| As a photographer, your knowledge and | | | | that is attached to your camera body. |
| confidence in your own photographic ability along | | | | Lenses work very differently than the human |
| with your equipment will work together to make | | | | brain/eye combination. When you look at a scene, |
| eye-catching images. There are actually three | | | | your eye has the ability to focus on the whole |
| essentials that work together so that you can | | | | scene and take it all in. Your brain processes the |
| take better pictures with your DSLR camera. | | | | information in front of you over a period of |
| First and foremost is the photographer | | | | seconds or minutes. The lens has only one focal |
| Whether you care to admit it or not, the | | | | point and an instant of opportunity when the |
| photographer is the most important element in | | | | shutter opens briefly to capture the same scene. |
| the photographic process. Whether using a point | | | | So the way you apply camera and lens settings is |
| and shoot camera, a home made pin-hole camera | | | | critical to getting the image you are thinking about. |
| or the most sophisticated digital SLR, if the | | | | Which aperture, which shutter speed, which focal |
| person behind the camera is knowledgeable about | | | | length... these are all components of the final |
| the features and use of their camera, it will make | | | | output that will determine your success or failure |
| a huge difference in the outcome. Armed with the | | | | to get the desired result. |
| simplest of gear, a real photographer can produce | | | | As a photographer, you also need the knowledge |
| amazing photos. | | | | about what type of lens to use in a certain |
| Second is the camera. | | | | situation. For instance, will you use a wide angle |
| So many would-be photographers think that if | | | | lens or a macro lens to get the close-up effect |
| they just get that next level camera, they can | | | | you want? Taking the exact same photo with |
| take better pictures and their images will improve | | | | two different types of lenses gets you very |
| by leaps and bounds. While this may be true, a | | | | different results. In the case mentioned with |
| really good photographer can shoot award winning | | | | regard to wide angle versus macro, the macro |
| images with a phone camera. It's really all about | | | | lens will give you a fairly accurate image of the |
| how you "see" the photo. Yes, being able to | | | | subject, but if you switch to a wide angle lens, |
| manipulate the camera settings is important to | | | | you can achieve a very interesting distortion of |
| the final outcome, but if you don't have an eye | | | | the foreground and background to make the |
| for framing your images and knowing your | | | | image much more artistic. This is just one |
| camera settings, the most expensive, | | | | example of lens differences and knowing what |
| technological DSLR will not help you produce | | | | you desire as an outcome. |
| amazing photos. | | | | This is the point at which your photography can |
| Third is the lens. Do not underestimate the power | | | | become an art form rather than just a journalistic |
| of the lens. | | | | record of your surroundings. Once you have the |
| You can't really take advantage of the | | | | right knowledge, you can produce amazing photos |
| fundamentals of photography until you are familiar | | | | with much more consistency. |
| with the capabilities and power of the DSLR lens | | | | |