If I could put everything I've learned about photography into three basics, that will immediately bump up the quality of your pictures, it would be these:
1. TAKE your camera! (and your lens(es))
You have that DSLR you've always wanted. You've got the perfect prime-lens, the snazziest zoom-lens. It's time to head out. And you're thinking "What a load to carry! Just this one time, I simply want to enjoy the moment - not go hauling this weight around, wandering, and clicking away."
Every time you wonder - 'should I or shouldn't I ?', know that the answer is always the same - 'TAKE IT!'
All the great light, the beautiful color, that one special look on a face - none of it can be captured as well as you can with your dedicated camera and your equipment.
2. TURN your dial to Av (Aperture Value)
The three sides of 'The Triangle' that makes a picture come out as your eye sees it are :
- f-Stop (that controls the width of your lens' opening or aperture)
- Shutter-Speed (the time for which your lens' aperture is open)
- ISO (your camera's sensitivity to light)
Of these, the simplest one you can control is f-Stop. And the trickiest to set, quickly, for fast-moving-subjects, is Shutter-Speed.
By setting your shooting-mode to Av (or Aperture Value), you are taking control of f-Stop , and your camera does the hard-work of calculating the correct Shutter-Speed.
3. SET your f-Stop to the lowest value
The lower the f-Stop, the wider your lens' aperture (or 'opening'), and the greater the amount of light you're letting in.
So go right ahead and dial the f-Stop value all the way down - you will literally feel the light streaming in!
And as a bonus, with the lowest f-Stop value, you get the most background-blur (or 'bokeh'), drawing the eye to your subject.
Time and again, these three tips have helped me get great photos - I'm sure they'll help you too.
Happy Photographing!