy shooting! 🙂
Akash agrawal says
July 17, 2017 at 9:29 pmSuperb information
Deepak Singh says
November 26, 2017 at 1:50 amAll Explained in such a easy and detailed way that everyone can understand this, thanks a ton for making it so easy, will wait to read and learn more
catrina1 says
December 3, 2012 at 1:54 pmho scoperto il tuo meraviglioso blog da pochi giorni , ti faccio i complimenti per il modo semplice in cui dai consigli di fotografia
Ho preso una reflex nikon d3000 da poche settimane e sto cercando di imparare a far foto decenti, grazie ancora continuo a seguirti con piacere
hallecottis says
December 3, 2012 at 2:04 pm@catrina1Sono così felice di aver trovato il nostro blog, benvenuto! Sai con un po ‘di pratica potrete vedere rapidamente come meraviglioso e facile queste telecamere sono da usare! 🙂 Fateci sapere se avete qualunque domande lungo la strada.
Carrie23 says
December 7, 2012 at 6:56 amThis make so much sense! I can’t believe that it has taken me so long to “really” understand my camera! Thank you!
greenthickies says
December 7, 2012 at 9:22 amI thought I had figured out just what I needed with my camera but as the light in Scotland is so dark even during the limited daytime hours my photos have become rubbish lately. (Even with a tripod) I think I really need to save up for a lightbox.
Thank you so much for this very helpful series. I will really need to have a practice again with this new knowledge!
pol says
December 3, 2017 at 11:06 amwhat is a lightbox?
Jessica says
December 27, 2012 at 2:46 pmThank you so much for posting such an awesome tutorial!!! I was lucky enough to find a Canon DSLR camera under my Christmas tree this year and I want to make sure I learn how to use it the way it was meant to be used… not like a really expensive point and shoot. Your tutorial was incredibly informative without talking over my head or talking down to me… I will be back for more!
hallecottis says
December 27, 2012 at 7:04 pmOh Jessica I am so glad you found this useful! That was my whole purpose, to help others feel at ease with their cameras 🙂 Let me know if you should have any questions while you are learning…I will see if I can help out! Yeah on the new Christmas gift, you will LOVE it!!
Sheri L. Walz-Schlondrop says
March 14, 2013 at 8:50 ami have a lumix that i don’t have a clue how to use other than point and click-hope this article opens avenues.
Kxliew827 says
August 3, 2013 at 9:03 pmIt’s an amazing and useful tutorial for me. Thank you so much. I really like it!!!!!
Johnny T says
July 11, 2014 at 8:43 amThanks for this quick tutorial. The camera I just inherited was my grandfathers.It’s a 35mm SLR Minolta Maxxum. This tutorial worked just as great for the SLR as I’m sure it does for DSLR. I take B&W photography with the SLR because I love the aura, grain, and roughness that printed film gives over digital. I use an app on my phone that gives me DSLR controls for my stock phone camera, and this tutorial has helped me take better images with it (though I’m still a noob at photography). Bookmarked for future reference for sure!
vanessa says
January 4, 2015 at 11:45 amYour tutorial has been the most helpful guide that I’ve found on pinterest and I’ve been searching for 6 months since getting my Canon DSLR for Mother’s Day. It is written in a manner that makes sense to how I process information. The link or embedded video you mentioned after the Exposure Triangle isn’t working. Can you reply with the link?
Thank you!
Halle Cottis says
January 4, 2015 at 1:12 pmSo glad you found it useful. Here is the link to the video http://youtu.be/Nk78nH3d8hU
mohsen says
June 24, 2015 at 6:02 pmtank yooooooooooooooooooooooooooou
Premkumar says
September 4, 2015 at 5:47 amFor DSLR beginners your step by step and comparison explanation was excellent, I am having an Nikon D7100, and not able to use properly. Provided detail’s are more helpful for me, and This week end i am planning to go Zoo with my kid, and make more creative snaps.
Thanks,
Premkumar
Carl Matthew Lozano says
September 10, 2015 at 10:54 pmI really want to know how a subject becomes more focused and the background is all a blur. How’s that? And also, when I put my camera in Bulb, the images become shaky and I don’t know how to change it as well as the crispiness of an image? How?. Thanks!
Halle Cottis says
September 17, 2015 at 9:45 amHey Carl,
The background can be altered by playing with your aperture. The lower the aperture, the more blurred out the background. Try shooting without bulb and in full manual mode. That allows you to control the light better. I rarely use a flash or bulb, I just adjust the settings in manual mode to reflect the light in different ways.
Robin Sharp says
October 5, 2015 at 7:54 pmReally great tutorial for dSLR camera EXPOSURE.
Being totally deaf, I really appreciate the full and clear captions/subtitles on the video.
Halle Cottis says
October 6, 2015 at 8:29 amHappy to help! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Ninad Kashilkar says
December 14, 2015 at 1:47 amThank you so much for basic tips, but most important for new user of DSLR camera. Can you share more technics like lens selection camera maintenance etc, it will really help all.
Regards
NInad V Kashilkar
lunay Jose26 says
February 2, 2016 at 1:37 amThis was extremely helpful for someone who is trying to learn the basics of a DSLR, everything was so perfectly explained and not just thrown into a heap of chaos knowledge.
Halle Cottis says
February 2, 2016 at 8:38 amGlad you found it useful!
ram.bala says
April 19, 2016 at 8:45 amThis is one of best introduction i have ever came across.I appriciate u for taking this intialisation for us.What i need to do for mastering dslr
Halle Cottis says
April 22, 2016 at 1:12 pmHappy you found this useful! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Ratnakar says
August 29, 2016 at 8:59 amReally really helpful thanks for this tutorial….I didn’t understand my camera and thought that I should a bigger camera and the best lighting..
Thank you so much for this tutorial..
fahad says
November 8, 2016 at 2:01 amI really thank you for this tutorial. It really helped me to know how to use a DSLR.
Earlier , having a DSLR with me was like a dog with dehusked coconut shell .
Salman says
November 16, 2016 at 4:15 pmThanks so much for helping a beginner as like me. It helps me alot…. You are so kind you share awesome ideas… Stay blessed and happy…hope you are fine and doing well 🙂 😀
Halle Cottis says
November 17, 2016 at 10:15 amGlad you found this useful Salman!
Johnny Kong says
December 8, 2016 at 11:51 amThank you! The most informative Intro to dslr cameras. I am not afraid to look at dial anymore.
How about filming with the DSLR? Do you have any info on this subject?
Halle Cottis says
December 9, 2016 at 6:36 amHey Johnny, glad you found this post useful. I do not have any filming information with a DSLR but that is a great suggestion and I will try to work on that!
Maureen says
January 6, 2017 at 10:25 pmThis tutorial is so easy to understand and use. I took a introductory class in photography and still had trouble understanding. Thank you for making it simple
Halle Cottis says
January 9, 2017 at 8:39 amYou’re welcome, Maureen! Glad you found value in this information. Happy shooting! 🙂
Tareq says
January 9, 2017 at 9:26 amIts really very helpful for me as I was so afraid of this 3 basic elements of photography. It is so easy to understand for me as well as for all amateur people who loved photography. Thanks a lot.
Halle Cottis says
January 9, 2017 at 12:32 pmYou’re welcome Tareq! Glad you found this useful!
Maria says
January 14, 2017 at 12:41 amI’ve had my Canon T3i for 4 years now, never knew how to use it. I don’t know why it took me so long to search for a tutorial, but thank you! This is so helpful, I will try this first thing tomorrow morning. I always asked myself what all the numbers on my camera could be for? Lol I have decided to go into photography after so long of ‘wanting’.
Once again thanks for the detailed information!
Halle Cottis says
January 14, 2017 at 9:30 amYour story sounds like mine Maria! You can do this, and if you need any help…don’t hesitate to reach out.
Abhilash says
January 22, 2017 at 1:00 amI have canon rebel t6. How can i take bluryy image..plz tell me
Halle Cottis says
January 24, 2017 at 7:53 amHi Abhilash! By blurry I assume you mean a shallow depth of field? All of this information is presented in this post, so if you re-read this post I am confident you will find your answers.
praveen moses says
February 16, 2017 at 12:27 amThank you , Nice Article to learn basic dsl photography
Halle Cottis says
February 17, 2017 at 8:03 amYou are so welcome!
Harsh Vardhan says
February 24, 2017 at 1:27 pmThanks .
I had always been a fan of photography , so i got a dslr.
But i was you who really helped use it.
Thanks so so much.
I really appreciate your work.
Halle Cottis says
February 26, 2017 at 3:08 pmSo happy I could help Harsh. It really isn’t too hard to use once you get some practice. Good luck, you’ve got this!
amy says
March 14, 2017 at 11:12 amhi, thank you so much for this. have been thinking to get a dslr but am afraid that i would be too lost with the many buttons on it. but now I’m more confident to get one! and also, may i ask wheres the second part to this article?
Halle Cottis says
March 15, 2017 at 7:18 amHappy to help! Here is the second article in this series of posts: https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/health/learn-how-to-use-manual-mode-on-a-dslr-camera-with-this-easy-photography-tutorial/
Amal Silva says
April 1, 2017 at 2:23 pmIts very helpful to me understand the concept.
Leoking says
May 6, 2017 at 4:01 pmMillion thnx very informative. I can’t see the video. Can you send me a link please/
Love says
June 2, 2017 at 9:36 aminformative indeed, thank you so much
Salima says
June 23, 2017 at 10:07 amThank you for such helpful lesson, my husband bought Nikon D7200 for my birthday last year in July, I have been so overwhelmed with how fancy and confusing this camera was, I knew I wanted this camera but didn’t realize it takes lots of learning, used it few time, then it just sat there, I am so glad I can across your article, it all makes sense now, can’t wait to practice.
Halle Cottis says
June 26, 2017 at 8:03 amHappy to help Salima!
Stephen says
August 29, 2017 at 10:52 amI think I just kill two birds with one stone. I feel also overwhelmed with my camera. I pickup Nikon D5100 last year and a course and books and still put into auto mode to get a least a good shot. I have tried many ways to use manual mode. I will be reading your Tutorial and your food site looks amazing. Thank you for this. I will let you how it works out.
Ssemujju Jordan says
September 17, 2017 at 12:13 pmI feel like am ready to go, this is what i was in need of.
Thanks a lot for this Tutorial.
Inba says
October 10, 2017 at 8:00 amHi Sir/Mam,
Thank you for your your detailed explanation now I got some knowledge about DSLR and Av, TV modes. Will you please create another post for further details and other options in DSLR.
Inba says
October 10, 2017 at 8:03 amHi Sir/Mam,
I am having another suggestions. Please post about video mode in DSLR
Rezan says
October 16, 2017 at 7:43 pmHi Halle,
Good stuff, There is loads of information in this tutorial, you did a really good job on “ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture” part… specially the diagram says it all. keep helping 🙂
venugopal reddy says
October 19, 2017 at 1:42 amthe explaination was so beatiful and easy that it has driven confidence in me and ready to explore the nature with DSLR
venugopal reddy says
October 19, 2017 at 1:44 amthe explaination was so beatiful and easy that it has driven confidence in me and ready to explore the nature with DSLR
Jacob Barry says
November 13, 2017 at 2:57 pmLove this post! very informative and helpful, gives me the confidence to give it a go!
thanks heaps
jacob
Ayaaz Rasool says
November 14, 2017 at 10:07 ami am a little slow and will have to watch it all again but it really helped a lot.
it was smooth AF
Thankyou
amir says
November 16, 2017 at 12:58 amsimple but powerful thank you so much
Gale says
December 18, 2017 at 1:53 amGood way of explaining, and nice article to obtain data about my presentation subject matter, which i am going
to deliver in college.
Micheal says
February 22, 2018 at 1:54 amHello Halle
Thanks for your great review. I want a camera for Vlogging Camera that has mic input and flip screen so I can do short interviews with people in the street. I would like the camera to grow with me as well so I don’t have to buy a camera every year.
Fahad. S. Dileep says
March 1, 2018 at 11:58 pmHi, your information is so helpful. Thanks for sharing your information to others. I am an auto enthusiast and love to take the pictures of cars. So again thanks to Halle for your helping hand which takes me to a higher class of photography. Hope you share more of your experiences.
Alexis M says
March 7, 2018 at 8:12 amAwesome, everything is explained so well. I didn’t think it was that easy to grasp the concept of a DSLR! THANK YOU!!
Felix says
April 30, 2018 at 1:46 amThanks soo much. You summed it all up. Now I even now the significance of the specs, which will help me make a selection in buying my camera.
Pliadisfoto says
May 11, 2018 at 4:49 amKaip idomu!
Techwhippet says
May 22, 2018 at 1:27 pmHi wholelifestylenutrition,
Too much informative article mate you should write daily basis .thanks
patti says
May 23, 2018 at 7:09 amExcellent. You explained crux of photography in commendable way
Pick Camera says
May 25, 2018 at 1:38 pmAwesome tutorial, seriously i learned a lot from this post
Dion Singh says
May 28, 2018 at 3:12 pmHello! I wanted to say thank you for this post as I found it really useful. I’ve just bought my first DSLR but rrally knew nothing!!
This was really helpful so now I better get practicing
Jo Ham says
July 18, 2018 at 2:44 pmthanks a lot for the wonderful information
Payam Khataei says
August 1, 2018 at 8:07 amThanks That really improved my photogrphy in a few minutes.
Kingzkid says
August 6, 2018 at 3:53 pmThanks so much Halle. I.m gonna bookmark this article. Thank indeed.
Bobbywest says
August 21, 2018 at 1:35 pmWow it was really helpful
John Bass says
October 10, 2018 at 8:05 ami love dslr camera. great post thx Halle !
meenal deshpande says
November 3, 2018 at 4:47 amThanks for the sharing.
Really Good article to read.
RentOclicK says
November 21, 2018 at 4:58 amYour post was really helpful and most of my doubts were cleared.
Katina says
December 12, 2018 at 10:51 amThanks, for the info. I am wanting to learn photography and stumbled across your blog. Great info!!!
Laura says
January 31, 2019 at 1:58 pmI have been searching for classes to take and stumbled upon this article and I swear it is the first time someone has made any of this make sense to a beginner. I feel like I can actually tackle these settings now.
Thank you!