Share your own single piece of advise!

[johneo]

Ever had a thought of something you SHOULD have done when trying to get a shot? Something simple that maybe could be passed along that could help others?

One big one for me ... DO NOT say "I'll come back later and get that shot". When you see a scene worth shooting, TAKE THE SHOT NOW!!!

I have a tendency of doing this all the time and always regret it because for any number of reasons, what I see "now" is not the same and usually completely different "then".

[PhotosGuy]

johneo, meet cjc145!
Teach me something I don't know. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=681394)

[MakeMeShutter]

Remove the lens cap. :D

[chauncey]

If you want to take interesting shots...put yourself in interesting positions. ;)

[Karl Johnston]

johneo, meet cjc145!
Teach me something I don't know. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=681394)
A match made in heaven

[Pete]

Don't be scared of manual mode. It can be your friend.

[Harm]

Don't be scared of manual mode. It can be your friend.

more than the Samaritans?

[CyberDyneSystems]

Rule # 1: Take the money
Rule # 2: When in doubt, hit it with a hammer (works better for carpentry than for photography, but it works in life in general pretty well too)
Rule # 3: Bigger is better, heaviest is best.
Rule # 4: If you don't move, she can't see you (try it, it really works)

[number six]

OK, I'll add one:

Rule #5: Don't whiz on the electric fence.

[Pmolan]

OK, I'll add one:

Rule #5: Don't whiz on the electric fence.

Was that on the same page as "Don't eat yellow snow"? :lol:

[TooManyShots]

Don't shoot at the sun facing you!!!!! I have seen so many people doing that just because something is interesting. However, the shot will come out crappy regardless when you have the sun facing you. Of course, this gets even more tempting for bird photographers.

[tstowe]

Rule #5: Don't whiz on the electric fence.

Ren and Stimpy fan?

[tstowe]

I've been coming up with my own list for the past few years. Here's what I have so far

#1 You have to have the camera with you
#2 You have to have time to pull over
#3 Take a lot of shots...one of them is bound to be good
#4 It's better to be lucky than to be good

[rdenney]

I'll provide a serious response:

Make pictures that tell the viewer why you thought the scene was worth photographing.

And,

Do not break the rules before learning them.

Rick "Corollary: Break the rules if necessary to tell the story" Denney

[sjones]

...Make pictures that tell the viewer why you thought the scene was worth photographing...

Yes, one of the questions that I often ask before pressing the shutter release is, "do I really care?" I am not out to make any sociopolitical statements or such, but I hope to avoid the visual lure of subjects merely coated in a patina of superficial appeal.

Depending on the type of photography practiced, luck can be remarkably useful, but the photographer must learn where and when such luck will best manifest.

[FlyingPhotog]

Spend more time before you press the shutter and you'll spend less time wrangling a mouse...!

[Grimes]

Spend more time before you press the shutter and you'll spend less time wrangling a mouse...!


In similar fashion:

For better pictures, spend more time shooting and less time buying gear!

[JHolt]

Set your white balance!

** I some times do drive by photography tips in the car and yell that out the window **
No but seriously set your wb.

[Chet]

*Don't forget your CF card.*

*Back-up your photos*

*Be prepared for (most) every situation*

[Radtech1]

OK, serious and on topic.

Don't be so blinded by the subject that you forget to look at what else is there in the viewfinder.

I learned this one long ago, so it is not only "second nature", it is first nature to me. But stroll through someones flickr page and count how many time there is a lousy background that could have been fixed at the time of shooting, or a tree growing out of someone's head, or something in the foreground that obscures the subject but the shooter didn't see it because he wasn't looking for it.

Rad

[FlyingPhotog]

Sort of the obverse of Radtech1's good advice:

"Dont forget to look behind you as well"

While I was shooting This Scene (http://www.pbase.com/flyingphotog/image/99600988)

THIS (http://www.pbase.com/flyingphotog/image/99618214) was developing behind me...

[number six]

Ren and Stimpy fan?

Sure, but that advice is 100 years older than R&S.

:cool:

[Maureen Souza]

Do what you're comfortable doing and stop listening to so many other bits of advice. It will drive you crazy!

[FlyingPhotog]

Do what you're comfortable doing and stop listening to so many other bits of advice. It will drive you crazy!

Excellent advice! Everyone stop listening to Maureen! :p

[number six]

Do what you're comfortable doing and stop listening to so many other bits of advice. It will drive you crazy!

OK, Maureen! Go ahead and whiz on the electric fence.

Ummm, would you be kind enough to take someone along to take pictures?

:p

[Maureen Souza]

Are you all ganging up on me now:p:p

[number six]

Are you all ganging up on me now:p:p


Of course not! But we'd love to see you jump.

:lol::lol::lol:

[number six]

Y'know, it wouldn't have to be a G&N type shot. Simply something tasteful. And funny.

Give it a whiz!

:cool:

[FlyingPhotog]

Are you all ganging up on me now:p:p

Just 'cause you aren't paranoid Maureen, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you... ;) :lol:

[JCH77Yanks]

Here's one I need to heed more often...

Stop feeling self conscious about being out in public with a DSLR... Fear and doubt will almost certainly kill all creativity.

[50D Newbe]

Its not the body... Its the glass.

[viperstrike]

Serious advice: The probability that your hard drive will fail is 100%.

Funny advice: Backup your computer as often as you would like to have sex.

[AB8ND]

Carry your camera out and ready to use - not in a bag

jack

[slicendice]

Its not the body... Its the glass.

It's not the glass....it's the beer!!! :lol:

[birdfromboat]

anything ever bought used was sold by someone that no longer wanted it.

[rdenney]

Here's one that comes to me today in reading Yet Another What Should I Buy post:

Know yourself.

If you don't know what you want to do with your equipment, how do you expect others to know for you? If you know what you want to do with your equipment, then define the requirements based on those activities, and ask what equipment best fulfills those requirements. Those are the sorts of question strangers can answer.

Rick "amazed at how readily people will let other people define them" Denney

[MikeES]

Always look at the subject from more than one angle...sometimes the great shots come from not so obvious locations in relation to the subject...the same applies to the angle of the light source to the subject...

[mspringfield]

As a friend of mine once said. "Talk your wife into letting you buy the 200 1.8 first. By comparison, everything else you want is cheap."

[westinfunk]

Here's one I need to heed more often...

Stop feeling self conscious about being out in public with a DSLR... Fear and doubt will almost certainly kill all creativity.

K who is seriously THAT self conscious?

When I have mine out I feel ok having the attitude "respect my authority, I know what i'm doing..."

Plus it spawns many conversations with strangers :eek:

[Clint]

O.K I will play, When your getting that wonderful scenery shot, turn around there just may be another behind you.

[burnxkr]

Buy a decent Tripod. It slows you down into thinking more about your shot and will increase keeper rate through sharper images.

Oh ............... and don't eat the yellow snow!!!!!!!!!!

[birdfromboat]

if you watch out where the huskies go, you won't have to worry about the yellow snow.

[Tomi Hawk]

"To see what it is that you're looking at."

[Philscbx]

One big one for me ... DO NOT say "I'll come back later and get that shot" Wow, this is huge dilemma that I do so often.
Usually worse when others are in the vehicle with you that care less.

[Philscbx]

Originally Posted by 50D Newbe
Its not the body... Its the glass.
It's not the glass....it's the beer!!! :lol:Thats Great. Only a Pro would know that.

[birdfromboat]

just learned another, think about exposure every time you follow a subject through a door. Different room? different light. Going outside? that manual combination you dialed in for the flash shots aint gonna work for the outdoor stuff. OOPS. Beautiful shots of my daughter and her date getting ready to go to the senior prom, multi flash, couple of lenses, nice bokeh and planned backgrounds. Follow them outdoors to the car and guess what I got?
Ever see a totally filled Histogram? I have.

[dissembled]

Use a dedicated camera bag. I once stored my Olympus camera w/ lens inside a school bag and the filter was literally smashed into pieces. Filter ring was stuck onto the lens.
Thankfully though, the lens was undamaged.

[Retouch UK]

Serious advice: The probability that your hard drive will fail is 100%.

Funny advice: Backup your computer as often as you would like to have sex.

I cant be bothered backing up 3 times a day :)

Chris