DSLRs are fantastic cameras, but they're only as good as the photos you take with them. To get the most out of your DSLR, you must learn how to use it properly.
The following tips will help you become a more efficient photographer:
1. Always shoot in RAW image format. This allows you to have more flexibility in post-processing and gives you a much more comprehensive range of exposure possibilities than JPEGs.
2. Use a tripod when shooting at slow shutter speeds or in low light situations. Tripods can be very inexpensive, help increase your focus accuracy, and allow you to capture sharper images with less noise (conducive to long exposures).
3. Keep your ISO as low as possible without sacrificing shutter speed or aperture settings (see next point). The lower the ISO rating, the better image your camera can produce, especially in everyday light situations where there is little light available for capturing an image!
4. Set your camera's white balance manually instead of leaving it on auto white balance mode (AWB). This helps ensure that colors are accurately represented in your images since AWB does not always do so correctly (especially under fluorescent lighting conditions).
5. Use manual focus mode to ensure that focus remains sharp during long exposures
To sum up, to get the most out of your DSLR camera, you need some patience and play around with different settings on your camera. But really, that's all there is to know!