The Basics of Your First DSLR

By Samuel Phineas Upham

Getting your first DSLR camera is an experience unlike anything else you’ve ever had. Your photographic eye will be put to the test, but if you understand how to navigate your device you’ll take beautiful photos of the world around you. Here are some tips that will help you figure out the multitude of settings at your disposal, so you can effectively choose which ones will work for you in a given situation.

Learn the Shooting Modes

One of the best things you can do upon un-boxing is to take some test shots in the various modes your camera can shoot with. Don’t feel tempted to jump to the manual settings until you have mastery over your camera, and an idea of the kind of photo you want to take. You can capture beautiful images with automated settings, but only if you know which settings to choose. In a pinch, automated settings are great for capturing images you don’t have time to prep for (like a bird suddenly darting out from a tree).

Buy a Filter

One of the best purchases you can make for your new camera is a polarizing filter you can attach to the lens. Depending on how you adjust this filter, it will capture high contrast photos that are easy to edit in image editing software.

Lenses can be great for capturing particular photos, like macros or wide-angle landscapes, but you’ll get more practical day-to-day use out of a filter.


About the Author: Samuel Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Samuel Phineas Upham website or LinkedIn.

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