The Basics Using the strap Making the Human Tripod Camera Care Maintaining Memory Cards

With the Strap = Safe Camera and Happy Adviser

Without the Strap = Broken Lens, Angry Adviser, and Student Fines

The Human Tripod Students can hold the camera to make a tight tripod when they don’t have an actual tripod Hold the lens with your left hand underneath to focus and zoom Hold the camera body on the right side with your right hand Keep both arms tucked in tight against your body

Camera Care Try to avoid pointing your lens into the wind (this keeps dust and particles from scratching it) Be careful during extreme heat and cold (both can cause irreparable damage) Know the weather before you go shoot—water can damage the camera Clean the camera using compressed air, cleaning solution, and a cleaning cloth Regularly maintain your camera to keep it in good condition

Memory Cards Buy cards with larger storage capacity The number of photos you can store on a memory card depends on: The memory card size The size of the file format The resolution of the image Mark cards with contact info Have more than one card for each camera Before using a new memory card, format it in your camera That configures the card to work optimally with that specific camera Make sure you upload images after shooting so you can re-format before the next shoot Do not reformat the card in the computer (only in the camera)

Understanding DSLR

Knowing the Body

What format do I shoot in? RAW will be the best possible format for the image However, this file size will be the largest and you won’t be able to take as many photos JPEG will take less space, but their will be more noise in the photo It compresses the image, which means some image data will be lost Set file size to large to keep the best quality TIFF uses no compression, so image stays steady Like RAW, this will take up much more space on the card Will also allow you to work the photo more in Photoshop Set the image quality in the menu

Shooting Mode Fully Automatic Portrait Landscape Close-up Sports Night portrait Flash Off Manual P = Program AE TV = Shutter Priority (this can also be labeled “S” on cameras) AV = Aperture Priority M = Manual Exposure A-Dep = Automatic Depth of Field

Understanding Exposure and Light Metering The Light Meter measures light and translates it into the right combination of F-stop and Shutter Speed You can see this meter on your camera’s screen and also when you look through the view finder when you press down halfway to take the photo

ISO This deals with the film speed (not shutter speed) The faster the film speed, the larger the ISO is Allows for lower light situations ISO can be kept around 200 (or auto) for most situations Increase ISO for situations like night football games and events in the theater in the dark ISO is typically located on the top of the camera next to the exposure wheel

Shutter Speed Faster shutter speeds will have a larger number on the bottom (displayed as a fraction: 1/125, 1/8) When the shutter speed is faster, less light reaches the film because the exposure is shorter Fast shutter speeds will be necessary for sports You can only adjust Shutter Speed in Manual or TV mode

Aperture Larger Aperture openings (larger F-Stop number) allow for more light to reach the film To change aperture in Manual mode, hold down the AV button on the back of the camera body and use the exposure/clicker wheel

Shooting Action 1/500 Shutter Speed is the optimal setting for shooting action In low light, you want to consider increasing your ISO Having a lens that lets you get to F/2.8 (or lower) will make a difference