best "trick" to learn first

[the5allens]

just bought my first "real" camera, a Canon T2i, with 2 lenses: 18-55, and 55-250. Started reading the manual, head spinning already. starting reading about aperture, quickly leading to ISO scale, which leads to ... I hope I don't have to master this whole manual to take great fotos

wife is still not convinced that we needed a new camera - our old point and shoot works just fine (true enough, but I get the difference ). the key now is for her to get the difference.

here is my question: what is the one "trick", feature, skill, etc. that you all would recommend that a newbie learn first, in order to take fotos that can begin to justify the new camera ? I am not asking for any shortcuts, but just your experience on what one attribute of a nice camera makes the biggest / quickest improvement in the photos we capture.

I anticipate that we will be using the camera for regular old stuff - kid events, sporting events, travel, family / landscape, etc.

thanks for your input

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Understanding ISO, Aperture, and Shutterspeed. Don't put the cart before the horse.

 

[DorkSterr]

Exposure triangle.

 

[the5allens]

i have started tinkering already, played today with shutter speed while shooting the moving ceiling fan. pretty cool stuff, but got sidetracked with iso speed

 

[the5allens]

great, thanks guys

 

[SCraig]

Exposure triangle. Absolutely and without question. You will never, ever be able to understand photography until you understand exposure.

 

[fokker]

Secondary to understanding the exposure triangle, which is absolutely essential, learn how to focus properly, and where to focus in your picture.

 

[pgriz]

Of the exposure triangle, leave the ISO at its lowest setting (100). You'll play with that one later. That leaves you with shutter speed and aperture. Play with aperture - start with the widest open aperture (that's the smallest number) and take a series of shots with the aperture closed down one stop from the shot before. Do this in Av mode. Upload to the computer and see what the results are. At some point, you'll be getting blurry shots due to the shutter being too low. That's useful information as to when that starts.

Do the same thing inside and outside. Compare your results.

As to wowing your wife - take your P&S and shoot a portrait of her about 5 ft. away. Then take the same shot with your new camera, using the Av setting, and widest aperture. The background should be much more blurry in the DSLR photo, and the image will be more in focus, compared to the P&S. Also, P&S murder the image in low-light due to noise reduction in-camera. Take a shot indoors (but still bright) with P&S and do the same with the T2i (but now, raise the ISO to 400). You should see pretty dramatic difference in shadow noise.

 

[KmH]

You not only need to know what features, functions, and capabilities your camera has, you also need to understand what features, functions, and capabilities your lens(s), flash, etc have.

Then you apply the technical and artistic aspects of doing photography using the camera/lens/flash tools you have.

Here are some links to some of the basic, fundamental information you will need to know - http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-forum/267492-info-those-new-photography.html

 

[table1349]

Tricks to photography for the total Newb in order.

1. RTFM. (Read The F#*!&% Manual)

2. Refer to #1.

3. Refer to #1 (If this sounds like I am saying the same thing I AM!!! You have to understand how to operate the camera unless you want it to do all the work for you in full auto mode. If that it the case then you don't need to know the answer to your question.)

4. Understand the exposure triangle. Good resource Amazon.com: Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) (9780817463007): Bryan Peterson: Books

 

[Snakeguy101]

I disagree. I think composition is the most important skill to know. You can put the camera on auto for the first week or so while you learn composition and get good exposures but if you do not understand composition then you might be getting good exposures and still end up with crap shots.

Of course to expand artistically, you will definitely need to learn the exposure trinity and how it works once you get basic composition down.

 

[shutterpals]

best beginner trick....use Aperture Priority mode. You choose the aperture you want (depending on depth of field you are achieving) and the camera automatically adjusts shutter speed and ISO for you. No need to think!

 

[cgipson1]

best beginner trick....use Aperture Priority mode. You choose the aperture you want (depending on depth of field you are achieving) and the camera automatically adjusts shutter speed and ISO for you. No need to think!

Great suggestion! Not thinking is the best thing a new photographer can do, right?

Do you think it might actually be helpful to know why and how the camera does that... and what situations you would use aperture priority in and why? (over shutter priority or full manual?)

 

[cgipson1]

I disagree. I think composition is the most important skill to know. You can put the camera on auto for the first week or so while you learn composition and get good exposures but if you do not understand composition then you might be getting good exposures and still end up with crap shots.

Of course to expand artistically, you will definitely need to learn the exposure trinaty and how it works once you get basic composition down.

Yes.. sure! Blurry, OOF underexposed / overexposed pictures that are well composed are very pleasing.

With thirty plus years of experience and teaching, I prefer the student learn the basic technical skills first... so they don't develop bad habits! And then move on to the less well defined artsy guidelines.... with a firm grounding in the technical to fall back on.

 

[Tiberius47]

just bought my first "real" camera, a Canon T2i, with 2 lenses: 18-55, and 55-250. Started reading the manual, head spinning already. starting reading about aperture, quickly leading to ISO scale, which leads to ... I hope I don't have to master this whole manual to take great fotos

wife is still not convinced that we needed a new camera - our old point and shoot works just fine (true enough, but I get the difference ). the key now is for her to get the difference.

here is my question: what is the one "trick", feature, skill, etc. that you all would recommend that a newbie learn first, in order to take fotos that can begin to justify the new camera ? I am not asking for any shortcuts, but just your experience on what one attribute of a nice camera makes the biggest / quickest improvement in the photos we capture.

I anticipate that we will be using the camera for regular old stuff - kid events, sporting events, travel, family / landscape, etc.

thanks for your input

The best tricks are the ones in my signature. Read the top line first.