Got a DSLR camera for Christmas?

I have several friends who have bought or received new cameras in the past few months who have asked me about learning how to use it.  I always tell them that I read A LOT of online tutorials and did A LOT of practicing until whatever new concept I was trying to learn clicked.  This means that you will take A LOT of pictures, and the people closest to you will forget what your face looks like because it will be hidden behind your camera most of the time, and you might have to purchase an external hard drive to contain all these practice sessions, but you will learn how to use your camera, and it will be fun.  

There are thousands and thousands of good photography tutorials on the internet, but for you few little friends of mine that have asked, I thought I'd share some of the first things I learned when I first got my camera.

One of the main reasons I upgraded to a DSLR was to learn how to shoot in Manual mode and be in control of all my settings.  I later learned that a lot of other cameras have a Manual setting, I just never really learned how to use my camera in the past.  So even without a DSLR, you may be able to control some of the settings on your camera.  My second reason for wanting a DSLR was to create that magical blurry background with beautiful bubbles of light called bokeh.  I don't think I'm alone in upgrading for that reason.  

   Bokeh!

Today I'm going to direct you to four blog posts written by Ree Drummond, otherwise known as The Pioneer Woman.  I read her posts on What the heck is an aperture? before I got my camera and then read them again after my camera arrived.  In them she explains from her self-taught point of view how your aperture (or f-stop) works with your shutter speed.  I took a photography class in college, so these terms were familiar, but I needed help brushing up on them.  For a while, you will have to consciously think about how these two things are working together, but after awhile, it really does become second nature, and your brain will stop feeling like it's about to explode.

I think having a basic understanding of how your ISO, aperture, and shutter speed work together to take the picture you want is a crucial first step to shooting in manual mode, and these blog posts are where I started, so happy reading!  And feel free to ask any questions you might have.

The Pioneer Woman's Tutorial:

Part 1  

Part 2 

Part 3

Part 4