I have beeen using a digital SLR camera for over 2 years but still haven’t fully master the features. I still remember the first few months after owning the Nikon D80, it spends most of its time on Auto mode. The reason is that most of the photos I took using manual or Programmed mode ends up with deletion due to unsatisfying result.

One day, I met an old friend. He is a part-time photographer. I showed him my photos and he was surprised to see the EXIF info – everything was taken in Auto mode, a complete dumb failover solution. We had a big laughed but then I explained to him that it’s my way to ensure every photo is presentable (at least no under/over exposure).

He then became my mentor. He delivers his knowledge and shares his technical knowledge, ISO, aparture, shutter speeds and many more. I slowly developed my skills in photography and strengthen my knowledge by reading photography magazine as well as book. I had a better view and idea on how to take a great shots after readings those materials.

What I really need is pretty simple, a photography guide that fits in my pocket and accessible anytime, anywhere. Nikon has come with their Learn & Explore, an iPhone application that teaches photography basics and offers shooting techniques for common situations.

You can browse a library of professional images, each with Nikon World articlet that gives the shot details including composition, equipment, shutter speed, ISO and lighting.

The Learn section offers articles on shooting techniques, image editing, and fundamentals which include sample photos and video on step by step how to.

The Nikon Wolrd section offers features from magazines, while the Glossary explains photography jargons from A to Z. You can even mark individual articles and photos as Favorites for quick future access.