Day 3: Read Your Camera Manual – 31 Days of Food Photography Tips

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Have you read your camera manual? Doesn’t matter if you have a DSLR or a point and shoot. Did you ever read your manual?

Boring?

We are not talking about perfection here, although that is going to help you. In this post, we talk about 9 essential features you should know how to adjust.

These 9 controls are the ones that you would use most when taking photos. If this is all you take away from your camera manual, this is a good start.

9 Essential Control Every Food Photographer Should Know

1. How to Adjust Aperture of Your Lens
2. How to Adjust Shutter Speed
3. How to Change ISO
4. How to Manually focus using your camera
5. How to Change Exposure Compensation
6. How to Adjust White Balance
7. How do Various Photography Modes work
8. How to lock point of focus – Here’s a hint: In most cameras it has to do with the shutter. Read your manual to find out.
9. How to switch to Macro – For Point and shoot, you will find this in your camera manual. For DSLR this will be in your lens manual.

Last One: Once you are done with this list, start with your camera manual’s table of content. That’s it. Pretty simple right.

Further Reading

1. What Every Aspiring Photographer Absolutely Needs to Know
2. Camera Guide by Dummies
3. Photo Nuts and Bolts

Your Assignment

For today’s exercise, pick up your camera and grab your camera manual. Start with the aperture. Read what your camera manual says about aperture and how to adjust it. Try adjusting aperture on your camera. Once you figure it out, move to the next thing on the list. And the next.

If you are stuck at any one of these steps, ask a question in the comments below. Don’t stress yourself too much. Just play with these features. For now.

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4 Ways to Get More Out of 31DFPT

1. Share your food photos on LFP facebook page.
2. Ask questions in the comments below.
3. Introduce yourself to other food photographers.
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Photo by AlaskaTeacher