Learning to Shoot Under Different Conditions (DSLR)

by Isaias J | October 04, 2023 06:04 PMDiscover

Learning to shoot with a new DSLR is a process and not as easy as pointing and clicking. There is a complex set of processes that occur, but the great news is that you have complete control over all of them with a good-quality DSLR camera. So, here are some handy suggestions.

Photograph Different Man-Made Materials

There are so many materials to photograph, all with unique and interesting properties that can make a good image a great one. Contrast in images doesn’t only relate to color balance, but you must learn to balance texture as well. Things like roofing panels, steam vents, and even the sidewalk can make interesting photographs under the right conditions. But you need to choose your time well and wait for the right conditions, such as glinting sunlight or after a storm. Often this is named architecture photography.

Get Down and Low with Macro Nature

One of the easiest ways to learn photography when starting out is to use macro lenses. Macro lenses allow you to get very close to things without losing focus. It helps to master the methods of the macro before moving on to telescopic lenses. This is also an excellent craft if you love nature because you can take exciting images of things like leaves, bugs, and water. You can also collect excellent images of collections such as different flowers that grow in your local park.

Using White Balance when Learning to Shoot

White balance is one of the standard settings that comes with most DSLR cameras. It is helpful for taking clear images under unpredictable conditions. You can capture the magic and ambiance of a setting sun with white balance turned to sunlight or a higher kelvin number. Camera manufacturers may have different names for white balance. They may include daylight, tungsten, shade, overcast. In short, it will change your image for the correct color temperature. If you want something to edit the temperature later shoot in RAW mode.

Play Around with Aperture

Aperture is one of the most interesting of these because it controls depth of field. Depth of field is the measurement of how near or far blurriness begins in your image. By blurring the background, you can make your subject stand out. A shallow depth of field blurs the image closer, and a far depth of field further. These are best used for closer shots like portraits or landscape shots respectively. The lower the number the shallower depth of field you will have, for example f1.4 and f3.5 are shallow depth of fields compared to f22.

Get Out in Different Conditions

You can’t really hone your skill by taking the same shots over and over in the same conditions all the time. There are many ways that light interacts with your camera, and catching this is the essence of a great image. Sunny days, cloudy days, and after rainfall are excellent ways to develop your skills because they all require varying degrees of setup, configuration, and planning. Combined with skills like time-lapse and long exposure, you will catch stunning images.

Summary

Shooting man-made materials and nature will help when learning to shoot under different conditions. It also helps to learn which settings to turn on and off, such as white balance. And exposing yourself to different conditions will hone your advanced skills as you learn.