Do you have an SLR camera and you never used it? You want to use it now, but you don't know how? Well even though I am not a pro. I believe I can still give valid suggestions.

First thing to do is to check out all the functions your camera offers, for instance if it is new, then it will most definitely have the automatic function, or else semi-automatic, manual function is available but we will tackle that later. Whereas cameras dating to 10 years ago can be automatic, semi-automatic, or manual ONLY. Now a days, fully manual cameras are available but photography students normally use it (to get the skill).

Is it a 15mm lens? Then it is a "fish eye lens", which means that when you see through the camera you will see everything like in a globe. This has a wider viewing field than the wide angle, but the image will be as seen through a ball of crystal or so. You can still take great pictures but it depends on the subject.

Is it a 30mm lens? Then it is a "wide angle", which means that the area the camera manages to grab a greater area then a normal lens would do. For instance, if there is a view or place you would like to grab, and it will not fit in with a normal lens, most probably with the 30mm you will manage to fit it in.

Is it a 50mm lens? This is normally called the "standard lens". I have one. It is very good for day photography. Why? It fits between a wide angle and a telephoto lens. Most of the pictures I take are with a 50mm lens (as seen in the technical data page).

Is it a 70mm lens? This type of lens is the start line for "telephoto". If you have over 70mm, say 110mm or 210mm or even 300mm, then you got a telephoto lens, which are normally the lenses I like to use. Telephoto lens is the lens you can zoom with. Depending on the number, the zooming power varies. For instance, if you have a 110mm and a 210mm, the 210mm has a better zooming ability. If the lens is small, then few light is absorbed, allow some relatively low shutter speeds say 1/125s - 1/250s. It the lens is a big one (like the ones you see in Stadiums, those white ones) then you can take faster shutter speeds.

Super Telephoto my dream.... well super telephoto start from 300mm and over. They range from a price of 200 sterling and the reach up prices that go over thousands. If you have one then you are lucky.... and you are not possibly a beginner, you are already a photographer (probably you are very good and well experienced too).

It is very difficult to determine the shutter speed and Aperture you have to use. Your choice should be based mainly on these factors:

The first thing to do is to get to know the film you have. Mainly there are three common film types, that is, ISO: 100, 200, and 400, the 100 being the slowest to absorb light, and the 400 the fastest to absorb light (more sensitive to light).

The ISO 100 film is ideal for daylight pictures, and sunny days. The ISO 200 is ideal for the evening or flash aided situations at night. Whereas the ISO 400 is very good for night scenes requiring a relatively fast exposure such as 1/30s due to dark situations (which need long exposures; if you had to use a 200 or 100 film, the shutter speed would be less than 1/8s). In such cases, the flash cannot do any thing to fill in the picture.

If you have an ISO 100 film in a bright day I would suggest a 1/250s shutter speed and an aperture of 5.8, however, as I wrote before I cannot judge the situation for you. I can only give ideas about the situations. If you have a night situation and you happen to have a tripod and a cable release, then the ISO 100 is perfect for special effects and sharp images. For example the Mosta dome @ night was one of my photos I took using this technique. Make sure you have a steady tripod, and that the camera is still, during exposure.

If you have an ISO 400 film and you want to use it in a day light situation, good luck for you… I used it using a shutter speed of 1/500s and an aperture of 22 but they still were slightly over exposed. I do not suggest an ISO 400 film for day light photography. For fast objects during daylight, an ISO 200 should be more than good. If you will use an ISO 200, on a bright day, use a fast shutter speed (1/500s) and an aperture superior to 4.

No need to say, if the object/subject is moving, go for a fast exposure (not below 1/125s) if it is moving at a fast speed, go for 1/250s or 1/500s, depending on the film you are using. If it were a 200 film, then a 1/500s would be perfect, with an aperture of 8. on a sunny day. Do not go for very fast with a 100 film in a cloudy day coz you would be disappointed with the dull colours, and under exposed results.

The longer the Exposure to light the better the depth of field. Therefore, if you can afford to get a relatively slow exposure, do it! You will be impressed with the detail and colours the photo comes out with. An example of slow exposure and a good detail in my site is the "Golden Bay", although not as sharp it should be (in reality it is more sharp than it is on-line, reason being that the photo was scanned and I didn’t edit the pictures to prove that the photos I take are never edited).

If you have a shaky hand and you do not own a tripod, do not go for slow exposures, the pictures will be all blurred. If you are using a sensitive film like an ISO 400, then use large apertures such as 22 (never go below aperture 16 during the day), remember that the smaller the number, the larger the iris opening, and the larger the number, the smaller the iris opening.