Have you ever seen photographers on the field at football games? At live entertainment venues and weddings? What about in more casual settings?

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Many people are content taking photos with their smartphone cameras, due to their portability and simplicity. But for professionals like the ones listed above, and hobbyists, a DSLR camera is a big step up from a smartphone camera. DSLR stands for “digital single-lens reflex”, which essentially means that it does a lot more with your photos than just point-and-shoot.

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Single-lens means that with this kind of camera, you can swap out the lenses to change the type of photo you get. You can take close-up shots from far away, blur the background to focus on your subject, and change the amount of light in your photos to take great shots in both day and night, as well as other things. It all depends on your equipment.

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Reflex means that when you put your eye up to the camera to look through what we call the viewfinder, you see exactly what the lens sees. This creates more precise photos because (in most cases) you know exactly how the photo will turn out, even before you take it.

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The most amazing technical part of these types of cameras is that you can adjust how much light comes in (ISO), how fast the picture is taken (shutter speed), and how clear or blurry you want the background to be around your subject (aperture). When you learn how all these parts interact, you can create all kinds of cool photos!

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If you want to learn more about the moving parts of using DSLR photography to capture memories and take creative photos, you’re in the right place! It will take practice to get the hang of it, but you’ll be amazed at the shots you can capture.