Understanding How Your DSLR Works
Understanding the SLR (D or otherwise)
I got it. I missed it….but I saw it!
I know exactly when I figured this out. It was an epiphany.
I was standing on a long, narrow, straight, wooden dock in Mexico. A few happy, glistening, really young kids were skipping up the dock right towards me. The long shot was worthless but as they got closer they’re moving bodies filled my frame beautifully as I took picture after picture.
Through a string of about 5 frames I saw perfect photo after perfect photo in my viewfinder. I was so high about it. But when I got the film back from my lab I had 5 almosts – each of my paper pictures showed the scene a moment too late.
Some might think it was because I was shooting film instead of digital.
Nah, I don’t think so. I think it has to do with the mechanics of the SLR (D or otherwise). If you see the perfect picture in the viewfinder of your DSLR it means the picture is not being taken – at least not at that exact moment! The mirror that’s reflecting the picture (you think you are taking) up to your eye is blocking the real picture from being captured. That means, in fast moving situations, if you are seeing the perfect picture as you push the shutter release you don’t have that picture!
How it Works
Click on the sketch to see it bigger!
What can we do? What can we do?
In fast moving situations you have to learn to shoot a few milliseconds before the perfect picture happens. How the %$&! are we going to do that? How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
Half of the term “digital photography” is “photography”.
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: DSLR, How it works, SLR
on May 12, 2010 at 1:14 pm
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Oohhh! This makes total sense. I have that mind set while shooting sports, it’s just the every-day life that I need… that and learning my camera’s abilities to switch gears while getting ready for those shots.
Nice post