SEF-AAD8210 - Mastering Your Digital SLR Camera

Course Description

Take control of your digital SLR camera. In this course, you will break through the technology barrier and learn how to use your DSLR to take beautiful photos.

You will start out by learning about the many features and controls of your DSLR and look at the lenses you need for the kind of photography you enjoy. Next, you will learn about metering, exposure compensation, managing aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. You will find out how to use these features to get the right exposure for every shot. Then turn your attention to flash photography, managing camera controls, photo files, and even working in manual mode. With these skills, you will be able to take your photography to the next level.

By the end of this course, you will be a DSLR master and will be able to take the photos you've always dreamed of.

Course Outline

Lesson 01 - Getting to Know Your Digital SLR Camera

• In this lesson, you will explore the basics of your DSLR camera such as buttons, and controls, and the exposure mode options for different shooting situations. This lesson also covers some general maintenance and housekeeping issues with memory cards, batteries, and cleaning—and by the end of this lesson, you will feel empowered to get started with your DSLR camera.

Lesson 02 - Zooming in on Lenses

• This lesson is all about DLSR lenses. One of the most important features of the DSLR is the ability to change lenses based on shooting conditions. You will find out how lenses work, some of the most common DSLR lenses, and what shooting conditions those lenses can help you.

Lesson 03 - Seeing Clearly: Exposure, Focus, and Metering

• Do you know how your camera sees a photo? In this lesson, you will learn about the three components of exposure—aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. You will also learn about metering modes and how your camera uses these to determine the correct exposure for a photo.

Lesson 04 - Going Deep: Using Aperture

• The previous lessons introduced the aperture, but this lesson will discuss it in depth. You will learn how this aspect of exposure controls how much light enters the camera, and you will discover how to control this light to affect the quality of your photos as well as certain focusing effects.

Lesson 05 - Speeding Up and Slowing Down With Shutter Speed

• This lesson is all about shutter speed—a second aspect of exposure. Shutter speed controls the amount of time that light enters the camera when you take a photo. You probably equate shutter speed with fast-action shots, such as sports photos. A fast shutter speed can stop action, but a slow shutter speed also offers a world of shooting opportunities.

Lesson 06 - Getting Bright With ISO

• This lesson explores how ISO settings affect camera exposure. ISO manages the camera's sensitivity to light—the higher the ISO setting, the more sensitive. While ISO appears to be an easy fix for potentially dark photos, it can be a tricky setting to use. You will learn all about ISO solutions, potential ISO problems, and how to manage ISO on your DSLR.

Lesson 07 - Making the Most of Flash Photography

• In this lesson, you will explore your DSLR's flash options. You will learn about using and controlling the on-board flash, and you will also learn how to use an external flash with your DSLR's hot shoe.

Lesson 08 - Managing Photo Files, Editing, and Movies

• This lesson is all about editing photos and shooting movies on your DSLR. Your camera organizes photo information and stores the photos you take on memory cards. This way, you end up with a digital photo you can use on a computer or print.

Lesson 09 - Working With Manual Mode

• Manual mode is an exposure mode on your DSLR that lets you make all of the decisions. In this lesson, you will learn how to master manual mode and use it in a variety of shooting situations. To be a great DSLR photographer, manual mode is a must.

Lesson 10 - Getting Better Exposure

• Your DSLR is a sophisticated tool that can help you take great photos. But the DSLR can only capture what you choose for it to capture. For all of the bells and whistles, your DSLR needs a human—a photographer—to capture great photos. In this lesson, you will explore how to get better exposure through composition, and managing available light.

Lesson 11 - Shooting HDR Photos

• In the previous lesson, you learned about a helpful feature called exposure bracketing. With exposure bracketing, you can take several identical photos using different exposures. This way, you can choose which photo looks best. Exposure bracketing also offers another option—shooting high dynamic range (HDR) photos.

Lesson 12 - Mastering Difficult Shooting Situations

• In this final lesson, you will explore the three kinds of photos that give DSLR photographers the most trouble: fast-action shots, macro shots, and low-light photography. The good news is your DSLR can help you master these shooting situations if you know how to use the camera's tools and features, and in this lesson, you will see how to put these features to work.

Notes