Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
In Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Tyler Strickland
St. Paul, Minnesota
Version 1.0
Published by: Capture and Enjoy Inc.
Course Guide: Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
1
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Introduction:
Welcome to my class about digital SLR photography. You have all gone out and purchased your digital
SLR cameras with high expectations because you are all aware that your cameras are capable of
capturing amazing photographs. Your cameras are very complex devices that have the potential to do
amazing things; it is my job and duty to teach you what you need to know to become great
photographers of your own and to use your cameras to their full capabilities.
I assume that you all know the basic functions of the camera (turning it on, charging the battery, taking a
picture, etc.) but I also assume that you all are here because you do not know how to use the camera to
its full capability. I will teach you this. I will also you teach about the art of photography and how one is
able to take great photographs.
Photography is made up of the Latin words photo and graphos which translates to “light writing.”
Lighting is photography and I am going to show you some different forms of lighting and how to use it to
your advantage. After you have completed my course, you will all have a much better understanding of
what photography is and how it works. And, you will also learn what you need to know about your
cameras to take professional quality pictures. You will all be on your way to becoming great, aspiring
photographers on your own.
Throughout my career in Digital SLR photography, I have used Canon digital cameras. I will be using
Canon throughout this course and I suggest you do the same for the ease of you as students of my class
as well as me as your instructor.
2
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Dedication:
This course is dedicated to my father, Jamie Strickland who taught me everything I know about
photography and showed me what it takes to be a great photographer. Dad, thank you for everything.
Mission Statement:
My goal is to teach you the wonderful world that is photography.
Since the nineteenth century, photography has captured memories and events that have kept us in
place with our past and will keep us on track with the future. I am going to make sure you all walk out of
my class with a full understanding of the beauty that is photography and the confidence and knowledge
you need to create precious memories of your own.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I say, a picture is worth more than that. A picture is worth
whatever you want it to be. That is why photography is so special.
-Tyler Strickland
Why this class?
Other photography classes assume that the users taking the course already know so much about
photography and their SLR cameras. I have interviewed people who have expressed their frustration
with their photography course because they did not enhance their skills set. They were hoping to learn
the fundamentals of photography, instead, they learned about in-depth techniques and information that
they did not know about nor had ever heard of before. In my class, I am going to start at a beginning and
explain basic settings and controls. Then, we will cover more advanced settings and controls.
3
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Another great reason why my class is going to benefit you is because everyone else in the class is in the
same boat you are in. No one will be ahead of you and it is going to be my job to keep you all on-track at
the same pace.
The ability to learn from each other and work with each other is a concept I strongly suggest as well. In
my class there is no pressure whatsoever. If you need to contact me, I am just an email away unlike
other teachers who have restrictions as to when you can email them. This class will ensure that you
learn everything you need to know about photography and I promise that this class will be the
foundation of your great future in photography, no matter where it takes you.
4
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Table of Contents:
Lesson 1: Introduction, Basic Camera Features, and White Balance----------Page 6
Lesson 2: How to use the Camera’s Menu and Redeye---------------------------Page 8
Lesson 3: Lighting--------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 10
Lesson 4: Aperture-------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 12
Lesson 5: Zoom-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 14
Lesson 6: ISO and Shutter Speed-------------------------------------------------------Page 16
Lesson 7: Lenses and Filters-------------------------------------------------------------Page 18
Equipment-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 20
Glossary---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 21
5
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Lesson 1: Introduction and Basic Camera Functions
Introduction:



About me Tyler Strickland
Go around class, introduce each other
Exchange emails, contact information in case you
miss a class
Discussion:


What do you hope to learn from this class?
Any previous experience with photography?
Basic Camera Features:







How to access the Menu
Where is your Mode Dial and what does it do?
Where is the flash?
What do the numbers in the LCD panel mean on the top of the camera?
How to review your pictures.
How to read the information on your reviewed pictures. How to turn this on/off
How to delete pictures
White Balance:
 White Balance: Establishing the white points of a scene for your cameras. The resulting photo
will have the correct color representation
 How to set white balance:
o AWB-Auto White Balance
o Daylight
o Shade
o Cloudy. Twilight, sunset
o Tungsten
o White fluorescent
o Flash
o Custom
o Color Temperature
 For the purpose of our class, we are going to stick to AWB. As you explore photography on your
own, you will be able to see what these different white balances can do for lighting you have
available to you.
6
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Notes:
7
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Lesson 2: How to use the Camera’s Menu and Redeye
How to use the Camera’s Menu:


Turn on the camera
Press the “MENU” button
o Navigate through the menu using the “Quick Control Dial”
o Changing the Quality of your pictures
o Turn Redeye on/off
o Adjusting the exposure balance
o Change “Review Time” duration
o Adjust power off duration
o Adjust the brightness of the LCD screen
 Format: To format the card simply means to delete everything on the camera currently in use.
By choosing to format the card, you will NOT be able to receive the files that were on the card
prior to the format. Make sure you have all your pictures backed up before you execute a
format of your memory card. A format normally takes a few seconds depending on how many
pictures you are deleting off.
The camera’s menu offers more features than what we have covered. For the purpose of this class, we
will only focus on the features we have gone over. You will learn what the other features will offer you
when you are out on your own or if you sign up for my next course.
Redeye:
 Redeye: Redeye is caused by the reflection of light on a human eye.
 Ways to avoid redeye:
o Turn on as many lights as possible in the room to reduce the need for flash
o Turning on lights also will dilate your subject’s pupils which will decrease the chance of
redeye occurring in your photographs
o Taking a series of photographs will take out the redeye in pictures
 How to turn on redeye:
o Go to the “Menu”
o Scroll down to the second option: “Red-eye On/Off.” Turn it on
 Typically your camera will flash before the picture is taken to decrease the size of the person(s)
pupil allowing for the flash to reduce the chance to cause redeye on the person/people in your
pictures.
8
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Notes:
9
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Lesson 3: Lighting
Lighting:
It is photography. Proper lighting can make your pictures become marvels and improper lighting can ruin
every picture you take. The ability to use lighting to one’s advantage can ultimately the best
photographers to the worse photographers.
Though I have dedicated this lecture on lighting, it WILL appear in most of my other lectures. As I have
stated before, photography is essentially the ability to capture light. Do not be surprised if, in your
endeavors in photography outings, you adjust your exposures and white balance frequently due to
proper/poor lighting available to you.
 Light: Light in terms of photography can simply defined as the recording of light rays. Light in
regular terms is defined as electromagnetic radiation that we can see.

Ways to control light in any setting:
o Adjust your camera’s light meter so that your picture will not turn out too bright or too
dark
o If the white balance is off, adjust it so that it fits the lighting in the room or area
o Adjust the aperture
o Adjust the shutter speed

How to read the meter:
o Each dot on the meter represents a stop
o You may need to adjust the aperture
And stop to suit the lighting
o When the meter is in the negative side,
That means that there is not enough light available. Adversely, the positive side
indicates that there is too much light and your picture will be overexposed.

When to overexpose a picture:
o The subject is much darker than the background
o When you are taking snow shots
o On a bright day if your subject(s) are showed by a larger object
o
When to underexpose a picture:
o The subject is very light in comparison to the background
o On an overcast day-increases saturation
o To achieve a silhouette affect

10
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Notes:
11
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Lesson 4: Aperture
Aperture:
Aperture is the circular opening that limits the amount of light that can enter. An aperture with a small
opening will have a large numbered aperture. An aperture with a large opening will have a small
numbered aperture.
Large Aperture
Small Aperture
1. Will perform better in low-light scenarios
(admits more light than a smaller opening)
2. Allows for a faster shutter speed
3. If the wrong shutter speed is matched with
the incorrect F-stop, the picture may turn
out under/overexposed
1. Gives the photographer more latitude in
the pictures taken
2. Sunny/bright conditions allow for a small
F-stop because there is enough light to let
in through a smaller aperture
3.
F1.8
F2.8
F4
F5.6
F8
F11
F16
1/250
1/125
1/60
1/30
1/15
1/8
1/4
Aperture/Shutter Speed Combinations
12
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Notes
13
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Lesson 5: Zoom and the “Zoom Effect” Technique
Zoom

Zoom is a mechanical assembly of lens elements with the ability to vary its focal length (and
thus angle of view), as opposed to a fixed focal length (FFL).
Optical Zoom

Optical Zoom uses the optics of an object to bring a subject closer. By optics I mean the visible
and the invisible light.
Digital Zoom
Digital Zoom is not really a zoom. It is a stimulant of optical zoom by simply enlarging a portion of an
image.

When zooming in to take a picture, make sure you have an auto focus set so that your pictures
do not turn out blurry. By having an auto focus set, you will also reduce the “noise” that shows
up on your pictures as well.
The “Zoom Effect”

The “Zoom Effect” is the result of changing the focal length during an exposure. By doing so,
you create brilliant bursts of light around your central object. Here is an example of a photo
using the “Zoom Effect.”
14
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Notes
15
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Lesson 6: ISO and Shutter Speed
ISO


ISO stands for International Standardization Organization. ISO denotes how sensitive the image
sensor is to the amount of light present.
ISO in digital photography is convenient because you can adjust it in just a couple of seconds
whereas in film cameras you did not have the option to change the ISO, you were stuck with
what you had until the roll of film was empty.
o An ISO set at a higher speed will allow you to take pictures of objects moving fast. This
setting is helpful when taking sports pictures. Doing so, though, will create “noise” in
your pictures.
o Noise is speckles of light that appear on pictures when they should not be there.
o An ISO set at a lower speed will allow you to obtain the best image quality because your
camera recognizes the fact that there is enough light to perfectly capture the picture
you are taking.
o If you are in a low-light setting, use a flash, or adjust your ISO up to account for the light
that is not present.
This is an example of a photo shot at ISO
1600. Look at the Noise in this picture!
This photo was shot
At ISO 200. Look at
the clarity!
Shutter Speed




Shutter Speed is simply the amount of time the shutter is open.
Shutter speed is measure in fractions of a second. The larger the denominator, the faster the
shutter speed (1/1000 is faster than 1/250)
If you are using a shutter speed of less than (1/60) of a second, you will need to use a tripod
o If you want to capture an image that is moving fast, use a fast shutter speed
o If you want to capture an image that is moving slow, use a slower shutter speed
Sometimes motion is good in a picture. How?
o Motion in a picture can show how fast a car is moving or how quickly a waterfall is
falling when you can see the blur of motion from behind the object. This gives the image
a sense of speed which can create amazing pictures
16
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Notes
17
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Lesson 7: Lenses and Filters
To help better understand lenses and filters, I am first going to define them for you
Lenses

Transparent optical devices used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images.
Filters

Lens screen of glass for controlling the rendering of color or for diminishing the intensity of light.
o Notice how both definitions depend on light for use!
Types of Lenses



Standard: Lenses that can take pictures with no apparent wide angle or telephoto distortion
Wide Angled: Use when taking pictures of object far away. These lenses have a lot of zoom!
Telephoto: Use this type of lense for landscape photographs
Types of Filters
 There are many filters available, here are the basic ones that are the most common
 Protective Filters: Protect the lenses from damaging or scratching as well as from too much UV
light
 Polarizing Filters: Improves landscape imagery by reducing the amount of light reflected off
non-metallic surfaces such as water. Adds a richness into blue skies, absorbs 1.5 stops of light.
 Neutral Density Filters: Reduces and/or modifies the intensity of all wavelengths of colors of
light equally. Used to take pictures with motion blur effects with slower shutter speeds.
 As you progress in your photography, you will find filters that suit your needs best as well as
lenses that will be best for the photography to which you are taking whether it be landscape,
portrait, or sports. You will figure out the lenses and filters that will be best for you
Neutral Density Filter: Look at the rich
blue sky and the clear water!
Protective Filter: Notice how the
lense is not distorted with scratces
18
Polarizing Filter: Look at the
difference!
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Notes
19
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Equipment
Here is what you will need to capture and store your pictures:

Canon EOS 20D Digital Camera

Large camera bag to carry camera, manual, camera cards, battery pack, filters

A Compact Flash memory card. I recommend at least 2-Gigabyte cards or larger (cards of smaller
size will have a low limit as to how many pictures you will be able to take)

A computer or laptop to store all your pictures. An external hard drive would also work

Editing software (your camera comes equipped with software but Photoshop and other editing
software allow you to do more with your pictures).
Here are other accessories you can purchase that will help you:

A tripod

Filters

Additional lenses

Digital light censoring meter

Additional rechargeable battery

Extra Compact Flash memory cards
20
Introduction to Digital SLR Photography
Glossary

White Balance: The processes of removing unnecessary colors to make the people who appear
white in person appear white in your photos. (6)










Redeye: Redeye is caused by the reflection of light on a human eye. (8)
Light: Light in terms of photography can simply defined as the recording of light rays. Light in
regular terms is defined as electromagnetic radiation that we can see. (10)
Aperture: The circular opening that limits the amount of light that can enter. (12)
Zoom: A mechanical assembly of lens elements with the ability to vary its focal length (and thus
angle of view), as opposed to a fixed focal length (FFL). (14)
Optical Zoom: Uses the optics of an object to bring a subject closer. By optics I mean the visible
and the invisible light. (14)
Digital Zoom: Not really a zoom. It is a stimulant of optical zoom by simply enlarging a portion of
an image. (14)
The “Zoom Effect:” The result of changing the focal length during an exposure. By doing so, you
create brilliant bursts of light around your central object. Here is an example of a photo using
the “Zoom Effect.” (14)
ISO: Denotes how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present. (16)
Noise: Speckles of light that appear on pictures when they should not be there. (16)

Shutter Speed: The amount of time the shutter is open. (16)
Lenses: Transparent optical devices used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form
images. (18)

Filters: Lens screen of glass for controlling the rendering of color or for diminishing the intensity




of light. (18)
Standard: Lenses that can take pictures with no apparent wide angle or telephoto distortion.
Wide Angled: Use when taking pictures of object far away. (18)
Telephoto: Use this type of lense for landscape photographs. (18)
Protective Filters: Protect the lenses from damaging or scratching as well as from too much UV
light. (18)

Polarizing Filters: Improves landscape imagery by reducing the amount of light reflected off
non-metallic surfaces such as water. (18)

Neutral Density Filters: Reduces and/or modifies the intensity of all wavelengths of colors of
light equally. (18)
21