Shooting with digital SLRs



Left Image: Canon EOS 20D, Tamron 70-210mm f-2.8 lens, 1/90 sec at f-2.8, multipattern metering, Bogen monopod and shoulder stock

Digital photography has changed the way we photograph and use our equipment for the better and worse. Although confusing at first, digital photography is still photography. Digital is just another format for taking pictures. Aperture and shutter speeds are still used in combination for proper exposure, compositional techniques are still the same, and eye of the photographer and his or her knowledge of photography still determines the final results. What has changed with digital photography, is how the image is stored, viewed, and processed. Sensors and storage cards have replaced films and processing. Most importantly, we now have the advantage of seeing our shots immediately after releasing the shutter. We can decide to keep or discard the image before moving on to the next shot. Another advantage of digital photography is being able to manipulate and correct images in home computers. Something that was costly and time consuming in traditional darkrooms.

Steps you take for taking pictures with digital cameras are very similar to traditional film cameras but with some changes. Prior to shooting, run a check list of all camera settings.

1. Make sure you have downloaded all images from your storage device into your  computer. Insert the card into the camera and turn the power on. Format the card to start fresh with full storage capacity. Keep in mind that formatting will erase all data from the card.
2. Check battery power to make sure you have sufficient power and carry spare batteries.
3. Next, set the camera to either aperture priority or manual mode for full control. Never use any Program modes for serious photography. You want to be in charge of your photography, not your camera.
4. Check to make sure exposure compensation dial is set to zero.
5. Set the appropriate ISO. Use the slowest ISO possible to reduce noise which is similar to grain in film photography.
6. Select single autofocus if you plan on shooting stationary subjects or continuous autofocus for moving subjects. In continuous autofocus, camera continuously adjusts focus to keep moving subject in sharp focus. It is not necessary to remove your finger off the shutter release button for each shot as in single shot autofocus.
7. Set the appropriate white balance setting depending on the light condition or subject type. Although automatic white balance does a good job under most conditions, you can manually set your own white balance for better results. This is like using different types of film in 35mm photography. In 35mm photography, different types of films are available for certain lighting  conditions or subject types. Fuji Velvia for example, is a good choice for outdoor photography, but a tungsten balance film is best for indoor shooting. Similarly, Fuji Astia is excellent for portrait photography since it produces natural skin tunes. Photographers often use color correction filters to get desired effect with certain films. Digital SLRs include several white balance settings to correct and filter out unwanted colors from images.
8. I also recommend turning off the LCD monitor unless you really want to look at every image you take before moving on to the next. Digital SLRs by default, display the image after the shot is taken. Display remains on for several seconds. I find this annoying and waste of precious battery power. I like to concentrate on my subject without having an LCD monitor lighting up in my face. Take your shots and later view all your shots while taking a brake. Keep the ones you want and delete the junks. If I'm photographing a flying eagle, I don't have time to view and shoot. I take my once in a life time pictures, then worry about evaluating my work. After all, nothing beats a cup of coffee and checking all your shots after a good day of shooting.
9. The choice of file format is the next on your check list and actually a simple one. Set the camera to either RAW or large jpeg setting. This will give you the best most detail images possible for printing or publications. I find large jpeg to be appropriate for my photography. It takes less time to process and takes less storage space. The quality is very high and definitely publishable. For maximum detail, select RAW file which takes larger space on your storage card and a bit longer time to process. RAW files also requires manufacturers own software to process and download into your computer, since there is no one RAW format. Some software such as Adobe Photoshop CS2 include plug-in for most major digital cameras. Think of RAW files as negatives in film photography. After the shot is taken, you must process the negative to produce a positive image. RAW files give you much more control over correction of exposure or color. If storage space and longer processing time does not concern you, then definitely shoot RAW, otherwise large jpeg is a better choice. Unless you plan on blowing up an image, and I don't mean on the computer monitor but very large prints, RAW and large jpeg files look and give almost similar results for most applications.
10. Another cool advantage of digital SLRs are parameter settings. In film photography, you can carry several different types of film for any given subject. A slow sharp film like Fuji Velvia to produce bold vivid colors, or a  medium speed Fuji Sensia to get more natural colors. Different parameter settings can be programmed into the camera which is like carrying several film cameras, each loaded with a different type of film. I have three different parameter settings on each of my Canon EOS SLRs. I rarely, if ever use the default setting, but always use my own selections. In film photography, I have always loved Fuji Velvia for its sharpness and saturated colors. I have a parameter setting set into my cameras with maximum sharpness, contrast, and saturation. This gives similar results I like in Velvia. I always adjust contrast and saturation in Photoshop to further get the result I want. I have another parameter setting for outdoor portraits. It is set to normal low contrast, low saturation, and medium sharpness. I fix those later in Photoshop much faster and easier for the results I want. Another setting I use is high sharpness, high saturation, and medium contrast, similar to Fuji Sensia. Set your own parameters. It doesn't matter which setting you choose, as long as you like the results.

The rest of  the procedure is similar to traditional photography (thank god). Find your subject, use a tripod and cable release, and concentrate on your photography. Don't ever let your sophisticated SLR take over your imagination. No matter which type of format you choose, always be a photographer rather than a machine operator. Today's Digital SLRs offer so much features that it is easy to find yourself playing with your camera like a toy than to take pictures.