My Photographic Tips

1 PHOTOGRAPHS ALWAYS LIE - DON'T GET HUNG UP IN TRYING TO ALWAYS CAPTURE "REALITY".

2 AUTO FOCUS - GREAT WITH SPORTS, WHERE THERE IS CONTRAST. LEARN THE SITUATIONS WHERE IT JUST DOES NOT WORK WELL. LOW LIGHT AND LOW CONTRAST.

3 MANUAL FOCUS - PRACTICE TO GAIN CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITIES TO FOCUS WELL.

4 BATTERIES - ALWAYS CARRY EXTRA CAMERA BATTERIES - CHANGE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY.

5 BRAND NAME - DON’T BRAG ABOUT YOUR CAMERA BRAND NAME - ITS ONLY A TOOL - YOUR "QUALITY" SHOULD BE JUDGED BY THE FINAL END PRODUCT, THE IMAGE.

6 CAMERA - A HAND THROUGH THE STRAP IS BETTER THAN AROUND THE NECK.

7 CAMERA - BUY THE BEST CAMERA STRAPS YOU CAN AFFORD.

8 CAMERA - EXERCISE THE SHUTTER SPEEDS - GO THROUGH ALL THE SHUTTER SPEEDS ONCE A MONTH WITHOUT FILM IN THE CAMERA. ELECTRONIC SHUTTERS ARE MORE CONSISTENT.

9 CAMERA - KEEP YOUR "TOOLS" AS SIMPLE TO OPERATE AS POSSIBLE - DON'T LET THE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY PASS BY WHILE YOU ARE FUTZING AROUND WITH SETTING A CAMERA CONTROL.

10 CAMERA - "LOVE A LENS" - LEARN THE STRENGTHS OF THE PARTICULAR LENS BY REALLY USING IT AND LEARNING WHEN AND WHERE TO USE, OR NOT TO USE IT.

11 GOOD PHOTOGRAPH - IMAGINE THE IMAGE BEFORE YOU WALK UP TO THE SUBJECT, THEN FRAME THE IMAGE IN THE CAMERA.

12 CAMERA - "E" SCREEN (GRID) HELPS WITH GOLDEN VERTICES, KEEPING THE CAMERA HORIZONTAL OR MATCHING VERTICAL LINES.

13 CAMERA - CLEAN YOUR EQUIPMENT EVERY TIME YOU PUT IT AWAY.

14 CAMERA - HAVE YOUR EQUIPMENT PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED & TESTED AT LEAST EVERY OTHER YEAR - IF YOU USE TWO CAMERAS, MATCH THEM EXACTLY.

15 CAMERA - USE TWO CAMERAS FOR FAST SHOOTING AS ONE CAMERA BECOMES A LENS HOLDER.

16 CAMERA - IF YOU FEEL THE CAMERA DROPPING, GRAB THE STRAP AND LIFT YOUR ARM IMMEDIATELY. USUALLY MEANS THAT ONE SIDE OF THE STRAP HAS COME OFF THE CAMERA.

17 CAMERA - LENS CLEANING LIQUID NEVER GOES DIRECTLY ON THE LENS - ALWAYS ONTO THE CLEANING PAPER THEN CLEAN THE LENS.

18 CAMERA - DON'T HAVE LENS CLEANER? BREATHE ONTO THE LENS (CREATES DISTILLED WATER) THEN CLEAN OFF WITH A PROPER CLOTH OR LENS TISSUE. NEVER WITH KLEENEX!

19 CAMERA - REGISTER YOUR EQUIPMENT WITH CUSTOMS BEFORE YOU GO OUT OF THE COUNTRY. SAVES PROBLEMS WHEN YOU RETURN TO THE USA.

20 CAMERA - WHEN BUYING USED CAMERA EQUIPMENT - UNDERSTAND THE RETURN GUARANTEE/ CHECK IT OUT. FULL DELIVERED PRICE? WARRANTIES? REPUTATION OF SELLER - REFERENCES?

21 CAMERA - WHEN CARRYING CAMERAS ON YOUR SHOULDER, FACE LENSES INWARD (TOWARDS YOUR BACK) SO THAT YOU DO NOT BANG LENSES IN DOORWAYS OR INTO OTHER PEOPLE.

22 COURTESY - SEND PEOPLE COPIES OF THE PICTURES YOU TAKE OF THEM. THEY WILL APPRECIATE YOUR "THROW-AWAYS"

23 COURTESY - GIVE PEOPLE ROOM WHEN FIRST SHOOTING THEM - SMILE AND THEN ADVANCE SLOWLY INTO THEIR "SPACE."

24 COURTESY - OFFER TO TAKE PICTURES FOR OTHERS - ALWAYS APPRECIATED. SOMETIMES GOOD EXCUSE TO END UP TAKING YOUR OWN PICTURES OF THEM.

25 COURTESY - WHEN GIVING ADVICE LISTEN FOR THE REAL QUESTION BEING ASKED.