So you’ve just picked up your first SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. You’ve read the manual and surfed the web, and now you’re ready to start taking photos you’ll be proud to frame on your wall in a stunning black picture frame.  Right?  Sure! But before you take off with camera in hand, take a moment to read over these five tips so you can help your images go from great to fabulous.

1.  Dump the Flash

While it’s true that professional photographers often do use a flash or complicated light rigs, you shouldn’t need a flash in most lighting conditions. Subjects taken in natural light often look more natural and have more detail and depth than pictures taken with a flash. Additionally, getting rid of the flash during your first week will make you a lot more familiar with how your camera works with light- giving you an invaluable skill as a beginning photographer.

2.   Turn Off Auto Focus

There’s no arguing that a camera that auto-focuses is infinitely handy and easy to use. However, focusing on the fly is an important tool in any photographer’s toolbox. Since cameras don’t understand your intent, it’s up to you to make sure you’re focused on the right thing at the right moment. It is incredible how unique and interesting an image can be when you allow the focus to move out of the direct center of the frame, so set this one to manual for a while.

3.  Take a Photo Class

You can buy all the books in the world and browse the internet for days, but the absolute best way to learn about photography is in a hands on environment. Find a class at a community college or local art school and see how understanding photography will improve your work for the better. As a bonus, your teacher will likely give you assignments based on individual elements of photography you may have never considered.

4.  Say Farewell to Color

Before you dive into color, buy a few rolls of T-Max 400 (great B&W film) and see if taking it back to the basics changes your interpretation of the world around you. You’ll know it’s time to upgrade to color when you can shoot and print a black and white image that has pure black, pure white, and every shade in between. Taking photos in black and white will force your mind to think less about the “image” and more about the importance of how light interacts with the objects in the frame.

5.  Shoot, Shoot, Shoot

This may seem obvious, but if you’re interested in becoming a “great” photographer, you’ll need to shoot lots and lots of photos. The more you shoot, the better you’ll get. Photography is often as much about luck and timing as it is technology and skill. Even “great” photographers only average 3-4 good photos at a time, so don’t worry about taking a lot of images. It’s far worse to miss a shot than take too many! Besides, you’ll only display the really good ones in a picture frame anyways.

There is no great secret to being an amazing photographer. The more you challenge yourself, the better you’ll become. If you start with a strong understanding of how your camera works and what it takes to take a good photo, the rest will come with practice. Your camera will never change- only your ability to manipulate it. So keep your SLR close and extra film or memory card on hand. Never be afraid of experimenting with new ideas because there will always be more film or memory cards! And remember, the best picture you’ll ever take is the one you’re about to take. And once you have that fantastic image, don’t forget to share it by displaying it on the wall in a hanging picture frame.