Tips & Tricks
The simple stuff and the fun stuff.
THINGS I ALWAYS DO:
THINGS I ALWAYS DO:
- Take the lens cap off. I know this sounds crazy, but I have been guilty of being so excited to get a shot only to find a black world through the view finder. A shot may only last 2 seconds which is how long it takes to remove the lens cap IF YOU PRACTICE. But the shot is still gone.
- Charge all the batteries the day before shooting.
- Just before I shoot set the White Balance to the lighting condition, set exposure mode to be used-A,S,P,M-,Check ISO is set at lowest number, Check that auto focus mode is turned on both the lens and body. Set focus to Single on body.
- Check the histogram after the first shots, at least.
- Look for oddball objects in view finder before taking shot. i.e.- a tree coming out of somebody's head, a brightly colored object in the scene that should not be there,- jet trails when shooting old buildings or dramatic landscapes. Frame the shot to eliminate these.
- Format the card in the camera even after the images were already deleted to insure camera compatibility and maximum capacity on the card.
- Use the rocket blower to clean the lens. Only use the cloth when necessary.
- Work a subject from as many angles as possible. There will be one that will surprise you how well it turned out. Remember it.
- Try different f/stops and/or shutter speeds.
- I put the strap around my neck. Gravity effects can cost a lot of money.
- I use reasonably sized cards, multiple 4GB cards. The cases are marked black on one side. The label of a full card faces the black side showing me not to use it.
- Squeeze the trigger slowly so that I am reasonably surprised when the shutter is actuated.
- I wear polarized sunglasses to help me find shots that require a polarizing filter. This filter gets used a lot.
- Plan ahead of what kind of shots I want to take and make a list. Download Shoot Objectives worksheet.
- Use the tripod or bean bag when shutter speeds are below 1/90. My success rate below this is much higher on the tripod or bean bag, unless using a flash.
- Check that the camera is turned off as I am putting it back into my bag.
- I love the circular polarizer. Great on landscape, flowers and water. Don't over do it though. Depending on the angle, the Circular Polarizer can make the sky black at high altitudes, so be careful with that. If that is what you want great, otherwise just dial in enough to make the colors pop and/or the sky have enough saturation for the shot. When shooting water, this filter will help eliminate the glare allowing you to see objects below the surface. These filters slow the exposure about 1.5 stops so it can be used to soften water flow by giving you a longer shutter. Be careful with wide angle lenses because the polarizing effect will probably not cover the whole image evenly giving you a gradient across the sky.
- Have your subject walk toward you with dim lighting, use rear sync flash, tripod and 2-3 sec exposure. This will make the subject appear as a ghostly image within the background.
- Take pictures of the full moon, at f/11-1/125sec, in the corners, center-R, center, center-L, center-Top and center-Bottom. Save these to layer them in future photos.
- Take 2-4 pictures back to back when the Auto-Focus may be in question, such as a flower that may be moving slightly or a fast moving object like a race car. This helps even when using Continuous Servo mode.
- Take a shot with a long object, fence line-row of beach chairs etc., comes out of the lower corners and focus about 8-15feet away from you. You will probably need something in the background to add 'out of focus' interest. These can turn out great.
- Use natural objects to frame your shot. A tree branch and a bush, for example, flanking the main subject, slightly out of focus, will draw attention to and make the main subject have more impact, more natural and make the viewer feel as if they are there.
- When taking a sunset or sunrise shot, put the sun just outside the frame, press the shutter release halfway and hold it, reframe the picture and shoot. You can also use the AE-Lock button instead of holding the shutter release. The sun will blow out but the rest of the scene will have good details.
- Get in real close to your subject. Adjust your focus ring to its shortest setting. Move in close until the subject gets in focus, then back up just a bit and take the shot letting auto focus do its thing.
- Feed the birds. Set up an area with natural perches, like branches or a stump, and feed them until enough are coming around to get some good shots. Set up a bird blind about 10 feet away from the feeding area. With a telephoto, 200-300mm-large f/stop and 1/400 speed min, be prepared by noting the feeding habits of the birds you want to capture, notice I did not say 'SHOOT'. Some blinds have holes near the bottom which are great for a unique perspective.
- Get on the ground. That last tip reminded me. The most boring shoots are usually the taken at normal standing height. If taking a shot of a HotRod, for example, get your belly on the ground in the front, the front corner, the rear or even a real low shot of just the wheel and tire. These have 'Look at me' written all over them.