Because most digital SLR photographers were already seasoned veterans before they began using a dSLR, they already have a considerable advantage over neophyte photographers who must master digital technology at the same time they are learning photographic basics. You know to hold the camera steady in dim light and how to make a background less prominent by throwing it out of focus.

You understand terms like lens flare, motion blur, and grain, and may have more than an inkling about things like solarization, halftones, mezzotints, or unsharp masking.

• Basic composition. Seasoned photographers know how to line up shots to produce a pleasing composition. You’ll find this skill valuable with dSLRs, because their WYSIWYG viewpoint makes composition more precise.
• Choosing lenses. Beginners don’t choose lenses or zoom settings. Photographers understand that lens choice is an important part of the creative process to, say, compress the apparent distance between objects, emphasize the foreground, or produce pleasing portraits.
• Using selective focus. Point-and-shoot cameras generally don’t offer much flexibility in applying depth-of-field.
• Choosing a film “look.” If you’re a veteran film photographer, you’re used to choosing one film because it provides vivid, saturated colors even on overcast days, or another film because it has accurate flesh tones for portraits, or a third because it has extra contrast that makes product shots look their best. You can apply this knowledge to your digital camera to select saturation, contrast, and exposure settings that suit the exact look you want.
• Knowledge of what you can do in the film and digital darkroom. Experienced photographers know how and when to take advantage of image-editing techniques, such as retouching, compositing, color correction, and special effects. These can be used to fix problem images, or make a good image a great one.